UNFAILING LOVE

Have you become totally impatient with yourself? I have heard even the strongest Christians cry in utter frustration, "What's wrong? I'm supposed to be a 'new creation' in Christ, but nothing seems to be changing. It's the same old me!"

"Lord, before I leave this World Conference I just want to know one thing: Can I get a divorce?"

This is what one of our partners prayed as she stood in Brother Cerullo's anointing line several years ago. Within half an hour three identical prophecies were given to her. "The Lord says to tell you that love never fails and faith never fails. You will receive a double anointing of them both." When she got to Brother Cerullo, God instructed him to anoint her twice!

The Skin I am In

Written by Linda McCutcheon

“Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory.” (1 Corinthians 15: 42-43, NLT)

We live in our frame. We are all so different with bone structure, skin tone, height and weight all meshed together making us who we are.  While on earth, we try and take care of these earthly vessels. (Which we should!)  However, they don’t always cooperate.

I recently had major surgery.  I am very grateful for our amazing technology and gifted of surgeons, but it is unnatural to be poked and prodded.  Healing takes time.  I am not very patient and the worry bug gets to me.  As scripture says “our bodies now disappoint us”.  I wasn’t healing as quickly as I wanted.  I was frustrated and disappointed.

Facing Adversity

By Charles Stanley 

Hebrews 12:1-2

When a child hurts, our focus is to restore comfort quickly. We remove obstacles so that a toddler will have a clear path to walk. And many parents seek to minimize frustration for school-age children by helping with homework-sometimes offering more assistance than necessary. While wanting to ease children's discomfort is understandable, we may inadvertently convey a subtle message that obstacles and pain are to be eliminated at all costs. This viewpoint can get carried into adulthood, and unfortunately, it is a harmful one.

Difficulties are a part of life, and if we expect otherwise, we will be consistently disappointed. Then disappointment, if allowed to remain, can turn us away from the Lord. A lot of time can be wasted trying to avoid trials when we could be trusting God for the future. We also expend energy and prayer power seeking to get out of our tough situations instead of asking the Lord how He wants us to respond. Most importantly, God does not view adversity as the tragedy we interpret it to be. As a result, our thinking is in opposition to His.

Unexpected Turns On Your Pathway

 Gail Rodgers

Are your days filled with loneliness?  Do you dread getting up and facing another day? We can help.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3: 5-6) 

Mom came for a visit. Family from overseas was going to arrive and we had our summer plans all in place. And then it happened. In a brief moment Mom fell on a bit of uneven ground. There was an ambulance, hip surgery and rehab for her and hospital visits, equipment gathering and rearranging of plans for me. The unexpected always takes us by surprise. And in it we have a choice to make.

Why Doesn’t God Answer my Prayer?

“Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong.” (Paul in 2 Cor 12:8-10, CEV)

Have you ever earnestly prayed for something, only to have your prayer seemingly go unnoticed? We can understand why God won’t answer prayers for things that are selfish or immoral. But it’s often hard to understand why it seems like our heartfelt, well-intentioned, biblical prayer has gone unanswered.

REST AND RE-FIRE

Mark 6:31, "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

MATTHEW 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14

Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, we see Jesus calling His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have, therefore, cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be still and know God (Ps. 46:10). This will also cut your ministry short through non-effectiveness. 

One of Satan's deadliest weapons against those involved in ministry is busy-ness. We must balance our time ministering to others with our time of being ministered to by our Father. If the devil can't stop you from "getting on fire" for God, then he'll try to stop you by getting you "burned out."

Soul Therapy

Creflo Dollar

Have you ever felt as though your problem, circumstance or personal pain, although a big deal to you, seemed too small for God to be concerned about? Quite the contrary is true. God is not only your Creator and Father, but He is also your Provider. He cares about every detail of your life. It is important that you believe that God wants only the best for your life. When you put your trust in Him you will find that no matter what kind of sickness you may be dealing with—spirit, mind or body—He is an expert at healing your hurts and pains and providing restoration.

