Anytime you want to make a difference, there will be critics. Every difference maker faces opposition. Nehemiah experienced resistance first hand. The critics showed up in Nehemiah 4 as the wall started going up. They continued taunting Nehemiah and his crew throughout the process.
To the critic, rebuilding the wall seemed impossible. They rooted for the Jews to fail. Anytime we take a next step, we experience criticism just as Nehemiah did.
“Overcoming opposition is about realizing who we are and what we’ve been called by God to do.”
When a friend or relative suddenly becomes our biggest critic, it’s often because the change we are experiencing challenges and convicts them of their own lack of action. For a critic, our success draws attention to their personal failures.
The critics are going to come. We can follow Nehemiah’s example and focus on what God is calling us to do. Or, we can be distracted by the critics who are rooting for us to fail. But, we can’t do both.
Overcoming opposition is about realizing who we are and what we’ve been called by God to do. When we seek God’s voice above all others, we’ll find the confidence to do the work. Just as Nehemiah refused to come off the wall, we must not be distracted from the work God has called us to do.
Consider This: What’s one step you can take this week to prepare your heart for the criticism that’s sure to come?Pray:Jesus, help me stay on course regardless of the criticism I face.
When you’re waiting for something, God’s perfect timing can often feel unhelpful because it doesn’t make it easier. So, what is God’s perfect timing, exactly? Paul, an early church leader, gives us a glimpse of it in Titus 1:1-3. Paul reminds us that God “does not lie.” Then he reminds readers that God’s promises have been set since “before the beginning of time.” In times of waiting, it’s important to remind ourselves that the Lord’s plans for us have been set since “before the beginning of time.” God is not surprised at how long things are taking. And it’s not a mistake that things aren’t happening as quickly as we’d like. God’s plans are perfect, because He is perfect (Psalm 18:30).
Too often, we think we know what’s best, and if the Lord would just hurry up and do what we want, this would all be easier. But what if in our effort to rush through the meantime, we’re missing out on something greater than the thing we’re waiting for? The greater our need for God’s intervention, the more passionately we tend to seek Him. God promises to be our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. He tells us not to fear because He upholds us with His righteous right hand (Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10). Waiting has its rewards. As we persevere through seasons of waiting, our faith becomes mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).
So am I spending time listening to God and for God? Am I spending time with Him in His Word? What is the Lord teaching me during this phase of my life? What can I do to position myself to be ready for God to move?
The Internet is a powerful tool. It’s the place we go to stay in touch with friends, watch videos, listen to music and shop for just about everything. As long as we’re connected to the Internet, we can seamlessly move from page to page. But the second our Wi-Fi connection is dropped or service goes down, the dreaded “Connection lost” message pops up on our screen. When our access to the source is interrupted, we do whatever it takes to be connected again.
Jesus establishes a connection with us to Himself through the Holy Spirit. Through this connection we communicate, worship, share our needs, listen for His guidance, and grow closer to Him step by step. We maintain this connection through regular prayer with Him. Colossians 4:2 says we are to devote ourselves to prayer and to be watchful and thankful. For prayer to be powerful, it must be something we do regularly. We should pray intentionally and with expectation that God will honour our efforts. Successful prayer over time results in moving us closer to God rather than trying to move Him closer to us.
As followers of Jesus, we are to do the work the Lord has given us to reach others for Him. Colossians 4:3-4 tells us to pray “that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…” That is great news! God says we can pray for Him to open doors for us to share the gospel with others who will have been prepared by the Holy Spirit before we even show up, rather than just pushing against the doors ahead of us in our own limited strength. God’s power enables our success for Him when we maintain our connection to Him through prayer .
Love is a risk. It requires us to be vulnerable, to be patient and to trust. To love fearlessly, to love each other regardless of the risk of rejection and heartache, takes courage. But the only way to really experience love in life is to be brave and let people in.
When you choose to love someone, you open your arms to them. When you stand with arms wide open, you’re exposed and vulnerable for attack . But with the opportunity to trust comes the ability to experience something greater than all of our “what-ifs.”
In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul writes a prayer for the church in Ephesus, asking that they be rooted and established in the love of Jesus. Paul explains that the more we trust God and let Him in, the better we understand how deep His love is for us. His unending grace teaches us to love like Jesus, to give grace to those we consider hard to love and to fearlessly take more risks.
Being vulnerable with God and trusting His plans over ours takes a leap of faith. It feels like a risk, but because God is perfect and loves perfectly, it’s no comparison to any other relationship we can have. God always comes through on His promises. His plans were made out of a deep, powerful, overwhelming love for us, and His plans are always much more than we could imagine.
God invites us to catch a glimpse of His heart. The Heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance & preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten Him. He weeps over the obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.
And the key to the heart of God is prayer.
Perhaps you have never prayed before except in anguish or terror. It may be the only time the Divine Name has been on your lips has been in angry expletives. Never mind be encouraged the Fathers heart is open wide, you are welcome to come in.
