THE WORSHIP BATTLE

There is a story recorded in the Bible about a man named Job.

The story tells us that there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord , and Satan also came among them.

The Lord is really proud of this man Job, and He brags about him to Satan.

Satan says that Job only serves The Lord because of what he gets; He's protected, blessed, healthy... who wouldn't serve the Lord for that!

So, satan states emphatically that if GOD takes away the Hedge of protection, Job would curse God to His face!!!

God agrees to take away the hedge but instructs satan to spare Job's life.

Now while all this is happening in the spirit realm, Job has NO IDEA.

He's just doing what He's always done, holding fast to his integrity, offering Sacrifices to God... I'm sure He didn't know that God had noticed him from on high. I'm sure He didn't know that God had placed a hedge of protection around him and satan couldn't touch him!

I'm sure satan was frustrated because he couldn't touch him.

Anyways, as soon as satan gets permission, he floods Job with catastrophe!

Job looses his 10 children in a tornado, Fire falls and consumes all his cattle, Sabeans raid his oxen, Chaldeans raid his camels and kill his servants... all in one day!!! I tell you, satan couldn't wait!

whoa!!! Is that what you get from being noticed by God? I mean... is it not a GOOD thing to be Faithful to the God you serve? Check it - Job didn't do anything wrong, he wasn't in that discussion and somewhere up in heaven, his fate is decided for a season.

Well, guess what Job did after he got the bad news one after the other ( in rapid succession )?

You won't believe this!

Job " arose,tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground..." (well that's expected)

"... and worshipped."

You have got to be kidding me!!!

I mean, here i am all "goody-two-shoes" and serving God and He lets this happen to me, all in one day! NO way! I'm Quitting the next minute!

Hey,wait a minute... then why exactly am i serving God? Hmm...

Why do i worship HIM? is it just some idea handed down to me by my parents or just something that "the masses" do?

Or maybe it's a gamble or a deal... that if i serve Him,then i get good stuff,else,i get bad stuff.

But if I'm worshipping for what i can get, am i a true worshipper? (John 4:21-24)and what is worship?

Now, back to the story...

Job then says " Naked i came from my mother's womb, and naked shall i return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Wow! This is a profound statement. Job realized that all he had : The Cattle,Oxen, Children... everything was given to Him. I guess today, we would say: The cars, the kids, the estate and landed property, the "bling"... you name it! Everything we have has been given to us. Job NEVER claimed ownership or his right to himself.

I think that's where worship starts. It start when we recognize that we do not have anything apart from what The Lord has given us. We might want to argue and say we've worked so hard to get where we are, spent time and energy,blah,blah,blah...

The truth is, you must be alive to work and if you could pay for life, i wonder how many of us could afford it.We have all been given life! How else do you explain the birth of life; how a baby comes into the world and takes it's first breath!

Face it, no one owns life.

Now, back to the story... hmm... i think i'll break it into two parts! watch out for the 2nd part.

A NEW BABY

I saw a new baby a few days back. She was just three days old and beautiful!

I watched her while she slept...those tiny hands curled up in fists,her hair like dark silk,her complexion fair and lovely.

She reminded me of all thing innocent,pure and lovely.

We forget about those things in this cruel world... i wonder how she'll survive.

Where is innocence, where is purity and where is love?

Every new birth is a reminder that good still exists,that there is still another chance to grow a new breed of people.

She is like a new seed.

Will we grow her to be like everyone else? will we shower her with love and weed the bad and protect her?

I think to grow her right, we need to BE right. I can change my attitude and so can you. I can decide that i will not be influenced by the darkness I can decide that i will be the salt and the light... and so can you.

A new baby needs anew world; and a new world needs a new you!

LEAVE ME BE!!!

He sees the pretty face and smile; so he walks up to say "hello"

She's polite, so she says "hi".

She's hopeful... for something real

He's hopeful... for a kiss and maybe more.

It starts... the search for who gets what and the winner takes it all.

* * * * *

I've had that scenario play so many times and i'm TIRED!

where are all the REAL guys? Pluto?

The good guys ARE still on planet earth... and so are the good girls; It's just that anything really good and worthwhile takes time to come to you,and after you've been through so many counterfeits,you learn to appreciate it's value. It becomes PRICELESS!

