His perfect will!

An evangelist boasted during a crusade that his God was more able than all the other gods in the town and the powers of the universe that the villagers worshipped put together. Just then, rainstorm sounds started sounding overhead, threatening the progress of the crusade. 
The evangelist lifted up his voice and declared with confidence that if the rains fell, then he wasn't a man of God; he would stop preaching!
Before he could finish his boast , the rains began to hit the crusade grounds so vehemently, apparently in disregard to his declarations !
The whole town left the crusade grounds to their houses, shaking their heads in disappointment and dismay.
The evangelist, so distraught and angry, packed up and left the town the next day. On his way through the next town, he checked into a local drinking spot and drank himself to stupor.
As he laid on the ground cursing God, an old seedy looking man tapped him gently on the shoulder.
"Man of God", the old man began.
But the evangelist quickly cut in, "don't mention the name of God to me. He is fake. He is unreliable. I am no longer a believer in this God. A God who chooses to disgrace his servants. Leave me alone!"
But the old man would not let him be. He continued,"I am the fetish priest in the village you just preached at. During your one week stay in that village, you destroyed all the charms I had made for the people for 45 years!
Your prayers and your words always came with some fearful fire and power. I tried so many times to eliminate you but i couldn't. My last chance came yesterday. I had loaded my gun with gun powder lying in wait on the mountaintop where I had a very clear view of you. My plan was to shoot you from a distance since I couldn't get close enough to you due to the fire around you.
But just when i lifted the gun, the rains came from nowhere, wetting my gunpowder and covering you in a cloud so that i couldn't even see you. All I saw was a bright man holding a sword in front of you. I was so terrified. I concluded that your God was indeed all powerful and Almighty. That is why I 've been looking for you since then. I want to follow this your God!" Alleluia!
The ex-evangelist bowed his head in shame!

Dear friends, sometimes, it is just wise for us to believe that our Father knows the way He is taking us. We should just trust His leading. Let our boast be in the Lord, not in ourselves.
If we decree a thing and it doesn't happen, let us not see it as disappointment or dishonor from the Father. Let us just believe that the Father wants his perfect will to be done in all things.
A friend sent this to me and it has motivated me.
Everything that happens is for a positive purpose for a child of God.
We might not see it but God does everything to always favour us.
God is in control all right!
I found this story in another blog however I am sorry to say that it must have been a late night and I forgot to get the link. If it's your blog let me know. God bless you all

What's that? Did you say 'Laminin' ?

11 days ago, my sister-in law Pauline sent me a message and somehow I missed it! Not because it was enigmatic but because I have been skimming through all the rubbish I do get in my in-box. Anyway, tonight I'm thinking that I'd better delete a few of those messages, suddenly I see Pauline's and wow, I was absolutely astonished! Somebody I've never heard of (I must say) talking about the Laminin (what's that? ) on youtube! Play it! You will be amazed! 

I had to check what the Laminin was! The stuff that holds our body together is the perfect shape of the cross of our Lord Jesus-Christ. In Colossians 1 Paul speaks about the supremacy of Christ, Colossians 1-16 Paul says 'by Him, all things have been created' Things in the heaven and things in earth! All things were created by Jesus and for Jesus. Jesus is before all things and in Jesus-Christ, all things hold together! Of course they do. Colossians 1-19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him (Christ)! 

Have a blessed evening. Yours in Christ, N.

You are wonderful to me..

When I have to wait and/or when I feel like a lost sheep, I listen to this worship song, one of my favorite. Brothers and sisters, have a blessed mid-week. Yours in Christ. N.

On the road to Emmaus

Of all the accounts made by  the different witness who met Jesus after he resurrected, this passage is my favorite. Both Mark and Luke mention this emotional scene. 

Luke 24:13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

If you are interested to have this passage reenacted for a school assembly or a youth club, you can download an excellent script on Nige's Christian drama. Have a blessed day, your sister in Christ. N.

Jesus arrested

Jesus Arrested

18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

Gladys Aylward (1902 -1970)

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards;not many were influential;not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Being on holidays, I have indulged in my best hobby, catching up with some reading! So one evening, I had been reading 'Song of a stranger' (Keswick Ministries) and picked it up where I left it, chapter 6, The eternal presence, p 97, I quote: I don't know if you know much the growth of the church in China, but if you look at a graph of the growth of the church it is very level through the 20th c. and up until around 1970 and then graph takes off and goes through the roof. Over diner, I asked my hubby if he could guess why did this happen? In the conversation that followed, he mentioned the names of two Christian missionaries, Hudson Taylor and Gladys Aylward adding that they dressed like the people around her and this was a major factor in making their preaching effective. As I never heard of them, I read their biographies. Here is a short summary of Gladys' biography.

