UncategorizedFebruary 21, 2009 6:15 pm
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. (Acts 27:20, ESV) We live in a society looking for quick fixes. As a result everybody claims to have the cure or solution for something. Got aches and pains? Take a prescribed combination of medicine and/or natural supplements and you’re better. Bored? Take a spin in an off-road SUV. Out of shape? Try "Ten Steps to a New You." Wanna get married? Read one of the thousands of books on "How to Find Mr/Miss Right in Six Months or Less." With so many answers out there, we’d like to think everything has a solution. We don’t like not knowing how to deal with a problem. As soon as trouble strikes, we search out the latest and greatest remedies. If we can’t find it, we get frustrated and discouraged. Yet this was the situation that faced Paul and his shipmates. The ship appeared to be at the mercy of the wind and waves. There was no rescue in sight. Fear and hopelessness crept in because they had no obvious answers to their problem. But this situation was exactly what it took to realize that God doesn’t need earthly means to rescue us. His solutions are way above our temporary fixes. God knows the best way to expose our helplessness is to keep hidden the visible and tangible answers. Life can be overwhelming at times, especially when you see no way out. But God’s specialty is rescue missions. And He passionately wants us to come to Him first instead of going to the Internet, self-help books or any other "answer bank." God is the answer, and we will find incredible peace when we allow His timing and His wisdom to work through our problems. it is not about religion. it is about relationship to HIM
Key Passage: Acts 17:13-26
Topic: God’s Care; Pain/Suffering
Vicks VapoRub can harm children under 2
Vicks VapoRub, a common cold remedy, can cause respiratory distress in children under 2 when inappropriately applied directly under the nose, US researchers said on Tuesday.
They said using the Procter & Gamble Co product in this way can cause a young child’s tiny airways to swell and fill with mucus, triggering severe breathing problems.
"The only problem we’ve seen is in a small child when it has been put under the nose," Dr. Bruce Rubin of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, said in a telephone interview.
Rubin said the ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway. And since infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of an adult, any increase in mucus or swelling can narrow them severely.
"The company is really clear it should never go under the nose or in the nose for anybody and it shouldn’t be used in children under 2," said Rubin, whose study appears in the journal Chest.
While the researchers only tested the Vicks product, Rubin said similar products, including generic versions, could cause the same negative effects in infants and toddlers.
Rubin and his colleagues began looking at use of the medication after treating an 18-month-old girl who developed respiratory distress after the salve was put under her nose.
They studied ferrets, which have an airway anatomy similar to humans. In the animals with a chest infection, the product increased mucus secretion and decreased the animal’s ability to clear mucus.
"We were able to document changes that we think explain this," Rubin said.
David Bernens, a spokesman for P&G, said the finding came as a surprise. "Vicks VapoRub has been proven safe and effective through multiple clinical trials. It has been in the market for over 100 years," Bernens said, noting that the label says the product should not be used in children under age 2 without a doctor’s advice, and not under the nose.
"We warn people not to do that," he said.
Since the initial episode, emergency doctors at the medical center have begun asking all parents of children in respiratory distress if they used the Vicks product in a similar way and they have seen two more cases, Rubin said.
"I recommend never putting Vicks in, or under, the nose of anybody — adult or child," Rubin said in a statement, adding that he would never use it in a child under age 2.
Dr. James Mathers, president of the American College of Chest Physicians, said in a statement that parents should consult their doctor before giving any over-the-counter medication to infants and young children, particularly cough and cold medications, which can be harmful.
credits: abs-cbnnews
How to pray without ceasing — a heart attitude
What does it mean to pray without ceasing?
How can I pray without ceasing? Praying without ceasing is a biblical term found in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Thessalonica: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). The Greek word "without ceasing" means continuous action. Therefore, “praying without ceasing” means to pray continuously.
Here are some ways to guide us to pray without ceasing..
- How does one pray continually? We cannot always be on our knees. With the daily demands on our busy lives, we are fortunate to kneel in prayer even a few minutes each day. However, the context of this passage gives us a clue. This passage focuses on heart attitude. "Rejoice always" is an attitude of joyfulness. Giving thanks in everything also requires a mental attitude of thankfulness. How do we rejoice and give thanks? Through prayer! Therefore, effective prayer is a proper heart attitude: a mental outlook of joyful thanksgiving. It expresses itself throughout the day with silent prayers of vital communication with the LORD.
- Maintaining a healthy relationship requires communication. Always be "on line" with God so when the Spirit moves you to pray, you can instantly agree with Him. The Holy Spirit prays for us with inexpressible groans (Romans 8:26). When in agreement with the Spirit, we are praying continuously. The heart attitude of praying without ceasing means an ever-open heart to the Lord’s leading.