I guess what i didn't realize was that i AM getting refined in the process of waiting for the real thing.It's like raw gold going through the heat and getting the impurities burned of... you learn to leave the heavy,impure,unecessary dross in the fire and you come out with what's really important- purity and value.

That is reassuring... but i must admit,it IS hard!

When someone seemingly responsible comes along, i always hope he's the one i'm waiting for...and i find out he's not! That's disappointing... and yet i keep hoping!

It's funny. I'm blessed with this amazing ability to dream!

I really wish the fake guys would leave me be... but they won't. I guess that is part of the process to teach me to learn how to seperate the real from the phoney,to help me see a clearer,sharper picture of who i'm waiting for..because now i know who he is NOT!

So... i guess i won't give the exasperated cry "Leave me be!" ; I'll just ask for strength to go through the process.

Help me EBENEZER! You are the Stone of My Help.

Gloriah's Colours

The first time i met her, she reflected happy colours; yellow, the colour of the sun.
Light colours; blue, the colour of the sky.
She was inviting,welcoming... like home.
I think she knew that her smile was a gift that she could give freely to everyone she meets.
Gloriah.
I wanted to stay longer with her, get to know her better. I did, and then i saw deeper colours.
Violet, the colour of strength,of purpose.
I wondered if ever it were possible that someone almostperfect could exist... so i got closer
I tried to get to her heart and that's where i met the first barricade; she hardly let anyone get that close. I could understand why.
There were hurts that were still healing;deep wounds that were still under bandage... thats when i saw the colour red.
Gloriah.
At her very core was a symbol, asymbol of a cross. THE CROSS.
That must have been where the life must have been emanating from; the reason why she radiated joy and happiness to others despite her own pain and scars.
Gloriah, the Gloriah founded on the Cross. i know she knows that that cross brings healing.
Gloriah's colours - as many as a rainbow's; beautiful in every hue.

LOVE triangle

He's in love with her but on her mind is another
He says the right things,does the right things
They make sense to her mind but her heart has chosen another
Whom the heart chooses and why it does is a mystery

The one in her heart is the one she loves
He has done nothing in particular but it doesn't matter
maybe one day he'll do the right things
love isn't blind,she says, it just sees a better picture

So she chooses to believe that he will become that picture
it is true that faith works through love
but love never manipulates, it only accepts
and so the journey begins

For a while he starts to conform, starts to do the right things
then he goes back to being the one who didn't really do anything
how can she complain?
Love first accepts

Time passes, nothing happens
The one who loved her is long gone and the one she loves is silent
then one day he breaks the ice!
"i miss U " He says

Now she has a spark of hope
Maybe he feels the same after all!
"i knew it!" she exclaims
He just needed a little time


Then he goes quiet again and it start to dawn on her
He doesn't love her, he never did
Love is never silent,it always proves itself
If love is not returned,then maybe it was never there

But she still wants to believe that he can
He may, but sadly, he won't
He had a grip on her
"Release me" She prays

Finally, He does.
"It's time to say goodbye" He says
Should she miss him?
The dream,yes. Him, No.For he was NEVER there in the first place

Now she is free
after taking the long journey to a love that never could be
But she will start again, maybe wiser this time
for she will ALWAYS believe in love.

South Africa's universities - SouthAfrica.info

South Africa's universities - SouthAfrica.info

DREAMS… Do they come true?

Everyone has dreams.
Things that we wish for, wish we could do but somehow lack the ability to do so.
We want to be in that place, at that time when EVERYTHING falls into place- there’s a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. There’s purpose where your dreams are.
Dreams are a driving force! They inspire, they keep you focused and give you a reason to keep living.
But what happens when you keep driving…and you can’t seem to reach that destination?
It makes you start to wonder why you keep having these dreams – chasing after an illusion that keeps eluding you just when you think you are about to grab it. Now that’s frustrating!
But the thing with dreamers is that dreams just never stop coming… the best you can do is suppress it; it never really “dies”.
In reality, not every dream comes true…sad, huh?
But some of them still do! Maybe not in the way we expected them to unfold.
What am I trying to say? Just hold on a little longer… just a little.