A story is told of a man whose dog, Kayla, tragically fell into an empty well. Upon careful consideration, the man concluded that it was not worth saving either the dog or the well.   more...

A story is told of a man whose dog, Kayla, tragically fell into an empty well. Upon careful consideration, the man concluded that it was not worth saving either the dog or the well. He therefore decided to burry the dog in the well. He got hold of his shovel and frantically started throwing sand into the well. He paused and fixed his eyes down the well and discovered a movement in the well which set him thinking. After throwing the next set of sand, he noticed the movement continued. The more he threw the sand the more evident the movement. He therefore deduced that Kayla was not dead and even if she was dead, the sand was miraculously resurrecting her. He continued until he finally noticed that, the dog he assumed dead was actually getting closer to him as she stepped on the sand he throws into the well. Eventually, she got out of the well alive. The man, beaming with a smile embraced Kayla and took her home.

Life is full of challenges, but it�s your decision to be drowned by your challenges or to float on them. Kayla made a choice to shake off the sand that was meant to burry her, and used it as a stepping stone into life. Many people have given up pursuing their dreams in life; others have come to accept the status quo. You need not resign to your fate, the challenges are meant to be spring boards into your next level. The reason why a lot of people have given up is that they don�t know how to arise and rebuild. When you are battered by the storms of life, there are certain principles that you must operate to get back on your feet.

First, involve God in the rebuilding process. Failure has clothed many because they begun their pursuit without consulting God. Isaiah 46:10 says, God declares the end from the beginning, meaning before one embarks on any venture in life, God knows the outcome. Once you involve God in whatever you do, you certainly will succeed. Even when challenges arise, you are confident in consulting God who gave you the approval.
Fact that you lost your first marriage, failed in the business, lost your house etc. does not mean you should �throw in the towel�.� There is still hope for you, put yourself together and move on. Your success in your next attempt shall be determined by God�s consent.

Secondly, do an assessment. Albert Einstein, the great physicist defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It is indeed insanity when you are rebuilding your broken walls and you do not find out why you failed the first time; it is most likely you will hit the wall again. Consider asking yourself the following questions:
Why did I fail? , What could I have done different? How can I avoid failure? If you have not found answers to these questions, it is not worth starting the rebuilding process. Assessing the situation puts you at a position of advantage.

Once you have carefully assessed the situation, the next step is planning. Failing to plan is planning to fail. You must carefully consider the necessary things you have to put in place to chalk success. Planning involves when to start, meticulously preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve your purpose. A plan is like a map which helps you to determine whether you�re progressing or not. It is well established that for unstructured activities, 80% of the effort gives less than 20% of the valuable outcome. Failure to plan wastes your time and eventually leads to you fail. The bible records (Nehemiah 2: 9 - 3:32) that Nehemiah rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem. One of the keys to his success was proper planning. His plan included the source of his resources for the project, who does what, when and how.

Besides, you must understand that in your rebuilding process you�re bound to face opposition. Opposition comes to discourage you, to destruct you from your focus and also to frustrate you. You overcome the opposition by believing and trusting in the God that gave you the approval for the venture. God will not start a journey with you and will not bring you to a successful end. He certainly will guide you to into your promised land. When opposition arises, perceive it in a positive light, focus on your goal and be resilient.

In every rebuilding process, discipline is pivotal. If you lack discipline, you�ll be a stumbling block between you and your success. Discipline involves taking actions that are not palatable in ones mouth yet gives good result. According to the bible, discipline drove Joseph to prison but got him closer to his destiny.

Joseph�s refusal to be sexually involved with Potiphar�s wife is a typical example of a person walking in discipline. As you rebuild your life, your marriage, your business, your career, etc. carefully consider areas that need discipline and do accordingly.

Another factor worth considering is giving wisdom a place. Learn to take actions devoid of emotions but sound in judgment. The bible rightly says that by wisdom a house is built; the absence of wisdom is the occupation of foolishness.

