The Fourth Man in Your fire.

You had a long day at work. Countless emails to respond to, boss's on your neck for not hitting a deadline. The tube's jammed on the way home. The kids are having a fight when you finally get home. Hubby is crossed, his dinner is going to be late again, and you know he has this important meeting first thing tomorrow morning. You legs feel like lead. Still, you drag yourself to the kitchen, half awake, you mix something for the family and slam it on the dinning table. You haven't said a word because your mouth is too heavy. You are that tired.

You hit the mattress with a vengeance, snoring even before you fall asleep.

You did not turn off the cooker.

It is midnight.
You startle awake. Your throat hurts, your nose tweaks, your eyes water.
You reach for the lamp, blinded by the sudden flood of light.
Wait. Somethings not right.
Your house is in flames. There is a fire.
Quick, you scramble out of bed. Wake the hubby up, grab the kids. Your inner clock is ticking. You know time is not your friend on this one.
You step out of the room, clucting your kids in your hands. But, it is too late.... the fire is all around you.
The kids are beginning to scream.  Your husband cannot move. He is consumed by shock. You can hear your heart pumping. You do not know what to do or who to turn to. Death looms.

Wait. There is a fourth person in the fire. You do a quick head count. You, the kids, your hubby, ( the kids are counted as one). You are not seeing things. A man is walking through the fire. Your fire.
His clothes are sparkling white. His brilliance subdues that of the fiery furnace.  He is smiling.. smiling?

He reaches out to you. You hesitate, wonder who He thinks He is. He may not be getting burnt because.. well because he is probably wearing some fire proof vest or something. But, there is NO WAY you are joining him.

The flames are licking up everything in their path now. The kids are beginning to choke, their clothes snapping in two as the fire slices through. The man is still there. There is a certain calmness about him that amazes you.
You decide to follow him.  Better to try than not to know.

You open your eyes. There is no more fire. No, there is. Only it hasn't harmed you, or your kids or your clothes. You look around the ring of flames. The fourth man is still there, holding you in an embrace that is engulfed with love.

Who are you? You ask.
He doesn't speak. Only shows you his hands.
You gasp, realization hits you.
Two, fleshy holes are carved right in the center of His palms. They are still oozing fresh blood.
You realise He is Jesus.

You realise His words are true.
He will never leave you nor  forsake you.
You sigh with relief.
All you have to do now is wait for the fire to be over.
It is okay really, as long as you are not hurt.

What is Your fire? Financial? Health? Death of a loved one? Sins you cannot let go off?  You are not alone. You are NEVER alone. He is with you in that Fire. And He will bring you through it, unharmed.

Isiah 43- 2: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Daniel 3 - 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.



Deut 31- 8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
 
Husbands may fail, Kids may not even know what you are going through. Pastor;s may be too busy, your parents have their own problems too.
There is one person who will NEVER fail. He will work through the FIRE with you. He will never come late.
His name is Jesus.
 
Ciao,
Bimbylads.
 

Pressing On

Ponder this....Can you travail for nine months to deliver a child, only to willingly lead that child astray? Maybe, but highly unlikely. Tell me, if your child or someone you loved very much asked you to show him the way to a certain place... would you not wholeheartedly do so? Now, if you gladly will, how much more will the God of Heaven and Earth do for you, his child?

For your sake has he said in Psalm 32 v 8: I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shouldest go: I will guide you with mine eye..... There’s a verse in Isaiah 49 15-16 which makes my heart beat with wonder: God says: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

That verse is telling us that, mothers actually MAY forget their children, but HE would NEVER forget us, because we are engraved….. Look at your palm for a second. Can you see those lines there; have you ever left those lines at home? I thought not!! That’s how we are in God’s hands. Like those lines… engraved and embedded in his palms. He takes us everywhere he goes because he cannot cut of his palms- we are a part of God!
So, if we a part of God, and the Creator of the whole universe said all of this concerning you; why are you not asking him for a direction? Why are you not seeking His face to shed His light on your ways so that you can begin to walk according to His plan for your life? Perhaps you have no idea as to how much God loves you. The master plan for your life is in His hands, and he is more than ready to talk you through that plan, step by step, so that you can fulfil your divine destiny.
Of what purpose will it be for one to walk on earth for at least seventy years only to find out that he had been walking in the totally wrong direction? Beloved, let today be a starting point. Unsure of where to begin? Pray earnestly: ask Your Father to reveal your hidden treasures and His divine purpose for your life.
Think about the gifts that God has deposited in your life- those gifts and talents are for the fulfilment of your divine destiny. Do you have a beautiful voice beneath that shy facade? Why don’t you boldly cast off the fear and begin to declare His praise before the congregation.

