God Blessing

God's intention is to bless men  [Genesis. 1:27-28  So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.   God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”]

 -  then why are people not bless?

a)  because they do not know (ignorant) about it

b)  because they do not want it (choose not to be bless)

c)  because of their "status" - from being a child of God to a child of the devil.

                                         - from blessing to curse because of man's sin.

Malachi. 2:2

If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings.  Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

Blessing can not be obtained :-

a)  by grabing or snatching

b)  by doing good deeds or earning it through good speech BUT

c)  it is given (or bestowed) by God.

Galatians. 3:13-14  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Real blessing cannot change and will last. With this blessing there is no worry or stress but peace and joy.  It is given by God - Proverbs. 10:22  The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

Mother

"A mother's love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking" - Helen Rice

A mum is the one who believes in you - even when you have trouble believing in yourself.

She's the teacher who, more that anyone else, teaches you how to live.

She's the friend who's there when other friends walk away.

She's the nurse that nursed our pains and cheered our gains.

She's our chef, our maid, our chauffeur, our biggest fan,  and our best friend.

She's struggled for us, cried over us, fought for us, put herself second for us, hoped the best for us and has driven herself insane with worry for us but never has she asked for anything in return because she loves us and did it all on love alone!

Most of us take our Mums for granted but there are people who have lost or have never even seen theirs.  If you have a loving Mother who did all of this for you, you are very lucky, never devalue her worth because one day, you'll wish you hadn't!

A CHRISTLIKE EXAMPLE IS THE GREATEST GIFT PARENTS CAN GIVE THEIR CHILDREN

Prayer

Prayer is simply opening our lives to God, acknowledging our total dependence on Him. Prayer is not limited to a segment of our lives or to a scheduled event in our days.  It is an attitude of receptivity and openness which permeates our lives and to which God responds eagerly.  It is living in the presence of God, always in the process of being reshaped and re-created by Him.

The purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to allow Him to change us.  It is to discover and do God's will, not to obligate Him to do ours.  The purpose of prayer is that God's splendor will be displayed on earth as it is in heaven.

[Extracted from "The Praying Life" by Jennifer K.Dean]

The numbers of prayer rally taking place recently due to the coming GE13 is a good sign of Christians unity in Malaysia.  Groups of individual and churches have been holding prayers for peace and righteousness to prevail in our beloved country never seen before.  This is a good sign of better things to come.  Christians are now more aware of their moral responsibilities .

The Bible says a lot about believers' duties as citizens.  We are citizens of two kingdoms: one temporal and earthly, the other eternal and heavenly.  We are called to participate in both the culture and politics of The City of Man, as this world was called, while primarily focusing on the Kingdom of God.   "When Moses commanded the Israelites to appoint God-fearing leaders, he wasn't just talking to a handful of citizens who felt like getting involved ...  And modern Christians are under the same obligation to choose leaders who love justice ...  Today, in our modern democracy, free citizens act as God's agent for choosing leaders, and we do it by voting.

Prayer is not the believer moving the heart of God, but God moving our heart.  When our prayers are full of worship, they are like sweet smelling incense before God.

Worship is not limited to singing praise songs.  It is simply, ascribing worth to something, and this, we can also ascribe worth to God through our prayers.

Gracious gift of Sabbath

The Sabbath is not about just doing nothing all day.  It is not about sleeping in and doing no work.  It is about active resting: a rest that helps us reflect on and recognize who God is and what He has done, a rest that renews us as we participate and enjoy God and the life He has given us.  It is a rest that is centered on worship of the living God.

John Pipers states, "God's purpose for us on the Sabbath is that we experience the highest and most intense joy that can be experienced, namely, that we 'take delight in the Lord'"  

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mark 2:27

[Extracted from LIVING Life -June 2012]