Its time for the people of God to be Heads and not the tail,if you agree with me please join me on a conference call tonite 9pm eastern time.Its time to be in business for yourself but not by yourself,the people of God need to stick closely together, and we can rise together,if the world can go hand in hand why cant the children of God.641-715-3777 passcode-810062. If you are gonna attend please comment.

Jonah 2:2
and he said, I called out of my distress to the LORD , And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

On whose terms?

Lets consider a couple of hit songs from country singer Carrie Underwood. In Jesus, Take the Wheel, she sings about a young mother whose car is sliding on an icy road, and just as she is about to crash she cries out for Jesus to save her. Jesus, take the wheel, she sings, take it from my hands cause I cant do this on my own.

In Before He Cheats, Underwood sings the lyrics of a scorned woman and what she did to her unfaithful boyfriend. While he was off romancing another woman, she was demolishing his car, slashing its tires and leather seats, scratching the paint on its doors, and smashing its headlights with a baseball bat. Maybe next time, she sings, hell think before he cheats.

Both songs resonate with people. Who hasnt cried out to God in desperation, and who hasnt plotted revenge on those who have hurt us? And yet it seems that we want to have it both ways. Why do we sing Jesus, take the wheel but not Jesus, take the bat?

We are too much like Jonah. He begged God to take the wheel of his life when he was swallowed by a huge fish (2:1), but he also wanted to hold on to the bat and take a few swings at his enemies in Nineveh.

When they repented and God relented, Jonah angrily complained to God, Didnt I say before I left home that You would do this, Lord? . . . You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! (Jonah 4:2-3).

Likewise, we want Gods help, but on our terms. We want God to forgive and rescue us, but we reserve the right to smash the headlights of those who have sinned against us.

God wont be played. If you have given Him the wheel of your life, hand over the bat.

Biju Thampy, a young man from India, knew poverty. When an unidentified benefactor sent him to England to be trained for the ministry, Thampy was unwilling to rest in comfort. Hungry for the realization of the Great Commission, he asked the school officials to use part of the funds from his meal provisions for missions. For him, eating only one meal a day was a small price to pay. Today, his church in Mumbai feeds approximately 1,000 children each day while teaching them the gospel. An amazing feat, but only a fraction of the citys more than 200,000 homeless children.

The world teaches us to measure our contentment based upon our circumstances. We not only live in a gotta have it culture, but one telling us have it your way. If something you buy doesnt work the way you want it to, return it. If a relationship doesnt work, let it go. If your job isnt what you wanted, find a new one. If you feel something is missing in your life, a person or material thing can make you happier. We refuse to do without.

We will always have needs, things we want, or desired improvements in our relationships. Trying to find answers in our circumstances leaves our hearts indecisive about Gods provision (James 1:5-8). Only Christ can fulfill what we truly need. Godly contentment goes beyond circumstances.

Contentment doesnt just happen. Its a choice that begins by seeing things from Gods perspective (Job 28:24). When we see Him as our source, our needs become defined by His heart. We choose: • To trust in the Lord above things, people, and situations (Philippians 4:6-7). • To pull our thoughts toward what really matters (v.8). • To look at what we have, instead of what we dont have and to see Christ as our source of satisfaction

Whats in a name?

Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, mused Juliet in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Its evident that Juliet was not Hebrew. For the people of ancient Israel felt that the meaning behind a persons name was vitally important. Parents carefully chose a name based on the personality, characteristics, or character that they saw in their child, or what they hoped would be true of their son or daughter.

When Jesus first called Simon to be His disciple, the fisherman was known for his rash and reckless ways—a shifting-sand kind of person. Later, Jesus changed Simons name to Peter, which means rock. It took a while, however, for Peter to live up to his new name.