Loose Cables

2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

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Loose Cables

A new missionary was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, the missionary devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off.

As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Poor health forced the missionary and his family to leave and a new missionary came in to replace him. While being shown the arrangement for getting the car started; the new man began looking under the hood.

Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to the leaving missionary’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept him from putting that power to work.

The bible tells us that God has given us a spirit of power, it’s ours but many people have no idea how to activate that power. Just like the missionary in our story you may be going through inconveniences in your life and probably you have come to the place where you have accepted it as the norm simply because you do not know how to activate the power at your disposal. Or you do not have the faith that that power is there for you in the first place.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

In our story the second missionary was able to activate the power in the car because he had knowledge on how the car operated and he put it into action.

In the same way we are able to activate his power through our knowledge of Him. You will not access His power through my knowledge of Him or through your pastor’s knowledge of Him. It is through YOUR knowledge of Him.

To know Him you have to stick with the basics. You have to pray, you have to study the word, you have to worship, you have to get closer to Him daily.

Like the first missionary, are you always needing a push, always needing someone to pray for you because you always don’t have the power to pray for yourself?

Do you always need someone to push you with an encouraging word? Do you always need to place yourself strategically around certain individuals because you need them to boost you and push you in a certain direction?

There is power available that God has freely given us. Power to set you free from addictions, power to heal you, power for everything you need for life and godliness.

Like our missionary you don’t need to pack on a hill and neither do you always need a push, just learn how to tap into the power instead of fear, ensure your cables are always properly connected.

Reflection
Knowing God more gives us greater access to His power, to know Him we have to spend time with Him!

The Four Wives

Mark 8:36 (KJV)
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

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The Four Wives

I came across this story and it illustrates this verse very well. There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies.

He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. “Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives.

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions based on someone else's idea of our happiness - what will make you a good citizen or a good wife or daughter or actress. Nobody says, 'Just be happy - go be a cobbler or go live with goats.'

Let’s Go Fishing

Let’s Go Fishing

Luke 5:4-8
And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Peter was an experienced fisherman, and he knew when and where to fish. He understood the open waters and what it takes to be a good fisherman. But even with his expertise and experience, Peter and his crew had been out the whole night and they had not caught anything.

How frustrating can that be? There they were washing their nets wondering what the day would hold now that they had no catch to take to the market. They were not lazy, they were hard workers giving up their sleep while every other person rested for the night, and they were out working doing the best they knew how to do with no reward.

Maybe you feel like Peter today. You are a hard worker, you put in a full days work and you are good at what you do but at the end of the day or at the end of the month you have nothing much to show for it.

Jesus asks Peter for his boat and He wants it put out a bit into the sea, Peter gives without complaining though he has had a bad night and I bet he is tired with a lot on his mind but he still maintains a good attitude and serves the Lord! In the midst of your disappointment are you open to the Lord or are you complaining and lamenting?

Jesus, a carpenter’s son tells Peter and experienced fisherman who has been out the whole night and caught nothing to go out into the deep and lower the nets. There was a reason why Peter and his crew were fishing at night; I believe that was the best time to get a good catch and now here was Jesus telling them to go out during the day light.

Well I guess Peter must have thought, what is there to lose. So he did it. Imagine the work it took to set sail again and go back into the sea, imagine what the other fishermen must have thought but Peter did it anyway. The results? Uncommon favor.

They caught so much fish they had to call in others to help them bring it in. The fish was so much it was sinking their boat. The blessing was too much it was now becoming a disaster and unless they called in others to share the blessing, they might have lost it.

Peter recognizes that this has to be God, what he has just witnessed is a miracle. Your boat may be empty though you have worked hard the whole night. Look unto Jesus and do what He tells you to do no matter how ridiculous it may see. Your empty boat will be so full of blessings it will start sinking and you will have to call in others to help you haul it in!