Finally, learning from those who have towed the same path you are treading and have succeeded will help you avoid certain mistakes and adopt certain virtues. The people you hang around go a long way to affect your behavior. Surround yourself with those who have accomplished in your area of pursuit and learn from them. If you want to be an eagle see yourself as an eaglet be surrounded by eagles.

Like Kayla, when difficult moments come, shake them off, and step on them. You�re well able to become what you dream to be. You have what it takes to make it in life. Press on and do not allow your past experiences of failures to affect your future aspirations.

Shalom

Do you have a passion for the web? Are you knowledgeable about web2.0 social networking and love  to write? If so then contact us for a Site Content Editor position with our company.

God Bless you.

Faithflows

Do you have a passion for the web? Are you knowledgeable about web2.0 social networking and love  to write? If so then contact us for a Site Content Editor position with our company.

God Bless you.

Faithflows

Proverbs 22:7, NIV says ...and the borrower is servant to the lender.

If you are in debt then you probably feel like a slave to your debt. Here is an advice article from www.christianadvice.net    more...

Proverbs 22:7, NIV says ...and the borrower is servant to the lender.

If you are in debt then you probably feel like a slave to your debt. Here is an advice article from www.christianadvice.net 

I hope it helps you get out of debt.

Getting out of Debt
Although the following advice is pretty tough, it’s meant to encourage, not add guilt if you are strugling financially. Fusion does not teach the nonsense prosperity gospel – can you see Jesus teaching that?! Let’s look at him. No – there’s a difference between god blessing us with wealth and us expecting it!

We appreciate it is more difficult for some to be debt free than others. Plus, there are companies out there who rely on you being in debt and make it their business to dream up new ways to keep you there. We know there are rich and poor among us so we don’t want to trivialise anyones predicament. God knows our problems and our debt and sometimes it can be crushing. We hope this helps.

The Bible says ‘don’t get into debt try to practice this wise counselling. Settle the smallest debts so that you can see light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t stop till you are in the clear. We are accountable to ourselves and God. Don’t wallow in pity. We all have problems so grow up and do something to get out of debt. This may mean serious sacrifice.

Change your life by changing your attitude. This applies to work and money. Don’t conform to others …ie be lazy… work hard and think differently. Success (becoming mature in Christ) = belief and commitment. You can do almost anything so long as it doesn’t violate His law or fellow humans. It is a fact that although we shouldn’t make financial security our final goal or God – these things are more likely to come to those who are responsible. To those that can see others struggling – help them out.

Worry doesn't accomplish anything. Psalm 37:8, TLB
."Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don't fret and worry -it only leads to harm."

There's no need to worry, God has everything under control. Matthew 6:31-33, TLB.
"So don't worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and He will give them to you if you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to."

We cannot stop worrying until we replace it with something better - prayer. Philippians 4:6-7, TLB.
"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

Worrying is a waste of time. Luke 12:25-26, TLB.
"And besides, what's the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not! And if worry can't even do such little things as that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?" Give all your worries to the Lord. , I Peter 5:7, TLB. "Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."

I pray this blog helps others

It is important to understand what the Bible says of this subject. Some people call it the gay lifestyle, homosexuality, lesbianism and what have you. When we talk about the biblical perspective,   more...

It is important to understand what the Bible says of this subject. Some people call it the gay lifestyle, homosexuality, lesbianism and what have you. When we talk about the biblical perspective, we’re talking about God’s view; not my view, not your take on the subject, but God’s view. His views are clearly spelt out in His holy book called the Bible, hence, the biblical perspective.

In this blog, I will be reporting completely from the Bible’s standpoint. As you are aware, the Bible is recognized as an acceptable canon though it is purported to be a religious book, but before the end of this piece, you will realize that the Bible is not a religious material but the constitution of God’s government and kingdom. If the Bible governs God’s kingdom, then we can conclude that it is a legislative and a policy book. The most sacred document of the United States is the constitution. This constitution is both a legislative and policy record that governs the United States of America.

Similarly, as the most sacred document of God’s Kingdom, the Bible is a legislative and policy book that governs God’s kingdom and the earth He created. As I established earlier, I am only going to tell you what the Bible says of homosexuality and lesbianism. If I tell you what I think of the subject, my opinion and ideology isn’t necessary compared to what the Bible, the most canonized source of information says of it.  

