Are You Jesus?

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."1

I read how, "A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

"All but one.... He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

"He told his buddies to go on without him, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal

where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

"He was glad he did.

"The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, and helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
"The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

"When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

"As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'
"He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'"2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, I am available, please use me to be 'as Jesus' in some way today to every life I touch, and grant that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. The Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV).2. Author unknown.

Give Me a Thankful Heart

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! / For His mercy endures forever. / Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! / For His mercy endures forever. / Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! / For His mercy endures forever."1

In The Chicago Daily News Harold Ruoff wrote, "I read about a postal worker who opened and read the mail which came to the Dead Letter Office in Washington addressed to Santa Claus. In the three months before Christmas, there were thousands of letters asking for something. In the months after Christmas, there was only one card addressed to Santa Claus thanking him. How quick we are to ask and receive. How slow we are to speak the magic word—thanks!"

I'm not suggesting that we give thanks to Santa Claus, but one of my constant prayers is that God will give me a thankful heart for every blessing that he has so freely given to me—and for the innumerable blessing he gives to us that I am not even aware of.

This one thing I know, when I think of my background, if it weren't for the grace of God, I don't know where I would be today. I know I wouldn't be where I am with the wonderful privilege of being able to share the Christian message and gospel with so many people around the world via email and the Internet.

Furthermore, even though I came from a very dysfunctional family background, there is one thing that I will be eternally grateful for, and that is that my parents took me to church and Sunday school where I heard the gospel message and there found Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.

Wherever you and I are, let us make it a day of thanksgiving in our hearts especially for God's great love gift to the world—the gift of his Son, Jesus, who gave his life on the cross so that you and I could have our sins forgiven and receive a full and free pardon and the gift of eternal life in Heaven to be with God forever.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your everlasting love—that you love me no matter what I have ever done or have failed to do—and that your mercy endures forever. In appreciation for your dying for me help me always to live for you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

1. Psalm 136:1-3 (NKJV).
P.S. Be sure to say thank you to God and to someone every day!P.P.S. Wishing all Americans a very Happy Thanksgiving Day

Appreciating Life

Good morning to all of you, I know that last week I wrote promising certain things and I did not deliver and for this I humbly apologise. I have been so busy this past week and its not letting up anytime soon. So for now please be Ministered by the message below until we meet again.


"Prepare to meet your God."1

"The popular actress Mary Tyler Moore is admired not only for her professional accomplishments, but also for the way she has coped with a series of personal tragedies. Her sister died in 1978. A year later she lost her only son, Richard, at age twenty-four. Then her brother succumbed to kidney cancer. This was followed by the death of her mother.

"As if these traumatic experiences were not enough to defeat anyone, Mary Tyler Moore has battled diabetes since she was in her twenties. This courageous survivor says, 'The pain is just as intense as it is for someone who gives up and gives in.'

"Her suffering has made her more sensitive and responsive; more grateful for life. 'I appreciate,' she continues, 'much more now. I don't take tomorrow for granted, because it simply may not be there.'"2

Gutsy lady. Wise woman. It is well known that most people who develop a depth of character and inner strength have gone through oftentimes intense suffering, but I can't help but wonder how few don't (especially in the Western world) take life for granted.

The reality is that none of us has any guarantee of tomorrow. Earlier this month on the I-5 freeway close to our home the traffic was slowed to a standstill. All the vehicles ahead had stopped when a semi-trailer slammed into the car in front of it instantly killing all four young children who were in the car! A similar thing happened to me a couple of years ago although nowhere near as drastic. I, along with several other cars, had stopped at a red light when suddenly we were ploughed into from behind by a heavy pickup truck causing a five-car pile up. I thanked God that I wasn't killed or seriously hurt. My vehicle was a mess.

Life is fragile. It is not only important that we don't take life for granted, but also that we prepare today for tomorrow's life after life. Eternity is forever. Whatever you do make absolute sure you have your "passport for heaven" without which you will not be able to gain entry into God's heaven any more than you could gain entry into Australia, England, Germany, the U.S.A or numerous other countries without a valid passport. To obtain your passport to Heaven go to: "Passport for Heaven" at: http://tinyurl.com/dm472.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me to realize that this life is fragile and that there are no guarantees for tomorrow and that I need to be prepared for life after life. Please help me to obtain my 'Passport' for entry into your heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).
2. G. Curtis Jones and Paul H. Hones, 500 Illustrations Stories from Life for Preaching and Teaching, Abingdon Press. Cited in Encounter magazine (ACTS Int. Australia, April-May, 2007.

Credit: Daily Encounter

Be Glad and Rejoice

A special and blessed good day to you all of my beautiful brothers and sisters. This is the day that the Lord has made, we will be glad and rejoice in it.

I am going to do things different this week. Instead of the usual narrative I am going to submit the Bible Verses for the day from the Daily Encounter and give you guys the words of one song every day that I trust will minister to your hearts.

I hope that it will truly be a blessing to all of you. I love you and God Bless.

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Matthew 13:41-43 NIV

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

1 Peter 4:13,14 KJV

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4 NASB

Thanks be unto God for his indescribable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

The Prayer of Jabez : 1 Chronicles 4:9-10:

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!".