Perhaps you may not believe in prayer. You may have tried to pray and been profoundly disappointed…and disillusioned. You seem to have little faith, or none. It does not matter, the Fathers heart is open wide, you are welcome to come in.
Perhaps you ‘re bruised and broken by the pressures of the life. Others have wronged you and feel scarred .You have old, painful memories that have never been healed. You avoid prayer because you feel too distant, to unworthy, to defiled. Do not despair the Fathers heart is open wide, you are welcome to come in.
Perhaps you have prayed for many years but the words have grown brittle and cold. Little ever happens any more. God seems remote and inaccessible. Listen, the Fathers heart is open wide – you are welcome to come in.
Perhaps prayer is the delight of your life. You have lived in the divine milieu for a long time and can attest to its goodness. But you long for more: more power, more love, more of God in your life. Well, the Fathers heart is open wide you too are welcome to come higher up & deeper in.
If the key is prayer, the door is Jesus Christ. How good of God to provide us a way into his heart. He knows that we are stiff-necked and hard-hearted, so he has provided a means of entrance. Jesus, the Christ, lived a perfect life, died in our place, and rose victorious over all the dark powers so that we might live through him. This is wonderfully good news. No longer do we have to stand outside, barred from nearness of God by our rebellion. We may now enter through the door of God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. – taken From Richard Foster book Prayer.
In Ephesians 2:4 -10, Paul teaches the people of the Ephesian church (and us) You are forgiven, free, gifted, valuable, blessed, you have a hope, and a purpose!
It doesn’t matter what lies we’ve been spoon fed throughout our lives, telling us we are worthless, hopeless, useless, pointless. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s masterpieces (NLT). We are created by our God expressly for His purpose, for His enjoyment, for His pre-planned reasons. We are created for His benefit. Notice two very significant words here. We are created BY and FOR. We are not created haphazardly “just because.” We are not casual mistakes.
Don’t allow Satan or anyone else to dissuade you from the Lord’s work by saying you have no purpose or meaning. If you are still alive, breathing and walking, then God is still has a special use and job for you. How exciting!
The Bible says that these good things we are supposed to do were planned out for us to do a long time ago, thousands of years before we were even born. Would God have given that much thought, consideration and planning to someone for whom He didn’t have much purpose? Absolutely not. He has a purpose and a plan for you. Ask Him what it is, then run toward it and fulfil it!
Life is unpredictable. Our best efforts to follow a plan are often derailed by the unexpected, and we find ourselves in the middle of a cloud of doubt and questions.
Ephesians 1:11-14, however, gives us a promise that we can lean on in times of concern. If we are in Christ, we have been sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit who lives in us to guide us and serve as a “deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14). God does not allow His children to live life alone. Instead, He watches over us, lives in us, and has already planned all of our days.
Ephesians 1:11 says He “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Every conversation, troubling situation, and celebration will work together in our lives to glorify our Creator.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” We can so easily forget this in our own lives on a daily basis, and trust God with every area of our life . So often we try to take control of every situation in our lives that seems out of control. The direction of our career, our finances, our relationships, and our health are constant battles in our hearts.
But everything we have in our life is a gift, we are simply stewards. God has written the plan, and He is in control. When we struggle against Him for control of our life, we are no longer allowing ourselves to live in the full life He has planned for us.
Quality : HD
Title : John Wick: Chapter 2
Director : Chad Stahelski.
Writer :
Release : 2017-02-08
Language : English.
Runtime : 122 min.
Genre : Thriller, Action, Crime.
Synopsis :
Movie ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ was released in February 8, 2017 in genre Thriller. Chad Stahelski was directed this movie and starring by Keanu Reeves. This movie tell story about John Wick is forced out of retirement by a former associate looking to seize control of a shadowy international assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to aid him, Wick travels to Rome and does battle against some of the world’s most dangerous killers.
This week we’ll stop collectively and come together to praise God for who He is and what He has done, and for the year ahead. We are made to thank God. We are built to praise Him (Romans 1:20). The Bible says that trait isn’t singular to us. All of Creation is made to thank and praise and love Him. All of Creation has an awareness and an inherent awe for our Creator and Provider.
In Psalm 19:1-6, the heavens declare His glory. The skies proclaim the height of His love. They pour forth speech. Their voice goes out into all the earth. There is a reason for that; our God is so beyond our comprehension, so holy, so beyond our words that even nature joins us in our efforts and responds in praise.
The last sunrise you caught, where the sky went from grey to orange to brilliant in a matter of minutes, was the heavens’ “thank you” card to God. The same should happen in our own hearts; our praise for God should live there, a continual hum of adoration and thanksgiving. We were made for it . The chaos of everyday life can diminish our response to Him. It can cause our affection to dull and gather dust, but we were made for greater praise, especially as we rediscover the height of His love.