Points To Note
Firstly, the Bible gives us clear and explicit guidelines about the gay lifestyle. Those who support same sex marriage usually attempt to use the Bible to blindly sanction their beliefs. It is impossible to use the Bible to sanction homosexuality and lesbianism as an acceptable God-given lifestyle. According to 1 Corinthians 6:9, homosexuality is an unrighteous lifestyle and those who live this lifestyle shall not inherit the kingdom (NKJV). Also in Romans 1:26-27, the Bible teaches that men who abandon the natural use of women and women who abandon the natural use of men and have their feelings directed to those of the same sex are sexually immoral and perverted. This then shows that no one is born with a feeling for those of the same sex. Either people choose to develop such affection for those of the same sex or probably, they allowed a demon to redirect their affection, libido and sexual desires to those of the same sex.

Secondly, the church does not create or determine Scripture. The church only preaches it and should preach it as it is. The church does not have the right to create new scripture, so we should not try to add or take from its precepts, truths, standards, principles and doctrines. Revelation 22:18-19 warns against creating new scripture and making some scriptures obsolete and archaic. The Bible, as the sacred constitution of God’s Kingdom is as relevant today as it was in the day and age God inspired its authors to pen it. From the onset, God ordained for love relationships to be between a male and a female. Never once, do we read of the Bible sanctioning any intimate, romantic relationship between those of the same sex. When God created Adam and wanted to provide him with someone to meet his emotional and sexual needs, God did not make another man for Adam, but made Eve, a woman. Genesis 2:22 tells us: “the Lord God…made a woman, and He brought her to the man” (NKJV). Even when God wanted to preserve the animals in the days of the great flood, He instructed Noah to “take…a male and a female” of the animals (Genesis 7:2; NKJV). Here again, you notice that God only approves of male and female love relationships. So in reporting from the Bible’s perspective, I can comfortably say that homosexuality and lesbianism is unacceptable in the eyes of the Scriptures, making same sex marriage an insult and a slap in God’s face. Get this point because it’s not my opinion but God’s: the Bible does not at anytime purport homosexuality and lesbianism to be godly. Some religions believe that, but that doesn’t relate to our God.

Thirdly, the Scriptures which contain ultimate truth do not belong to the church but they are God’s property and word to the world. Sometimes we think that truth belongs to us. Truth doesn’t belong to us but was given to us. Our job is to know the truth and testify of it. We should not try to create our own truth. Those who attempt to create their own truth and those who think truth belongs to them are those we call humanists.

The Proponents of the Gay Lifestyle
According to Webster’s Concise Dictionary, “humanism is the intellectual and literary movement that seeks to advance the goals of the proponents.” Humanism is a philosophy which teaches that man is the source and creator of truth. Humanism is the foundation of all perversion because it is anti-scripture. It is a philosophy which does not accept the presence of an ultimate God and rejects the existence of an ultimate truth. Humanism therefore creates its own truth. It is built on the idea of adjusting yourself to the circumstances. This is a way of thinking that is motivated by creating truth that is personally acceptable though a segment of society sees it as unacceptable.

Humanism is an attitude of: what is good for me doesn’t have to be good for you and as long as it is good for me, it is also truth for me. This is the way of thinking that say; “my life is my private business and what is truth for me necessarily doesn’t have to be truth for you.” In other words, humanists believe they are the measure of truth. Their philosophy is: what I say is truth is the truth even if you disagree. This is what humanism is, and it’s the foundation of all perversion.

That’s how most of our politicians think. It surprised me a couple of years ago, when Massachusetts became the first state in the union to legalize gay marriage. Prior to this move by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, all the fifty states in the union held the truth that marriage is between a man and a woman. Note that all fifty states held that belief. Why this move on the part of Massachusetts? Politicians whose way of thinking is in line with humanism concluded that they are creating truth that is acceptable to them even if majority of the country disagree. This is purely humanism which rejects the Bible as the ultimate source of truth.

