Friday, July 17, 2015

Deborah: The Female Judge of Israel!





HOW A WOMAN WON A GREAT VICTORY

Judges 4:1 to 5:31


  AGAIN many of the people of Israel were drawn away from the worship of the Lord, and began to live like the people around them, praying to idols and doing wickedly. And again the Lord left them to suffer for their sins. A Canaanite king in the north, whose name was Jabin, sent his army down to conquer them under the command of his general, named Sisera. In Sisera's army were many chariots of iron, drawn by horses; while soldiers in the chariots shot arrows and threw spears at the Israelites. The men of Israel were not used to horses, and greatly feared these war-chariots.

All the northern tribes in the land of Israel fell under the power of King Jabin and his general, Sisera; and their rule was very harsh and severe. This was the fourth of these "oppressions," and it bore most heavily upon the people in the north. But it led those who suffered from it to turn from their idols, and to call upon the Lord God of Israel.

At that time a woman was ruling as judge over a large part of the land; the only woman among the fifteen judges who, one after another, ruled the Israelites. Her name was Deborah. She sat under a palm-tree north of Jerusalem, between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, and gave advice to all the people who sought her. So wise and good was Deborah that men came from all parts of the land with their difficulties and the questions that arose between them. She ruled over the land, not by the force of any army, or by any appointment, but because all men saw that God's Spirit was upon her.

Deborah heard of the troubles of the tribes in the north under the hard rule of the Canaanites. She knew that a brave man was living in the land of Naphtali, a man named Barak, and to him she sent this message:

"Barak, call out the tribes of Israel who live near you; raise an army, and lead the men who gather about you to Mount Tabor. The Lord has told me that he will give Sisera and the host of the Canaanites into your hands."

But Barak felt afraid to undertake alone this great work of setting his people free. He sent back to Deborah this answer:

"If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go."

"I will go with you," said Deborah; "but because you did not trust God, and did not go when God called you, the honor of this war will not be yours, for God will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman."

Deborah left her seat under the palm-tree and went up to Kedesh, where Barak lived. Together Deborah and Barak sent out a call for the men of the north, and ten thousand men met together with such arms as they could find. This little army, with a woman for its chief, encamped on Mount Tabor, which is one of three mountains standing in a row on the east of a great plain called "the plain of Esdraelon," "the plain of Jezreel," and "the plain of Meggido,"—for it bears all these three names. On this plain, both in Bible times and also in the times since the Bible, many great battles have been fought. Over this plain winds the brook Kishon, which at some seasons, after heavy rain, becomes a foaming, rushing river.

From their camp on the top of Mount Tabor the little army of Israel could look down on the great host of the Canaanites with their many tents, their horses and chariots, and their general, Sisera. But Deborah was not afraid. She said to Barak:

"March down the mountain with all your men, and fight the Canaanites. The Lord will go before you, and he will give Sisera and his host into your hand."

Then Barak blew a trumpet and called out his men. They ran down the side of Mount Tabor and rushed upon their enemies. The Canaanites were taken so suddenly that they had no time to draw out their chariots. They were frightened and ran away, trampling each other under foot, chariots and horses and men in a wild flight.

And the Lord helped the Israelites; for at that time the brook Kishon was swollen into a river, and the Canaanites crowded after each other into it. While many were killed in the battle, many were also drowned in the river.

Sisera, the general of the Canaanites, saw that the battle had gone against him and that all was lost. He leaped from his chariot and fled away on foot. On the edge of the plain he found a tent standing alone, and he ran to it for shelter and hiding.

It was the tent of a man named Heber, and Heber's wife, Jael, was in front of it. She knew Sisera, and said to him, "Come in, my lord; come into the tent; do not be afraid."

Sisera entered the tent, and Jael covered him with a rug, so that no enemy might find him. Sisera said to her, "I am very thirsty; can you give me a little water to drink?"

Instead of water she brought out a bottle of milk and gave him some: and then Sisera lay down to sleep, for he was very tired from the battle and from running. While he was in a deep sleep, Jael crept into the tent quietly with a tent-pin and a hammer in her hand. She placed the point of the pin upon the side of his head, near his ear, and with the hammer gave blow after blow, driving it into his brain and through his head until it went into the ground underneath. After a moment's struggle Sisera was dead, and she left his body upon the ground.

In a little time Jael saw Barak, the chief of the Israelite army, coming toward the tent. She went out to meet him, and said, "Come with me, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking."

She lifted the curtain of the tent, and led Barak within; and there he saw lying dead upon the ground the mighty Sisera, who only the day before had led the army of the Canaanites.

