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by Luke KincaidThere may be times in this life where we have to make a choice that will see us obeying what God has commanded and which will go against what people may expect of us. These situations are not always comfortable because they may see us losing favor with people or life becoming more difficult in some way. While reading through Acts today I came across the following account: 25 Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the commander went with the servants and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them. 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 “Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted this man to his right hand as ruler and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” – Acts 5:25-32I can only imagine how intimidating this situation may have been. Imagine standing in front of one of the most powerful people and being reprimanded by them for not obeying a direct command which was issued to you. But I love how Peter and the apostles respond with such a powerful statement, “We must obey God rather than people.” They stood their ground and showed that they were willing to go against the authority of the Sanhedrin because the Sanhedrin was in direct opposition to God. And even though they escaped possible death there were still severe consequences for the stand that they made:40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name. 42 Every day in the temple, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. - Acts 5:40-42Their obedience led to each apostle receiving 39 lashes – you can only imagine how much pain they were all in. But they did not allow this to impact their witness as they continued to share the gospel even after this encounter with the Sanhedrin! I am so grateful for the example these disciples set and they give me courage to stand up for God’s standard in situations where others may be against it. Much Love,Luke

by Calven CelliersMy inspiration for today’s blog, is the rapport my Gran has with a little visitor that pops by her apartment at least twice a day. Without fail, her bright yellow friend, a Southern Masked Weaver, comes for his fill of bread. He sits on the wall of the balcony of her apartment, and loudly chirps, until she favourably responds to his demands with a few small pieces of bread, that she lovingly places in a neat little row on the wall, and then whistles and chats to him while he carefully watches her and fills his belly. Watching this daily exchange is quite something to behold. The other morning as I sat, a silent witness to this ritual, it got me thinking about Jesus' words in the Gospel of Matthew: “6Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (Matthew 6:26NLT) Immediately I started humming one of my favourite old hymns, “When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He; oh, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me. I sing because I’m happy…”For many these have been very challenging and difficult days, with a lot of uncertainty and resultant stress. It might do all of us good to spend some time watching birds. If not every day, then at least every now and then we need to take the time to observe and remind ourselves how well our feathered friends are cared for. They literally do not know where their next meal is coming from yet, as Joyce Meyer reminds us, she has ‘never seen a bird sitting on a tree branch having a nervous breakdown due to worry.’Sometimes we may feel like God must have His attention elsewhere and He didn't see that problem that came up. Don't fret. Just as God sees all the little birds and cares for their needs, so too He sees all you are struggling with today. He wants you to know that He loves you with His everlasting love. He wants you to know that He alone knows all about you and every hope and dream you hold so dear. He alone knows the issues in your life. He alone knows the way it will all turn out. Pray or worry — those are your options as a child of the living God. His Word clearly tells us “17 pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and “25…do not worry about your life…” (Matthew 6:25). When you worry you tend to try and take control. And when that happens peace goes out the window! Worry is like a snowball; it starts small, and as you keep rolling it forward it becomes big enough to bury you. All that’s necessary to keep a stationary train from moving forward are two six-inch blocks of wood, but once it builds up a head of steam it will crash through a six-foot-thick…

Guest Postby Jeffrey WillemsDoes anyone of you like pain? Most people will say no! Some people will even say they hate pain, but I do not believe that is entirely true. I believe people hate pain that has no purpose.Some people even pay money to experience pain with a purpose. For example: Running in a marathon. Your body goes through tremendous pain and discomfort however you also experience the fulfilment and joy of achieving a goal. Think about pregnancy and childbirth. There is no shortage of pain and discomfort in that process, but we gladly go through with it when we know there is a purpose. Many people pay for gym contracts and work hard to be in shape and build muscle. Now muscle size increases when a person continually challenges the muscles to deal with higher levels of resistance or weight. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy. Muscle hypertrophy occurs when the fibers of the muscles sustain damage or injury. The body repairs damaged fibers by fusing them, which increases the mass and size of the muscles. In other words, if you want big muscles be prepared to suffer pain! Personal trainers will usually use the saying "no pain no gain" to try and motivate you. So, People do not hate pain; they hate pain that has no purpose! 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (Romans 5:3-4 NLT)We don’t rejoice because we are facing trials, but we rejoice knowing that after the trial we will be stronger. Our spiritual muscles would have grown and developed because of the pain. No pain no gain. The stronger we are the more God can use us for His glory. Think of how pain prepared people in the Bible to become great men and women of God. Joseph was rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt, he was thrown into prison despite being innocent. However, these painful circumstances had a purpose. They grew him into an excellent leader, and he was able to save many lives during the 7 years of famine in Egypt. Israel is another example, they spent 40 years in the desert. They grew from a nation that never knew God, that always lost faith in him and would grumble and complain to become a strong nation that entered the promised land by conquering 31 kings in order to take possession of the promised land.None of us enjoy trials and tribulations but God is able to use them for a purpose. Maybe the pain you are going through is preparing you for the next stage of your life. God may be doing something in you before he does something through you.2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance…