bloomingstaff

The way to securing eternity  " Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” Mark 14:44 "And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Acts 9:5 Mark chapter 14 verse 44 displays the risk in human love. Emotion inside a human might lead to betrayal. Judas. A human that received discipleship with Jesus. A human that lacked nothing from Jesus. A human that was allotted to fulfill Scripture about Christ. (Acts 1:17) A human that kissed Jesus only as a sign to betray him. A human that feared the power of the one he was betraying. A human that could not reverse betraying innocent blood. (Matthew 27:3,4) A disciple that was replaced by another. (Acts 1:26) Humans often fail in love by default. Love of our beloved ones might change at unexpected times. The love of Jesus never changes. Reading the Holy Bible is a great way to learn the love of Christ. The book...

"He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Daniel 3:25 The book of Daniel begins by showing Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego loved God regardless of changes in their situations. All four of them were only concerned about doing the will of God. The Bible passage from Daniel 3 verses 8 to 30 details the incident where dedicatedly praying men only gained reward from fiery furnace. No pain, only gain! Daniel 3:8 highlights the incident was started by some Chaldeans, accusing the Jews to the King. We learn from the following few verses that people of God are accused whenever possible. The entire community is scorned based on the deeds of their three men. Accusers do so to the highest authority to trap the people of God into ungodly decisions. Accusers communicate in such manner that they stir negativity against the people of God. Accusations need not be...

The Holy Bible has solutions humans might not imagine about. Any problem can be solved by the word of God. Generations after generations, people suffer problems. Diseases, financial instabilities, academic difficulties, marital conflicts, barrenness, employment hardships, legal battles, mental issues, fear, or even lack of basic necessities include in the list. Some are affected by evil practices such as sorceries that evildoers perform against them. Only an afflicted person understands the weariness one endures every minute of affliction. Hagar and her son Ishmael wailed in the desert. They were desperate for water. The Lord opened up the eyes of Hagar. She saw the well God gave her; the solution that benefits many people along with her generations. (Genesis 21:15-21)  Laban followed Jacob to harm him for fleeing with family. The Lord directly gave warning to Laban in his dream. (Genesis 31:26-29) Jacob peacefully returned to his land with greater blessings. Jochebed wanted to...

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14, 15 The above verses compel an attitude of forgiveness in believers. Forgiving makes things better. Forgiving helps in being forgiven. Forgiving is advantageous. Forgiving is the will of our heavenly Father. Forgiving authorises God for permanent solutions. Forgiving honors the word of God. Forgiving is a deep effort for having the attitude of Christ. Life experiences of suffering cheating, infedility, stealing, disobedience, insult, blasphemy, bullying or the like must have bruised our minds. The deeper the attachment, the deeper the scar. The emotional pain is worse if the wrong comes from parents, siblings, spouse or children. The offense might be accidental, ignorant or done with genuine intentions. Most of us are unaware of the quiet battles our dear ones are fighting, e...

The book of Ruth is all about excelling upon choosing God. The Holy Bible records Naomi as a mother in law that loved both of her daughters in law. Her conversations prove her unselfishness. (Ruth 1:8-9, 11-13, 15, Ruth 3:1-4, 18)  The daughters in law have been good to the family as well. (Ruth 1:8).  Naomi was determined to face widowhood all alone. Ruth, her widowed daughter in law did not leave Naomi alone. Naomi and Ruth were uncertain about the life ahead. Risks were extremely high in terms of safety, financial security and social wellbeing. Assuming they owned an ancenstral home, other basic necessities must have been a concern. Ruth being in the family for a decade, knew their people, their land and most importantly, their God. Ruth chose the God of Naomi. That choice not only enriched her life but also honored her in geneologies of King David and Jesus Christ. A closer look at Ruth 1:6 points out Naomi heard the Lord visited his people in Bethlehem and gave them food...

The fourteenth chapter of Matthew begins by hinting Jesus had less time for himself right after hearing about the painful death of John the Baptist. The chapter mentions Jesus withdrew on hearing the news. People came where Jesus was. He mercifully cared for the needs of the crowd. He fed them. People often take efforts to meet us without knowing our situation. Jesus did what He could for the crowd without hesitation. We serve such a loving God. Our deeds are to match that of Jesus regardless of our situation.  Matthew 14:28-33 indicates certain facts about extraordinary acts of faith. Jesus made immediate arrangements to pray alone after the crowd received all that they needed. (Matthew 14:22) Jesus prayed alone. (Matthew 14:23) Then (the fourth watch of night), Jesus walked on the sea to join his disciplines on the journey he asked them to do. (Matthew 14:25) If Jesus has sent us to a place, He will join us in His time; in His own way. The passage indicates the need to be ready t...

Old Testament portrays anointment as using oil on a person as a symbol of being chosen for a particular reason such as Kingship. New Testament reveals anointment is perceived only by faith. Anointment brings power from God to work on His purpose within family, church, fellowship, region or even workplace. We may have witnessed prayer of a spiritual leader heal a sick person.  God wants His anointed to be wise in every aspect, especially communication . (Psalm 17:3, Psalm 39:1) Communicate sufficiently. Communicate at the right time. Communicate to the right people. Avoid communicating everything to everyone. Depend on God consciously for quality conversations that involves no lies. The anointed stays away from blaming, loosetalks, gossips and the like. The Holy Bible shows how anointed people of God control their conversations wisely.  1 Samuel 10:15-16 "And Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the d...