Title: *Trust The Goodness Of God*

Wise Thought:

God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken.

And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Psalm 65:5 

By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness,

O God of our salvation,

You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest sea;

† Recovery Prayer †

My Loving Father,

Forgive me when I doubt Your goodness and wisdom. 

Oftentimes I am confused and discouraged,

 but this should not be a reflection on Your

grace and mercy. It is I who cannot see, whose eyes are dim. 

Teach me to trust You in all circumstances. 

In the name of Jesus I pray. 

Amen.

COMMENTS AND DEEPER STUDY

1. The goodness of God is a character trait which applies to every other attribute. God’s wrath is good. God’s holiness is good. God’s righteousness is good. God is good in His entirety. There is nothing about God that is not good. There is nothing God purposes for His children that is not good. God gives to His children only that which is good. And He withholds nothing good from us. God is good, and He is at work in our lives for good. Nothing which God creates, nothing which God accomplishes, is not good.14. 

2. In the biblical account of the fall of Adam and Eve, it is significant that Satan’s attack was on this dimension of the character of God. It is true Satan virtually called God a liar, but the first attack of Satan was waged against the attribute of His goodness. It was a subtle attack, but one that should be obvious to the Christian who reads these words:. 

3. God is good, and everything He created is good. But the one thing in the garden which was not “good” to eat was “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Satan’s seemingly innocent question was intended to undermine Eve’s confidence in the goodness of God. By the time Satan has finished, Eve has come to view God as the One who is less than good, and the forbidden fruit as that which is good. Once Eve doubted the goodness of God, it was a great deal easier for her to disobey Him. If God was not good and was not acting for her good, then why should she obey Him? Indeed, why should she not act independently of God in seeking her own good—the forbidden fruit?. 

4. Satan first changed Eve’s perspective of God, and then he was able to persuade her to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. The goodness of God is a perspective from which we can and should view all of God’s commands, including His prohibitions. It is apparent from what happened as a result of the eating of the forbidden fruit that God forbade that fruit for man’s good. The prohibition was an expression of God’s goodness. She did not understand why God forbade it, but knowing that God was good should have been enough. What a good God forbids must be evil, and what a good God commands must be good. We must know the truth found in the Word of God to avoid Satan when he tempts us to change our perspective of God. He often does this by causing us to doubt God and His Word. 

5. In the midst of sorrow and unanswered questions, there are certain truths I know to be true. For the Christian, I know this good God causes all things to work together for good, for all whom He has chosen and who have placed their trust in Him (Romans 8:28). I know death came from the hand of our good God and that He is using it for good. I even can reflect on some of the ways tragedy is being used for good. 

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). 

6. There is such an absolute perfection in God’s nature and being that nothing is wanting to it or defective in it, and nothing can be added to it to make it better. He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a super-added quality, in God it is His essence. He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him.

7. Trusting God means that no matter what your circumstances that you have confidence that He is accomplishing His plan for you. That s why Paul wrote, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12) A follower of Jesus can be content in all circumstances because they know that God is working all thing not just some but all things for their good (Romans 8:28) If we can agree that the opposite of trust in fear or anxiety, Jesus gives us a great formula for building trust, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life your heavenly Father knows [what] you need But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25,32,33) When you make your number one priority in life to listen to the voice of God directing you there will be no reason for fear or anxiety because you will see Him provide for all that you need. That is true trust!

Peace and Love
Rev.Bola

Pastor - Christians Victorious Fellowship (Int)

Title: *Glory To God In The Highest

Title: GLORY TO GOD

*Glory To God 
In the highest
And on earth peace 
To men of goodwill
We praise you, we bless You, 
We worship You, we glorify you
We give You thanks 
For Your great glory.
Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father almighty,
Lord Jesus Christ, 
The only begotten son
Of the Father.
Lord God, lamb of God
Son of the Father.
He who takes away 
The sins of the world
Have mercy on us
He who sits at the 
Right hand of the Father
Have mercy on us,
For ye alone are holy
Ye alone are God,
Ye alone Oh Jesus Christ
Our most high.*

Luke 2:11-14a

...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men...."