That was a terrible deed which Jael did. We should call it treachery and murder; but such was the bitter hate between Israelite and Canaanite at that time that all the people gave great honor to Jael on account of it, for by that act she had set the people free from the king who had been oppressing Israel. After this the land had rest for many years.

Deborah, the judge, wrote a great song about this victory. Here are some verses from it:

"Because the elders took the lead in Israel,

Because the people offered themselves willingly,

Bless ye the Lord.

Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes;

I, even I will sing unto the Lord;

I will sing praise to the Lord, the God of Israel.

         .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

The kings came and fought.

Then fought the kings of Canaan,

In Taanach by the waters of Meggido.

They took no gain of money.

They fought from heaven,

The stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

The river Kishon swept them away,

That ancient river, the river Kishon.

O my soul, march on with strength;

         .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Blessed among women shall Jael be,

The wife of Heber the Kenite,

Blessed shall she be among women in the tent.

He asked water, and she gave him milk,

She brought him butter in a lordly dish.

         .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;

At her feet he bowed, he fell.

Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

Through the window a woman looked forth and cried,

The mother of Sisera cried through the lattice,

Why is his chariot so long in coming?

Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?

         .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord;

But let them that love him be as the sun,

When he goeth forth in his might.

 










Saturday, June 27, 2015

God's Love = True Love

We crave for love, so much so that we look for it even in the worst of people who only hurt us and fail us constantly. Somewhere at the back of our minds, a voice tells us we can find that love in God, that He has loved us ever since, and that He is the One who has really love us most. But we doubt this voice. We feel it isn’t real, nor is the love of God which we cannot see. How can we know He loves us when we cannot even see Him?

Below are some of the things that made me realize how much I am loved, and how real God’s love really is:


1. He created me with awareness and the ability to love and be loved.

I am not a stone that does not know the things happening around it. I am not a shell that gets tossed about by the waves, unaware of whatever shore it lands upon, without consciousness of all the beauty surrounding it.

I am aware and alive. I hear the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore and it soothes my soul. I see the sunset and I marvel at God’s fingers painting that beautiful scenery everyday. I smell the flowers and I feel at peace. I walk upon the sand and their warmth comforts me.

When I hold a baby upon my arms, I feel an ability to love and to give. I feel that I can make other people happy, and their happiness makes me glad in return





2. He witnesses my life, my life isn’t meaningless

We look for partners in life not only so that someone might love us and take care of us. We look for them because we want them to witness the life we’re living.

How important is it to have a witness to one’s life? For many, it’s the very difference between a life well lived and a meaningless one.

We all want somebody to see how far we’ve already reached, how far we’ve already grown. It’s not enough for us to be able to achieve something. We want our achievements to be remembered, to be seen, to be the cause of inspiration of another person’s life.

With God, I know that Someone’s always watching. Even if men do not understand, even if they don’t see the good that I do, Someone always does.



3. He gives me respect and allows me to be myself

God respects me and allows me to be me. He loves me enough to allow me even to make mistakes. He knows that I could learn from them, and that even the hurts I would experience in life would make me a better person.

Sometimes we think that if we really love a person, we should always interfere in what they do so that they won’t make any mistakes. But by not letting them decide on their own and own the consequences of their actions, we are also not allowing them to grow. We’re also not expressing our belief in them, that they can rise up after they fall, that they can later on have the wisdom to choose what’s right.





4. He communicates with me, I know I’m not alone

To be able to have someone to communicate with is to not be alone. It is to know that someone else understands what you’re saying, and that someone can respond according to His own awareness and understanding. It is not commanding an inanimate object to move according to your will. It’s being part of an intelligent and conscious exchange between two consciousness that is aware of each other.

Nobody falls in love with a puppet. A puppet merely says what you wanted him to say and moves where you wanted him to go. We want someone who has a mind of his own, someone who is just like us.




“God is an ocean, a fire, a living fountain…That is the essence of prayer:this contact with a living God, a God who reacts, not like a simple inanimate being but like a living person, with a thrill of joy, with the gift of Himself.-Where The Spirit Breathes”





5. He gives me something to look forward to, my life is far from boredom

The person who is in love is far away from boredom. To her, every moment is meaningful, and every next moment is something to look forward to.

She does not know what her beloved would do next. Will he invite her out to dinner? Will he give her a bouquet of flowers? Will they watch a movie together?

It’s the same with God. We know God loves us because He forms a relationship with us. In that relationship, He gives the gift of Himself. He pours out from a heart of love such surprises we could never have dreamed of!