Maybe, you believe that cars that run on unleaded gasoline should be running on water because water is inexpensive than unleaded gasoline. That might be your belief but that is not the truth. You may decide to fill your car’s tank with water, but that is not what it was designed to function on. If you keep doing that your car will malfunction. Men were created by God for their emotional needs to be primarily met by their significant other who should be a female and vice versa.

If you decide to go for the same sex to satisfy your emotional needs, like the car and the water, that is a malfunction and a disorder. Homosexuals and lesbians in God’s perspective practice humanism. To them their lifestyle is their private business and what is truth for them doesn’t have to be truth for anyone. Hence, whether you agree with their lifestyle or not, they have created “truth” that is acceptable to them although a majority of society including the Bible sees the lifestyle as unacceptable.

You can never change the manual that governs the efficient running of the car and neither can you change the manual that governs how God’s creation should live. No matter how educated you get, you can never change the manual. The Bible remains as God’s property. It doesn’t matter that we’ve become more intelligent, psychologically deep, politically savvy, emotionally sensitive, physiologically enjoyable, technologically sophisticated – the truth remains, God’s Word is timeless and homosexuality and lesbianism isn’t biblically sanctioned. God doesn’t need our vote on this matter because it is canonized.

The Bible doesn’t encourage those who accept and practice the Word in its entirety to condemn and hate homosexuals and lesbians. They are to be loved but the lifestyle is strongly to be shunned. If there is any politician who thinks he is smarter than God, then, I dare that politician to improve on the laws God gave Moses for instance. God gives laws for nation-building not for the creation of religion. Politicians and legislators should not attempt to repeal the precepts and the principles of the Scriptures to satisfy a lifestyle that is parallel to humanism.

Even the atheists, the most corrupt politicians, the most diabolical, abominable and mean leaders believe “thou shall not steal,” a law given by God to Moses. Remember, I mentioned that the Bible is a legislative book or if you will, it is a book full of laws. If the politician believes that “thou shall not steal,” it means he or she believes in this legislative rule of our God. The point is, if you accept one of His laws, you must be willing to accept all of His laws. Don’t accept some of His laws and reject the others. So, if our politicians accept God’s law which says; “thou shall not steal,” they should be willing and ready to accept and enforce the scriptures which strongly refutes and denounces the gay lifestyle.

Sadick Arthur

If you've asked your questions, discovered the answers and gone from an intellectual belief in God to a personal relationship with Christ based on heartfelt faith... then now is the time to jump in and see how   more...

If you've asked your questions, discovered the answers and gone from an intellectual belief in God to a personal relationship with Christ based on heartfelt faith... then now is the time to jump in and see how to grow in your relationship with God! There are five (5) essential factors that will facilitate and enhance our desire to grow with God and develop a relationship with Him the goes beyond mere church attendance. The first of these is...

·                     Worship: Worshiping GOD as a Christian is not just about singing, fasting and praying. GOD is not interested in what you do as much as why you do it. HE does not honor hypocrisy -only a heart devoted to HIM. Worship is not something you just do on Sunday… it is a lifestyle. We are to love, trust, obey, praise, thank and live only for HIM every day. It is about surrender. It will cost you your self-centeredness. We are to worship in spirit and in truth. We were made specifically to bring GOD pleasure and glory.

Praise Elevates Us Into God's Presence and Glory

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through   more...

Praise Elevates Us Into God's Presence and Glory

Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power. Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances.

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise. This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God! Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory. The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

Some Biblical Expressions of Praise

Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15)
Clapping hands and shouting (Psalms 47:1)
Musical instruments and dancing (Psm. 150:4)
Singing praise songs (Psalms 9:11)

Dear Friends,

We have finally added our Faith Blogging Area to the site. Please feel free to start and join our Faith Discussions.

Note that we are each other's keeper so let us keep it clean   more...

Dear Friends,

We have finally added our Faith Blogging Area to the site. Please feel free to start and join our Faith Discussions.

Note that we are each other's keeper so let us keep it clean and Christian.

Be Blessed.

The Faithflows Team