With the angels, 

we praise you in the name of your precious Son, 

Jesus Christ. Amen.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Peace and Love

Rev.Bola

Title: *The Sin Of Self-pity

Wise Thought: No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges - - always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives. ~ Oswald Chambers, Hebrews 13:5 ...be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. † Recovery Prayer † My Lord Jesus, Self-pity is so destructive. I am like a dog chasing its tail, uselessly exhausting my energies and getting nowhere. I do not want to become a spiritual sponge, always taking, never giving and never being satisfied. You promised that You would never leave me nor forsake me. Your promise casts out all self-pity and replaces it with hope, encouragement and peace. Amen. COMMENTS AND DEEPER STUDY 1. Rejecting the impulse to feel sorry for ourselves,  is not easy. Life provides many opportunities to experience rejection, injustice, and the cruelty of man. Our natural response is self-protection, which often results in self-pity. However, we can choose to walk by the Spirit, and . . . not gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16). We can refuse to indulge our sin natures and choose instead a grateful heart, trusting that it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Phil 2:13). We can look at every opportunity to indulge in self-pity as chance to defeat that old nature. We can choose instead to trust that God will work everything for the good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28) 2. Clearly, self pity is a major block to spiritual growth  and I believe there is nothing more grievous to the Spirit of God than a whining Christian . We are to be about allowing the Spirit to conform us into the image of Christ, which means we are to be changed in thought and deed to think as He thinks and do as He would do. There are no passages in the New Testament that present Jesus complaining about or bemoaning His experiences. Jesus just accepted the will of His Father and was obedient by faith. Christians involved in self pity can’t be filled by the Spirit and the ability of Christ to live out His Life through them is thwarted. 3. We believe the promises of God. If self-pity is the result of feeling cheated, then we remember that every Christian is an heir of God's promises! What does God promise those who love Him Everything! And if we believed the promise, we'd be slow to feel sorry for ourselves. When times get hard, those who have sunk into apathy curl up in self-pity. Conversely, the faithful patiently and quietly wait, trusting God to make things right in His perfect time. Those who pity themselves because of the circumstances of their lives fail to see God at work in them, while the faithful understand that God always has their best and eternal interests at heart. 4. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult?  Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self- interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives. 5. Self-pity is one of the sins against love.  Having compassion for others is an attribute of love. But when we pity ourselves, we only love ourselves, not others. Our love is on the wrong track; it has a false object. Although our love should really belong to our neighbours, we withdraw it from them and become guilty of withholding love from them. Self-pity belongs to the 'ego-illnesses'. We pamper our egos, in which this sin sits; yet this sin will have to die if the new man is to arise. 6. Here is what the Bible teaches:-  *James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks reproach, and it will be given him.* *Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.* *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.* 7. When times get hard, those who have sunk into apathy curl up in self-pity. Conversely, the faithful patiently and quietly wait, trusting God to make things right in His perfect time. Those who pity themselves because of the circumstances  faithful understand that God always has their best and eternal  8. For most of us, self-pity usually comes from a feeling of  being treated unfair. Next, we start to compare ourselves with  others and start to feel sad for ourselves. This could be at  work, school or with family. Self-pity says “I deserve better  than what I have.” So maybe your boss doesn t give you that  promotion you felt you deserved. Often, the result can be you  going into a lot of self-pity and possibly starting a pity  party, (more on pity parties later). Or maybe you see the  other students at your school with a boyfriend or girlfriend  and start to feel self-pity because you don't have one.  9. It is no longer a question for us of being saved from hell,  Jesus did that. It is about being saved in order to manifest  the life of the Son of God in our mortal flesh. You must keep  yourself fit to let the life of the Son of God be manifested,  and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to Self Pity.  Our circumstances are the means to do this. They are the  vehicle in which we can manifest how wonderfully perfect and  extraordinarily pure the Son of God is. Every new circumstance  whether it is good or bad ought to make our heart beat for it  is a new way of manifesting the Son of God. We look to God who  is all powerful, not to the puny problem that is before us. 10. We are made 'partakers of the divine nature,' receiving and  sharing Gods own nature through His promises. Then we have to  work that divine nature into our human nature by developing  godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of  recognizing Gods provision for us. We say, however, 'Oh, I  cant afford it.' One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that  statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off  without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say  at the end of the day, “Well, I just barely got by today, but  it was a severe struggle.” And yet all of Almighty God is ours  in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand  and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him.   11. Self-pity is sin for two big reasons. First, because  it’s saying something about the character of God, saying that  he’s not good or loving or kind since he must be withholding.  Second, self-pity is sin because it’s saying something about  your importance, your entitlements, your rights. Perhaps,  then, self-pity is not the root at all but rather springs out  of our unbelief (towards God) and pride (towards ourselves).  Even so, it’s a particularly powerful expression of these  other sins; a concoction that always produces a reaction. 12. Self-pity is actually a form of self-sabotage. When  we pity ourselves, we give ourselves a LOT of slack. For  example, things just haven’t been going well for me so I can  have a little break from reading the Bible, doing my best,  being kind, etc. When we validate self-pity in our lives, we  ensure our own unsuccessfulness. It’s a cycle of self-defeat.  The more we cause ourselves to fail, the more we pity  ourselves and the more we give ourselves permission to do less  than our best. 13. Here is what the Bible teaches us:-  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  14. Self-pity is fleshly and carnal minded.  Joy is the by-product of the spiritual life. [ b] Galatians 5[/b] tells us that one aspect of The fruit of the Spirit is joy. It's the fruit of abiding in Jesus and walking in the Spirit. What is not of the Spirit is flesh. Obsession with self in these matters is a  dead end; attention to God leads us out, into the open,  into a spacious, free life. Romans 8:6 15. The spirit of self pity can be a spiritual stronghold  of thinking, and might need more help such as deliverance  prayers. Jesus came setting the captives free from  generational curses, bondage's, demon possession, through  Spiritual Warfare by renewing the mind, etc.  *THE SIN OF SELF-PITY CAN LEAD TO DISHARMONY - Rev.Bola  Peace and Love Rev.Bola [From My Bible Study And Journal Notes On:] {*VICTORY OVER SELF-PITY*}

