GENESIS - UNDERSTANDING THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE.

EXODUS - UNDERSTANDING THE WONDER OF REDEMPTION.

LEVITICUS - WHAT GOD IS LIKE IN HIS MORAL CHARACTER AND
WHAT HE EXPECTS FROM US IN OUR ETHICAL BEHAVIOR.

NUMBERS - GOD'S COMMAND OF CENSUS OF ALL ISRAELITES
ACCORDING TOTHE 12 TRIBES/SONS OF ISRAEL [JACOB].

DEUTERONOMY - OBEDIENCE AND ENDURANCE LEARNED THROUGH
TRUDGING IN THE WILDERNESS FOR 4O YEARS UNDER GOD'S
GUIDANCE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

JOSHUA - GOD'S TEACHINGS ON OBEDIENCE AGAIN, LEADERSHIP,
STEADFASTNESS AND FAITHFULNESS IN HIM. GOD'S HONOR TO
ABRAHAM FULFILLED IN GIVING HIM THE PROMISED LAND THROUGH
MOSES AND JOSHUA, GOD'S OBEDIENT SERVANTS.

JUDGES - UNDERSTANDING THAT VICTORY BELONGS TO THOSE
WHO HAS COMPLETE FAITH IN GOD THAT NEVER WAVERS.

RUTH - THE ACCEPTANCE OF GOD THROUGH RELATIONS BONDED
WITH LOVE

SAMUEL - THE BESEECHING PRAYER OF A BARREN WOMAN TO GOD.
GOD ANSWERS WITH A SON AND HANNAH OFFERED SAMUEL BACK
TO GOD AS HIS ANOINTED PROPHET.

KINGS - WISE CHOICE OF A RULER, KING SOLOMON PRAYED FOR
WISDOM TO RULE THE COUNTRY AND TO GOVERN JUSTLY OVER
GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE.  GOD'S BLESSINGS OF RICHES AND
WISDOM UNTO HIM, HE HONORED GOD BY BUILDING THE HOUSE
OF THE LORD, THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM.

CHRONICLES - DETAILING THE HISTORY OF ABRAHAM, GOD'S
FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, AND HIS DESCENDANTS.
AS GENERATIONS PASSED, ISRAEL WAS DIVIDED INTO 2 KINGDOMS
AFTER THE DEATH OF KING SOLOMON. HIS SONS RULED UNWISELY
AND HAD FORSAKEN THE COMMANDMENTS AND STATUTES OF LORD
GOD JEHOVAH, SO GOD SENT ISRAEL [NORTHERN KINGDOM] INTO
CAPTIVITY INTO ASSYRIA AND JUDAH [SOUTHERN KINGDOM]
UNDER THE BABYLONIANS.

EZRA - RETURN OF THE EXILES TO JERUSALEM FROM ASSYRIA AND
BABYLON REFLECTS A KIND, MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING GOD

NEHEMIAH - TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM RECONSTRUCTED.  NEHEMIAH,
LEAD THE ISRAELITES INTO A RESPECT AND LOVE FOR THE WORD
OF GOD.  NEHEMIAH, BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR GOD AND HIS
DESIRE TO SEE JEHOVAH GOD HONORED AND GLORIFIED, INFLUENCED
THE ISRAELITES TOWARDS THE FAITH AND OBEDIENCETHAT GOD
HAD DESIRED FROM THEM FOR SO LONG.

ESTHER - PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN REGARDS TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE
THROUGH ESTHER DEMONSTRATED THAT GOD'S AWESOME WAYS
OF SAVING HIS PEOPLE IN SUSA OF PERSIA FROM THE DEATH
DECREE OF THE VENGEFUL HAMAN.

JOB - THE UNWAVERING DISPLAY OF A MAN'S FAITH TOWARDS
THE ALMIGHTY AND SOVEREIGN JEHOVAH GOD. THOUGH THROUGH
SATAN'S MACHINATIONS OF REDUCING JOB IN REGARDS TO HIS
FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL STANDING, SATAN WAS NOT ALLOWED
BY GOD TO END HIS LIFE.

PSALMS - A COLLECTION OF 150 PSALMS BY A LIST OF AUTHORS
THAT SPANS MANY CENTURIES IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY. IT REFLECTS
SUBJECTS OF CREATION, WORSHIP, WISDOM, PRAISE, JUDGMENT,
SIN, EVIL AND FORETELLS THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, JESUS
CHRIST.

