Today's Turning Point with David Jeremiah

Seeing Only One Side

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
Psalm 13:1

Recommended Reading John 12:27-28

Directors of dramatic films often use a camera sequence that heightens the tension in a scene. Two enemies will be within feet of each other -- on opposite sides of a wall or on parallel streets in a city without knowing it. An aerial shot or split screen gives us, the viewers, the advantage of seeing both parties. But the actors are portraying extreme tension, not knowing where the other person is. 

That tension is what we feel sometimes when we can only see our side of the split screen without seeing God's side. We're in a situation of some sort -- trouble or danger is approaching -- and we cry out to God for His help and intervention. And either we don't hear immediately from God or we get an answer that is not what we wanted or expected. The problem is, we can only see our part of the drama. God is above it all and sees what we cannot. Consider the time the Israelites were delayed in reaching the Promised Land (Exodus 13:17-18), or the time the answer to Daniel's prayer was delayed for three weeks (Daniel 10:1-14) -- both delays were for good reasons.

If you are asking God for something and the answer is slow in coming, remember that you are seeing only one part of the equation. 

Hope is the foundation of patience. 
John Calvin 

LIFE

Life does not accommodate you, it shatters you. It is meant to, and couldn’t do it better. Every seed destroys its container or there would be no fruition.

F. Scott-Maxwell

EXPERIENCE

I've come to the conclusion over the years that some people drop out of religion because they expect the wrong things. Some people come to a church because they are looking for something they haven't been able to find or something missing in their lives. They become a Christian or become involved with a local church and expect their lives to suddenly be perfect, no more problems to face. No more attacks by Satan, suddenly their whole life should become easier with no more hassles. When that doesn't happen they just quit and give up on God.

People like this are kind of like a lady who was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family and was trying to get to the ones in the bottom of the freezer. A stock boy happened by and she asked, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

The stock boy thought she was asking for something unrealistic and far too often we do too. One of the things people fail to realize is that the peace we find in Christ is of a spiritual nature, which allows us to eventually find peace in our physical world. There are some people who can make that transition in understanding, growth if you will very quickly. Probably most people like this have already been striving to have a relationship with God. They can find a new peace that passes the understanding of most of the world, but most of us are not that way. We need time to mature in Christ from a new beginning and grow into what God intends. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:2, "Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers’ breasts, so that you may go on to salvation."

When we do that then we will find that peace in God for which we are looking. But the key is that God does expect us to grow, not just set in a church pew like a new born child laying in its mothers arms, never growing, never maturing. Paul writes about this in Hebrews 5:11-14 where he says, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

The bottom line is this; if you want to find peace in this world don't expect to find it quickly or easily. It comes to us when we give the Word of God time to grow and mature in our lives by putting to practice the things we find in it. We become as Paul said, "the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

(Messages From The Heart)

Blast from the Past.......

One time, in the late 80s, I had been assigned by my Ag. Director, NCPD Mr. Peter Ondieki to deliver a paper on Population & Planning to a Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization workshop at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri on his behalf (Don’t know if that Hotel is what became the Outspan Hospital? Never been back that side ever since). Now after doing my thing, I was relaxing in the Lounge in the evening taking the forbidden frothy liquids and got into a chat with my fellow imbiber in a huge Godfather hat and a full-size leather jacket. I told him that I was a Civil Servant and he informed he was a “sort of Robin Hood” as he takes from the rich and gives to the poor. He declined to elaborate further or even divulge his name except “Jimmy”. As I was seeing him off at the car park around 9.30 pm, (he was driving a sleek Range Rover) he informed me that being a struggling poor Civil Servant, he had left a gift for me at the counter. And true to his word, he had left me a crate of Pilsner! I enjoyed the booty with my GK “pilot” Okioma until ‘dangerous hours’. Bottom-line: God redeems and transforms even the utterly lost. The strongest drink I take today is a strong cup of black tea or mug of coffee.