Title: *THE EVILS OF SIN*

***THE EVILS OF SIN***

A Study and Commentary

SIN IS A DIVIDER. Isa. 59:1-2 

A. Sin divides, breaks up, or cuts off our fellowship with God.
1. Sin separated man from God in the garden of Eden. 
2. Sin separated the Israelites from God. 
3. And even today, sin continues to separate men 
from their Creator. 

B. Sin not only separates man from God, 
it also separates families. 
1. Think of what the sin of adultery has done to marriages. 
2. Think of what the sin of drinking alcohol has done
to destroy individuals and their families. 

C. Sin also divides brethren. 1 Cor. 3:3 
1. At the root of most church problems is sin. 
2. Concerning a church problem someone once said, 
'The wicked sin and the righteous suffer.' 
A. That is often true regarding church problems. 

Sin: 
Why is this 3 letter word so dangerous to all of mankind?
Because it's the one thing that separates us from God. 
It keeps us from ever being happy and fulfilled. 
Sin turns us into servants of the devil. 
Sin weakens our soul, which makes us lazy. 
When one is not in the state of grace, 
it's easier to keep sinning.

*The Evils Of Sin*

1. An earthquake is evil because it is a calamity, 
but it has no moral bias. However, if you purposely 
blow up your neighbor’s house, that is a calamity that
most certainly has to do with morality 
(or more accurately – immorality). 
That calamity is evil AND it is a sin!. 