PROVERBS -  31 CHAPTERS INVITING SEEKERS TO SEARCH OUT
WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING AND WALK A RIGHTEOUS AND
FEAR GOD AS THE FEAR OF THE ALMIGHTY BRINGS WISDOM AND
ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO WHOM WHO WALKS RIGHTEOUSLY.

ECCLESIASTES - THE GRAPPLING BETWEEN A LIFE OF VANITY,
SUCH AS THE PURSUIT OF FAME  & FORTUNE WHICH IS ONLY
TEMPORARY OR A LIFE WITH DIRECTION AND PURPOSE WITH
OUR FAITH FIRMLY LOCKED IN JEHOVAH GOD AND HIS SON,
JESUS CHRIST .  LIFE ON EARTH UNDER THE SUN IS MEANINGLESS
AND EMPTY AND FULL OF SUFFERINGS IF WE LIVE APART FROM GOD.

SONG OF SOLOMON - KING SOLOMON EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES OF
LOVE BETWEEN A HUSBAND AND HIS WIFE, THUS AFFIRMING THAT
A MARRIAGE IS SACRED AND IS DESIGNED & ORDAINED BY GOD BY
WHICH BOTH PARTIES ARE IN UNION PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY
AND SPIRITUALLY.

ISAIAH - GOD'S JUDGMENT AND SALVATION.  GOD IS UNBENDING
IN ALLOWING SINS TO GO UNPUNISHED IN REGARDS TO JUDAH
AND ISRAEL.  WHEN ISRAELITES REPENTED GENUINELY FROM THE
HEART AND TURNED BACK TO GOD; HE'D RESTORED AND HEALED
AND KEPT HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM.  THE ALMIGHTY JEHOVAH
IS A GRACIOUS, MERCIFUL, COMPASSIONATE  AND LOVING GOD
AND WHOEVER BELIEVES AND WORSHIP HIM SHALL BE GRANTED
SALVATION THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.

JEREMIAH - THE LORD GOD JEHOVAH PRONOUNCED THE
PEOPLE OF JUDAH INTO CAPTIVITY BY THE BABYLONIANS
THROUGH PROPHET JEREMIAH BECAUSE THEY WERE SO RAMPANT
WITH IDOLATRY AND IMMORALITY AND WITH THEM COMPLETELY
ABANDONED GOD AFTER THE DEATH OF RIGHTEOUS KING JOSIAH,
GOD'S ANGER AND SEVERE PUNISHMENT EXILED THEM INTO THE
HANDS OF KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR OF BABYLON.

*keziah boey*

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid,
And think I’ve lost my way.
Still, you’re there right beside me.
Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.

I will not forget
Your love for me and yet,
My heart forever is wandering.
Jesus by my guide,
And hold me to your side,
And I will love you to the end.

Nothing will I fear
As long as you are near;
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
And a light unto my path.
You’re the light unto my path.

*lyrics : Michael W Smith & Amy Grant*

The Sultan and Satan

An ancient legend from the East tells of a great sultan who was a devout man of God. One morning he overslept. When the Devil saw that the hour of morning prayer was passing, he woke the sultan and urged him to get out of bed and pray.

Sultan from the East

“Who are you?” asked the startled sultan, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Oh, it’s not important,” replied the shady figure. “The important thing is that I woke you up in time, otherwise you would have missed your prayers for the first time in ten years-and it is very good to pray, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that is true!” replied the sultan smugly. “I wouldn’t dream of missing my prayer time. Not even once! … But wait a minute! I think I recognize you. Yes, I know your face. Of course! You are Satan, and no doubt you have some evil motive for your appearance!”

Satan aka The Devil and Deceiver

“I’m not really as bad as you think!” exclaimed the intruder. “After all, I was God’s right-hand angel once.”

“That is all very well,” replied the wise old sultan, “but you are also the Deceiver; that is your business! So I demand in the name of God to know why you want me to get up and pray!”

