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Indeed, we were very lucky, because we are children of God who live in His love and even God’s protection who has provided a road map for success so that we can successfully achieve our life goals. 

However, it was a pity; sometimes we do not follow the map. We consider ourselves have seen all that God wants to provide and what we have, but it is only a small portion of the overall thing that He wants to give to us. 

I always long that each of us will fully understand that God wants us to live in all His abundance of grace and blessings that He has indeed prepared for us. God desires us to know every design He has created for each of us. 

Therefore let us together learn to understand what God’s plan for us, and together we will also enjoy the abundant life in the family, work, and our ministry. The Lord Jesus bless us.

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)

Many children of God know that they can live in life with all possibilities. However, in reality many children of God who are not enjoy it. Why?

It turned out that the only reason that causes a child of God may say it is not possible, cannot, it is unable, and so forth is that LACK OF FAITH in the lives of the children of God and God promises if we have faith as a mustard seed, then we will be able to move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Hebrews 3:12 tells us that about the people of Israel who did not have faith. They came out of the land of Egypt, but did not go to a halt because they CHOOSE to not believe. They chose to be a generation of evil-hearted, disbelieve, and did not know the God’s path.

The question for us now is what path we choose? Do we choose to live in absurdity or we would move to have faith and live in possibilities? The choice is in our hands, do not to regret it, choose the life that God has prepared for us. Lord Jesus blesses you.

A London businesswoman, Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse that she wanted to sell. Warehouse had been abandoned in a very bad situation and really need renovate. When she took a buyer to see the warehouse, she mentioned some things she would do to improve the storage conditions, such as repairing the existing windows, replacing doors, etc., but the buyer said firmly “forget about all the renovations. If I buy this barn, I’ll build something completely different. I do not need a warehouse; I just need the land …” 

If we compare this illustration with what God does to us, then we will find the same thing. When God bought us from the devil and pay us with His blood, He only needed ourselves, and not everything we have in the past. He will make us truly new in accordance with His will, starting from our thoughts, words, and our behavior. 

So, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! (II Corinthians 5:17)

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)

Read:
Psalm 139:14
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
your works are wonderful, 
I know that full well.

Reflect:
In Genesis 2, it talks about how God made Adam from the dust of the ground, and how Eve was carved from one of Adam’s ribs.

Check that out: we are each a hand-made creation of God. Your life, your existence, is not some kind of a freak accident or a lucky chance. You were created on purpose, carefully and lovingly by God.

Did you ever make something for somebody as a birthday or Christmas gift? You were motivated to make the gift because you really loved the person you were giving it to. You spent a lot of time on it, carefully putting it together. You worked hard on it, and when it was done, you were proud of it. And the person you gave it to was just delighted because they realized how hard you worked and how much you loved them.

Now, imagine how it would have been if that person had responded by saying stuff like, “Gee, why’d you make it that color?” or, “It would have been better if you made it bigger.” How would you have felt?

When I was in school, I spent a lot of time doing exactly the same thing to God. I always wished I was better looking and funnier and tougher. It took me a long time to believe what it says in today’s Scripture verse, that God’s works are wonderful. Just like God made the beautiful mountain ranges and the awe inspiring sunsets, God made me. And God made you in the same wonderful way.

I still, every now and then, wish I was smarter or more athletic. But I’ve come to realize that God is perfect and doesn’t make anything that’s wrong or worthless. God made me by hand and thinks that I’m just fine. And I figure, if I’m good enough for God, I’m good enough for me.

Respond:
Spend some time in prayer now, thanking God for the gift of your life. Praise God for the blessings you’ve been given.

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In the 1960’s, the music group The Byrds recorded a song that became a huge hit called “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Its lyrics, which come directly from Ecclesiastes 3, say, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3 is a great passage that would be well worth your time to read in its entirety.)

Today, we are looking at one particular line: “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

Do you have a friend who just dominates every conversation the two of you have? You sit and listen to all of his or her stories, thoughts, and rants, but, somehow, you are never given the opportunity to express your feelings and thoughts. It gets really frustrating, doesn’t it?

Conversing is a two-way street. It involves talking, of course, but it also requires listening.

Prayer is supposed to be a conversation, too…a two-way street between you and God. We pray. We talk to God. We praise God for the beauty of creation and we thank God for all of our blessings. We ask God for guidance and for help. We say a lot of stuff to God. But do we ever hear God saying anything to us? If not, could it be that we simply aren’t listening? Are we doing all the talking, not allowing God to say anything?