If It's Loving That You Want

 If It's Loving That You Want

I want to let you know
That you don't have to go
Don't wonder no more
What I think about you

If it's loving that you want
Then you should make me your girl, your girl
If it's loving that you need
Baby come and share my world, share my world
If it's loving that you want
Then come and take a walk with me, walk with me
Cause, everything that you need, I got it right here baby, baby

Now it's obvious you need a friend to come hold you down
Be that one you share your everything when no one's around
Baby come tell me your secrets, and tell me all your dreams
'Cause I can see you need someone to trust
You can trust in me

So just call me whenever your lonely

I'll be your friend, I can be your homey

If it's loving that you want
Then you should make me your girl, your girl
If it's loving that you need
Baby come and share my world, share my world
If it's loving that you want
Then come and take a walk with me, walk with me
Cause, everything that you need, I got it right here baby, baby

It's been so long I've had this feeling
That we could be
Everything you've ever wanted baby
Your fantasy
I won't push too hard or break your heart
'Cause my love's sincere
I'm not like any other girl you know
So let me erase your fears


So just call me whenever your lonely

I'll be your friend, I can be your homey

If it's loving that you want
Then you should make me your girl, your girl
If it's loving that you need
Baby come and share my world, share my world
If it's loving that you want
Then come and take a walk with me, walk with me
Cause, everything that you need, I got it right here baby, baby

If it's loving that you want
Then you should make me your girl, your girl
If it's loving that you need
Baby come and share my world, share my world (I got what you need so come share my world)
If it's loving that you want
Then come and take a walk with me, walk with me
Cause, everything that you need, I got it right here baby, baby

So just call me whenever your lonely
I'll be your friend, I can be your homey


If it's loving that you want
Then you should make me your girl, your girl
If it's loving that you need
Baby come and share my world, share my world
If it's loving that you want
Then come and take a walk with me, walk with me
Cause, everything that you need, I got it right here baby, baby

I want to let you know
That you don't have to go
Don't wonder no more
What I think about you

What I think about you boy
I got what you need so come share my world 

Mpango wa kondom

Mpango wa Kondom

Nyamawi heart is very cold despite the January heat that had brought him to Essay’s house after continuous betrayal by Esther his children’s mother. He was watching Papa Shirandula together with his second first born as Essay was changing in the bed room. He was the one who insisted on being here to eat Pizza since dinner will be over by the time he gets to his house. Nyamawi was on phone with his colleague, from the conversation it was easy for this daughter to tell that he had bought them meet.”Nimekuja Kuosha gari but today it is expensive.”(I am cleaning my car).This was his explanation to both his wife and colleagues every time his Range Rover Sport was seen in this neighborhood. She now had a hint of what was in the colourfull round carton that was on the table. 

Nyamawi tried to escape this supper but had to buy it since he wanted to impress both mother and the daughter. He knew that Essay was preparing to impress him too. Anxiety was taking the better part of his body. This was long before Essay came out behind the curtain that was separating him from this nice view that he wanted so badly.  .He was having it in his mind and he was seeing it in the movements of the curtain. He reached out for a glass on the sideboard that was just next to his right hand. He served his take away soda to the curious girl who was now sad that the program was over and they were running advertisements that were delaying her favourite soap opera.He welcomed her to take the soda although it was a bit cold. She took the first sip of the cold drink and despite her age she knew this drink needed an accompaniment to reduce the coldness. “Uncle did you bring us meat today? When will mother cook it? I hope she will not ask me to go and play as you two prepare Nyama Choma. ”

He was just about to answer her when a sexy Essay appeared and told her daughter that the meat that uncle brought for them was ready to eat. Everything in Nyamawi confirmed that the food before him was ready to eat. Only that he did not know how to start with the glare of the girl. He looked at Essay in a way that was saying get rid of her. He was thinking that asking the girl to go to either go and play or join their neighbor was not possible. Before he bought this room a TV they used to tell the girl to go and watch TV at the neighbours place in the next door room.

