How can we, God’s masterpiece, created in HIS image, think of situations as funny, unless the whole idea came from God in the first place? Many say that the nature of God is unknowable, but I'm certain of one thing at least. God Almighty does have a sense of humor. And we need to see this side of Him as well, in order to totally appreciate Him. Today, we live in a world that most times seems so overwhelming, where a good laugh and a real smile are rarely ever seen or heard. The everyday stresses of life can leave us feeling hassled, hurried, hopeless and harassed. Add to that a fragile economy during a time of threatened security, and we could be left feeling frightened, vulnerable, and totally off on the stress meter. We therefore need tools for coping, as it's easy to lose simple joy. But, maintaining a close relationship with God, who "sits in the heavens and laughs" (Ps. 2:4) will release that grace to enjoy this ‘joy and laughter’ in our lives, for in His "presence is fullness of joy" (Ps. 16:11). HE is that ‘spring of happiness’ that will enable us to overcome the pressures and trials of life. And joy helps break down those barriers allowing laughter to freely flow. Humor and laughter will not just change your day; they can change your life! It is said that young children laugh as much as 100 to 200 times a day, compared to the majority of adults that only get zero to a few daily laughs a day. Yet laughter is good not only for the body but also for the soul and Spirit. This reservoir of: Christian Jokes for the ‘Serious Religious’ Folks! is an exhaustive collection of rib-tickling, humorous jokes with the purpose being twofold: To help bring joy and laughter into our everyday lives and to help as a great preaching resource for Preachers, Ministers and Teachers of the Word, by helping to tickle any congregation's funny bone -- and grab their attention. So, given the above “license to laugh” now, just enjoy the rib-tickling pages that follow and learn to laugh and laugh and laugh, so you'll last and last and last!
Why are Anglicans such bad chess players? Because they don't know the difference between a Bishop and a Queen. Did you hear about the new liberal branch of the Church of England? It has six commandments and four suggestions. This book is packed with (mostly) clean, good-natured jokes, riddles and funny stories old and new about clergy, churches and Christianity. Get into the humour habit and prepare yourself for the 'laughter-life'! Unlike most church joke books, it is from a British rather than American perspective, but it will appeal to anybody looking for jokes for sermons, parish magazines etc or who would just like a good laugh at church life.
Using the same humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries, speaker Jon Acuff brings his insightful take on Christianity to the book world with this new edition of Stuff Christians Like. Do you constantly find yourself towing the fine line between praying before certain types of meals and not others? This book is for you. Have you fallen in love on a mission trip, just to break up when you get home? This book is for you. Are you a unicorn of purity who ranks honeymoon sex slightly higher than the second coming of Christ? Guess what – this book is for you, too. It’s time to shake off Somber Christian Syndrome and embrace the quirks of being a member of God’s kingdom. This book will teach you how to: Break up with your small group Subtly find out if your new Christian friends drink beer too Recognize the shame grenade that is a Jesus Juke Avoid a prayer handholding faux pas Say something Christian-y without looking like a snake handler From prayer shot blocks to metro worship leaders, no stone is left unturned in this hilarious look at faith. “I never knew how much I needed Jesus until I found out I was judging people who use the table of contents in their Bible. This book saved me from looking like a bad Christian.” – Sister Mary Francis, Rhode Island. “It’s such a time saver to know that my Chick-fil-a from the drive-thru comes pre-blessed. I always knew I was making the right choice by choosing the Lord’s chicken.” – Dave L., South Carolina.
'Melodies of Worship to Jesus: 31 Songs of Praise & Worship From My Heart to HIS!' is a soul-stirring collection of hymns and devotional songs that invite readers on a spiritual journey of worship and reflection. Organized into 31 themes, each song celebrates a unique facet of faith, from love and grace to guidance, wisdom and redemption. The book emphasizes personal connection with the HOLY ONE by allowing readers to create their own melodies for each song, making the worship experience deeply personal and authentic. The chapters offer tips for selecting songs that resonate with daily life, encouraging reflection, prayer, and the expression of gratitude. This book is a heartfelt invitation to connect with the Creator, finding strength, solace, and joy in the timeless power of music and faith. It offers a unique and enriching way to deepen one's relationship with Jesus through the universal language of song.
