The Bible is filled with stories of persons who dared to take the first step in believing. Hebrews Chapter 11 recorded some great acts of ordinary persons who choose to believe and the rest is history. People like Rahab perished not because she believed-a belief that led her to be named in the lineage of Jesus. We can through Christ. Nothing of lasting value comes easy. It takes sacrifice, strong determination and diligent pursuit to make it happen.

So, what’s your testimony, what has God done for you lately? Who will be the first? Did God provide food in your hour of need? Did He provide a way of escape when you were tempted? Were you vindicated after being accused of something you weren’t guilty? Did God set you free from smoking, from drinking, from gambling, from being a womanizer? And the list goes on. There’s no need to feel ashamed. In stead, you should be thankful and joyful in telling your story of how God ransomed and set you free.

Not only did they choose death, but their decision robbed them of their power of choice. But God stepped in and provided a way out that gave them an option to choose again – to choose life. Through the ages, every human is making a decision, moment by moment, to accept God’s contingency or to forever remain with the choice of eternal death.

He had been so steeped in sin; well, that’s what he thought of himself and his friends concur. He could never change. The worldly lifestyle was his thrill and giving it up was unimaginable. The girls, the drinks, parties and more; that was his life. After all, he was young and it was his life to live. But God had other plans! God choose a new direction for his life-a direction that led to a total change of both the inner and outer man.

The Holy Spirit quickens us to live for Christ. Abiding in Christ is allowing His words to be our sword, and faith our shield. As our consciences are activated, and we now see sin as it really is; in faith, we can reach out to Jesus to rescue us from the evil of sin, its power and its woe. There comes a time in one’s life when enough is enough, whatever it may be, the limit has been reached. You’ve had enough. It’s the same with sinning.

The trials and testing of God’s children can be termed as gold tried in the fire. Persecution and trials are prerequisites on our journey to the Kingdom. We cannot get around it; we cannot pass over or under it. We must face it. Trials are not negative. They are means of drawing us closer to the King and His Kingdom. They serve to deepen our dependence, faith and trust in God as we rely on Him for everything. They serve to strip away the unpleasant and unnecessary baggage that would only hinder us on our journey. Trials are positive markers that He’s still working on us, to make us what we ought to be!

I love a clean space! Be it my house, car, Church, or wherever I may be - I just love when I am in a clean and well kept space. When I cleaned my house from ceiling to floor, it is so much lighter, I think clearer and I sleep better! I love a clean house, not just for Sabbath but for the entire week. Everything must be clean and in order. It makes chores on Preparation Day so much easier. It takes time, energy (a really sacrifice) to keep your space clean. But it pays. And to think Jesus’ expectation of us is similar: for us to keep our bodies ‘clean’ everyday!

The School of Life brings continuous testing, one after another – well that’s how it seems to me. We are bombarded with one challenge after another with very little time, if any, to ‘party’ in between. Amazingly, the experiences are quite similar for those on the ‘narrow path’. God permits trials. You are not alone. Praise God in your trials.

I have been told that the dying, especially those who were injured by gunshot, always ask for water when death was drawing near. It would seem that this thirst was a natural occurrence before death comes and the water was needed to wet the tongue which clings to the jaws. Whatever is the cause for this thirst before death, it can also be viewed in a spiritual sense.

The ability to read another’s thoughts is amazing, yet frightening! If you could, you would know everything about other persons. Nothing would surprise you as every thoughts lay naked to your all knowing mind. This is scary! Even though we have the desire to know, with the main aim being to control, it wouldn’t be fun knowing everything.