2. This means that we have failed to reach the divine standard. 
When God charges all with sin, He does not mean that all 
are guilty of heinous offenses, but that all are mistaken, 
all have missed the mark, all fall short of God’s ideal.
Even their best efforts – their “good” deeds – 
are performed in error. 
A sinner doesn’t need to do anything that man may condemn 
in order to deserve his name of “sinner.” 
He only needs to fail to fully realize God’s high standard
of holiness and glory. 

3. Virtually all so-called “solutions” trace sin up a blind
alley and stop short of God. But these “solutions” are 
neither scriptural nor satisfactory. It is true that sin
came into this world through Adam and Eve, but we cannot
stop there. Sin did not originate in Adam or Eve. 
The serpent was in the Garden of Eden before Adam sinned. 
The serpent, Satan, was already a sinner. 

4. “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings
so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race 
that is set before us.” Heb 12:1. 
Sin is the conscious, knowing, and deliberate transgression
of the divine law, the Father’s will. Sin is the measure
of unwillingness to be divinely led and spiritually directed. 

5. Iniquity is the willful, determined, and persistent 
transgression of the divine law, the Father’s will. 
Iniquity is the measure of the continued rejection
of the Father’s loving plan of personality survival
and the Sons’ merciful ministry of salvation.

6. Opening a tavern to sell alcohol is evil. 
Having an adulterous affair may have been a crime of passion,
a spontaneous sin; but having an abortion is ALWAYS evil. 
A woman wearing sexy pants is evil, because she is 
deliberately trying to cause men to lust. 
Miniskirts and low-cut blouses are evil, 
because it is planned. 
God abhors evil, and so should we as His children. 
(Psalms 97:10). 

7. Our world is saturated with evil today. 
Rock concerts are evil. 
Country music is equally as evil, promoting sensuality, 
dirty videos and sexual suggestiveness. 
Country music has become one of the most 
woeful evils in the world. Country music is synonymous
with adultery, fornication, lewdness, broken homes 
and divorce. 

8. Sin is deceitful, because the more it is tolerated, 
the less evil it seems. Our society today readily 
accepts abortion, fornication, lewdness, taking God's
name in vain, dishonoring parents, divorce, false religion, 
covetousness, stealing, drunkenness and casino gambling. 
These woeful evils are commonplace and have tragically 
become a way of life in our wicked culture. 
God is not feared. 
The Bible is banned from our nation's classrooms. 

9. Sin is rebellion against God and His created order, 
but God has not left us alone in this fallen world. 
He continued to enter this world--pointing us to Himself, 
to truth, to morality, purity, and love. 
He used the evil of the world liars, perjurers, 
the envious, etc.,) to bring His Son to the cross so
that we might have the opportunity to obtain eternal life.

10. In this, God has not stepped away from fallen 
creation but has stepped into it by becoming Jesus. 
God works within the fallen world to effect change, 
and He uses fallen people to accomplish His will. 
In this, He is proving His sovereignty over evil , 
suffering, and rebellious people-
-proving that sin and evil are utterly futile and
that He is worthy of honor and glory.

----------------------------
Peace and Love 
Rev.Bola
Pastor - *CHRISTIANS VICTORIOUS FELLOWSHIP*

Title:*Taking Refuge in God's Perfect Love*

Title: *Taking Refuge in God's Perfect Love*

Recovery Thought:
Time is too swift for those who fear, too long for those
who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those
who love - time is eternity. ~ Henry Van Dyke

† Recovery Prayer †
My Lord,
Your perfect love casts out all fear and heals my heart when I
grieve. Thank you for protecting me and covering me with Your
favor as a shield. Amen.

Comments and Deeper Study

Psalm 18:30 
As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD's word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

The Entirety of Psalm 18 is particularly pertinent
and relevant to this Study

Every word of God proves true;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Here's the problem:
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble. But we often lose
sight of this truth and when we re in trouble we
start looking elsewhere for help.
No matter what is the source of our trouble:
whether it s the destructive power of creation or
the wicked purposes of evil people, God is able and
willing to help us. He doesn t always help us in
The ways we want or expect.
But He always acts in perfect wisdom and love.
He has been rescuing His people for thousands of years,
and we look forward to a day when we will see Him face
to face and live in His presence forever.