- If we are praying without ceasing — even while driving, changing the baby, washing dishes, or running a lawn mower — we can be open to the leading of the Spirit when He urges us to pray for something or someone. At that time, we can agree with God and make a mental note to add that concern to our later prayer time.
- Praying without ceasing doesn’t take the place of time alone in prayer with God. However, it is a joyful experience to unite with the LORD who lays burdens on our hearts. We can’t always stop and kneel, but our heart attitude can still be "praying without ceasing."
Praying without ceasing is sometimes really difficult when it seems like God is not answering…
source: http://www.allaboutprayer.org
Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. (Acts 23:16, ESV) A raging flood trapped a man in his house. On his knees, he desperately prayed for God to save him. At that moment, his neighbor in a canoe came up to the second story window and cried, "Get in!" "No, go without me," the man replied, "God will save me." The waters rose and forced the man to his roof. A rescue helicopter buzzed in and lowered a rope ladder. "Climb up!" the pilot shouted. "Save someone else," the man yelled back, "God will save me." Eventually the floodwaters swept him away and he drowned. While this man was confident of God’s rescue, he had real trouble recognizing God’s methods. Paul was also waiting confidently for a rescue. After all, God promised him that he would testify for God in Rome. So Paul wasn’t worried about the Jew’s plot to kill him, he just didn’t know what method God would use to rescue him from prison. Maybe it would be with an earthquake, like the one which freed him and Silas in Philippi (See Acts 16). Maybe he’d get an angel escort like Peter experienced (See Acts 12). In this case, God chose to use Paul’s nephew and the tribune to save Paul from the murderous plot. God could have sent an angel. He could have rained down fire on the 40 men waiting in ambush. He could even have snatched Paul away and dropped him directly in Rome. But Paul was wise enough to recognize God’s plan and act on it. And don’t miss the example of Paul’s nephew. When he heard about the plot to kill his uncle, he didn’t worry about whether or not he was the right person to expose it, he just did it. Maybe God’s calling you to rescue a neighbor or a friend today. Sure, God could appear to them like He did to Paul (Acts 9). But if God’s given you the words to say, don’t let anything stop you from sharing them.
Key Passage: Acts 23:12-22
Topic: Christian Living; God’s Care
Uncategorized, spiritual aspectDecember 29, 2008 2:49 am
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38, ESV) The wait is over! That’s what Anna told people. She must’ve been quite a sight–an elderly lady, trembling with excitement, eager to tell everyone she met that God’s promise of a Messiah and king was about to be fulfilled. Anna was about 84 years old. During those years, she’d seen it all–joy and sorrow, blessing and tragedy, loneliness, heartache, loss. She knew about injustice and compassion, the terrible things people suffered and what they inflicted on others. She also knew God had promised One who would take care of the problems. And she chose to live her days in God’s house, worshiping Him, fasting and praying, waiting for His solution. Then one day, Anna picked up a new task. A new message to give to everyone she met. To tell people that hope and help were on the way. All the years of waiting were over because Jesus had come! That day, hope and salvation looked like a baby in his mother’s arms. But Anna recognized this baby was sent by God to rescue His people. And she couldn’t keep the news to herself! Have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? Have you seen Him keep His promises? The pages of the Bible are full of God’s fulfilled promises. And it’s up to us to tell the world. To let the people we meet know that God rescues us. That Jesus has come to take up residence in our lives. That the wait is over!
The Wait is Over
Key Passage: Luke 2:36-40
Topic: Joy; Hope; Jesus; Bible Characters
spiritual aspect, personal favoritesDecember 7, 2008 2:41 pm
"Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:7-9, ESV).
Here’s the story: A group of Christ-followers gathered to discuss whether or not people of other races can be saved–that is, forgiven of all their sins and enter into a personal relationship with God.
The main issue was a racial one. You see, the Jews were God’s "chosen people." Everybody else, called Gentiles, were not "chosen." So according to the Jews, Gentiles couldn’t be saved (unless they converted to Judaism).
But God had a different idea. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, salvation is available to all who believe in Him and follow Him. God knows the hearts of people, as Peter said.
And it is the heart of a person, not their skin color or their ethnicity, that makes the difference when it comes to salvation.
So, what about you and me? We can’t save people. But we can learn that since God doesn’t make a distinction based on race, then neither should we.
Acts 15:1-21
spiritual aspect, personal favorites 2:37 pm
My favorite inspirational song today.. This is sung by Casting Crowns..
Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.
Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
‘Cause I am yours.
I am yours.
