.....::::: LOOK AGAIN AND THINK :::::.....

If there is one thing I love to do-it is to read. Reading reveals so many mysteries. I started reading this devotional book a while back called: "My Upmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers and edited by James Reimann. If you ever lay your eyes on a copy of it, I highly recommend you buy it! In it I found the following and wanted to share a little exert with you. 

To worry is to give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Do you worry? Jesus tells us not to worry about the things God promises to supply. Worry may cause you to damage your health, consume your thoughts, disrupt your productivity, negatively affect the way you treat others and reduce your ability to trust in God. Do your very worries cause you to drift away from Him? Forgive me for asking…stay blessed and in faith!

"[…] I say to you, do not worry about your life…" Our Lord says to be careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever they are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship with God first.

"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble (worry) has begun to threaten you today? […] Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father (Matthew 6:30).

(Devotions/ Devotionals)

.....::::: WHAT IS IT YOU LACK? WHAT IS THAT ONE THING? :::::.....

Personal experience is a great testimony. At one point in time, not too long ago, I dated this girl for almost three years. We had an "on-off" relationship. Our relationship was not the healthiest of relationships either. We did things we should not have. We really did love each other though. But that's not the point. Towards the end of our relationship, I really tried to take my relationship with God to the next level. But I was still attached and was a slave to my emotions and feelings for her.

Now, if I may, I wanna compare this to when Jesus spoke to the rich young man. The young man wanted to be sure he would get eternal life, so he asked what he could do. He said he had kept all of the laws Jesus mentioned and even the additional regulations of the Pharisees. But Jesus lovingly broke through the young man's pride with a challenge that brought out his true motives: "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor." It exposed the one thing that could keep him out of the kingdom: his love for money. Ironically, this made him unable to keep the first commandment, to let nothing be more important than God. The rich young man came to Jesus wondering what he could do; he left seeing what he was unable to do.

Where I am comparing my story with this one is cause I too wanted and asked what I could do to get to that place with Jesus and I believed I had done everything. I thought that I had done everything that He asked, I too thought I was righteous in my own eyes but in reality I refused to give up that ONE thing that I held me back from moving forward with Christ: my love for her. Turns out it was more of an obsession. I placed her above God for a very long time. This story shows us that we must not let anything we have or desire keep us from truly following Jesus. We must remove all barriers to serve Him truthfully. What about you? Do you, like I did, refuse to ask God for help? Or do you keep telling yourself that you have done everything He has asked? What keeps you from complete devotion to The Creator? What if Jesus asked you to give up the thing or like in my case, person you hold most dear? Your reaction may show whether this thing is your master or not...Think about it...

Mark 10:17-22 "As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth."

(Devotions/ Devotionals)

.....::::: HOW FAR DOES LOVE GO? (A trip down memory lane) :::::.....

Today is Good Friday. The day the King who came to serve, heal and liberate, was given a criminal's death but rose 3 days later! I was reading the content from a devotional plan focused on Easter and it was so powerful and almost poetical that I just had to share it. Hopefully this opens some eyes and helps you realize how far does love go... Stay blessed.

"Before His crucifixion, Jesus was scourged. Roman soldiers bared the upper half of His body and tied His hands to a pillar. He was forced to bend double with His spinal column exposed. Then, Jesus was flogged with a 3-pronged whip comprised of three leather thongs connected by pieces of bone and metal on a chain.

Scourging or flogging always preceded capital punishment so that the prisoner would be weakened and die more quickly on the cross. The violent lashing of Jesus’ body tore His skin and bared His flesh to the very bone. Many victims died before they even encountered the cross because of the flogging. Many were paralyzed and few remained conscious after this horrific punishment.

After the flogging came the mocking. The soldiers relentlessly, cruelly ridiculed the Son of the God of all creation.

Jesus was too weak to even carry His own cross because His torment had already been taken to the utmost limits. There was little life left in His precious Body as He reached the top of Golgotha.

The Man Who had turned over tables...held little children on His lap... calmed the storms... and raised the dead...was now bleeding in agony. His lungs were struggling for one more gasp of earth’s atmosphere and His eyes were glazed with vicious pain. I wonder if the guards could hear the Savior gasping for breath. His mother, who had witnessed His first precious breath, now heard Him breathe His last. She had giggled over His first coos and gurgles, and now had to stand and hear Him fight the pain.

He could have called 10,000 angels at that moment. They would have come to His rescue!

He could have removed Himself from the cross but He chose not to! He chose to contain His power. Why? Why didn't He save Himself from the mockery of hell itself?

He stayed there for you...because YOU were the joy set before Him. You were on His mind while He hung on Calvary’s cross."

(Devotions/ Devotionals)

SAMUEL JOSEPH & INFLUENCE :CONCERT RÉVÈLE-TOI À MOI :EXTRAIT

Au nom de toute l'équipe de Spread4Christ, nous aimerions remercier Samuel Joseph qui nous a, non seulement, permis de partager "l'avant-concert" en arrière scène, avec lui, mais qui nous a également fait vivre une expérience exceptionnelle dans la présence de Dieu tout au long du concert. Nous aimerions également remercier toute l'équipe de On The Rock Entertainement qui nous on permis de couvrir l’événement et également pour leur entière collaboration.

Voici maintenant quelque instant de cette soirée exceptionnelle! Bon visionnement !!

Article suggéré : RÉVÈLE-TOI À MOI

(Francais / French)

.....::::: DO YOU REMEMBER THE TIME? :::::.....

Do you remember the time when you fell in love with Jesus Christ? Do you remember the time when you first met Him? Do you remember the time when you were kind to God, or were you only expecting God to be kind to you? Do you remember when everything you did in your life was to please Him, or did you constantly complain because things didn't go your way? We love it when a friend keeps his or her commitments but we are disappointed when they fail to keep their promise. Do you remember the time you first fell in love with God? Are you as filled with overwhelming love for Jesus Christ as you were in the beginning? That time where you went out of your way to prove your devotion to Him? Sin distances us from Him but how bad do you want to return to that place and time where it was just you and Him? Think about your original commitment to obey God, and ask yourself if you are remaining truly devoted.

Jeremiah 2:2 - "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: “ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved Me and followed Me through the wilderness, through a land not sown."

(Devotions/ Devotionals)