Be a Contributor to Bless, Influence and Transform Lives

Because God made you, you have a great power within you. Hudson Taylor, a 19th century missionary to China said, "All giants have been weak people who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power within them." Your personal source of power is God. He brings His strength to your weakness and enables you to rise above what holds you down. What is before or beyond you fades when approached by what is within you. 1 John 4:4 says "You have already won a big victory ... for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world." "I pray that out of God's glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:16).

When life has wounded you and you have fallen from your nesting place, remember God is the One you can turn to. Stop running around looking  for comfort. Instead, open your heart to God. He will speak to you today in the very circumstances you're trying to escape. Only His hand can hold you up and give you the strength to try again and succeed. Go back to His Word. It's a living love letter. It's a "statement of intent" from One who wants only the best for you. Nothing you have done will change His mind. His love for you is constant -and unconditional! God disciplines us, develops us and delights in us. Come and experience His love afresh. 1 John 3:1 says "See how much our heavenly Father loves us." We love to quote this,"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). This promise does not mean you can do whatever you want. Paul is saying you can do anything God calls you to do - for with each of His assignment c

God does engrave your name as a commitment to love and care for you. There is no way He could ever forget you. In fact, God's thoughts are always turned toward you. Isaiah 49:23 says "You will know I am the Lord. Anyone who trusts in His Name will not be disappointed."  So if you're feeling far from Him this morning, remember His loving hands are indelibly marked with your name. Turn to Him and allow Him to engrave His name and comfort your heart. Isaiah 49:15-16 "See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands." Ezra read from the Book of the Law - the record of God's past faithfulness. Though the people were humbled by the stories, they were inspired to celebrate the wonderful God they served. God's joy is in His interaction with you and all those who loved Him throughout history. Scripture tells of His faithfulness and forgiveness - how He gladly provided for His people and delighted in helping them. Studying the Bible and discovering how

In these days and times when most things are done and expected to be done instantly, such as instant coffee, instant noodle and so on so forth, we too tend to expect God to give us an instant answer to our prayers. Exodus 29:46 clearly advocates God's longing that we shall KNOW Him as our Lord and God. Today, read the Bible to KNOW Him (His Characters, His Attributes, the way He deals and handles situations etc) and not for preparing a Sunday School lesson or to find a verse just for the day! There are times when God allows us to have our own creativity and hence, the instructions to weave with own artistic designs of cherubim. On another occasion, God stipulates clearly the pattern and showed Moses and Moses was expected to follow exactly (Exodus 26:1,30). This shows there are no set formulas with God. We got to KNOW Him personally to get instructions directly and straight from Him. He wants us to have personal encounter with Him. Let us be still and KNOW that He is God. Read P

When life has wounded you and you have fallen from your nesting place, remember God is the One you can turn to. Stop running around looking  for comfort. Instead, open your heart to God. He will speak to you today in the very circumstances you're trying to escape. Only His hand can hold you up and give you the strength to try again and succeed. Go back to His Word. It's a living love letter. It's a "statement of intent" from One who wants only the best for you. Nothing you have done will change His mind. His love for you is constant -and unconditional! God disciplines us, develops us and delights in us. Come and experience His love afresh. 1 John 3:1 says "See how much our heavenly Father loves us." We love to quote this,"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13). This promise does not mean you can do whatever you want. Paul is saying you can do anything God calls you to do - for with each of His assignment c

There is a good reason for stepping out of your boat like Peter did in Matthew 14:29. You will develop deep-water faith when you are leaving security and step out with Him. Perhaps you have worked for years creating a manageable and orderly life. Now God is shaking everything up by askng you to step out in faith, allowing you to face waves that may be over your head. He does this to increase your dependance on Him. You may have risked sharing your faith, even though it meant facing rejection - or giving, eventhough it involved personal sacrifice. Remember when you fail, you will not be alone. Jesus is more than an arm's length from you. He will strengthen you and enable you to do greater things. Just trust Him!