Time Management Tips For Online Students

Time Management Tips For Online Students: One of the biggest challenges faced by online students is how to balance online study with their busy daily schedules. Read on for several important tips.

I DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE

Don't Judge People By Their Past Recently, I met a friend whom I had not seen for over 2 decades. I was so excited about seeing my old buddy that the first thing I said after greetings was that I needed a cup of tea. My idea was to have chat over a cuppa tea. But you see, my old friend saw me through the lens of what he knew of me ages ago. Then, my main worry was where the next glass (not bottle, but glass AND certainly NOT of tea) would come from. So he thought I was asking for a handout to go and quench my thirst. He actually handed me a 50 bob note AND even before I could protest or explain, he became "too busy" for a cup of tea with me, explaining he was meeting someone urgently. Later on, I met another friend who went to explain that he had earlier met our "mutual" friend who had come to see him about a small loan of 3k. Unfortunately, he could not be assisted due to "wrong timing". The amazing thing is that, had my long-lost friend sat down with me earlier on and disclosed his predicament, I would have easily helped him FOR when we met, I had just left the ATM over 15K richer and whatever I had intended to do with the money could be postponed indefinitely. BUT he preferred seeing me through the old lens. I would have told him that I DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE and that God redeems, even the worst of the prodigal sons.

The Offering (Author Unknown)

Here is a story about a nine year old boy who lived in a rural town in Tennessee. His house was in a poor area of the community. A church there had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one Saturday afternoon. The kid came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor. The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the small boy told him that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at home to take care of his little brother. The bus pastor couldn't believe what the kid said and asked him to repeat it. The youngster gave the same answer and the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him. They went into the living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs exposed. The bus pastor asked the kid, "Where do you go to church?" The young boy surprised the visitor by replying, "I've never been to church in my whole life." The bus pastor thought to himself about the fact that his church was less than three miles from the child's house. "Are you sure you have never been to church?" he asked again. "I'm sure I haven't," came his answer. Then the bus pastor said, "Well, son, more important than going to church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?" and then he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The young lad's heart began to be tenderized and at the end of the bus pastor's story, the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this free gift from God.The youngster exclaimed, "OF COURSE!" The kid and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus into his little heart and received the free gift of salvation. They both stood up and the bus pastor asked if he could pick the kid up for church the next morning."Sure," the nine year old replied. The bus pastor got to the house early the next morning and found the lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through the house and found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little boy and his brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a doughnut for breakfast on their way to church. Keep in mind that this boy had never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The little kid just sat there, clueless of what was going on. A few minutes into the service, these tall unhappy guys walked down to the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the kid, with utter fascination, watched them walk up and down the aisles. He still didn't know what was going on. All of a sudden, like a bolt of lightning, it hit the kid what was taking place. These people must be giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the free gift of life he had received just twenty-four hours earlier. He immediately searched his pockets, front and back, and couldn't find a thing to give Jesus. By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle and, with a broken heart, he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He finally let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see it passed down the aisle behind him. And then his eyes remained glued on the plate as it was passed back and forth, back and forth all the way to the rear of the sanctuary. Then he had an idea. This little nine year old boy, in front of God and everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about eight rows back, grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one more time. Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of. He took the plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said,"Jesus, I don't have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!"

Am I political?

Not necessarily. I am just conscious of the socio-political environment in which I am living in AND I certainly don't subscribe to burying my head in the sand, under the guise of leaving political matters to politicians alone. In a similar manner, I expect even politicians to engage in discussing and propagating the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are all preachers occupying different pulpits “Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god. ” ― Aristotle

What Does He Mean to You?

If the ONLY time you can shout "GOD HAS DONE IT!" is after a financial breakthrough, if HE ONLY means money to you, my friend, you need to SERIOUSLY re-look at your relationship with Him.