In 'I AM Empowered: Unleashing Divine Power with Positive Declarations,' discover the transformative potential of the name of God, 'I AM,' as a force for personal empowerment and change. Drawing inspiration from biblical wisdom, this book guides readers through 30 essential topics, with each topic covering 31 (one for every day of the month) powerful declarations rooted in scripture. From wisdom and healing to prosperity and spiritual growth, 'I AM Empowered' equips readers with a daily arsenal of faith-affirming declarations. The book's core message emphasizes the importance of harnessing 'I AM' positively, aligning it with the divine power within us. By proclaiming and prophesying these declarations, readers can renew their minds, build unwavering faith, and step into their God-given authority. 'I AM Empowered' is a roadmap to victorious living, offering practical insights, and the tools to live a life of purpose, success, and spiritual abundance. Embrace the divine power within and unlock a life transformed by faith and positive declarations
The Covid pandemic has probably been one of the worst crises for many. Besides seeing many of their close ones losing their lives right under their very nose, the agony of losing jobs with less or no income flowing in, social isolation at home has naturally caused spells of mental health concerns- causing undue and heavy depression and anxieties for countless lives. This depression can arise as a result of a sudden shift in a person’s life- the sudden loss of a loved one, the sudden termination of a job or the uncertainty over what the future holds. And the easiest way for many to escape (or according to them ‘cope’) with this depression is through the means of alcohol or drugs to numb or ease the pain they may be feeling or going through. For many others, the thought that drinking alcohol may seem harmless, at first; but drinking alcohol doesn’t stop with that first drink. You’re at a party, wanting to have some fun, you drink a beer; or you are probably tired from a long workday and have a glass of wine to unwind or just relax it out; you’re struggling through some life challenges, like finances, family, job etc; you’re feeling lonely, sad, confused; you have one drink, just to get your mind off life for a while. For many people, this is how alcoholism starts; that “one drink” leads to another, then another, and before you know it, you’re completely dependent upon alcohol to get through your day or any other situation in life. Further, to make matters worse, in today’s society, we are bombarded with pictures, TV shows, movies, and music that literally promote that consuming alcohol as someone being adventurous, glamorous, fun, and cool, that can tempt youngsters into being lured into this vice. Regular consumption of alcohol disrupts the balance of certain chemicals in the brain, disorganizing the thinking process and over time- months for some and years for others, continuous alcohol use significantly alters these chemicals in the brain, causing the body to crave more and more alcohol. Many alcoholics have trouble keeping a job, while others are unable to cope with family dynamics or social situations in a healthy manner. Many people who consume too much alcohol feel ashamed and withdraw from relationships in order to keep their addiction secret. Every year, alcoholism results in thousands of unnecessary deaths, millions of failed relationships and countless mental and physical health problems. Sadly, millions of people die from alcoholism or alcohol poisoning each year. And to add to this all-Alcoholism not only affects the alcoholic; alcoholism takes a toll on all of the people in an alcoholic’s life-family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and others. Often, people in an alcoholic’s life feel helpless as to how to help their loved one and feel hopeless and helpless as to whether or not an alcoholic loved one can be saved. If you’re worried that someone you know has an alcohol addiction, it’s best to approach them in a supportive way. Avoid shaming them or making them feel guilty. This could push them away and make them more resistant to your help. We experienced countless stories of wives and children that would come into every service of ours, weeping asking us to pray for their husbands. Many of these came from areas where illicit alcohol was being sold, and this caused immense damages to the individual as well as their families, - sometimes even leading to loss of lives or being bedridden forever. This would move my heart so much as we would prayer for such cases and soon we started receiving testimonies of turn-arounds- that brought such joy! So here’s the Good News! Reformation, Renewal and Restoration from Alcoholism Behind every affliction is a wicked spirit, and as children of God we need to understand that the devil will stop at nothing to mess our salvation and destroy lives. It is the spirit that is behind the ruination of many lives and families-shattering, breaking and devastating homes. But as Christians, we believe in and serve a God of the impossible! But will it be easy? Certainly not! It would require changes in lifestyles- but as in Matthew 19:26, “With God, all things are possible.” We serve a God who can do anything in our lives – anything! God is just waiting for you to come to Him with this problem, this addiction. God is able to deliver you completely by cleansing, sanctifying, and justifying you (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Though alcohol abuse is a failing of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), the Holy Spirit can, and will, produce the self-control you need to overcome it (Galatians 5:22-23). In our weakness HE is our strength, and through HIS mighty restoration power in and through you, HE, can not only enable you recover from alcohol, but also ‘Reform, Renew & Restore’ all the years, time, relationship and everything else lost. Remember that we are saints according to God's Word (Ephesians 1) and that true freedom comes from realizing our true identity in Christ. So come to Him today!
