Does God Really Want You to Be Encouraged? November 12, 1990

Holidays are dangerous times of discouragement. The expectations for gladness are higher, so realities of sadness are heavier. You’re supposed to be gloomy in February; so it’s more tolerable then. But Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be festive. Hence the double whammy of discouragement. May I offer some preventative medicine?

When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he added an oath, so that through two unchangeable things (the promise and the oath), in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17-18)

Do not let your worries steal your Peace

 I stumbles on my old post notes, seems like God reminding me not to worries about our needs in life.. Be at peace,for God says.. I am your Jehovah Jireh_The Lord your Provider♥
-Just wanting to share, may this testimoy of mine will give motivation and encouragement to all, keep yor eyes with Jesus and be blessed for God Is Good all the time! - Jackie

Last few days I been tormented in so much difficulties in life, while I am trying to cope it up make a solutions in everything, only to ended up frustrated, exhausted more troubled.
There at at night, I prayed meditated God's words_ then I heard the sudden small voice of our Lord speaking through my spirit. “My daughter do not put yourself in situation that is impossible for you to resolve, do not let your worries for them to steal your peace, I am Here, Be still, Pray, pray…

Pray without ceasing, you cannot save those people you loved, BUT I CAN!.. Pray my daughter be earnestly prayed for them and it will be given.”
God made me realized that it is impossible for me to get off myself to situation that I been through, nor for them, the circumstances that been thru now.

God is a living God, he is a Just. People who cling their life and faith in him will never been forsaken. He is FAITHFUL, we have the right to be calm and be at peace not because we deserve it, but because the Love of God abides in us_ God Loves us.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

"A Rich Man Refuses to Follow Jesus.

 A religious leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. And you know his commands: ‘You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not tell lies about others, you must respect your father and mother .But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, “But there is still one thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to those who are poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” But when the man heard Jesus tell him to give away his money, he was sad. He didn’t want to do this, because he was very rich. When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, “It will be very hard for rich people to enter God’s kingdom. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

Who Can Be Saved?

When the people heard this, they said, “Then who can be saved?”Jesus answered, “God can do things that are not possible for people to do.”Peter said, “Look, we left everything we had and followed you.”Jesus said, “I can promise that everyone who has left their home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God’s kingdom will get much more than they left. They will get many times more in this life. And in the world that is coming they will get the reward of eternal life.”
Luke 18:18-30 – Glory to GOD!

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

The Great Father

Many of us born with a father beside them and there are some who never met their father in their lifetime. My letter for today is about knowing God as the Great Father. I remember in my teenage life there are times when I’ve felt abandoned and left alone by my father. There are experiences and situations that though my father is near and yet he’s so far away. I guess many of us felt and experienced the same way too. But good thing my father did not throw me in the garbage can or else I will end up as a garbage man. Kidding aside, I know there are times when we ask the question “WHY”. But going back with my life I realized there is another Father who loves us and cared for us for a very long time. He said in Psalms that He knit us in our mother’s womb. He even knows how many bones we have or our hair. He knows whose parents we will have. And he is God....

John said for God so loved the world, God loved us. He sent His begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have Eternal life. That is the love of the Father our God to us. He even gave and sacrificed His Son for us. That we may become co heirs of Christ, brothers.

I myself experienced how great He is as a Father and I see it in everyday of my life. I am a back slider Christian a long ago, loses my faith and run away from God.

God’s perfect timing.

2 Peter 3:8 

" But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. "

Have your dreams been delayed? Or are you unemployed for a long time and it’s hard looking for a job. Do you pray for something and it doesn’t come yet and you are tired of waiting? Sometimes we push things on our own strength and sometimes we are almost there and suddenly everything is messed up. My letter for today is about waiting for the perfect timing of God. When we are still a child we don’t like waiting when we ask for something or we get mad when our mother insist to buy the toy that we want. Because we like the short cut way of life. Living in a modern life where everything is short cut and sad but true life also runs in short cut.

The Lord say’s in Psalms 1: I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2: He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3: He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.
God is in control. Yes He is. If we put our faith and believe, release all the doubts and put your trust in God. Sometimes we ask God but we doubt apostle James said that those who ask but doubt will be given nothing for if we ask we must believe that is faith in God. God wants us to believe. Recently I have a trouble, a difficult situation. 

CRIMES OF THE HEART

Crimes of the heart cause us great injury. Hurt feelings, harsh words, nasty misunderstandings leave deep imprints in our minds and hearts. We dwell on the cruel and unkind violations against us. Letting go of anger about things that have occurred in the past is difficult and sometimes feels insurmountable. We get stuck and hold on to our anger, and the wounds grow deeper and fester. The pain keeps us from finding peace within ourselves. When is it time to let go? 

 It is time to let go when holding on to the anger no longer serves us. When carrying the burden of our anger keeps us from moving in the direction of our ideals. When the anger keeps us from growing and becoming the person we seek to be. How do we begin?
We begin by letting go. Just letting go. We begin by no longer allowing ourselves to dwell on the negative and relive the injustices. We focus on recovering from the injury. We recover by surrounding ourselves with loved ones we can trust and by moving on. Forgiveness comes much later.Finding peace within ourselves doesn't mean we forget about the crimes. Rather, it means we choose to release them. To learn to live and love in a place where past grievances no longer touch us deeply brings wisdom. A life where harmony resides.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

God Heard Your Prayer

This is God's immediate and sure answer to Hezekiah's prayer for healing: "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you."

Sometimes, however, when we pray for healing, the answer doesn't come, or at least that's how it seems. We can be confident that God sees our tears and hears our prayers, but the problem enters when we don't believe he's answered.