“Well,” replied the Devil, having grown huffy and impatient with the sultan’s persistence, “if you must know, I’ll tell you. If you had slept and forgotten your prayers, you would have felt very sorry for it afterward and would have been quite penitent. That would have humbled you and brought you close to God. But if you continue on as you have for the last ten years, without missing a single prayer, then you will become so satisfied with yourself that it will be worse for you than if you had missed one prayer and had asked God for forgiveness. God loves your fault mixed with repentance much more than your virtue seasoned with pride!”

Often it is actually good for us to make some mistakes because if we didn’t, we’d most likely become so proud of ourselves and so self-confident that we’d no longer feel we needed any help from God or others. But in reality, when we feel so proud and self-satisfied, it’s because we’re not closer to God, but more full of ourselves.

Many people in the world today are taught that pride is a virtue. But God recognizes pride and self-righteousness for what they really are-sins of the heart! The Bible says that “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” and that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 16:18; James 4:6).

Quite frequently God uses our mistakes to help keep our pride in check, to keep us humble and more dependent on His goodness and strength, rather than our own. The Lord blesses humility. He gives more grace to the humble, and promises to dwell “with him who has a contrite and humble spirit” (1 Peter 5:5; Isaiah 57:15).

It has been said that out of what seems like defeat come some of God’s greatest victories. “But what kind of victory is that?” you may ask. Well, God very often uses humbling experiences to make us better people-more compassionate and understanding of the errors of others, more loving and patient, when otherwise we might not have been so. The Lord wants to use our mistakes to teach us many important lessons that perhaps we wouldn’t be able to learn any other way. So isn’t it encouraging to realize that even our failures can be for our good?

Of course, in order for the Lord to bring this good to pass, we must be honest with ourselves, be willing to confess our mistakes, and attempt to rectify them. The hardest words to say in any language are, “I was wrong!” This takes humility of the kind that only God can give, because it’s human nature to want to appear perfect and faultless, and consequently be unable to confess our mistakes.

But if we want the truth and desire God’s blessing, then we’ll honestly and humbly admit our faults and failings. Then we can take comfort in knowing that we are wiser today than we were yesterday. Contrary to what some folks seem to think, an admission of error is a sign of strength rather than weakness.

Besides, God knows you’re anything but perfect. In fact, He knows you can’t be perfect and never will be. So the crux of the matter is not whether you are perfect or not, but whether you depend on the Lord and His grace, love and mercy. Do you give Him all the glory and credit for anything good that you do? Whenever you accomplish something good, you should say, “Just thank Jesus. Don’t thank me! If I have done anything good, it’s only because the Lord helped me do so.”

A good rule to follow is this: Give God all the glory for anything good you do, and yourself the blame for anything bad. That will help keep you from falling into that horrible trap of self-righteous pride, which is the basis of virtually all sin.

So whenever you make a mistake and are then tempted to get down and discouraged, just remember the sultan’s lesson: God loves your fault mixed with repentance more than your virtue seasoned with pride!

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn
not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest,
in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance
away.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said no-it was covered with green buds and full
of promise.
The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that
smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful
thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and
drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because
they had each seen but ONLY one season in the tree’s life. He told
them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and
love that come from that life – can only be measured at the end,
when all the seasons are up.

It all depends on how we look at things, and not on how things are
in themselves. The least of things with a meaning is worth more in
life than the greatest of things without it.  ~ Carl Jung ~

Flowers often grow more beautifully on dung-hills than in gardens
that look beautifully kept. ~ Saint Francis de Sales ~

12 things to remember: 

The value of time.
The success of perseverance
The pleasure of working.
The dignity of simplicity.
The worth of character
The power of kindness.
The influence of example.
The obligation of duty.
The wisdom of economy.
The virtue of patience.
The improvement of talent.
The joy of origination.




Each of these is worth considering with regards to how we live our lives.

How can we grow in all of these attributes?
 

By associating with the wise and by respecting the Word of God. 
 

Proverbs 16:16 puts it this way:


"How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding
is to be chosen rather than silver." 
 

Only through attaining godly wisdom can we improve how we live our
lives now and ultimately find eternal happiness in God’s Kingdom.


*source : gnmagazine*

Ω♣♥ PRIORITIES ♥♣Ω

William Gladstone (1809-1898) was England's Prime Minister four
times, and one of the most important political figures of his era.
He was also famous for being an active Christian. Every day as
Gladstone went up the steps of the Parliament building, he bought
a newspaper from the same newsboy and said an encouraging word
about how Jesus loved him.