6 Ways to Boost your Income

Everybody would love to have extra money every month. Finding methods of getting that income boost doesn’t really have to be that hard; it only calls for one to become creative. Financial experts say it’s possible to boost your income while still at your current workplace or you could try and venture out of the box.

Below are six creative ways of how you can increase your personal income.

1.         Negotiating your salary

If you already got a job, the natural place to begin your quest is to ask your employer for a pay raise. Of course, this could be at times quite intimidating, but it pays to remember that asking has never hurt anybody. Seek a meeting with your boss and come prepared with several points on your accomplishments, the value you are adding to the team, and why you are convinced you deserve an income hike.

Advanced degrees and certifications are powerful tools when it comes to negotiating for a better package. Career experts indicate that these are becoming prerequisites if you want to advance in management positions. Therefore consider the possibility of continuing your education as a potential tool for boosting your income.

An additional tip while still on negotiating for better pay is by studying the job description for the post or position ahead of what you are currently holding, and then making sure you acquire the skill set required to perform that specific job.

2.         Start Online Freelancing

An online freelancer offers services to businesses and individuals. Freelancing is extremely flexible such that it’s possible to set your own working hours (part-time or full-time). As a freelancer, you will be working more like an independent online contractor or consultant. Options are many ranging from writing articles, blogs or technical documents.

Freelancing allows you the leeway of setting your own price, often much higher than what you would normally make as a full-time employee in an office. Today there are several well-designed online freelancing courses that can take your freelancing venture to the next level. A leading source of outstanding freelancing courses is Inkwell who have several ongoing courses. You can click on this link for more details or enrollment https://inkwelleditorial.teachable.com/?affcode=112086_adv_se67

3.         Become a mystery shopper

This is one line of side income which many don’t advantage of. When you get engaged as a mystery shopper, you will have the advantage of shopping to earn money instead of having to spend your own money. Big stores usually engage mystery shoppers who go into some pre-selected locations with the goal of scouting the store, members of staff and the experience. According to Yahoo News, it’s possible to be paid anything between $5 and $20 for paying a visit to a store, taking some specified actions while there such as purchasing a (reimbursable) item, and then filling out and submitting a report.

4.         Setting up your online shop

Perhaps you love painting, making jewelry or craft that family and friends are always keen about. Why not set up an online shop and sell your wares? What may be trash to you could be another person’s treasure. Try taking your memorabilia, spare clothing and other items you are not using anymore and put them for sale on eBay or set up a virtual closet. You could also host a garage sale or take your items to a consignment shop.

5.         Earn income off your vehicle

Perhaps you are not aware that in some countries you could get paid for simply putting paid advertisements on your personal car. Companies such as Free Car Media actually pay monthly if you agree to have an advertiser’s auto wrap placed on your car. It is also possible to rent out your parking spot in your garage or driveway or garage.

6.         Take up a second part time job

Odd jobs such as lawn care, house cleaning, babysitting, and pet sitting are all excellent methods of making easy and fast money. Talk to neighbors, family, and friends for referrals or put up some flyers in strategic areas in your area advertising your availability. You may also think about taking up part-time jobs such as a waiter, store attendant, bartender or nanny to earn some extra cash besides your regular 9 to 5 routine.

You can either take on temp jobs related or unrelated to your career. Writing for the ‘The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide’ Roy Cohen, author and career coach in New York advises that if for example, you are currently working in a publishing firm, you could request your employer to allow you to freelance for other outside clients. Personal interests and hobbies such as travel, fitness, real estate or gardening can lead to part time jobs at travel agencies, local gyms, nurseries or real-estate companies.

Perhaps you speak a second language, why not offer chargeable classes at your community center or local library? You could be great at math and start tutoring local kids in your community.

Conclusion

Boosting your income has many benefits for you and your family - mainly, the ability to afford a better quality lifestyle, and also the security brought about by better income especially during unexpected events. However, you must be ready to do what it calls for, such as sacrificing your relaxation hours or even going back to college.