In ‘Rejecting Grasshopper Talk-From Grasshopper to Giant-Killer: Defeating Giants Daily!’ you'll embark on a transformative journey through the biblical story of Joshua and Caleb, who defied the odds to conquer giants. Through the lens of their unwavering faith and courage, this book offers profound insights and actionable strategies to help you overcome the giants in your own life. You'll explore the origins of the 'grasshopper mentality,' discover the power of teamwork and diversity, and dissect the crippling effects of defeatist talk. Alongside the remarkable giant-killers, Joshua and Caleb, you'll learn to re-frame your perspective, conquer fear, and nurture unshakable faith. Each chapter is a guide to rejecting negative mindsets and embracing the faith, courage, and determination needed to claim your 'promised land.' With thought-provoking discussion questions and practical action plans, this book is ideal for personal reflection, group study, or book clubs. Whether you're facing personal giants or striving for your dreams, ‘Rejecting Grasshopper Talk-From Grasshopper to Giant-Killer: Defeating Giants Daily!’ will empower you to tap into your inner giant-killer, boldly embracing a mindset of faith, courage, and unwavering determination. Join the Journey to Victory and Claim your Own ‘Promised Land’.
COVID-19 was perhaps for many the biggest life-changing event that was faced. Several precious lives were lost, families separated for months, jobs lost, no income absolutely for many, businesses shut, and economies in shatters…the list could go on. And the world is still trying to recover from all of this. And yet when we as children of God look back at this year, despite these perilous days with numerous challenges that many had gone through, God had been ever so faithful in bringing us through it all, that you might like to utilize and set aside time to reflect and never cease in giving God your heartfelt thanks and praise. No matter what difficulty you’ve faced over the year or years, God had drawn you out. When you felt overwhelmed, God reached out His hand. He wouldn’t let you sink or slip. So as you reflect on the countless blessings that God had supplied you with, you may like to ponder over the many blessings that come from being grateful for the good things we enjoy. To enable you get better at giving thanks and building up on your attitude of gratitude this powerful book: ‘Thanking GOD with an Attitude of Gratitude’ will help you do just that and I pray that this small but yet powerful little book will help you every day in 2 ways: Firstly, it will help you recall and count all your blessings you’ve received from the Lord. Secondly, it will help you express your Gratitude and Thanksgiving for the wonderful inward and eternal matters He has enabled you to enjoy… So use your time everyday- Reflecting and Thanking God for HIS Goodness, HIS Greatness, HIS Glory, HIS Grace and HIS Gifts in your life! I pray that this will be a blessing to you in your times of private fellowship with the LORD.