This was Essay’s girl and she knew how to deal with her although most of the time she used her to deny him the only thing he wanted in the room. She exactly did this by washing their hands and opening the pizza fro them to eat. It was hard for the girl to ask any questions since she was warned on saying anything to Uncle wa Nyama the name they used when Nyamawi was away. Marcella, the girls name was borrowed from soap; this made the girl love watching all the movies that had her name. Nyamawi had talked to Essay about this kind of exposure but as usual, she said she was being a better and present mother than an absent father.

They each took a piece of what was in the box, Nyamawi understood what it was, Essay knew it was expensive and their daughter Marcella only tasted it. She did not like this particular meat so she just held to it. Nyamawi was eating too fast, the way he was supposed to eat. He was saving extra time to reward Essays extra dressing effort. Essay was getting too bold, she was regularly making Nyamawi bite her piece of pizza in a nice way. Nyamawi was getting concerned, he felt like he was being extra unfair to his second first born daughter. He was not supposed to be doing this in front of her. He asked Essay why Marcella was not eating. At this time Essay paid attention to her daughter, she had not been eating the one piece of pizza she had in her hand yet the rest were on their third piece.

“Mum why are you not eating?” Nyamawi asked in a genuine and fatherly way. The first time he has ever showed love to this girl. It was turning out to be a night of love, Essay took the next turn, she did not bark at her the way she used to. Maybe she took Nyamawi's advice.  She lovingly explained that the girl liked watching TV,”huyu motto anapenda sana kuona  sana watu wakikiss hata huwa anasahau kula.”(This girl likes watching TV especially when people are kissing she even forgets to eat.) Just then the main characters of the soap that these two grownups were ignoring started kissing and making out. It was too obvious that the girl’s eyes were glued on TV at this time. Thus Nyamawi whispered, “She is learning how to kiss.”

The girl talked to the mother, Nyamawi thought that she was going to respond to his whisper but she only said that she did not like the pizza. This time the mother took her normal tone and ordered the girl to eat. It is from their conversation that he learnt that the girl only took milk and cake at lunch from the nearby shop and that the mother was not going to cook anything else. She said she had already done her job, placing food on the table. Nyamawi knew that even the least of the opportunities she had to be part of Marcella’s life was being taken away. He also started to regret missing out a nice meal in his house. He consoled himself by taking a nice look at Essay; this confirmed that he was not going to leave this room with the same heat that he came with. The mother asked Marcella to eat and in exchange she would allow her to watch TV all night. Nyamawi smiled knowing that his one challenge had been solved. He asked to check on his car and give space to the other small cars and the neighbours’ motorbike can get parking space.

This gave the mother space to clear the take away bottles from the table while Marcella changed into warmer clothes as instructed .She was too excited to watch TV all night but was not aware that she was being asked to sleep on the couch. The mother ordered her to only watch Afro Cinema and not other grown up movies that they bring on other stations. She said it loud enough for Nyamawi to know that everything was ready. He was still outside and asked for more time to park the Range Rover nicely.  At this time an extra curtain was hanged just to block the girl from watching the second grown up movie. She already decided to watch the other movie now that she had permission to watch TV all night. However, the mother increased the volume of TV despite her plea that Afro Cinemas we loud and a small volume was enough. She knew what her mother was doing but pretended not to just she pretended she was not watching or  listening to her mother’s movies .Essay knew that the girl was aware of what was going on  behind the curtain  and she went an extra mile to protect her but on this night she was being too nice to them all. 