One day, as Gladstone and his secretary were going into Parliament,
another newsboy stopped them. "Hey, Mr. Gladstone, you know the
bloke you usually get'cher paper from?

Well, yesterday he was run over by a carriage and he's going to die.

He wants you to come get him in."

"What do you mean, 'get him in'?" Gladstone asked.

"You know--get him in to Heaven."

Gladstone's secretary protested. "No, no, no, you don't have time
to go see a newsboy! You know how important your speech today is.
It could change the course of history!"

Gladstone thought a moment, then said, "One immortal soul is worth
more than my speech in Parliament." So he went to the little garret
where the newsboy lay dying. Gladstone prayed with him to receive
Jesus. He "got him in"--and then the boy died.

By the time Gladstone made it back to Parliament, a heated discussion
was already under way. He gave his speech, and his side went on to
win the vote.

Afterwards his secretary asked, "Sir, how could you have gone off
like that and almost miss making such an important speech?"

"The speech was a very important and good thing," Gladstone replied,
"but getting that boy saved and into Heaven was a better, more
important thing!"

by David Brandt Berg

♦♦ * * * ♦♦

To comprehend a man's life, it is necessary to know not merely
what he does, but also what he purposely leaves undone. There
is a limit to the work that can be got out of a human body or
a human brain, and he is a wise man who wastes no energy on
pursuits for which he is not fitted; and he still wiser who,
from among the things that he can do well, chooses and
resolutely follows the best.

There is but one question of the hour: How to bring the truth
of God's Word into vital contact with the minds and hearts of
all classes of people. 

♣ William E. Gladstone ♣

“Papa, look!” Someone had just given a six-year-old
a string of plastic pearls, and she was bubbling over
with excitement as she ran to show them to her father.

“These are beautiful,” her father said. For a long,
thoughtful moment he turned them over in his hand
and watched them shine in the light from
the lamp next to his easy chair.
Then he asked, “Will you do something for me?
Will you give me these beads in exchange for
something I will give you tomorrow?”
"Have I ever asked you to do anything that wasn’t
for your good?"

“What’s that?” asked the little girl.

“You’ll see tomorrow,” her father replied.

The little girl’s eyes betrayed her inward struggle.

“It’s up to you,” the father said. “You don’t have to
make the trade just because I am asking you to, but have
I ever asked you to do anything that wasn’t for
your good? Can you trust that I know best?”

It wasn’t easy, but the little girl handed the beads to her
father. He slipped them into his pocket, and gave her a big
hug that said, “I’m proud of you.”

The next day, the father gave the little girl a gift that was
far more beautiful and valuable—a delicate gold chain with a
genuine pearl pendant. The little girl forgot all about the
string of plastic pearls.

“I did this to teach you to trust the Father in Heaven,”
her father explained.
“Many times in your life He will ask you to give up something
you want, or to avoid something that to you looks good,
and often you won’t understand why.
But if you trust your heavenly Father as you have trusted me,
you will find that He always knows best.
When He asks you to give up some things, it’s because
He wants to give you much better things.”

In one of the parables that Jesus told, He likened the
Kingdom of Heaven to a pearl so rare, so beautiful,
and so costly that one man sold everything he
owned in order to buy that one pearl (Matthew 13:45-46).

We can have a little bit of Heaven here and now, but the
gifts and treasures of the spirit come at a price.
To experience and enjoy the things of eternal value,
we have to make room for them; we have to be willing
to give up some of our “trinkets,”
the trivialities and fleeting pleasures of this life.

Jehovah God satisfies the hungry hearts with good things,
but the rich—those who are too busy or satisfied with
other things—He sends away empty (Psalm 107:9; Luke 1:53). 

Will you “sell” the things of this world in order
to gain the true riches?

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.


It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow;
if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled
and closed from fear of further pain!

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the
tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, 
to be realistic; to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. 
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; 
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own
soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty,
every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much
money you have.
I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, 
weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to
feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you
truly like the company you keep in the empty moments. 
contentment in just being alone


by Oriah MountainDreamer
copyright © 1999 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
 

By Bill Wilson, KIN Senior Analyst
[www.watch.org]