Rise up out of Galilee!

By Yvette Nietzen

John 7:52, NKJV: They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”

As we read in the Bible, it says that nothing good can come out of Galilee, and now it says that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.

Have you ever wanted to do something that has never been accomplished in your family or city before?

Do you have a desire to have a college education and be the first to obtain a degree in your family? Do you have a desire to start a business, or go into full time ministry? One of the things we wrestle with is the “it has not been done or accomplished before.” That may be true, but it does not mean that it’s not possible.

What desires or goals do you have? Has it ever been accomplished before? If not, then be the first to do it. Nothing is impossible with God, and when we put all things in His very capable hands, and remove the limits from our own mindset, then as they say, the sky is the limit.

Go ahead, be the first to obtain your goal, and remove the blockages that surround you . Rise up out of Galilee. Nothing is impossible with God.

How good are you?

By Titto Thomas

An old miserly lady died and reached the gates of heaven. This lady when she was alive never did a good thing. At the gate an angel of the Lord asked her “What makes you worthy to enter here”. The lady recollected her days on the earth and she couldn’t think of anything worthwhile to tell the angel, she had not done one good deed, but suddenly she hit gold. She immediately looked up at the angel’s face and replied “ There was this poor, hungry beggar who had come knocking at my house. Feeling sympathy for the man, I gave him 10 cents.” The angel replied “ Alright let me go tell God about this, wait here”. After a couple of minutes the angel returned with something in his hand. Looking at the lady he said “ Here is your 10 cents and that’s the way to hell!!!

The gist of this hilarious story has a very important implication. We all think that there are at least some things right in our lives. We tell ourselves “We are ok, we ain’t that bad”. We use it as our trump card all the time, our song of consolation. But how good is good and how bad is bad. During the tribunal of a formal Rwandan general convicted for genocide, the judge, after reading through his crime of raping, torturing, murdering and disfiguring men, woman and children, asked him how he could do all of this. The general replied “ I believe I was doing right”.

No we might not have done all that the above general did, but does that makes us perfect creatures. I did a particular subject in my third semester of engineering called thermodynamics. For the first internals 99% of the class failed and as we were discussing the results very proudly remarking how a particular student with 30 out of hundred was the highest in our hostel, another student from a different branch remarked “ Hey all of you guys failed, then why do u care who did better than the other”.

In our personal lives too when we have done good we feel very confident to enter God’s presence and I believe this is the biggest mistake we can make when we approach God. The bible says that there is nothing good in us, the implication then being that God does not expect anything good from us. Remember there is nothing good that we can do that makes us worthy for God. It was his doing that made us righteous. Even the faith that we had to get saved was his gift. Where then is room for boasting, for exalting yourself.

A prayer I leave with you. “Father your word says that all our righteousness is like filthy rags before you, so I come to you not because of what I have done but I am clothing myself with Jesus who is my righteousness. I realize that there is nothing good in me, if there is anything good in me it is because you have put it there. Amen”

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His love has no bounds…

By Robert Allan Pennington

Many times I have complained and gone directly against what God wanted me to do. Many times I have figuratively slapped Him in the face. Many times I have been one of the worst horrible little sinners imaginable. And yet, every time He has come after me even when I have left Him. Every time He has showed me His other cheek that I might slap it also. Every time He has hugged me and called me His perfect creation. I want to know what kind of love that is! It is a God-love!

Dear brothers and sisters, are you going through a time of separation from God? Are you running away after the things of this world? Do you know what you ought to do, but you don’t do it? Do you give into the temptations that surround you, as they do all of us? Then let me encourage you that God is walking after you; He is calling after you; He is jealous for you; He is waiting for you; He died for you; He lives for you; He forgives you. Do you see His love? When you or I run away He chases us! Much swifter than a gazelle! He catches us and loves us even when we are covered in mud from our stupidity. He holds us so dear

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. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. [Hebrews 4:15-16]

Dear brothers and sisters, have you sinned against God and are angry with yourself? Do you not feel worthy to come back in to His arms? Do you feel as I have that you’re not worth loving? Can you see the Father holding out His arms for you? Do you see the pain in His face because you are tormented? Can you not hear Him weeping for you? His love goes beyond what we see of ourselves. He sees the you that you will be, the perfect you. He doesn’t look at outward appearances, not at the mud, not at the sin, not at the stains that have covered you, nor at the failures. He sees His precious, perfect, blood washed and beautiful child. You are His delight.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11:28]

God’s love reaches farther than the furthest star. His love spans wider than the east is from the west. His mercy is new every morning. His grace abounds to all living things. His peace is beyond understanding. His perfection more perfect than the most flawless jewel. And you precious child are the apple of His eye. Rest assured beloved, you are loved by the One that created love.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! [1 John 3:1]

 

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:32-39]