Born into a working class family in Edmonton, London on February 24, 1902, Gladys became a parlor maid at the age of only 14. Her call to missions came about when she attended a revival when she was 18 in which the preacher expounded on giving one's life over to the service of the Lord In her mid-twenties, she was given a probationary position with the China Inland Mission Center in London but  this endeavor didn't bear fruit. At the age of 26 her probation ended in failure. However, no one can frustrate the will of God."For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29) At the age of 30, Gladys begins her missionary career in Yangcheng working with veteran missionary Jeannie Lawson. She helped operate an inn for mule drivers and she learned Chinese. After Jeannie's death, Gladys was unable to financially sustain the Inn. The local officials approached her and asked if she would be willing to be a "foot inspector." The tradition of binding Chinese women's feet had  been outlawed, but it was still being practiced in many places. Gladys began traveling around inspecting the bones in women's feet. As she traveled she would tell stories from the Bible and many looked forward to the days they could hear these strange new stories. During the war between Japan and China, Gladys also adopted war orphans and eventually had over 100 children in her care. In 1940, the war had escalated and she was forced to leave Northern China and head south to Sian through the thickening battle, over mountains and across the Yellow River. When Gladys climbed over the mountains to Sian, she had 100 children with her, that she was taking to a refugee area.  On the twelfth day, they arrived at the Yellow River, with no way to cross it. All boat traffic had stopped, and all civilian boats had been seized to keep them out of the hands of the Japanese. The children wanted to know, "Why don't we cross?" She said, "There are no boats." They said, "God can do anything. Ask Him to get us across." They all knelt and prayed. Then they sang. A Chinese officer with a patrol heard the singing and rode up. He heard their story and said, "I think I can get you a boat." They crossed, and after a few more difficulties Ai-weh-deh delivered her charges into competent hands at Sian, and then promptly collapsed with typhus fever and sank into delirium for several days. After 20 years in China, Gladys returned to England. She was embarrassed to find that she quickly became a celebrity. A book, movie and TV documentary were all made about her life. To many Gladys became known by many as "The Small Women," the title of her biography. She continued to travel and speak about her beloved China, returning to Taiwan in 1957.

What an admirable woman and an incredible story! In one of the websites, some comments are made by people who either heard her speak or knew her so I do recommend you to visit them! Blessings. N.

Credits for these resources in those links:

www.tlogical.net 

http://www.historymakers.info/ 

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/73.html

The Love of the Spirit

For the past weeks, I have been reading The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit by Reuben Archer Torrey and I do recommend it. 


If you have Kindle on your PC, go to Amazone.co.uk and you can download that book in less than 5 minutes. 

I like very much Torrey's style as it is concise, to the point and very clear. 

I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of Divine majesty and glory (the Holy Spirit)dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me.

What are the distinctive characteristics, or marks, of personality? Knowledge, feeling or emotion, and will. Any entity that thinks and feels and wills is a person. 

If we read 1 Corinthians 2: 10-11, we are taught that the Holy Spirit is a Being who knows the truth.


In 1 Corinthians 12:11, we read, “But all these are the work of one and
the same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”
Here will is ascribed to the Spirit and we are taught that the Holy
Spirit is not a power that we get hold of and use according to our
will but a Person of sovereign majesty, who uses us according
to His will.
Further on, R. Torrey tells us more about the personality of the Holy Spirit

In Romans 15:30, Paul says “Now I urge you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” Here we have “love” ascribed to the

Holy Spirit. The reader would do well to stop and ponder those 

five words, “the love of the Spirit.” We dwell often upon the

love of God the Father. It is the subject of our daily and constant

thought. We dwell often upon the love of Jesus Christ the Son.

Who would think of calling himself a Christian who passed a

day without meditating on the love of his Saviour, but how often

have we meditated upon “the love of the Spirit”?

Have you already read that book or are you acquainted with R.A. Torrey's books, let us know please. 
Steven and I are about to go out to diner in an Indian restaurant in Stone, the Crown of India, so to all my blogger and non-blogger friends, have a blessed Valentine evening. Your sister in Christ.

I am no longer my own, but yours

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Your will, not mine, be done in all things, wherever you may place me,

in all that I do and in all that I may endure; 

when there is work for me and where there is none;

 when I am troubled and when I am at peace.

Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded;

 when I find fulfilment and when it is lacking; 

when I have all things, and when I have nothing.

I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you, as and where you choose. 

Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 you are mine and I am yours. 

May it be so for ever.

Let this covenant now made on earth be fulfilled in heaven.

 In the name of Jesus-Christ, our saviour. Amen.

Have a blessed evening. Your sister in Christ. N.