Genuine Faith Stops Whining!

Dear Friends,

I had some friends who lost a child in an accident.  They moved into a “faith distress” mode.  Then they allowed God to develop their faith in Him in the crisis.

The thing that impressed me about my friends was their refusal to complain.  They refused to complain about the expense of the funeral or the inappropriate remarks of people who offered glib comments on things they really didn’t understand. They cheerfully persevered in their ongoing ministry, not without appropriate tears, but with a stubborn affirmation in God’s sovereign goodness.  In other words, they refused to whine!

What are you busy whining about at the moment? In our son and daughter-in-law’s kitchen, they have put up a plaque for their seven children.  It simply says:  No Whining!  God wants us to put one of those up on the wall of our minds, too.

None of us likes to suffer in silence.  We like to lament loudly!  Sometimes I think Christians are the world’s worst whiners!  Why is it that believers so often portray such a piqued attitude?  It is as if we feel we have an inalienable right to a charmed life!  God wants us to stop whining when we face difficulty.  Instead, He wants us to humbly submit to the difficulty and bear it patiently, knowing that He has permitted the situation. 

Jeremiah wrote of a man who should “bury his face in the dust” (Lam. 3:29).  He used this familiar picture of a person submitting himself to another by falling prostrate in the dirt in complete submission.

The aspect of humble submission has been incredibly hard for me.  I just love to gripe and complain.  It just comes naturally.  And that is the problem, of course.  It comes naturally.  It is part of our sinful nature.  We can monitor our growth in grace by our willingness to stop it.

God hates whiners!  He was constantly telling the children of Israel to stop it.  In fact, He is still telling us in the New Testament how He felt about all the grumbling His people did in the Old Testament:  “Do not grumble, as some of (the Israelites) did – and were killed by the destroying angel” (1 Cor. 10:10).  If the destroying angel meted out such drastic punishment to whiners today, I wonder how many of us would be left?

The spirit of humble submission to hardship will display a faith that is working in a Christian’s life. That is faith to display to our world!

Blessings,

Jill Briscoe

Executive Editor

Just Between Us Magazine

YOUR GIFT PUSHES YOU TO GREATNESS!

When i recall some of the revelations and visions i recieved shortly after my salvation, it opened my eyes to the gifts and calling of God upon my life.
Years after my NYSC, i was in search of a job but i wasnt successfull at it. The Holy Spirit drove me to go and do evangelism in a bus park, just like Jesus was drove into the wilderness to fast and be tempted.
The day i set out on my evangelistic work, the Holy Spirit spoke to me again and led me to Proverbs 18:16 which says a man's gift brings him before great men.
I went into that assignment and like two months later a very honorable job came knocking on my door.
Right were i was distributing the gift of God upon my life, it brought about tremendous open doors for me.
Anytime am in difficulty i dont just resolve to prayers and fasting, i distribute my gifts and heaven breaks protocol and comes to my refuge.

My Message to you today is:
What is that gift that heaven has bestowed you with?
It is your ticket to eternal joy and happiness, fulfilment in life.

My gift made me somebody when the devil fought so hard to make me a nobody!

My gift put food on my table when my incapabilities tried to keep me hungry!

My gift brought me before great men and its still taking me far, when timidity, fear and low esteem tried to keep me down, dry and useless!

Sexually abused as a little girl up to my secondary school, I was rubbed of my childhood, my pride and honor, saw my self constantly as a looser, worthless etc but in all of it, God's gift in me has delivered me, restored my self esteem, healed me and made me whole!

I encourage you to look within and locate that priceless gift that your heavenly father gave you, use it for humanity and bask in the glory and honor it will bring your way!
BE A SUCCESS STORY!

BE A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE!

A woman of substance is a woman of power, a woman of positive influence and a woman of meaning. To be branded a woman of substance is one of the greatest compliments one can give a woman that wants to be an “influential” female. Below, I have assembled four qualities a girl/woman should possess in order to become a “woman of substance.”
Embrace your individuality and be happy the way you are
The pressure put on women in today’s society is immense and I admire any female out there who doesn’t let the high demands and expectations get them down. In my experience, I have learned that we, as women, should not let the likes of “perfected” images or “criticism” affect us and It has came as such a relief to me to realize that being different and imperfect is far more interesting than being a “perfect” person. I believe that being yourself and feeling happy as yourself- just the way you are signifies the word “beauty.”
Use your voice
We were all blessed with voices to use them- so use them! I’m a relatively quiet person and a woman of not many words who next to never will indulge in small talk chit chat. It’s just who I am. However, on the other hand, when it comes to standing up for what I believe in or voicing my opinions on things, I never fail to make use of my voice. And neither shall you! Make use of what God has given you and say what you think, say what you believe in, and argue against what you don’t.
Find your dream in life and pursue it
Follow your heart…never give up…and you can do anything. We all have the ability to do whatever it is we want to do and fulfill any dream we want to fulfill; we just have to go and do it. When you find your passion in life, it creates a meaning in your life and gives you a purpose in the world: it generates happiness.
Live up to your morals and values- always remain aware of them
Living by your morals and values in life; inspires you, motivates you and energizes you for doing something significant in the world. As children, we were always being told to be a person of moral and were educated to understand what our values are. I think, when we grow older we seem to loose or forget about those crucial qualities and in order for us to be descent human beings, we should consider re-educating ourselves on morals and values.
PostedbyLauren KearneyonAug 1, 2011inOur Blog

ARE YOU A PEOPLE PLEASER?

If you're going to overcome insecurities and be the person God's called you to be, you must have the courage to be different and unique. Unhappiness and frustration happen when we reject our uniqueness and try to be like each other. If you're going to be successful at being completely you, then you're going to have to take a chance on not being like everyone else. You must ask yourself, Am I a people pleaser or a God pleaser?

Who Decides Your Worth?

Becoming a people pleaser is one of the easiest things we can do...but it can ultimately make us very unhappy. When we begin pleasing others, we begin to hear comments that make us feel good about ourselves. That's okay as long as we don't derive our sense of worth from it. People are too fickle for us to place our sense of worth in their opinions. We're worth something because God says we're worth something—not because of what people think or say about us.

People pleasers allow others to control their lives in order to gain acceptance and approval. But God doesn't want us to be easily manipulated or controlled by others. We shouldn't let other people's opinions of us control our actions.

You are brilliant, creative, fabulous, highly talented, fearfully and winderfully made by God! Dont be a people pleaser because you won't get to your God ordained destiny. Find out your eternal purpose and focus on it for therein lies your perfect finish!

BEAUTIFULLY MADE!

Psalms 139:14, 20 KJV
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well...
God Made You the Way You Are !
Are you completely happy with your body  and mind? What about your mental
health? Take comfort in knowing God has  created you the way you are for a reason.
You don’t have to feel undue pressure to be like other people because God didn’t
make you like other people.
This verse uses the word ‘fearfully.’ It is the same word that is used when the
Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. It  means to have a respect and reverence for God. Or, literally this word can be rendered to be full of respect and
reverence (full of fear). You should be  thankful to God for the body
and life He has given you. God does not randomly drop people into this world without regard for their  needs and situations. The Bible says that He knows the number of hair on our head and He knows that we
have real physical needs (Luke 12:7; Matthew 6:25-34). God does care about you. In return you should be  thankful for the life and body He has given you.
The word ‘wonderfully’ means to be distinct or unique. Though it is often a trite saying, this verse says  that God made you special. God has a special purpose and plan for you. The Bible says God formed you (Isaiah 44:24) and created you as His own masterpiece for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
There are things that God has designed you to do in life. We often hear preachers talking about God’s will
and how we ought to do it. Sometimes people are confused as to what that will is, but one thing i know is that the will of God is the mind of God and you know the mind of God through His word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. The fact that God’s
will is perfect and that when you are doing it, you will absolutely love doing it.
The first couple of verses in Romans 12 talk about God’s will being good, acceptable and perfect. When you understand that God has designed you special for a purpose and that His
will is perfect, you will begin to see that it is also good and acceptable to you. It will be something you  enjoy doing.
The book of Psalms talks of this too in Psalm 37 verse 4. It says to delight in the Lord, or be happy in the  Lord. Rest comfortably in Him. When you do that then He will give you the desires of your heart. If you delight in Him then He will give you the right desires. When you have the right desires then He will fulfill
those desires in you. When you do His will then what you crave, or desire, most is to please Him.
Does that mean everyone will please God in the same way or have the same desires? No. That is where  Psalm 139:14 comes into play. God has created you in such a way that you will have passions and desires
that are unique to you. What you draw pleasure from doing will be very different than what gives me great
pleasure.
Are You Happy With God’s Creation?
Have you struggled with the way the Lord made you in some way? Maybe you have physical traits that
you feel are not as pretty as another person’s. It could be that your mental capacity is not as high as
people you go to school or work with. You need to remember that God made you in a special way and
because of that you should be full of awe and respect for the body or mind He has given you.
Now, don’t read that to mean we should not try to improve in ways that we can. Let’s be honest: God did  not make us fat and lazy. God made most of us with a body that is capable of working hard physically and mentally so that we can serve Him . We shouldn’t blame God because we don’t want to study and try to  do better with the abilities He has given us.
Be thankful for the body God has given you and work to keep it in good working
condition so that you can serve your Savior in the way He wants. You can’t fulfill the purpose God has for  your life if you mistreat the fearfully and wonderfully designed body He has given you. There are times we are limited in our service for God because we have created situations for ourselves that He never intended.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made !
When you begin to understand the greatness of this verse you can be liberated from so many negative things that keep you from serving God. You should take counsel from other people. The Bible says there is wisdom in having many counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 24:6). However, you should not try to live your life in
service to God based on what other people think you should do. Learn what God’s will for your life is.
PRAYER: BE THANKFUL FOR WHO YOU ARE. PRAISE GOD FOR CREATING YOU IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS!
 