Sometimes you can become physically and emotionally drained because of your circumstances. We have all experienced times where there is such a burden on our hearts, that the emotions we incur from suffering or worry paralyze us. At times, even your soul—your mind, will and emotions—needs healing.

A God Who Hears

By Mike DeVries

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

I was talking with someone recently about a family crisis he is going through when he made this comment, “I just need God to hear me. I need to know that God is listening. Is that too much to ask for?”

Perhaps you’ve found yourself in the same situation. You’ve found yourself in a place where you are crying out to God, and the whole time you’re wondering, is He even listening? Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a place along your journey where you are looking around and asking, “God, if you’re supposed to be God, then why is ____________ happening?”

If you have been there (or you are there at this moment), you’re in good company. The Scriptures are filled with people who struggled with these exact questions. We encounter people who, in the face of tremendous doubt, have cried out to God, “Where are you?”

The Cure for Spiritual Weariness

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:3)

Faith in Christ does not make one immune to spiritual weariness and faintness of mind. This condition may arise from frustration at our own natures, our inability to love God as we ought, to pray effectively, to understand the Scriptures, or to bear fruit for Him. 

We may feel that our best efforts to represent God in our community have been of no avail, and very few show by their lives that our witness and ministry have been effective.

Sometimes we may question why God does not choose to favor all those who follow Him with material blessings and pleasant circumstances; but instead, at times, the wicked prosper. Looking at the tide of evil sweeping our world can leave us faint and weary.

Unmet Expectations: Sex three times a week?

Written by Beth Scholes

If you are married, you have experienced unmet expectations in your marriage. We all have, myself included.  Expectations begin long before your wedding day.

When my husband and I were engaged I met up with a friend my parents’ age who had been married for 25 years.  She was very enthusiastic.  She told me they had a great marriage and that sex is really important. “We have been married 25 years and we still have sex three times a week” she glowingly told me.

She went on to tell me some significant piece of marital advice, but I missed it.  I got stuck on her comment.  My fiancé and I waited until we married to enjoy a sexual relationship.  As I sat there listening my mind was screaming,  “You ONLY have sex three time a week and you think that is GOOD?!”

Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

Written by Lynn Bode, CFT

The New Year is upon us. Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Well, if you’re like most North Americans you have at least one resolution. And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably related to health and fitness. For many it is a promise to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight.

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it’s easy to get caught up in it without really taking them seriously.

Set yourself up for success
We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I’m afraid, are not immune. However, when it comes to promises that include improving our health, it’s in our best interest not to take them lightly.


So, what’s the secret to successful resolutions? While you can’t wave a magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself. 

Delivery from Darkness : Bringing postpartum depression out of the closet.

Bringing postpartum depression out of the closet.

by Rabbi Baruch and Michal Finkelstein

Excerpted from Delivery from Darkness, A Jewish guide to prevention and treatment of postpartum depression.

"I Was Being Buried Alive," the author's personal account

I was irritable; I cried; I was exhausted, yet had trouble sleeping. Getting through each day seemed nearly impossible. My own children avoided me; my husband tiptoed around me. I was convinced that my family and the world would be better off without me.

Although I was a certified nurse midwife at that time, my lack of experience and understanding of postpartum depression (PPD) matched that of the average layperson and, unfortunately, most medical professionals. PPD was something that happened to "other" women who already had psychological problems.

One More & I'll Go Insane!

The Snake Pit (1948)

That title should read "one more mention of high-drive husbands and I'll go insane!" A wife recently commented to me about her frustration that, while it's great that churches and ministries now discuss sexuality, it is painful at times for wives who don't experience the norm.

The most common scenario described here, and on other blogs, is that of the eager beaver hubby and the sexual sloth wife. To be fair, that is the typical make-up of many marriages: A husband with a higher sex drive than his wife. However, it hardly represents the whole of marriages.

Sex and the American Man: A Preview

Gentlemen, a show of hands: Who's having enough sex these days? We commissioned a nationwide survey to find out when (and where and why) American men are having sex right now, and the results reveal the expectations, frustrations, proclivities, perversions, and fantasies that define how we're doing it. Let's get started, shall we?

