I AM A PRISONER OF HOPE

Zechariah 9:11-12 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the WATERLESS PIT. Return to your fortress, O PRISONERS OF HOPE; even now I announce that I WILL RESTORE TWICE as much for you.

This morning I just listened to a sermon by Pastor Joseph Prince from the New Creation church in Singapore and he preached from the above scripture verse. I couldn’t help it but shout for joy…yes, because these words apply to me. For years, I have been A PRISONER OF HOPE. In good times; in times of famine and lack; in times of hope and despair; and above all, in times when all doors seemed to close right in front of me.

MARK YOUR TERRITORY

This morning the Lord just put these three words in my heart, “MARK YOUR TERRITORY.”

Before one starts to build, they sit down and count the cost. Before one sets out on a journey, they gather information about their destination. In both cases, it is needful…if not necessary to get all the information at your disposal in order to start and finish well. But something happens…when THE PROMISE-GIVER comes and tells you to GET READY to cross over to the other side. And this morning the Lord came to tell me to get ready. It is time for me and my family to cross the Jordan. These words came alive today.

Joshua 1:3-5 I will give you EVERY PLACE WHERE YOU SET YOUR FEET, as I promised Moses. YOUR TERRITORY will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittites country – to the Great Sea. No-one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.

I don’t know about you…but I am getting READY TO MARK MY TERRITORY…and that is, FOR LIFE!!!!

EVERY WOMAN HAS A MINISTRY

Matthew 27:55 -56 MANY WOMEN were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to CARE FOR HIS NEEDS. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

We live in the era of GENDER EQUALITY. Women, just like men want to be recognized as equal partners and players in the development of our societies. And while this century has given women the opportunity to prove themselves in different fields, there is a place for the woman which has not changed over the years. Yes, each woman no matter what they are professionally has a MINISTRY. And this is every more true for the CHRISTIAN WOMAN. Below are just but a few ministry callings in the bible which are still relevant and necessary for today’s woman.

TOXIC LOVE: SAMSON AND DELILAH

Judges 16:15-16 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you, ‘when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your strength. With such nagging she prodded him day by day until HE WAS TIRED TO DEATH.

We say a drunkard is intoxicated when they have overused an alcoholic drink. In other words, they have lost control of clear thinking or proper evaluation in a matter. An intoxicated person cannot conduct a sound conversation and is most likely unable to make even and steady steps. And more often than not, a drunkard becomes morally corrupt in their intoxicated state. In the same way, one can also be intoxicated in love. INFATUATION IS A FORM OF INTOXICATION. Therefore, toxic love is love that is wrongfully asserted.

Let’s have a look at Samson and Delilah’s love story. Samson was born in an era when the children of Israel were led by a judge. In other words, Samson was a judge in his time. That meant, he was responsible for the wellbeing of the Israelites as a whole. As a judge, it was demanded

LIP SERVICE

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes, A LYING TONGUE, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

I like this Polish proverb that says, ‘LIES HAVE SHORT LEGS.’ And yet, we live in a world where lying is at times glorified as a lesser evil. We flatter, we praise, we honor or even worship…that is offer our LIP SERVICE in order to gain an advantage or not to seem the odd one out. But the word of God is very clear about LIP SERVICE. In fact, GOD HATES LIP SERVICE, be it towards

THE WORD

2 Timothy 3:16 ALL SCRIPTURE is GOD-BREATHED and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I am a woman of THE WORD. In other words, I believe the bible is the one and only accurate source of God’s revelation of Himself to man. I believe that faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the WORD OF GOD. I don’t know about you, but the Word is my source of joy, comfort, peace and assurance in this life and in the life eternal. Below are just a few verse that reminds us, who and what THE WORD is.

THE SIN OF ASSOCIATION

Acts 5:1-2 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With HIS WIFE’S FULL KNOWLEDGE he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

The Church from the time of the Acts of the Apostles has come a long way. Yet, the modern church has not come close to that place in ministry where ALL THE BELIEVERS ARE ONE IN HEART AND MIND. You see, we still live in a very individualistic and materialistic world, and even when we enter into the church scene, things don’t seem to change drastically. But not so in the early church. Their relationships one to another were much more deeper. Not only did they associated spiritually, as brothers and sisters in Christ, but also shared with one another in their material goods. Whatever they did, it was for the common good of their fellow brethren.

But one couple, even though outwardly they seemed GENUINE and GENEROUS, in the real sense,

DAUGHTERS OF SARAH

1 Peter 3:6 Like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are HER DAUGHTERS if you do what is right and do not give way to FEAR.

Like mother like daughter, goes the saying. But lets have a look into the case of Sarah. If she had lived in our day, I wonder if she would have posed as cover-girl for one of the style and fashion magazines? Sarah had qualities about her that attracted the male species time and again. But what was it? Was it a well-trimmed body, with make up and jewelry that made her stand out in the crowd? I doubt it. While it is true, Sarah was a very beautiful woman, there was something else about her that made her irresistible: HER NAME.

You see, before God had changed her name to Sarah, she was just an

FIRST THINGS FIRST

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 What I mean, brothers, is that TIME IS SHORT. From now on those WHO HAVE WIVES SHOULD LIVE AS IF THEY HAD NONE; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of this world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

The honeymoon was over. As a young wife of just a little over a year after our marriage and with a four month old baby to take care of, I felt abandonment. A friend of mine had called a month early and by the sound of my voice, she stated this in concern. ‘Gladwell, you sound so tired and depressed.’ Of course, I quickly reassured her that things were fine. But were they really? That I can’t answer for

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Luke 11:9-10 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

One of the definition of PRAYER in my Collins dictionary is;
A PERSONAL COMMUNICATION OR PETITION ADDRESSED TO A DEITY, esp in the form of SUPPLICATION, ADORATION, PRAISE, CONTRITION, AND THANKSGIVING.

Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. One of Jesus’ disciple asks in the opening verses of Luke 11. In other words, the disciples wanted to know HOW TO PRAY. In answer to their question, Jesus taught them rather not HOW TO PRAY but WHEN THEY PRAY. In a very simple yet powerful way, he said,