Thoughts of Our Fathers (TOF)

Memorise: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Read: John 10:25-29 (KJV)

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.


27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:


28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.


29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.




Bible in one year: Leviticus 17:19, Psalms 129-130
MESSAGE
The Bible in several passages referred to God as the good Shepherd, but in the book of John 10:14, Jesus boldly declared, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” Also inJohn 10:27, God says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”. The Lord is omniscient, He is all knowing, nothing is hidden from His sight, and He therefore has a very good knowledge of the identity of all human beings. Furthermore, 2ndTimothy 2:19 says:


“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”


Every Christian is hereby encouraged to depart from all forms of immorality in order to benefit from the heavenly package reserved for true children of God. 22 December 2016 open heavens.


Because God paid for the salvation of humanity with His Son’s Blood, Christians in the world are precious to Him. Hence, the Lord will always keep His obedient children from partaking in the judgement of sinners. An example of this is recorded in 1st Kings 14:7-16. Jeroboam was a very wicked king. He did not only sin, but caused so many to sin with him. When God pronounced judgment on him, his entire family faced extinction. He had many sons who all perished with him, but Abijah was spared because he towed the path of righteousness. When judgment is determined against families, yours will be spared in Jesus’ name. When cities and communities are to face disasters and destruction, you will be spared.


If you love to do God’s will all the time and diligently obey His voice, He will keep you from judgment. When He brought plagues of Egypt, in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived, there was no trace of the plaques (Exodus 8:21-23). God separated His own from those who were not His. 2nd Timothy 2:19 says no matter what people claim, God knows His people. Are you one of God’s sheep? It is not enough to claim to be a child of God; does God know you as His bona- fide son or daughter? If you are not sure, check your life and be reconciled to God today. Open Heavens Thursday 22 December 2016:- He Knows His sheep. If you are recognized by God, there is a hiding place reserved for you in Christ where you will not be a casualty in time of judgment. Like the psalmist, you shall only see and hear of those who are causalities but you shall never be touched (Psalms 91:7-8). Once again, are you among the faithful few?

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

People of the world feel helpless as the systems of the world go up and down. They turn on the television and they hear, “This war will plunge the world into a recession.” They open the newspapers and they read that “Unemployment is at an all-time high”.

Beloved, God does not want you to feel helpless because you are not of the world. (John 17:16) You are of God and therefore need not be subject to the world’s systems. Whatever the world’s situation is, fear not because “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

Notice that Philippians 4:19 says that “God shall supply all your need”. It does not say that God may supply some of your needs. It also says that God will do it “according to His riches”. It is not out of His riches. If a millionaire gives you a hundred dollars, it is out of his riches. But if he gives to you according to his riches, it means that he is lining up his millions for you!

Lastly, the verse says that God does it “according to His riches in glory”. It is not according to the riches of your company or how well the economy is doing. No, it is according to God’s riches in glory!

So how do you stop yourself from feeling helpless in uncertain times? The same way I stopped myself from getting seasick when I was on board a navy ship for the first time during my National Service stint. A senior naval officer had advised me, “Don’t look at the waves around you. Look at the horizon far away. Look at that stable, stationary line and you will feel better.” When I fixed my eyes on that unshakable, unwavering line, even though the ship bobbed up and down in the rough sea, I did not feel so seasick anymore.

My friend, don’t look at your circumstances or the bad things that are happening in the world because you will get “earth-sick”. Instead, look at the unshakable, eternal Word of God. Your heart will become stable and you will see your God supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

Who is qualified to give advice?

We all have our own opinions and sometimes feel motivated to share them with others in the form of advice.

Trading advice is a common practice, but who is qualified to give advice to others?

According to 11 year old Ciro Ortiz, it can be anyone who wants to help others.


Ciro, who has experienced bullying in the past, wanted to do something to help lonely, hurt, and confused individuals find some comfort.

With this in mind, Ciro decided to set up shop inside the subway system in his native home of New York and offer “emotional advice” for $2 a session.

During these typically 5 minute sessions, Ciro dispenses insightful yet childlike advice for grown-up troubles or simply offers a sympathetic ear to travelers of the subway system.



As amazing as Ciro’s small business is, what he does with his earnings is even more moving.

“He buys food or snacks at school for kids who can’t afford them,” his dad Adam shared when explaining Ciro’s giving nature.



