Leaving a Legacy

Main Scripture: A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children…

Music to meditate on: Leave a Legacy by Aaron and Jeoffrey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMNjaIXjwA)

Have you ever given thought about how your children, family, friends and community will remember you?

Today’s scripture tells us that a good person leaves an inheritance or legacy for their children’s children. Note that it did not just say children. Therefore whatever legacy you leave behind – negative or positive - will have an effect not just on your children but, on their children, their children’s children and many generations after them.

According to the Mirriam-Webster online dictionary a legacy is a:

·         gift by will especially of money or other personal property or,

·       something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.

As such, according to the second definition we all have the power to leave a legacy.  Ladies will your legacy be a good one or a positive one? Shannon L. Alder said “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you. “

I can remember at my father’s funeral, I looked on all of my siblings and thought that my father’s legacy was on all of our faces; wherever you see one of his children you see a smile, just like my father. He taught us to share, if he had one mango it would be shared for all of us, today we can call on each other for anything because he taught us to support and love each other in all circumstances.

Ladies, today I’m encouraging you to consider the legacy you are leaving for your generations. What will you carve on the hearts of others today?

Consider the following:

• ·         Are you a winner or a quitter
• ·         Are you a person who takes care of others, or do you lead a self-centered life
• ·    Is your  life one of great achievements, or a life with no ambition and goals
• ·         Do you have or desire to create money and great wealth, or do you have extreme debt from poor money management
• ·         Are you a successful business person, or a job hopper
• ·         Do you live a life of peace and self-confidence, or a life of fear, worry and anxiety
• ·         Do you foster a God-centered home, or a self-centered life - independent of God
• ·         Are you a person of encouraging words, or a person of gossip
• ·   Is your life directed by God’s principles, or by man’s principles, or by alcoholism, drug abuse or pornography
• ·         Are you a person who loves family time, or a person devoted to work
• ·   Is your life based on honesty, or a life of dishonesty or even illegal ventures
• ·         Are you a loving mother and father, or a parent who abandoned a spouse and child
• ·      Do you foster a loving family environment that will last a lifetime, or a life of quitting relationships when they get tough
• ·         Do you foster a happy home, or a broken home leading to a long distance relationship due to divorce and custody arrangements

I certainly would like to leave a good legacy for my generations to come; I have started by living a life directed by God’s principles. I also try to encourage everyone I impact to do the same and try to make a difference in the lives of others by inspiring them to realize their full potential.

Ladies, only you can decide what legacy you will leave behind, what you do today will affect the lives of many. Strive to leave a good legacy for the sake of generations to come.

Let’s Pray,

Lord God thank you for opening up our eyes today about what we pass on to our generation. Father, help us to leave a good legacy for our children so that generations to come will be affected in a positive way by that legacy.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Have a God Filled Weekend Ladies

Easter Devotional - The Defense Attorney

Main Scripture: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” 1 John 2:1

Song to meditate on: Here I am to Worship – Tim Hughes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEH50WnMvSQ)

The following is adapted from www.Bible-Knowledge.com.This little story will give you a very good mental view of how Jesus advocates for us as indicated in the scripture. It will also give a view of what we really have as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for all of us and paying the full penalty for all of our sins. I trust you will be blessed.

After living what I felt was a ‘decent’ life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house.

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the

defense table. As I looked around I saw the ‘prosecutor.’ He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, kind and

gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I

knew Him. The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room, I couldn’t take my eyes off of Him.

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, ‘Let us begin.’ The prosecutor rose and said, ‘My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell.’ He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t look at anyone, even my own

Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten

about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was

equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any

form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life – couldn’t that at least equal out part of the harm I’d done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, ‘This man belongs in hell, he is

guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can

prove otherwise.’

When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the

bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and

beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, ‘HI, DAD,’ and

then He turned to address the court. ‘Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won’t deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.’ Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, ‘However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.’ My Lord continued with, ‘His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me.

‘Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given

justice, but rather mercy.’

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said,

‘There is nothing else that needs to be done. I’ve done it all..’

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The

following words bellowed from His lips…..

‘This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full.

Case dismissed.’