Diana Scheunemann

Are You Experiencing the Spirit Filled Life?

What words would you use to describe your current experience as a Christian?

Growing. Frustrated. Disappointing. Fulfilled. Forgiven. Stuck. Struggling. Joyful. Defeated. Exciting. Up and down. Empty. Discouraged. Duty. Intimate. Mediocre. Painful. Dynamic. Guilty. Vital. So-so. Others?

Do you desire more? Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37, 38). What did Jesus mean? John, the biblical author, went on to explain, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:39).

Jesus promised that God’s Holy Spirit would satisfy the thirst, or deepest longings, of all who believe in Jesus Christ. However, many Christians do not understand the Holy Spirit or how to experience Him in their daily lives.

Don't Listen to Job's Wife - Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni shares that instead of cursing God because of her accident, she chose to praise God and live. 

Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.

You know, when I was first injured and only just beginning to realize that my paralysis was permanent, I remember identifying – and I mean really identifying – with Job. As far as I was concerned, mine were the trials of Job. I could not face living life as a quadriplegic. It was so overwhelming, it was so scary. Actually, the idea terrified me. Somewhere in those early days, I came across Job 2:9 where it says that, “Job’s wife said to him ‘...Curse God and die!’” And I’m going to tell you what, that sounded very tempting.

Sex bomb to sex gone: My wife has lost her sex drive and it's driving me mad

• 
  
• 
   
• 
• ByColeen Nolan

I’m even wondering if there are drugs I could take to dampen my sex drive!

Getty

Dear Coleen,

I’m a happily married 42-year-old man and my wife is a very young 51. We’ve been together for 20 great years. We have four kids and are both fitness freaks.

Until recently we had a great sex life, but six months ago it stopped and my wife isn’t interested any more.

She hasn’t been through the menopause and I’m 99% sure she isn’t being unfaithful.

I love her and don’t want to be unfaithful, but I’m starting to get really frustrated, sexually.

I’m even wondering if there are drugs I could take to dampen my sex drive!

Postpartum Depression A Personal Account

by Michal Finkelstein It was as if I were being buried alive, sinking in quicksand, unable to find my way out. That's how I felt after the birth of my sixth child. I was irritable; I cried; I was exhausted, yet had trouble sleeping. Getting through each day seemed nearly impossible. My own children avoided me; my husband tiptoed around me. I was convinced that my family and the world would be better off without me.

Depression: Illness or Spiritual failure?

Written by Cynthia Cavanaugh

Angry, frustrated and confused, I boarded a plane for Southern California. My dear friend and mother-in-law lay in a hospital bed with the shadow of death hovering. As I sat on the plane numb and expressionless. I cried, “Lord, where are you? Can’t you see my wounded heart?” I wanted to scream instead of cry, “LORD, I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE!” I felt as though his face was shrouded from me.

This was one of the few times in my journey with God where I truly felt that I had been abandoned by Him. So many traumatic events had happened. Just two weeks earlier we had buried my grandfather–the spiritual rock of our family. I had had the privilege of caring for him and walking with him through his last days and now, just weeks after his death, I was possibly facing another. I felt as though the foundation of my childhood was being bulldozed.

Jesus Calming the Storm – Bible Study Lesson

BIBLE SEO

Mark 4: 35-41
Matthew 8:23-27
Luke 8:22-25

How do you feel if you are in the middle of life threatening storm ? How will you react to the situation? Where would you go for help? Let us look at how the disciples of Jesus reacted when they were faced with such storm. Jesus calming the storm is one of the most dramatic miracles of Jesus Christ. This incident is mentioned in Mark, Matthew and Luke. But we will be mostly focusing on gospel of Mark.

Q. Mark 4:35 starts with ‘that’ day. Which day is he talking about?

• The day started with chapter 4, when Jesus started teaching the crowd. He taught them lots of stories and parables and performed many miracles.