I assert that God answers every sincere prayer. In fact, I would even state that there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. He just doesn't always answer in the way we expect. Sometimes the answer is wait. We won't always get an immediate response like Hezekiah. And sometimes God has something else—something better—that he's working out, and the answer we seek is not the answer we truly need. If we're patient, if we wait and trust, in time we'll see that God has heard our prayer, he's seen our tears, and he has answered.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

God save me

Take me away from the pain.
I'm losing my faith.
My life. My vision. My passion.
There's no compassion.
This pain is forever lasting.
I'm fasting,
Trying to find grace.
Get my mind out of this place.
My soul cries out.
I want to scream.
Trying to get redeemed.
The devil is in disguise,
Being fake, and trying to act wise.
All his lies.
Trying to tempt,
As he pretends.
He is picking at my brain.
Straight driving me insane.
I'm going crazy.
Trying not to let him phase me.
Look him in the eyes,
I see the hate.
I look to the Light,
I see true praise.
Please, Lord, let this be a phase.
Make him go away.
I want him to decay.
Please make him fade.
I can't take it any more.
My heart I pour,
As I'm trying to ignore.
He is coming at me hard core.
Worse than before.
Lord save me.
Embrace me.
I have faith in Thee.
Come on, Jesus,
Set me free.
My soul pleads.
I beg Thee,
For you are my trustee.
I count on Thee.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

5 Traits of True Christian Friends

So, what does a true Christian friendship look like? Let's break it down into traits that are easy to identify.

1. Christian Friends Love Sacrificially

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV)

Jesus is the finest example of a true Christian friend. His love for us is sacrificial, never selfish. He demonstrated it not only through his miracles of healing, but more fully through the humble service of washing the disciples' feet, and then ultimately, when he laid down his life on the cross.

If we choose our friends based only on what they have to offer, we'll rarely discover the blessings of a genuine friendship.

 Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." By valuing your friend's needs above your own, you'll be on your way to loving like Jesus. In the process, you'll likely gain a true friend.

2. Christian Friends Accept Unconditionally

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (NIV)

Lying on God's Couch; Loneliness Therapy for Christian Singles

 Have you ever felt that nobody understands what you’re going through—including God?

If you’re unmarried, you may feel that way most of the time. You haven't yet found another person you can share your deepest, most intimate secrets with.

In the midst of our loneliness, we forget that Jesus Christ understands us even better than we understand ourselves. Jesus knows about loneliness.
Why Jesus Understands Loneliness
Jesus' disciples didn't really grasp his teachings. He was constantly at odds with the legalistic Pharisees. He bristled when people came only to see miracles and not to hear what he said.

But there was another side to Jesus' loneliness that was even more poignant. He had all the feelings and desires of a normal human being, and it's not far-fetched to believe that he also wanted to have the love of a spouse and the joy of a family.

Scripture tells us about Jesus: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:15 NIV)

Wanting to be married is not a temptation, but loneliness can be. Jesus was tempted by loneliness, so he does know what you're going through.
Therapy that Gets to the Heart of the Problem
We don't take our loneliness to God as often as we should. Because it's not an audible, two-way conversation, we may wrongly assume that he's not listening. We also have the odd notion that God can't relate to our fast-paced, information-overloaded 21st century.

Risk

“RISK” We often think of danger, failure, bankruptcy, losing big-time! Believe it or not there are some who love Risks. It builds up excitement, unlimited potential, and reward. To remove risks from our lives leaves us stagnant, complacent, safe and maybe sorry. Don't live with regrets!

Living by ‘Risk’ is a Leap of Faith! We don’t know what God has in store for us every time we obey Him. Trusting God is risking our reputation, our future and our lives. The truth is when we ‘Leap’ when God tells us, He will always catch us. Believe Him with all our heart! Let’s not live by sight – where’s the fun in that? JUMP with JESUS!

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

Forgiven, Reconciled and Saved?

By Paul Ellis Escape To Reality (http://escapetoreality.org) The world sure is a strange place. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, something new hits you on the side of the head. When I was growing up, the number one theological question was this one: “Once saved, always saved?” People who asked this question wanted to know whether it is possible for a Christian to lose their salvation. Well if bullfrogs and butterflies can turn back into tad-poles and caterpillars, then I guess it’s possible.  But now there’s a whole new question being asked, which is this: Is everybody saved? Many are saying yes: “Jesus is the Savior of the world. Therefore everyone is already saved, they just don’t know it.” Now before you write this off as universalist heresy, let me add that those who preach this brand of historical reconciliation do not believe everyone is going to heaven. It’s just that everyone is in until unbelief kicks them out.  Since this is a popular teaching today, I think it would be good for us to take a closer look. Let’s start with an oft-heard statement: “All are forgiven, reconciled, and saved.” To these three points I respond: (1) it’s true (we are forgiven), (2) it’s sort of true (God has reconciled the world but you still need to be reconciled), and (3) it’s not true (not all are saved).

When we wait on God

Well i have learned what it is to really trust in God's timing for what i have been going through.Today there was victory over a prayer that i have been praying,trusting that God was going to give me the victory.I waited patiently for this day and trusted that God was going to get me through.

 God's direction and the timing is always perfect but we need to have faith and obedience in his calling.Sometimes we want things to go our way but in some way God always wants our good.

Why do you think that He had called us so like that when we pray we can see His glory.Just like the patriach Abraham had gone to a land that was foreign to him,he trusted in God's timing when it came to the sacrifice of His son,Joseph trusted in God while in prision for something that he did not do and to the baker and the butler,God's timing was made perfect cause the result was He became governor of Egypt.There are many examples in the Bible that had resulted in God's timing being right and sometimes the consequences of following our own timing.

When we wait on God no matter what it is then we see the blessings that he wants to bring on us as His children.

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito

The Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue. . . .There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the PRESENT".

Thanks (^_^)

Ocha Samohito