This Week With Jesus

RC Sproul once related a possibly not so well known story: "After the Korean War ended, South Korea was left with a large number of children who had been orphaned by the war. We’ve seen the same thing in the Vietnam conflict, in Bosnia, and in other places. In the case of Korea, relief agencies came in to deal with all the problems that arose in connection with having so many orphan children. One of the people involved in this relief effort told me about a problem they encountered with the children who were in the orphanages. Even though the children had three meals a day provided for them, they were restless and anxious at night and had difficulty sleeping. As they talked to the children, they soon discovered that the children had great anxiety about whether they would have food the next day. To help resolve this problem, the relief workers in one particular orphanage decided that each night when the children were put to bed, the nurses there would place a single piece of bread i

In a small, quiet village nestled among rolling hills, lived a young shepherd named Elias. His days were filled with the gentle rhythm of tending his flock, the warmth of the sun on his face, and the comforting sound of sheep bells. Yet, beneath his simple life, Elias carried a deep longing for something more. One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the fields, Elias sat on a hilltop, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the sky. A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers, and as he listened to the distant bleating of his sheep, a sense of peace washed over him. In that moment, Elias heard a voice, soft and clear, like the whisper of a summer rain. "I am the Good Shepherd," the voice said. "I know my own and my own know me." Startled, Elias looked around, but there was no one there. Yet, the voice continued, filling him with a sense of warmth and belonging. "I lay down my life for my sheep." As Elias liste

 

  In our world of immediate gratification, success is measured by grandiose achievements. Yet, God delights in small, everyday acts and things, as He does in those grandiose achievements. For Him, it's the heart of the matter, not the outcome. So today we pray - Heavenly Father, help us to see the value and significance of the small tasks we do every day. May we find joy in the ordinary and the mundane, knowing that you are present in every moment. Give us the strength to be faithful in small things trusting that you can use them in your Glory. We thank you for the recovery of your servant in Australia and those who were sick and needed your intervention. Today DeeSki asks for Gods help and says - "Please god do not let her give up on me and this relationship. I am completely lost knowing I could losing her and my children. I’m asking for all of the prayers I can get and for somehow someway god to help me keep this relationship and family together." David thanks God for

There is a Hymn called Standing on the promises of God. Nice hymn though it leaves some questions which is how do you do that? What does it mean?  We are so used to broken, partially broken or seldom kept human promises that we are conditioned to take promises with a pinch of salt. Yet we are told to stand on Gods promises. What does it mean? Standing on the promises of God means having faith in God's promises and living in a way that is faithful to God. It also means being aware of God's promises and applying them to one's life There are more than 8000 promises made by God in the Bible . Which ones do you claim? Which ones has God made good on, to you? Here is an E Book listing them out and you can download it here . Read it and see what the Lord has done for you and can do for you. After all.... "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?&

Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat. 2. Remember that we are all in the same boat. 3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. 4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 6. Build your future on high ground. 7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 9. When you're stressed, float awhile. 10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by professionals. 11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. - Author Unknown

  Ref:  John 10:3  There are some verses which we don't really think about and/or take for granted. The example of the shepherd and the sheep is one. Today let's see what it's about? A query on an artificial intelligence engine tells us "Sheep are herd animals that are led by voice and naturally follow their shepherd. Shepherds use their voice to guide their sheep, with specific calls to stop, turn, or move forward. Sheep will eventually learn to recognize the shepherd's voice and trust him, and will not listen to commands from others ". "Sheep learn their shepherd's voice by following other sheep, who instinctively move towards new pasture lands". What this AI engine knows and tells us today, the Biblical authors knew and told us 2000 plus years ago. Three things stand out: 1. The shepherd's voice  2. Following other sheep. 3. The gatekeeper. As God's people, we often become confused with the voices, sounds and sights and get mixed up in

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes" .  Song of Solomon 2:15  Did you know foxes love grapes (among other fruits). In fact, the term "sour grapes" comes from the story of the fox who tried to eat the grapes on a branch but couldn't reach them so after several failed attempts he gave up muttering - "they would have been sour anyway". Little foxes are smaller animals that cannot reach the hanging grapes, so they gnaw the vines off at the ground, causing the out of reach fruit to fall with the ruined vine. It is one thing to lose some of one seasons grape, but it is far worse to lose forever a vine that took 12 to 14 years to mature. Like little foxes, there may be little faults and sins in us that seem little but can destroy the fruit we produce. These could be "little" lies , "little" selfishness, "little" greed, "little" envy, gluttony of food, gluttony o