(Musical )

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above all heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!!!!!


The Song:

Oh that you will bless me indeed
And enlarge my territory
That your Hand will be with me
And you will keep my heart from evil
AMEN!!!!

Oh that you will bless me indeed
And enlarge my territory
That your Hand will be with me
And you will keep my heart from evil
AMEN!!!!

Bless me Lord
Bless me Lord
So that I might be a blessing to the world

Oh that you will bless me indeed
And enlarge my territory
That your Hand will be with me
And you will keep my heart from evil
AMEN!!!!

Bless me Lord
Bless me Lord
So that I might be a blessing to the world
AMEN!!!!

(Musical )

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above all heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!!!!!


This prayer is simple but once its prayed with the right heart condition, is very effective.

Freedom from Guilt and Shame

"For God did not send his Son [Jesus] into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."1

Shame is similar to false guilt in that it is caused largely by someone who "shamed us" especially when we were young. That is, whenever we did something wrong, we got the message (verbal or non-verbal), "Shame on you." "You are a bad person." "You are a disappointment to me!" "I am so ashamed of you," etc., etc.

Such criticisms are psychologically damaging. As the old saying goes, "Give a dog a name and he will live up to it." People will too—especially if a person was constantly ridiculed, put down and shamed as a child.

True guilt says you have DONE badly but shame says you ARE bad. If a person comes to believe that he or she is a bad person, s/he will act badly. In real life we don't always act consistently with what we profess, but we always act consistently with what we believe. So if we believe we are a bad person, that's the way we will act.

When disciplining our children and confronting another person who has acted "badly," we need to "condemn" the deed NOT the person! Example: "I love you but what you have done [name it] makes me feel angry and/or very disappointed."

We need God's help so we will learn to treat others the way God treats us. While he hates our sin because it destroys those whom he loves (us), he loves the sinner and doesn't condemn or shame us. Shame and false guilt never come from God. They are man-induced.

Fortunately with God, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."2 When we confess our sins to God and ask for his forgiveness, and ask God's Son, Jesus Christ, to come into our heart and life as personal Lord and Savior, God forgives us fully and loves us totally. Again, false guilt and shame never come from God.

"Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you love me no matter what I have ever done or failed to do. Please forgive all my sins and, Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and life to be my personal Lord and Savior. Please help me to forgive myself and overcome all false guilt and shame and help me never to shame others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

NOTE: If you prayed and asked God for forgiveness and asked Jesus to come into your heart and life, please let us know by going to: http://tinyurl.com/pgntm. If you need further help, click on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

1. Jesus (John 3:17, NIV).
2. The Apostle Paul (Romans 8:1).

Credit: Dait Encounter

100th Post!!!!

It surely is a very beautiful day. I have been wondering over the past couple of days what to write to you guys since reaching this milestone. As some of you may know, I started this Blog on December 31st 2006 and over the past 11mths or so life has truly been challenging.
I can not lie, I have been through so many trials and testings this past year I wondered to myslef - "What am I to learn from all of this?"

I have seen God personally take his own hands and delivered me from traps and absolute damnation. For this Lord I am forever endbeted to you. For my life, which you saved in August 2006 to my family and face which you saved in 2007.

Today I encourage all of you guys, dont give up. God is not like man. When he looks at us he does not see our faults but our needs. When he looks at us he sees what we can be in him and not who we currently are.

He truly is an awesome, loving and forgiving God. I am therefore truly humbled by his love for me INSPITE of my iniquities. I am truly humbled and blessed to be a child of the great King of Kings for he who is forgiven much, LOVES MUCH!!!!

To all of you who contributed to making this Blog a success in your own way, I thank you. To my friend Steups, thanks for all the love and support you have extended to me over the past year. To my other friends - Dana, Gabby, Quanda, Groovy and all others thank you and I love each and everyone of you.

To all the readers of this Blog, I truly wish that at least one of my posts has been a source of inspiration to you in one way or the other since this is the purpose of this Blog.

I am looking forward to continue to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into your lives and hearts.

Hold Tight

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, unto which you are called."1

I checked the following story on snopes.com but it wasn't listed, so I can't confirm it either way. At any rate it makes an excellent parable. According to the story: "On a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston in 1987, the pilot heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Henry Dempsey turned the controls over to the co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise. The rear door had been improperly latched prior to take-off, and it flew open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the tiny jet.

"The co-pilot saw the red light that indicated an open door. He radioed the nearest airport requesting permission for an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and wanted a helicopter to search the area. After the plane landed, the ground crew found Dempsey holding on to the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and then, when landing, he kept his head from hitting the runway, which was only 12 inches away. "

In today's pressured world it is very easy to be "sucked into" all sorts of temptations—which, if we give in to them, could easily destroy us. So we need to hold on tenaciously to eternal values and the eternal life that God has given to all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me the strength and courage to hold on to you, to my faith, and to eternal values no matter what trials and temptations may come my way. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. The Apostle Paul (1 Timothy 6:12).

Credit: Daily Encounter