In his own way, Ciro is giving back to those who can use his special kind of generosity and acting as a reminder that we can all find a way to make another person’s day a little brighter.

That’s definitely advice worth $2.



Read more: http://www.tdjakes.com/posts/the-bigger-value-in-2-advice

READ: 2 Peter 1:3-15
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.

2 Peter 1:3, NIV

Knowledge is the personal trait that causes you to acquire all things that pertain to life and godliness.

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

Knowledge is a personal trait that causes you to escape the corruption of this world.

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20).

Knowledge is a personal trait that allows you to live with weaker personalities.

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

Knowledge will change your attitude to people. Knowledge will increase your understanding of different situations and help you to manage people better until you live in prosperity

Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the city’s gate; and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die…. So they arose.
2 Kings 7:3-5, The Amplified Bible

No matter how bad the problem is you may be facing today, no matter how far under the circumstances you may be, in 24 hours you can be back on top!

"Oh, Brother Copeland, that would be impossible!"

That's what the Samaritans thought in 2 Kings 7. Their land was being ravaged by famine. Enemy troops had surrounded them and cut off all source of supply. Mothers were eating their own children just to survive.

But right in the middle of that, the Lord told the prophet Elisha that in 24 hours the whole situation would change. Flour and barley would sell for just a few pennies and there would be abundance for all.

What did God use to turn that situation around?

Four lepers! Four lepers who, instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves and waiting to die, decided to arise and take their chances in the enemy camp. When they got there, they found it abandoned. All the warriors had been frightened away by the angels of God, and they'd left enough food behind to feed all of Samaria!

Sometimes you and I are like the officials in that story. We get problem centered instead of Word-of-God centered. We let ourselves be so surrounded with the loud voice of the world that the vision of our victory is pushed out of sight.

When that happens, faith and power begin to subside and life caves in on us from every side.

If that's happened to you, stop crying about it. Stop looking at your problem and feeling sorry for yourself. That won't change anything!

Just like He did for Elisha, God's given you a word. He's promised you victory. He's promised to make you an overcomer.

So don't just sit there till you die. Don't accept defeat. Rise up in faith. Stand up on God's Word and fight for your life. Get mad at Satan. Cast him out. Get mad at that sickness. Get angry with poverty and start giving.

Rise up and receive the deliverance of the Lord!

Scripture Reading:

2 Kings 6:24-33, 7:1-20

And be kind to one another . . .
—Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

Christmas is the season of good cheer, but it often becomes a season of stress . . . so much shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, and visiting. Before you know it, people are losing patience, snapping at one another. It's easy to become unkind.

I'll never forget something my daughter told me a long time ago. She said that her goal was to learn to love or to treat with kindness, goodness, and mercy every single person she encountered who was unkind or ugly to her. She said, "That's my goal. I want to submit to God in my emotions and the way that I handle myself so that when I’m out in public and someone mistreats me, I respond with kindness."

She said, "One of the things that God has shown me that really helps is when someone is grouchy toward me, I can get angry and frustrated or I can think: I don't know what this person is going through. Maybe right now her back hurts terribly. Maybe this grumpy man is carrying a financial burden that feels too heavy for him. Maybe that woman's husband has just been told he's losing his job at the end of the week."

We don't know what's going on in people's lives.

Kindness will cause you to slow down and give people some space and some grace. Life was not meant to be the way it is today. We were not meant to live at the fast pace at which we live, with thousands of things coming at us at once.

I think we've lost sight of some important things in life and that we need to put kindness back on our priority lists!

Love Others Today: "Help me, Lord, to be especially kind to people who are not kind to me."

Psalm 50:10

For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

Suppose you have just heard of someone whose financial debts have been miraculously cleared. Or your elated friend has just told you that despite being an average student in school, he scored straight As in all his subjects. Perhaps on Sunday, you heard a newlywed couple share about how they won an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Hawaii, or how a once-childless couple is now expecting their miracle child.

When you see or hear of others being blessed, do you ever wonder when it will be your turn? Or do you even find yourself saying, “Oh, he got blessed with the very thing that I have been praying for. There goes my blessing.”

Now, just because man’s economy operates on the principle of shortage, it does not mean that God operates in the same manner. So the next time somebody gets blessed, tell yourself, “I won’t be disheartened. I won’t be jealous. I am the next one to be blessed!”