She thought she was destroying the woman that Nyamawi was talking to in the car. Just like Marcella, Esther knew what was going on but she decided to wait and act at the right moment. Nyamawi was taking long despites Essay’s pans that skipped utensils to cleaning at this time. She did this intentionally so as to deny Nyamawi time to say good night to Esther. However, it was extremely hard for Essay to get rid of her .Esther was always a kilometer ahead of her especially now that she was being loved over the phone. Essay went out to automatically end the conversation that Nyamawi was having. In the car she told Nyamawi that she wants to teach him how to kiss and in the house she would teach him less since the girl was around. Marcella interrupted this training by closing the windows. In the end she was saving other interruptions by mosquitoes that Nyamawi killed with his hands ever time and she hated it.

Essay got inside and convinced the girl that it was nice to watch TV with light off. She knew this would help in blurring the movie that the girl wanted to see clearly. Nyamawi took advantage and Explained to Esther that his phone went out of power and he was recharging it. With a friends charger. He finished this conversation by saying that he would come and fully charge the phone in the house. He asked her to keep food for him as he was very hungry. This will save him from two things, first the hunger since he believed that pizza n soda were snacks. Secondly it would take away time from his wife since he was sure that Essay was waiting for him by this time.

This is how Nyamawi did it, to ensure that neither Esther not his boss got to know of such a visit to this room. His boss never got to know of it since he was very busy with work, whenever he needed to clean his car he would avoid Nyamawi and use a cab. This night the boss already took a cab enabling Nyamawi to end up in Essay’s house, His boss and him they were both cleaning their cars another day they will both have an opportunity to service their vehicles.  

To this day Esther never understood who taught the other in terms of cleaning and servicing cars. Was it the foreigner who was exploring the country or was it her husband who introduced him to Kenyan women. Either way she had learnt to live with it, and was waiting for a good opportunity to explore. Only that everyone feared her for a reason that her husband was too rich. They never knew that the Range that was parked outside their house everyday was owned by another man, Nyamawi’s boss.

Nyamawi went straight to the bed, he assumed the girl since he did not know how to say good night to her. Yet he was afraid that the girl was not going to sleep. When he asked Essay about it, she removed her clothes. This made him to just go ahead and wish Essay a good night .all these time he even forgot that the girl was around. He only remembered her when Essay said that she must be asleep and took a leso to go and cover her.

All the time she was watching and listening to the two movies, she only closed her eyes when she heard that the mother was coming to cover her. She lovingly covered her; she even covered her with her trench court since it was cold. She was switching off the TV when Marcella pretended to be waking up and pleaded with her with a reminder of her specific promise of watching TV all night. Essay had to keep the promise but she reduced the TV volume for the sake of their neighbours. In her mind, she thought Nyamawi was sleeping but when asked Nyamawi answered honestly that he was too hungry to sleep. He said that Essay should have listened to him and cooked their supper. Essay hated this talk she decided to give him more training to be able to cope with the hunger. Marcella was just enjoying the two movies that Essay tried so hard to limit her from watching. She had waited for these for too long.

Hold on to What you Have Heard

Matthew 13 contains the famous parable of the sower. As i was browsing over it, something caught my attention.....the four kinds of ground mentioned all heard the word, but the results were different...why? Because hearing is not enough!

The first heard but he did not comprehend it and this gave the enemy an opportunity to come in and steal what was sown……..listening is not enough you have to understand what you hear! Acts 8:30 Phillip asked the Ethiopian eunuch “Do you really understand what you are reading?”

The second heard the word and welcomed it with joy but he did not allow it to take root in his heart. When trouble comes, he abandons what he has heard the joy he had when he welcomed the word dwindles…like Peter he shifts his focus from the word and he focuses on the stormy waters……results? He begins to sink! Hearing and welcoming the word with joy is not enough!

The third guy hears the word but his focus and attention are on worldly things glamour, pleasure delight….riches……and all these things choke the word so it bears no fruit.

As you know, what you feed grows and what you starve dies. I am reminded of the rich young man in Mark 10:17 who was so eager to inherit the kingdom…but not eager enough to sell all his earthly possessions as Jesus required him to.

Then there was the fourth guy. He hears the word and understands it he grasps it and allows it to take root in his heart. He focuses on it and lives it.