HE'S NEVER LATE!

Luke 5:1-4 GNB
One day Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret while the people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God. He saw two boats pulled up on the beach; the fishermen had left them and were washing the nets. Jesus got into one of the boats — it belonged to Simon — and asked him to push off a little from the shore. Jesus sat in the boat and taught the crowd. When he finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Push the boat out further to the deep water, and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:6-7 GNB
They let them down and caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break. So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink.
 God used Peter's boat to preach the gospel while other fishermen were busy fishing, am sure they will be mocking Peter that he is wasting his time and money by allowing this preacher to use his boat at a time like this. And when Jesus finished preaching it was getting late and people were packing up to leave for the day, peter would have thought in his mind, this preacher wasted all my time today, now am going home empty handed, but that was the time the master asked Peter to go and fish, and when Peter harkened to the words of the Master and cast his net into the sea, there was a testimony and a miracle!

Are you a vessel in the Master's hand? Is he using you in any way? It is an honor and a privilege for God to use a man. Dare to present yourself at the feet of the master for He has a work for you to do.
Anyone God uses He blesses. There are no arguements to that fact. Sometimes it will seem as if the world is on your shoulders and hope seems far away from you. God never dumps His child, He will always take care of you! Even your present afflictions, its but for a moment. Peter did not interrupt Christ when He was using his boat but allowed Him to finish. Will you allow God to complete His task in your life? I know its not easy and sometimes you feel sad, lonely, discouraged, angry and people dont seem to understand your sorrows, you might not believe it but i understand. You are not alone!
Don't faint or wallow in depression, your testimony has been mandated by Heavenly Council to come to pass.!
Just Be Patient!

DECREE: AS JEHOVAH LOCATED PETER ON THAT FAITHFUL DAY, MAY HE LOCATE YOU RIGHT NOW IN JESUS NAME!
AS PETER DID NOT INTERRUPT CHRIST BUT HAD PATIENCE FOR HIM TO COMPLETE HIS TASK, MAY THAT SAME GRACE BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU IN JESUS NAME!
YOU ARE MADE PERFECT, WHOLE AND COMPLETE IN CHRIST JESUS, LACKING NOTHING!
(I love you and am praying for you).

TENDER LOVING CARE!

You are not alone in this fight
I know your pain, your weaknesses, your sorrows,
Your frustrations, your dark secrets and every disappointment you have ever gone through.
You are not alone in this fight
Are you under bondage, oppressed by the enemy,
Griped by sin or a bad habit that has sworn to destroy you.
Your LOVER is saying to you, you are not alone!
Many have died out of a broken heart,
Some have given up on life and the will to fight.
Are you one of those that have submitted to sin in order to be loved?
You feel used, cheated and rubbed.
How far have you journeyed to hell,
You feel so empty, lonely and worthless.
The world gave up on you cause they feel you wont amount to much.
He feels your pain!
He knows your worries
And He is the greatest lover you can ever have.
He stands with you, wipes your tears away and rocks you to sleep.
He gives hope in a hopeless situation.
He is more than enough for you.
He wants you to see His love, look His direction.
This lover gave me hope and a purpose to my life when i fell apart and was ready to end it all.
He can do thesame for you!
He is JESUS!
THE GREATEST FRIEND AND LOVER OF ALL!
Celebrate Jesus love today!
I love you!