Pray Psalm 46 often,
and cry out to God when you
are in trouble and in need of refuge.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
From Psalm 91
*He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.*

Because God’s face says, definitively, 
that we’re worth loving, the faces that condemn,
the ones that abuse, the ones that fail to confirm
our inherent belovedness are all faces that lie.

“ He is a Shield to all those who trust and take
refuge in Him. ”
Thank God for Psalm 91 and for His blood.
It’s amazing how we can envision
being covered in His blood.
His blood protects us like a
magnetic force field around us.
It is a shield of angels and power.
Nothing can penetrate that!
This blood is shatter proof. It’s bad proof.
It s evil proof, thank God!
This is a good way to start you week,
your day, your life;
knowing that this God is more
than perfect, He is marvelous!
He has your back and He is on your side!

God’s promise of protection is conditional—
it is realized only by those who draw close to him.

Proverbs 18:10 states:
“The name of Jehovah is a strong tower.
Into it the righteous runs and is given protection.”

In Bible times, towers were sometimes built in the
wilderness as safe places of refuge.
But it was up to the one in danger to flee to such
a tower to find safety.
It is similar with finding refuge in God’s name.
This involves more than just repeating God’s name;
the divine name itself is no magic charm.
Rather, we need to know and trust the Bearer of that
name and live in harmony with his righteous standards.
How kind of Jehovah to reassure us that if we turn
to him in faith, he will be a tower of protection for us!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Isaiah 40:31 
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and
not faint.” I like the ending of the song that also says, “
teach us Lord, teach us Lord to wait.”

“I have told you these things, so that in me you
may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Waiting and trusting go hand in hand.
-------------------------------

Posted by Rev.Bola

Title: *To what is God asking you to say yes?

 Life Question: *To what is God asking you to say yes? 
                         What sacrifice may be involved?

1. The very act of God becoming human in the person
of Jesus Christ was the amazing act of God saying yes
to humanity. And this act of God saying yes to us has
been understood and celebrated since the very earliest
church gathered.

2. By Saying “ yes ” to God, we are essentially
Saying that He is the most important thing in our lives,
and that all good things spring from that wonderful fact.
In the book of John, Jesus says : 34 ”I give you a
new commandment: love one another. Such as my love
has been for you, so must your love be for each other.
This is how all will know you for my disciples—
your love for one another.” We have a special challenge
each and every day to live with love.
Some days are easier than others.

3. There have been a few times in my Christian walk
when I know that others, and some of them very close
to me probably wanted to rebuke me and thought I’d
lost my mind. But when God the Holy Spirit speaks
to your heart and gives you a Divine purpose, a Mission,
a Vision and a Dream it’s always best to say “YES”
to His will. In the end, it is always the best!

4. In the Gospel of Luke, Mary says yes to angel Gabriel,
who asks her to bear God's son. And she
does so in perfect freedom. As do we—in our own lives.
Mary was that faithful follower, she said her “yes”
to God both in moments of joy and sorrow. God meets
us in myriad ways, through nature, through prayer,
especially through people “For Christ plays in the
ten thousand places, lovely in eyes and limbs not his,”
as the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote.
God invites us to join him, he invites us to follow him,
he invites us to create with him.

5. You have a plan for the rest of your life.
God has a plan for the rest of your life.
Are they the same? What if God’s plan for your life
is far bigger, far more risky, and far more fulfilling
than what you had planned?

6. Who did Jesus call as his disciples?
Plain, ordinary people like you and me.
God issues us all an invitation to a fuller life.
We first received the invitation at our Baptism,
but God’s plan for us doesn’t end there.

7. He calls upon us to use the precious gifts
he has given to us throughout our lives. Let me emphasize:
we don’t have to be perfect to say “yes” to God…and
He doesn’t expect us to be perfect after we say “yes”.
He loves us as we are…although it certainly becomes
more difficult to do bad things once we start dong
good things.