Like a good farmer he does all he needs to do to protect the seed allowing it to germinate and bear fruit……he bears fruit and yields in one case 100 times what was sown in another 60 times and in another 30 times what was sown.

Now I don’t know about you but every day I am always hearing the word…….do I always understand?...not always but majority of the times I do. What I have to contend with is removing the rocks from my life allowing the seed to take root….

I need to hold on to what I have heard and trust God in the midst of persecution and affliction. I need to focus on God and not the glamour deceit and pleasures that this world has to offer….and boy are they tempting!

For the fruit to appear it takes time and there will be challenges along the way

Young and Beatiful

Builders

There is an advertisement where two people walk into a hardware store and both of them want iron roofing sheets. One of them asks for a particular brand because of its quality and durability.

The other thinks it’s too expensive and so he goes for the cheapest roofing sheets that the store has in stock. Several months down the line, it’s the rainy season and the man who bought the cheap iron roofing sheets is really having it rough because his house is leaking and most of his roof has rusted.

His neighbour on the other hand is having a good time, his roof is still intact and he has no leaks because he was willing to pay the price for quality.

We are all builders and each one of us has the opportunity to choose the kind of material we shall build with. Building material comes in many shapes and forms and also different qualities. The more durable they are the more expensive.

When you think of these two gentlemen, who can you identify with? Each and every one of us has been given a foundation on which to build on, the foundation being Jesus Christ. We have the responsibility of choosing the kind of material we use to build with.

So will you go for gold and silver or wood and straw? Many people are not willing to pay the price to build with expensive material. Expensive material will mean maintaining your purity and keeping your boundaries when everyone else is not and the world seems to be ok with it.

It will mean not defiling yourself by sieving what you watch and where you go. Expensive material means letting go of some of the relationships that are pulling you behind.

It will mean being diligent faithful and consistent in studying the word and prayer. It will mean being involved in the house of God, sharing the gospel and being an example in word and deed.

Are you willing to pay the price of building with such material, or would you rather be shallow and use cheap material that may look appealing to others but it’s not durable?

Remember you are responsible for the kind of material you use to build you can not put that blame on someone else. Go for quality and pay the price because there is a fire that is coming to test what you have built and you don’t want to be left with a heap of ashes.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)
 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

True Learship

True leadership lies in guiding others to success--in ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are pledged to do and doing it well.
Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 50 percent of your time in leading yourself--your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 20 percent leading those with authority over you and 15 percent leading your peers

Power Within

We were all born with a certain degree of power. The key to success is discovering this innate power and using it daily to deal with whatever challenges come our way.

les brown

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry our their dream.”
― Les Brown

Caught Loving

Caught Loving
oh my 
He has a big brain
with a big heart
In a well built body

oooh my
He has a big faith
with a big dedication
in a proper noble feller

ooooh my
He has a big hand
with a big passion
in a well structured life

Fulfillment

Fulfillment

Saying that i like him

is an under  estimation

of what i feel about him

its more than passion

everything in me

wants and needs him

for days delegation

and night satisfaction

I will be submissive to him

ours is a confirmation

of what God has done to him and me

This is a fullfillment

of me

of him

of us

of God

burnout!

burnout!
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

I can still remember the old tin lamps we used back in the day when we would visit my grandmother. Some people still use them in the slums; I think we called them koroboi. They had a wick that you lit up and as long as you had oil in the lamp all was well.

The oil would burn as it sipped through the wick. The moment you ran out of oil the wick would continue to burn but it would start to BURN OUT. As long as am living on the oil of the Holy Spirit then I will not burn out, So can you smell the smoke this morning?

Are you busy busy busy yet you are running on an empty tank? Have you let the weight of the world settle on your shoulders? Are you disappointed that the world is not giving you rest and happiness?