Quiet time is a good time to see clearly what God is doing in your life. With interference shut down and interruption shut out, the fog of busyness lifts and you will sense His presence that gives you the strength to go on each day of your life. Without people and issues to claim your time and attention, you can look beyond the immediate scene to the larger picture of how God is moving in your life to fulfill His will for you. See His action in your daily events; see His purpose in the happenings of everyday. What was previously confused becomes clear to you. God is doing good things in your life. Now thank Him for working behind the scenes to help you perform His will on the stage of your life! Read 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

God has provided everything you have. When you needed salvation, He gave it to you freely. When you were desperate for His help and comfort, He sent it to you without reservation. It is always His desire that as you receive His compassion and encouragement, they will transform you and you will grow in His character. You will become kindhearted and giving because of your love and gratitude to the Lord. Do we give freely, reflecting God's character and providing to others? God is generous and loving and He wants  His people to be so as well. So, today, be His representative and care for those in need just as He would. Meditate on Psalm 41.

Too often we do not realize what we have gotten in our hands. We see prayer as some kind of inconvenient spiritual homework. We consider it a 'list of chores' when God offers to communicate with us. Realize that we are enjoying an 'open heaven' with access to divine wisdom and guidance and a lifetime supply of all we will ever need - and yet we choose to spend all our time away from His presence. Do you know the answers you want are found on your knees? Luke 11:10 "... everyone who asks, receives ..." Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me and I will answer You ..." And know that God will not be wearied out with your prayers. So, make it your habit to pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) It's customary to seek God when you're hurting and need His intervention - but how often do you simply communicate your thankfulness to Him? This morning, show your appreciation to God in every situation because it helps you refocus your attention to Him. Articulati

A blacksmith with a chunk of metal on the anvil envisions what he wants. But it means melting down the old, recasting it, removing scars, repairing cracks, filling voids and purging impurities until what was useless becomes valuable. Finally, he plunges it into cold water until it hardens into an unbending, useful tool. Max Lucado said "An instrument is useful only if it's in the right shape .... A  good blacksmith keeps his tools in shape .... And so does God. Should He place you on His anvil, be thankful. It means He thinks you're still worth reshaping." Remember: "The Lord disciplines those He loves ..." (Hebrews 12:6)

You are not learning while you are talking. So learn to be quiet and listen for what God may want to say to you. When unsure of anything, do not speak. People respect you when you have the wisdom and humility to say, "I'm not sure but will come back to you." Expert says an average person is bombarded with 35,000 messages a day: emails, text messages, billboards, tv, radio, twitter, facebook, blogs, etc. It's 'information overload'. People do not need more information - they need answers that work! And God has those answers. So talk to Him first, then you'll have something to say to others that's worth listening to. "Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time." (Proverbs 15:23)

The king of Aram was angry because the prophet Elisha kept foiling his plans. He sent his forces to capture Elisha. When Elisha's servant saw what was happening, he became afraid. Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes would be opened to what was happening spiritually so that he could see that they were not alone. God's mighty forces protected them. Today you may feel like Elisha's servant -overwhelmed with the problems that confront you. However, God is on your side and His powerful resources are encamped around you. Ask Him to open your eyes so that you may behold the mighty power He has prepared for your defence. Read 2 Kings 6.

The world, in all its varied and beautiful nature, says that God loves you. Your own life, with its possibilities and blessings, indicates the source of the great love you are given. The fact that God came to earth in Jesus Christ paints a conclusive picture of God's love. Jesus sat on the edge of a well one day and talked to a woman about the gift of God's love for her. She did not understand at first but after a while she came to know that it was God who loved her. "If you only knew," Jesus had said. (John 4:10). Then, beyond doubt or speculation, she knew. Now, God gives conclusive evidence of His love for you. It's all around you everywhere. Lift up your eyes and look around and thank Him this morning!

God wants us to make a living at doing what we enjoy most so that we do not need to endure our working lives but instead we should be making the most of them. We should not live for the weekends and try to hang on until retirement. That's a shame because our chance of success is directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do. Know that the best career advice is to discover your God-given passion and follow it. Albert Schweitzer: "Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." Take the advice in Philippians 3:14 "Press toward the goal for the prize ...." Sometimes you have amazing experiences with God. You get to hear His voice; you feel His love and then .... nothing! You can't hear or feel Him when you needed Him most. You turn to Him and He seems to have disappeared. You're left crying: "Where are you, God? I need you."  Do not rel