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is trying to hear the voice of God. A powerful wind comes, but God is not speaking in that. Then, there was an earthquake and a fire, but God was not speaking in either of those, either. Finally, Elijah heard God’s voice in a gentle whisper. The point is that, while we might expect God to speak in huge, powerful ways, often the opposite is true. Often, God speaks in quiet and gentle ways. So if we’re not listening for it, we may well miss it.

Respond: Extend your prayer time by five minutes-not for more talking to God, but for listening for God. Spend the time in silence. Create a better opportunity to hear the voice of God.

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Many believers feel comfortable in the zone they are living currently. Comfortable with the environment, friends, and existing habits but, if they want to see a little further, out from their comfort zone, then they will find a situation, condition, and environment that very different, where there are many people who longed for deliverance, rescue, and the truth that is probably far than they ever heard before. 

In order to reach them, we need to break down the boundaries that exist, just as Jesus broke down boundaries between Jews and Samaritans, and spoke with a woman who was ostracized even by their own community, until one city successfully won through these women. 

There are many constraints that we must destroy to preach the gospel to others, limits selfishness, arrogance, and pride, fear of rejection, routines, tribe, age, and so forth. Constraints that will always exist and our job are to break down the boundaries so that there will be no barrier between us and the souls who need refreshment and restoration of the Living Water we have received. 

If Jesus had a heart filled with compassion for the souls and it made him dare to destroy every restriction that was encountered, so today let’s destroy the existing boundaries and stream of living water to others.

Here are some attitude to make you as a history maker in your community: 
1. Someone whose opinion deserves appreciation and have wide perspective.
2. Someone who can help others from a negative attitude into a positive attitude
3. Someone who can motivate, strengthen, encourages, encouragement and inspiration to others
4. Someone who can bring others to know the people around him more successful and accomplished
5. Someone who can find ability / talents in the lives of others
6. Someone who has a positive outlook and attitude of a winner
7. Someone whose life is pure, holding fast to the integrity and honesty
8. Someone who can laugh at life and sometimes can laugh at himself lightly, and not make life very seriously
9. Someone who used to say I am a lucky man and I should be grateful
10. Someone who teaches us to understand the principles of excellence 

God wants to make you and me as “history makers” but not everyone will be “History Maker”. Where are you standing right now?

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)

James 2: 23 

God wants to be our friend, and he also wants to walk with us. But if we are asked, “Do we want to become God’s friend and walk with Him?” Fasting and Prayer where we can get closer to God more, and as our friend, he would do anything extraordinary in life us. 

There are 3 ways to become friends of God: 
1. Learn to know God earnestly. We know God through His Son Jesus Christ, through creation and through His Word. Knowing God intimately will make us God’s friends.

2. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. At the moment we believe in the Lord with all our hearts we will know him truly. God wants us to be his friend every day, not just once a week at the church. By becoming God’s friend then God will help us from all the problems that we face. 

3. Live always in the presence of God. When David fell into sin, he immediately turned to God and still wanted to always be in the presence of God. That was what made God continued using David in an extraordinary manner. We are often disappointed to God and make us out of the presence of him. 

Therefore, let us know God earnestly, trust Him with all our hearts, and always long to live in the presence of God. So we will be His friends and he will do mighty things in our lives.

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)

Mark 14:3
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

Acts 4:34-37
Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

There are three types of giving: flint, sponge and honey. To get something from flint, you have to scrape the flint to bring the fire. To get water from sponge, you have to squeeze it. The more you squeeze, the more water you can get. But if you want to get honey, you don’t need to scrape or squeeze the honeycomb. It can flowed the honey itself. So, what kind of giver are you?

Give an extravagant giving for an extravagant God!

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)

In the book of Genesis, we read how God has created man to the image of God himself. Then God also created woman so that he can have a helper corresponding to him. 

In Greek, “a helper” means that this person will provide the partner’s necessity. In other words, a man should live side by side with a woman to achieve a good grade in his life, which in this case, he could not do it if he is alone. 

Like Eve who provided for Adam, all he needed to live as God’s creation in the Garden of Eden. It is very natural when everyone including us, love to be served rather than serving. 

In the history of creation, God has given a clear picture of His plan and His purposes for men and women in terms of how they should respect each other. When God saw Adam alone, the solution is to make a helper for him. Adam enabled to do what he cannot do, with the help of Eve. God appointed Eve to provide and meet the needs of her husband. It is a calling of a woman. 

The truth is, when a woman aware of and understand how important her role as a helper on God’s point of view, obedience and submission to God and her husband to be a good witness for many people. Become equivalent helper is a God’s calling in the lives of women. Live according to God’s calling with joy.

(Source: jimmyoentoro.com)