DEVOTIONALS

LOVE AND MARRIAGE - DAY 1

God didn't give us expectations and roles within marriage to squelch our freedom. He just wants us to know the way life works best. This passage about love, respect, and submission doesn't always line up with contemporary thinking or modern practices, but we can be sure that the One who instituted marriage knows how to make it thrive. After you read this passage out loud together, talk about the part that is the most difficult for you to understand or to put into practice. Pray together that God will lead each of you to fill the role He has chosen for you in a way that brings glory to Him and honor to your spouse.

BIBLE PASSAGE : Ephesians 5:21-33

21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

HEARTPRINTS SUNDAY SPECIAL {22nd November, 2015}

A FAITHFUL GOD 

Psalm 91 is a Psalm about God's faithfulness. In this psalm we read that God is our refuge, He is our fortress, He saves is always the same. How have you experienced God's faithfulness throughout your life? Take time today to remember His faithfulness and how it has delivered you through the various stages of life. Thank God for His faithfulness and take comfort in knowing He will always be there for you

us, and He protects us. This Psalm boils down to one simple fact: God is always faithful no matter the circumstances. He is there when times are good and when times are not so good. He is even there when you don't feel like He is. Everybody's journey in life is different as they grow in Christ, but God's faithfulnes

MID-WEEK SPECIAL {18th November, 2015}

THE HOLYSPIRIT AND TECHNOLOGY

The Computer system is one of the amazing inventions of our current world and it has proven to be invaluable in our daily operations and activities. The Computer system has amazing capacity/potentials to process information (although input determines output – garbage in, garbage out). All that capacity will not see the light of day without power supply.

While the computer system is inanimate, we have a lot of lessons that can be learnt from its composition and operation. We have enough sense to connect our appliances and devices to power source and even recharge them often.

We constantly check our battery level and some of us go to the extent of doubling the battery capacity of our devices. As it applies to most of us, we spend fortunes to ensure that we are connected to (at least) one power source; we get power banks, UPS, Inverters etc. – all these underscore our need for constant power supply.

Acknowledging our composition and knowing who we are will enable us to discover and fulfil our purpose – we are spirits who live in earth-suits (known as bodies). Irrespective of the beauty and condition of your hardware, you know quite well that your software matters more! We respond (almost automatically) to requests informing us to upgrade our software for optimal performance; do we attempt to do same to our spirit? You gain sustenance and nourishment from your source; fishes get theirs from water, birds get theirs from the air and plants from the soil. These creatures know that a violation of the connection principle means danger, humans should take a cue to them and get wisdom!

To start with,

Ø  Have you checked your battery (spiritual) level today?

Ø  Do you have your charger (Bible) close to you?

Ø  Are you close to uninterrupted power supply (Holy Spirit)?

Ø  Is your software (prayer life) running on the latest version?

Ø  When was the last time you checked your system for virus?

Jesus said… “without me, you can do nothing”, make sure you are connected to your source and you will be nourished so that you can flourish.

Watch out for the concluding part or contact HeartPrints Planet

HeartPrints Sunday Special {15th November, 2015}

REDEMPTION

If you have received Christ as your personal Savior, then you are a new creation. "The old has gone and the new is here!" Over the past week you have been looking to your past to remember God's power, His faithfulness, those that God has used to develop you as a person, and the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us. Today, reflect on the words found in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 about the redemptive power of God's forgiveness. There is nothing more powerful, faithful, sacrificial, and life changing than the forgiveness God has given you through His son Jesus Christ. Today, remember the life change you experienced through God's forgiveness. Completely forget your old life and instead remember the day your life changed forever. Praise God and thank Him for new life in Christ

MID-WEEK SPECIAL {11th November, 2015}

WHY DID GOD DID THIS TO ME?

Here’s a question from a reader – an engineer.  (We’ll call him Bill)

“I’m at a job that I hate mainly because I feel like every day I’m set up to fail. There’s no job satisfaction. I go to work and try my best but the bosses and organization demand excellence in everything that we do. That is a good goal to have but there’s no way to accomplish all that needs to be and do it perfectly. ………So why would God place me in a situation like that for 8 years??”

Bill, be very careful about asking “why God put you in this place?” I certainly believe God is omnipotent – but I don’t think He micromanages the little details in our lives. I think our own decisions lead us to where we are. But that’s hopeful, because that means you can make new decisions that put you in a different place immediately. Don’t wait for supernatural movement — just start by seeing what you can do to move yourself in a new direction in the next 30-60 days.

When I found myself at the negative end of a business deal a few years ago with $430,000 owed to creditors I’m sure I could have asked, “Why did God do this to me?”  But instead, I looked back at the series of decisions I had made that put me in that position.  Yes, in reading Proverbs each day I was amazed to see the Biblical principles I had violated in getting me to that unfortunate crisis.  God had not done that to me.  I simply made decisions that resulted in that end result.  And that also meant that instead of just being miserable I was able to very quickly make decisions to walk out of that horrible experience.  

Sometimes we assume that our current situation reflects random, individual, disconnected events.  Or that God has put us in a situation where we are frustrated and set up to fail.  But seldom is either true.  Rather, we are where we are because each decision we make is a step in a particular direction.  And over time that direction determines our position in our work, our finances, our health, our relationships and our spiritual well-being.  If you think God did this to you, then it justifies doing nothing until God changes your situation.  And in doing nothing I see people open the door to blaming, resentment, anger, guilt and depression.  I think God deserves better from us.

You can look back and see how the path you have been following has gotten you to where you are.  If you don’t like the direction it is taking you, what are you willing to do to put yourself on a different path?

• Look at where you are now.  Look back 3 years and you can identify the decisions you made that put you right where you are today.
• Where do you want to be 3 years from today?  Are you willing to make the decisions to lead to that end result?

HeartPrints Sunday Special {8th November, 2015}

"The devil made me do it!" This is an excuse that many people use to justify falling into temptation or losing control. While it is true that the enemy is roaming the earth seeking people to destroy; it is also true that a Christ follower has the power of God living inside of them. Is it wrong to be tempted? Who is responsible when you give into temptation or lose control? Do you have some options when you find yourself in a tough situation? The Bible has many things to say about temptation and self-control. Dig in to find out for the next few weeks on HeartPrints Sunday Specials.

Today's Special:

James 1:13-15 ERV

Whenever you feel tempted to do something bad, you should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. You are tempted by the evil things you want. Your own desire leads you away and traps you. Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death.

To be continued next week.