Do not be put off by your past. That’s why it’s called a PAST because it has PASSED. Don't look back. No one has ever made progress by looking backwards.
Don’t think about what could have been. Press on towards your High calling. Hold that gaze unto Jesus and let him do the leading.

Ephesians 1 v17: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

Offer the Right Sacrifice

Heather frowned as she stuck her hands deep inside her hand bag, and rummaged for a few spare change to throw into the offering basket. She slid her weary eyes over to the usher; who held out the basket with an impatient curve on her lips. Why she always looks at me that way, wondered Heather. Does she think I don’t have the money to offer?

Her frown deepened. More searching. The Usher tapped her foot. A few other members grunted. Finally, Heather smiled, as her hand brushed against a bunch of cold metal coins. Money, finally. She gripped the coins and peeped at it. In the palm of her hand was two pounds, twenty pence, exactly. A quick mental calculation later, Heather wrapped the twenty pence coin around her finger and thrust it deep into the offering basket, with a satisfied smug on her face. There, she said, relaxing to enjoy the rendition by the choir, I have paid my offering and that usher cannot say I didn’t.

Offer the right sacrifice.

If you are going to bother at all with giving an offering unto God, consider the following:

1) God does not need your money. He only advises you to give an offering to him so He can bless you. God is a giving God, and He set the perfect example by giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus as an offering of Sacrifice for our sakes.

2) You are giving to God and not MAN: Regardless of what the world tells you, fight to come out of the school of thought of those that think their offerings are going straight into the Pastor’s pocket. And so, give to God an offering to God that He alone is worthy of. Don’t grudgingly give an offering because you don’t want the Pastor to profit from it.

3) Give God the Best: It is what He deserves. The Book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. Significant? You bet. After Malachi, God does not speak again for about 400 years until the new Testatment. In his message to Malachi, God expresses his disgust at the kind of offerings He was being given by the children of Israel. Malachi 1v 13:
And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept it from your hand?
Says the Lord.
But Cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow, But Sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.

4) If your offering is stolen, sick or lame, it is an invitation to be cursed: don’t scowl at me!
I didn’t say it! Look at Malachi 1 v 14 again. Don’t be like Heather who gave a lame offering to God. Give an offering from a glad heart and that which is befitting for a King. For our God is a King.
5) Sacrifice is Not Just about Money: I am often amused at people who seem to believe that the sacrifice to God is only of financial value. Far from it. The Bible makes us understand that the following are also sacrifices to God which must be offered in a way that is pleasing an acceptable to Him:
· Your Body: Dress modestly at all times. Flee fornication and adultery.
· Your Praises: Let the Praises of God continually be in your mouth. It is a worthy sacrifice.
· A broken spirit and a contrite heart: Like David. Be quick to repent, and let your communication lines with God stay open by always confessing and forsaking your sins.
· Your gifts and talents: What has God deposited in your life for His glory? Use it for Him while you can. He’ll ask you when this journey is over why you didn’t.
· Your time in Church and in Prayer: Take an example from Jesus. He was always in the temple, and in the Place of prayer. Be a praying person. It is the only way in which we can speak to God.

Sacrificing to God is an opportunity. It is a chance to let God know that you care, and will do anything it takes to please him. And hidden in that sacrifice is a huge door for great blessings. The moment you set your heart to please God that way, God will begin to move in your life in ways you have never expected. And so, the next time you are tempted to: dress immodestly, grumble at the blessings God has given you...

The next time you harden your heart or ignore the chance to share your talent, or get to church deliberately and fashionably late...

Stop and Think. Offer the Right Sacrifice.