Trust the Lord to give you His joy this morning. The world has nothing it can offer you. Some of us think that activity means progress and that we are in God's will and so we move from one thing to another and we try and make things happen in our own strength; your wick is burning out.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that working hard is wrong, No, we all must work hard but in doing so we must depend on God to be the strength of our life and we should be sensitive enough to know when to take a rest.

Are you busy trying to build God's church this morning? Maybe you are a pastor or a pastor’s wife or a church leader. Being a pastor myself I know how much we sometimes get under pressure to GROW the church because the more people we have the more successful we look.

Numbers are not necessarily a measure of success. Jesus said in Matt 16:18 that He will build His church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Christ will build His church not you so take a time out, and let Him do it. The Church will not collapse because you took a rest; you are burning out take a break.

Are you too busy to go to the house of God, are you too tired to pray, and are you not able to find the time to read the word? Does your job come first so that you even work weekends?

My friend your wick is burning out that is why the smoke is chocking you. You need to face up to the things that are demanding your attention and emotional energy, prioritize your time with God and see things begin to change.

The oil never runs out as long as there was an empty vessel. If your wick is burning out and the smoke is choking you, slow down take a time out and spend time with God allow Him to fill you with the oil of His Spirit and your wick will not burn out.

Nairobi +30 Delaration

Emergency Exit

In the Australian bush country grows a little plant called the “sundew.” It has a slender stem and tiny, round leaves fringed with hairs that glisten with bright drops of liquid as delicate as fine dew.

Woe to the insect, however, that dares to dance on it. Although its attractive clusters of red, white, and pink blossoms are harmless, the leaves are deadly. The shiny moisture on each leaf is sticky and will imprison any bug that touches it.

As an insect struggles to free itself, the vibration causes the leaves to close tightly around it. This innocent-looking plant then feeds on its victim.

So it is with us and temptation. It is always something that looks so appealing, so nice, and so attractive and as soon as we land on it, there is the real danger of it consuming us alive.

With all the temptations all around me in this present age, I find a lot of hope and encouragement in this scripture. The first thing I realize is that I am not alone because it says no temptation has overtaken me that is not common to man.

Many times the devil will whisper to you that you are the only one going through a particular situation and you become afraid to even talk about it. Hey you are not the only one going through it, you are not alone.

The next three words are full of hope and reassurance. God is faithful! If you were to look at the rear view window of your life I am so sure you will see the faithfulness of God in situations that you have had to walk through. That should be an encouragement to you, that He remains faithful.

He is so faithful that He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. Every time I read that part of this scripture I am reminded of Job and what he had to go through yet he held on and did not denounce God. That is what it was all about; to see whether he would curse God.

It says in 2 Corinthians 2:9 That His grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. With every temptation that you face, God faithfully always provides a way out. That’s a guarantee, there is always a way out for you.

You and I should learn to always ask God to shine His light on the path of escape and that we will have the strength to take it. Many are the times we see the path but because we give in to our own selfish lusts (James 1: 13-15) we lose focus of that route of escape.

The good news is this, if you do chose to take that way of escape that God has given you, hard as it may be, you will be able to endure and overcome.

Whatever temptation the devil is dangling before you today, remember you are not the only one, God is faithful, the temptation is not beyond what you can bear, He has provided a way of escape and you can endure it!

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Try Again

Psalm 37:23
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

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Try Again.

Have you ever thought about how many times you have failed? Though you may not remember they have been many. I'm sure the first time you tried to walk, you fell down. What about the time you tried to talk? I'm so sure you made sounds that made no sense at all.

I would love to see a picture of how you looked like the first time you dressed yourself; you probably looked like a clown. What about the time you were learning how to ride a bicycle? How many times did you fall down and probably bruise your knee?

So does that mean that you cannot walk, talk and dress yourself? No! You can do these things and do them well, why? Because you kept at it, you did not give up and the more you tried the better you became! We all fail sometimes; it is the process towards your success. Just don’t stop trying!