The main reason we are here on earth is to give God pleasure. Revelation 4.11 says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou has created all things, AND FOR THY PLEASURE THEY ARE AND WERE CREATED" The very breath that we breathe, belongs to HIM, so we need to give it back to HIM. David says in Psalm 34.1: "I will bless the Lord at all times; HIS praise shall continually be in my mouth" And even as an ageing king in Psalm 71, he writes: "My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long…I will praise you more and more" It is our only opportunity to give HIM the only food He enjoys- Praise and Worship- and this is the only thing you and I would be doing in heaven (no winning souls, no helping poor etc). So we may as well start now. And if we don't give HIM our praise, GOD says that HE would get the rocks to do it (How shameful- we who have HIS breath!) But why is praising God so difficult? Simply put, praise does not come naturally to most of us. We have to learn to praise. The very first reason I believe why we find it difficult is because we are just not accustomed to praising others, leave alone God. The second reason is that praise requires us to set ourselves aside and keep and think of God first- after all it is because of Him and for Him we live. And the third reason is that, in order to start praising, we need to change our pattern of life. We must take time to focus on God and His attributes. Therefore praising the Lord is not some kind of casual meaningless activity. Now what can praising God do to you? Praising God has the power to change our lives. Praise takes our mind off our own selves and helps us see who God is. It transforms the perspective from which we approach life and places us in the context of who God is. Praise helps us recognize God and His ability to impact our lives, and reminds us that He loves us and is deeply involved in every detail of our daily living. And here is something that can stir you up to praise HIM more. Psalm 67:3, 5, 6 says: "Let the people praise Thee, O God; Let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and GOD, even our own GOD, shall bless us”. Note the word 'then' in vs. 6. Most times we want God to bless us, then, we would think of possibly praising HIM. But see what vs. 6 says, "THEN". In other words, you start praising HIM first in faith, even before you've received anything and THEN see HIM pour out HIS blessings, because GOD dwells in the midst of praise (Psalm 22.3). So I pray that this small but powerful book: ‘Raise your Praise all 365 Days’ will help you do just that. You will find 366 bible verses exclusively on praising God- one for every day of the year, including one for a leap year. You could use it as an everyday tool, by reading that day’s verse and reflecting on God’s Goodness, Greatness, Glory, Grace and His Gifts that He has blessed you with and all that you see around you- or you could just decide to use it completing all the 366 verses at one go. I pray that this will be a blessing to you in your times of private worship.
Studying the original meaning behind key Hebrew and Greek words related to Praise and Worship can enormously enrich our understanding of how we are to worship the God of the Bible; while inspiring us to break free of all our shyness and inhibitions and become a more responsive worshiper as our Almighty, All-loving God rightly deserves! Understanding biblical accuracy helps eliminate false assumptions associated with worship and replaces our cultural, so-called religious upbringings and biases with an accurate knowledge and right response to worship the KING of kings. As we all know, much of the Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language and there are a lot of Hebrew words translated with just the use of one common word “praise” into our English language and therefore we only see it as one word in English- thus missing out into the deeper meaning of such powerful action words. The English Language is not a very descriptive language, especially for some of the Biblical phrases used for Praise and Worship. You will be surprised to note that there are more than 50 different Hebrew words associated with “praise” alone in scripture and this little booklet will help you to study and understand a number of such relevant Hebrew and Greek words related to praise and worship, along with their implied action and our appropriate response. And as you will discover, when you actually dive deep into the original language in the Scripture, you will get a taste of so much of ‘meat-to-eat’ depth of meaning! You will begin to see that there are many different forms of praise, and that each form is designed to express unique elements of worship, in a manner worthy of engaging the attention and response of God. If your heart is to worship God, and to offer to Him what He has asked for, then this little booklet: ‘Hebrew and Greek Praise and Worship Words’ (containing a collection of one hundred of them) will most certainly deepen your understanding. All of these ancient Hebrew and Greek words listed here are meant to take you out of your comfort zone and enable you experience God in a fresh way, by profoundly shaping the way you worship. What you will find in this booklet is: -The original Hebrew or Greek Word (from a total of one hundred) -The corresponding Strong’s Reference -The phonetics (speech sound) or pronunciation of the said word -And the scriptural references where that word is used in context with the particular word highlighted in bold As you keep meditating on each word, you will find that most of these words for “praise” will help paint a totally different picture of a very distinctive and unique act of worship, in response to the different mighty acts of God. Each word conveys the accurate physical action required of by the worshipper, in an attitude of thanksgiving for what our God has done. I finally, pray, that through these various expressions of praise and worship that they will enable and help you have a deeper understanding of God’s original word, by inspiring and invigorating your response as our Almighty, All-loving God so rightly deserves So just go ahead now and… Raise your Praise, To Experience GOD in Fresh and New Ways!