Always remember that God does not have to bless anyone at your expense. Nor does He have to bless you at anyone’s expense. We don’t have to be jealous of each other. There is a portion that God gives to you which no man can touch because it has your name on it—“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven”. (John 3:27)

Our God is a rich God. He owns the whole universe. He has contacts and blessings you do not know of and which are reserved just for you! There is more than enough for everybody with plenty of leftovers. In fact, you will not be able to take it all because when the blessings start coming in, they will come in a net-breaking, boat-sinking style. You will have to call for your friends in the other boats to come and help you! (Luke 5:1–7) That is the kind of blessings that our God gives. So get ready for your blessings and overflowing abundance!

Memorise: A lying tongue hateth those that are affiliated by it; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin. Proverbs 26:28

Read: Ephesians 4:22-25 (KJV)

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;


23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;


24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 14, Psalms 125-126
MESSAGE
Today, we are revisiting a previous discussion on a deadly sin that has been trivialized in modern times. Indeed, lying is not a Christian virtue; on the contrary, one of the fruits of righteousness is the hatred of lies. Today, the world has classified lies. Some are called heavy lies, some feather weight lies, some are white lies, some are green lies, some are business lies, some are ministerial lies; some are lies that cannot hurt a fly, while some are dangerous and implicating lies. No matter how men, by their own opinions, choose to classify lies, deciding what a lie is, is not in the purview of men but of God; hence such classifications hold no water. If you are a lover of lies, you are far from being righteous. If you tell lies at all, you are miles from being righteous. Do you know that if you keep away from sin and the only crime found in you after death is a lie, it will keep you from entering through the pearly gates? Revelations 21:8 says that all categories of liars will be found in the lake of fire, not in Heaven:


“And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the lamb’s book of life.”


Nothing can ever take anyone in the above categories into Heaven. Open Heavens Tuesday 20 December 2016:- lying not a Christian virtue. If you are a lying leader, you are simply on your way to hell. Open heavens. A righteous fellow cannot stand lies because he or she is a chip off the old block; a child of truth whose father is the Truth (Revelation 19:11-16), in John 8:44, Jesus says that the devil is a liar and the father of all liars. If you are a General Overseer or superintendent, a senior pastor or believer and you tell lies, your father is the devil. A day is coming when everybody will go back to their father. After death, the devil will stand in the way to claim his own. He will ask some popular leaders and believers; “Where are you going?” they will reply: “I am going to Heaven of course”. The devil will laugh them to scorn. “Did you not read that all liars will go to hell in Revelations 21:8? You are my child, come with me to the lake of fire, our eternal abode”. Make restitution on the lies you have told. Have you offered some people some benefits in a business transaction and you received the payment, but for one reason or the other, you did not give them what you promised? Go and return their money or else that lie and deceit will not allow you into Heaven.

They've given the ultimate gift.

When a loved one dies, it’s hard for us to find acceptance and it’s nearly impossible to comprehend any good that will come out of the life altering event.

For Karen Abercrombie, her coming to terms with the sudden death of her sister, Julie, 12 years ago is slowly is occurring thanks to a very extraordinary reason.

Karen is finding peace after tragedy because the death of her sister has given 80 people the gift of life.

Her sister Julie was an organ and tissue donor.

Upon her death, her donations went on to save and enrich the lives of the many recipients, including Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer who received Julie’s career saving Achilles tendon.


It’s stories like Karen and Julie’s that have inspired a movement at Memorial Hermann--Texas Medical Center where Julie was treated more than a decade ago.

In order to decrease the gap between those who need donations (over 120, 000) and those who donate (approximately 15,000), the Texas hospital has commissioned an art exhibit called The Ultimate Gift to be displayed through 2017 in the Rick Smith Gallery at Memorial Hermann TMC.

The powerful artworks depict 17 black and white portraits by Troy Fields of donor recipients and the loved ones of the donor responsible for giving the ultimate gift.


In the portraits, we can see the connection, appreciation, and awe that exists in these people because so many chose to give the gift of life.

The actions of the donors are just one of many examples of how we can selflessly give to those who need it.

Whether it is giving time to a neighbor, sharing a few kind words, or putting some magicinto the world, we are all capable of giving gifts to others that will change their lives in amazing ways.

For Julie and donors like her, what they have to offer just happens to be the ultimate gift.