Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faithfulness. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, June 10, 2011
Ascension Day 2011
Such religious days help us to focus on our Faith. If we don't have landmarks to remind us on our path to Heaven, we may easily lose our way and our focus in this wide road of the world. I remember preparing for Ascension Day Sermon for my first time. I pored over Scripture. Afterwards, I had a deeper understanding of Christ's Ascension to the Father.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Give Careful Thought To Your Ways
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." (Haggai 1)
God asked His people how they could live in luxury when His house was lying in ruins. The temple was the focal point of Judah's relationship with God, but it was still demolished. Instead of rebuilding the temple, the people put their energies into beautifying their own homes. However, the harder the people worked for themselves, the less they had, because they ignored their spiritual lives. The same happens to us. Many of us have had some of the American dream, bought homes in mortgage, bought cars on notes, some are paid off, have or have had good jobs, brought our husbands, our wives, our children, our sisters, our brothers, our cousins, our relatives, our friends, our parents here. Many have found wives and husbands here. Many have given birth to children who are automatically American and European citizens. Some of us even have American names. Some have American and European citizenship and green cards.
If we put God first, he will provide our for our deepest needs. If we put Him in any other place, all our efforts will be futile. Caring only for our physical needs while ignoring your relationship with God will lead to ruin.
Because the people had not given God first place in their lives, their world was not fruitful or productive, and their material posessions did not satisfy. While they concentrated on building and beautifying their own homes, God's blessing was withheld because they no longer put Him in first place. Moses had predicted that this would be the result if the people neglected God.
(Deut. 28:38-45)
However, some of these blessings have blown away with the wind! Mortgaged houses have been foreclosed or returned to banks. Cars have been reposessed or returned to banks. Accidents have ruined cars. Money sent to Uganda to build houses has been mismanaged, mishandled and stolen by those you trusted! Today you have a good job and earn well. Tomorrow you don't have a job and you eat up all your savings! Businesses and organisations have been founded and folded under! In Kampala/Buganda your land is being grabbed by thugs or other!
Give careful thought to your ways. Reconsider the way you live.
Rev. Jessica
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." (Haggai 1)
God asked His people how they could live in luxury when His house was lying in ruins. The temple was the focal point of Judah's relationship with God, but it was still demolished. Instead of rebuilding the temple, the people put their energies into beautifying their own homes. However, the harder the people worked for themselves, the less they had, because they ignored their spiritual lives. The same happens to us. Many of us have had some of the American dream, bought homes in mortgage, bought cars on notes, some are paid off, have or have had good jobs, brought our husbands, our wives, our children, our sisters, our brothers, our cousins, our relatives, our friends, our parents here. Many have found wives and husbands here. Many have given birth to children who are automatically American and European citizens. Some of us even have American names. Some have American and European citizenship and green cards.
If we put God first, he will provide our for our deepest needs. If we put Him in any other place, all our efforts will be futile. Caring only for our physical needs while ignoring your relationship with God will lead to ruin.
Because the people had not given God first place in their lives, their world was not fruitful or productive, and their material posessions did not satisfy. While they concentrated on building and beautifying their own homes, God's blessing was withheld because they no longer put Him in first place. Moses had predicted that this would be the result if the people neglected God.
(Deut. 28:38-45)
However, some of these blessings have blown away with the wind! Mortgaged houses have been foreclosed or returned to banks. Cars have been reposessed or returned to banks. Accidents have ruined cars. Money sent to Uganda to build houses has been mismanaged, mishandled and stolen by those you trusted! Today you have a good job and earn well. Tomorrow you don't have a job and you eat up all your savings! Businesses and organisations have been founded and folded under! In Kampala/Buganda your land is being grabbed by thugs or other!
Give careful thought to your ways. Reconsider the way you live.
Rev. Jessica
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