8. Mother Teresa could have lived a very rewarding
and relatively comfortable life in a Polish convent,
but God asked her to consider another path, which led
her to the “poorest of the poor” in India.
He didn’t command her to go there, but he asked and she
said yes.

9. Now, obviously, we aren’t all called to do to heroic things
like Mother Teresa, nor like many of the saints and
martyrs— but each and every one of us has our own
unique talents that God asks us to share.
God values all of these.

10. We know that God will ask things of us again
and again, just as we ask God for his help time and
time again. And by continually saying “yes” to God,
we can have the satisfaction that the Apostle Paul
felt near the end of his life, when he knew that he had
“fought the good fight, and run the good race”.
What a tremendous blessing that must be.

11. God will not ask anything of us that we are not capable of doing.
But how will he ask us? Probably not by letter, Fed-Ex,
telephone call or even e-mail. Not even via Twitter.
For some of the saints in the Bible he appeared as
a burning bush or as a voice out of a thundercloud,
but I wouldn’t count on that. He certainly has plenty
of other ways. It may be a gentle stirring of the soul,
a pang of conscience, or an unexplained feeling of elation.
God does ask us to do things—or not to do things—in subtle ways.

12. Then too, let’s not forget that prayer
is a two-way conversation…where we listen as much as we talk.
We ask many things of God, so we shouldn’t be
surprise if he asks many things of us.
If we listen carefully, we will discern what God is asking.

13. And when God does ask something of us,
what can we say? We have the right to say “no” because
He doesn’t make us slaves. We can say, “let me think
about it and get back to you” or we can say “too busy now,
perhaps when I retire” or “I’d rather serve you in some
other way” or any number of other answers.
But the answer most pleasing to God is most likely this one: “YES”.