6. He enlightens my mind and gives me wisdom

Life is a continuous discovery of the mysterious. And when we have a relationship with God, He allows us to discover a part of Him. He reveals Himself and gives us spiritual wisdom we could never learn elsewhere.

This wisdom enlightens our mind and satisfies our thirst for spiritual food. We continuously learn new things that benefit us and other people. We are delighted with what we learn and such things can never be stolen away from us.










7. He heals my wounds and help me love myself more

Only God knows me. Only He can understand my innermost wounds and fears. With His guidance, I am healed, and I am able to love myself more.

Other people have their own wounds that may cause them to avoid me when I hurt. They have desires which I cannot satisfy, expectations that I may fail to meet. With God, I am loved even if I fail, even if I can’t always be strong enough or beautiful enough. In truth, it is His love that makes me beautiful in time.




8. He receives with gladness everything I offer Him

Other people may not need what I can offer them. Others may be too proud to accept help from someone like me. But God, even in all His greatness and glory receives with gladness every little offering that comes from me.

He knows what I can do. He knows the love with which I’ve made the gift I’m offering Him. And He receives the same with love and gladness, He honors me by receiving and appreciating all that I do for Him.




9. He directs my path and leads me back whenever I go astray

If I were the only one who’s trying to maintain my relationship with God, I’d be in great trouble. I know my limits and imperfections. I know how often I change my mind and lose heart.

But God is so good. He cares for His sheep, and He will not allow any to be lost or stolen away. Whenever I start to lose my way, He is there to remind me of His love. He pursues me. He lets me know how much I matter. He leaves the 99 sheep behind just so He can find me and take me gently upon His arms.







10. He saved me and gave me eternal life and lasting joy

Is there a greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for His beloved? There is no greater love, and this is just what God has done.

He could have just offered me the world and I would have been overwhelmed. He could have given me the entire galaxy, or a constellation of stars, but He did not stop there. I receive joy of the most precious kind, one that lasts unto eternity, one that comes from the offering Jesus made upon the cross – the offering of His own Self!

God’s love is like a mother’s love.  To a mother, each child is loved, each one important, each deserving to be saved and protected from all harm.  Even if a mother has ten children, it is not enough to save only seven,or even nine.  She has to save them all.  She cannot rest until she has saved them all!

Indeed, nothing can separate us from the love of God. His love for us does not only manifest with the material things He provides for us, nor in the relationships we have with the people we love. His love is greater and far surpasses all our needs and expectations.








(Romans 8 v 31-39 MSG) 
what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.








Saturday, April 25, 2015

A Modern day virtuous Lady





  Who is a Modern day virtuous lady? 

A virtuous lady is a Godly woman, She's someone that has the fear of God in her, She is obedient and submissive to God, She's a woman of value. She's a proverbs 31 woman. 
How can I be a Virtuous lady?
Here are some quotes that can really help the young ladies on how to be a modern day virtuous woman of God:





She's not only clothed with strength and dignity, 
Whenever she talks everyone listens because she talks with wisdom,
Knowledge and Understanding.





She knows she doesn't have to go naked to prove that she's beautiful
Or sexy, She knows that true beauty is from within and she can look 
beautiful and sexy all covered up.
She's a Woman of virtue.



She's a Woman of the Word! 
She meditates on the Word of God day and night.




She's a prayer warrior!
 she faces the future with confidence In her.





She obey's God's rules.





She's fearless



She's hard working,Productive,Godly,Wise,loving
Blessed, generous, strong etc. Name it all.


Her heart should be so rooted in God that if any man wants her for a wife,
He would have to seek God's help before getting her as a wife for She's a priceless 
and precious jewel.





She knows that her heavenly Father is the King of the Universe
She calls Him Father and He calls her Daughter!





Whenever trials and temptation comes, Instead of worrying, she thinks of the future and laugh at it.( James 1 vs 2-12)
Instead of falling, she wears the full armor of God( ephesians 6 vs 11-18)
She stands strong till the end.








She's a giver, She gives to the needy. Her hands are open to the poor.

She prays for her future Kids




She waits and prays for her future husband.







She's a Child of Light
A Blessed daughter of Zion!
Anytime she shares the word of God people are blessed! She wins souls for Christ(Mark 16 vs 15-18) She knows there's power in the word of God and she's willing to preach His word everytime. She believes that Jesus is Lord and The greater one resides in her( The holy spirit)(1 John 4 vs 4)

She knows her worth, she knows she doesn't have to mess around to get what she wants cause her heavenly Father is her comforter and provider and she puts her trust in God to lead her to the right man that will take her to the altar before having sex!