Failure is something that none of us takes pride in or want to be associated with yet it is a part of life and a tool that paves way for success. Failure does not make you a failure it simply means you have the opportunity to try again.

I love the bible because it has story upon story of mighty men of God who had to deal with failure at some point in their life but because they never gave up, they still came out shinning.

Weather it is Abraham, Jacob, Samson, David or even Solomon the wisest man that ever lived, or Saul of Tarsus, they all have areas in their lives where they failed.What kind of failure are you facing today? Is it in your career or your marriage? Have you been stumbling over a particular sin over and over again?

Or maybe you failed in your exams? Well you are not the first one and neither will you be the last one, many others will come after you. What you do with the failure will determine if you will come out tops or you will sink lower to the bottom.

Learn from your mistakes and let the lesson propel you to greater heights. Do not give up, try again, this time wiser because you have learned a lesson.Those who score the most goals also miss the most goals while those who never try, never score any goals.

So, go back into the field and try again. Try out the business again, give the marriage another chance, take the driving test again, repent and ask God to strengthen you and try again.

The Lord delights in you and though you will stumble, He will uphold you with His hand and you will not fall. Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the opportunities and blessings you miss when you don’t even try…

What about your friends?

The acronym C-A-R-E can help us remember four key elements of friendship.

C - Challenge your friend to grow spiritually. A good friend knows the importance of turning the conversation toward matters of faith. When was the last time you discussed matters of faith with a friend and challenged each other to grow?

A - Affirm your friend's value. A phone call or a text message can let your friend know how important he or she is and can keep your friendship strong. Does your friend know how important they are to you or do you assume they know? Make sure they know today.

R - Respect the feelings and wishes of your friend. No one wants a friend with whom ideas, dreams, and concerns fall on deaf ears. A good friend is a great sounding board. Are you easy to talk to or are you domineering and “always right?” Are your friend's thoughts ideas and fears safe with you?

E - Encourage your friend through compliments and by doing good deeds. Your friend will feel better after having been in your presence. When was the last time your friend felt encouraged because of what you had said or done for them?

Do you have a friend you should care for today?

Vission

1 Samuel 17:45-47
(45) David answered: You’ve come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel’s army, and you have insulted him too! (46) Today the LORD will help me defeat you. I’ll knock you down and cut off your head, and I’ll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. (47) Everybody here will see that the LORD doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.

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5 Keys to Courage: 4: Vision

David had a why, a vision, an end in mind, a purpose and that fueled the fire that was burning in his heart. Many of us become faint at heart because we focus on the disadvantages and the more we do so the bigger they seem to us.

Our vision, our why is not convincing enough and so in the midst of adversity we give up. But not David. Goliath was a giant, way bigger than the average man. David was a teenager, just a boy as King Saul reminded him.

Goliath was a trained soldier he had the skill the strength and the strategy. David was a simple shepherd boy with no military training.

Goliath had weapons that would tear a man apart with one swing; he had body armor to protect him a shield to block any attacks directed towards him. David had a stick, a sling and 5 smooth stones and most importantly he had God,s backing because he had a divine vision, a divine why!

David says to Goliath, the reason why I will kill you and cut off your head is simply one….not so that I can be famous or prove to the world that I am stronger than you, God will give me the strength to take you down so that the whole world will know that Israel has a real God.

Everybody here will see that the LORD doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.

David’s vision was to please God, his why was so that God would be glorified. Through this his people Israel were reminded that though they were afraid and in hiding, God was right there with them all along and He had already given them the victory all they had to do was go out in faith and fight.

The fight was fixed! As for the philistines they would know that the God of Israel is the one true God the God who can empower a simple boy with a sling and stones to kill Goliath their champion a well-trained soldier with just one strike.

Now that’s the God I serve and may all I do seek to glorify him and not me. Why are you doing what you are doing, what’s your vision?