As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, ‘I won’t

give up, I will win the next one.’ I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, ‘Have you ever lost a case?’

Christ lovingly smiled and said, ‘Everyone that has come to Me and asked

Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~ Paid In

Full.’

Let’s Pray

Thank you Lord for paying the price for our sins and thank you for being an advocate for us even though we might still sin. Thank you for your mercies and grace. I pray that everyone reading this devotional will ask you to represent them as an advocate.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Honouring Women

 Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity...

If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior...

If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women...

Mahatma Ghandi

Today, March 8 is International Women’s Day; it is a day that is celebrated in many countries around the world to recognize women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.The UN Theme for this year is A Promise is A Promise: End Violence against women.

All over the world many events are held to celebrate this day, in some countries it’s a national holiday. In some countries it is similar to Mother’s Day where children buy gifts for their mother and grandmother or Valentine’s Day where men buy roses and small gifts for their spouses.

What are you doing to celebrate being a woman today? Here is a suggestion; honour another woman today.

Honour another woman by:

Mentoring a Girl – Girls are the women of the future, they are the future mothers, aunties, grandmothers and teachers however so many of our girls are neglected, abandoned, abused and taken for granted. Honour a future woman by mentoring a girl, whether she is a family member or not.

Show appreciation to a woman that has made an impact on your life in a positive way – This could be your mother, sister, teacher or friend. Give the person a handwritten thank you card, or buy a small gift for this person today. Honour a woman by letting her know that you love and appreciate her for her positive impact on your life.

Do something kind for a woman in need – This can be a kind word, a smile, a meal, a few dollars to assist with a need or you may pray with someone. Honour a woman by letting her know you care about her today.

To all the women reading today, I honour you!!!

Let’s Pray,

Father, Creator of this world, I thank you today for all the women who are reading today. Father I pray a special blessing over their lives today, I pray for a life of peace, contentment, joy and happiness for all of them.

In Jesus Name

Amen 

Have a God Filled Day Ladies

Crazy Dreams

Scripture Reading:  Genesis12:1-4

 Main Scripture: Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: Gen 12:1-2 (KJV)

Worship Song to meditate on:  No Limits, No Boundaries - Israel and New Breed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgSH3HwHpzE)

Do you have a dream or an idea that you consider out of this world? Are you afraid to tell others because you are afraid that they might say you are crazy? Have you shared that dream with someone and they told you that it’s impossible?

Today’s scripture tells us about one such man, Abram - A man who must have been considered crazy when he told his family and peers that God spoke to him. God told Abram to come out from among his people and He would make him father of many nations. He heard from a God that no one could see. As such, he must have been considered crazy.

Abram’s family worshipped idols and was used to seeing and touching a physical, tangible God. However, Abram obeyed God and today; we can see the manifestation of many nations through Isaac and Ishmael just because he followed his “crazy dreams” and listened to “the voice” in his head. He trusted God and God kept His promise.

Many great inventors and voyageurs were laughed at or considered crazy when they shared their ideas with others. Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor who was known as the father of long distance radio transmission. He developed Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. He was taken to a psychopathic hospital by his friends and examined when he announced that he had discovered a principle through which he could send messages through the air, without the aid of wires, or other physical means of communication. (Irshad, Info Barrel Technology)

The problem is that, people usually close their minds to things they can’t see. However, the bible encourages us to live by faith and not by sight. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “… faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Mohammad Irshad author of InfoBarrel Technology said that “creativity can be undertaken if you take your mind to limits beyond the ordinary visible extremes.”

Even though the economic situation does not seem favourable, as far as the eyes can see, all roads lead to failure and the people around you are telling you that your ideas are crazy or what you set out to do is impossible. Ladies I am encouraging you today to trust the small voice in your head that tells you that you can do the impossible and that you are great. Believe in yourself, think big, make the first step and take the limits off God. Like, Abraham trust Him, you might have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky in your loins.

Let’s Pray

Father of all dreams and impossibilities, we thank you for blessing us with great ideas and dreams. We trust you Lord to take the limits off. Cause us to take our minds beyond what we can see in our finances, in our marriages, in all our endeavours and all desires.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Have A God Filled Day Ladies