-----------------------------
Peace and Love
Rev.Bola

Title: *A More Intimate Relationship With God*

Title: *BORN AGAIN*  Light_Orb43 - from set painted by Rev.Bola  *A More Intimate Relationship With God* 1. Our confusion begins with the word “intimate,”  which has become cheapened because of our culture’s  obsession with sex. The essence of an intimate  relationship, especially with Jesus, requires sharing.  2. What sets the Bible apart from other books is that  through it, God speaks to individuals. The Holy Spirit unfolds Scripture so it becomes a love letter written  specifically to you. The more you desire relationship with Jesus, the more personal that letter becomes.   3. When you are intimate with someone else, you trust them enough to share your secrets. As God, Jesus already knows everything about you anyway, but when you choose to tell him what’s hidden deep within you, it proves  you trust him.  4. You’ve probably been betrayed by other people,  and when that happened, maybe you swore you’d never  open up again. But Jesus loved you and trusted you first. He laid down his life for you. That sacrifice has earned him your trust.  5. Many of my secrets are sad, and maybe yours are too.  It hurts to bring them up again and give them to Jesus, but that is the path to intimacy. If I want the closest of relationships with Jesus,  I have to risk opening my heart. There’s no other way.  6. When I share myself in relationship with Jesus,  when I talk to him often and step out in faith,  he will reward me by giving me more of himself.  Stepping out takes courage, and it takes time.  Held back by our fears, we can move beyond them  only through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.  7. At first we may notice no difference in our connection with Jesus, but over weeks and months, Bible verses will take on new meaning for us. The bond will grow stronger. In small doses, life will make more sense. Gradually we will sense that Jesus is there, listening to our prayers,  answering through Scripture and promptings in our heart. A sureness will come upon us that something wonderful is happening.  8. John 16 talks about our communication with Jesus when it says "Until now you've not asked for anything in  my name. ask that your joy may be complete."  Much prayer, much joy. Little prayer, little joy. No prayer, no joy.  The more continual our communication with God, the deeper our intimacy with Him will be.  9. What kind of relationship do we have with the Lord? Is He a distant Deity or our closest friend?  In one way or another, everyone has an association  with Him, whether it’s acknowledged or not.  Even those who say they don’t believe in God are bound  to Him simply because He created them. Sadly,  the majority of people in this world have no idea  who their Creator is.  10. But when sin entered the human race, it rendered everyone spiritually dead and thereby alienated from God. Our spirits were no longer able to unite with the Lord in close communion. However, Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin with His death, and now all who trust Him as  their Savior are spiritually reborn. Their connection  with God has been reopened through Christ (Ephesians)  11. Yet God doesn’t want our interactions with Him to end at salvation; that’s where they begin.  If we communicate with Him only on a surface level, we cheat ourselves and hinder fulfillment of the  Lord’s ultimate goal for us—an intimate relationship with Him. Though this is His desire for each of His children, many believers, unfortunately,  do not live in the close fellowship that He’s made  available to them.  12. Believers can be saved and eternally secure  yet relationally distant from the Lord. Some Christians  show little interest in spiritual things and are unaware  of the shallowness of their interactions with God.  Others are confused and frustrated, wondering why they don’t hear His voice or feel His presence.  Even though they attend church, read their Bibles, and pray, He still seems to be far away and disconnected from them.  13. The first step in our quest for intimacy with  the Lord is getting to know Him—who He is, what He does,  how He thinks, and what He desires. Even though God is invisible and inaudible to our physical senses, a close relationship with Him is cultivated the same way human friendships are—through time spent together,  communication, vulnerability, and shared interests.  14. We will never achieve closeness with the Lord unless we invest time and effort in getting to know Him.  A neglected relationship simply won’t grow in richness or depth. Are you too busy to spend time each day with Him?  If that is the case, the immediate demands of your schedule are robbing you of an awesome eternal treasure— deep, satisfying communion with God.  15. The most obvious way to become better acquainted with the Lord is through two-way communication.  But our prayers are often monologues rather than dialogues.  We come to Him with our list of concerns, but how often  do we take time to listen for His response?  Although God delights in hearing our prayers,  He also wants us to be still and listen to Him.  16. Since He speaks to us primarily through His Word,  that’s where we will most likely hear His voice.  Try interacting with the Lord by praying as you  read Scripture.  Meditate on His words and ask Him questions:  “What are You saying to me? How does this apply to my life?”  Then be still and listen, giving Him time to speak  to your spirit. Just remember that whatever He says will never contradict His written Word. The more you listen,  the more you’ll hear His voice, and soon your time with Him will become your greatest delight.  17. Another important factor is our willingness to be open and honest, exposing every area of our lives to the Lord. No one can be forced into an intimate friendship with God.  In fact, the depth of this relationship is limited by  the extent of our transparency with Him. Although the natural response is to shrink from such vulnerability, we need to remember that He already knows us inside and out and loves us more than we can comprehend.  18. If we’re going to grow in oneness with God, we must learn to share His interests.  He is always attentive to our concerns, but do we really care about His desires and purposes?  Are you more interested in the Lord or in what He can give you? Self-focused prayers, neglect of His Word,  and overly busy schedules send an unspoken message to Him: “I’m not interested in You!” If your relationship with the Lord seems stagnant, maybe you have drifted into a  self-centered focus that is hindering your friendship with Him.  19. Sometimes as Christians we confuse knowing the Lord with knowing about Him. But no experience we have with  Him or fact we learn about Him should ever be a strictly  academic pursuit. Rather, such knowledge ought to  continually transform us, influence others, and prepare us for heaven.  20. No one can have an intimate relationship with God  and remain unchanged. A “Sunday Christian” lifestyle  will no longer satisfy. As we begin to understand who He is,  our love for Him grows and motivates us to radical obedience.  Our experiences with Him teach us that He is faithful and  can be trusted.  Recognition of the wisdom and goodness of His plans  prompts willing submission to His leadership.  And before long, time spent with Him becomes the best part of each day. Instead of watching the clock, we’ll want to  stay longer because His presence satisfies our souls as  nothing else can.  Peace and Love Rev.Bola