GOOD LIFE

WHAT MATTERS

7/24/2015

Dr. C. Branker

People who trust in God live happier lives. 

 Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that people who are religious live longer, healthier, and happier lives. They are more successful financially; their marriages are better and more nurturing; they are more optimistic, less stressed out, and more satisfied with the direction of their lives said  Mary Matthews.

Psalm 5:11." But let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; let them shout for joy, because you defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in you. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

DCB.

BLOOM WITH GLORY

WHAT MATTERS

7/23/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

As humans, we need to always remember our mortality.

For, "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall. 1Peter 1:24.

Yes, we should remind ourselves that all flesh will die. We hear of sickness and death everyday all around us, but we do not like to face the reality of becoming the victim of death.

I watch certain flowers in my garden bloom early in the morning, but falls off and die at the end of the day. In its bloom, it is colorful, glorious and tender; yet meets its doom the same day.

The scripture reminds us as being the same as the flower. 

Only our Creator knows the end of our days, let us display His glory on the earth as His sons and daughters.

DCB.

ENVY NOT

WHAT MATTERS

7/22/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Envy is described as a complex and puzzling emotion. 

It is said to be a  painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. It can also grow into a deep seated  dislike and hatred for that person. The bible has many verses on envy and jealousy, and the destructive path to where it leads. Proverbs 6:34, "For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge." God directs our path and fulfill all His promises, there is really no need to envy when you know that you are His child. He loves us all the same and withholds no good things from us, especially the things that are purposeful to our destiny.

Trust the Lord day by day, and He will sustain you in every situation. Matthew 6:33-34.

DCB.

EMBRACE YOUR DREAM

WHAT MATTERS

7/21/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

 Dreams are not usually realized at same location received.

One of the greatest things we are given in life, is a dream unfolding our purpose. This therefore has to be divine; as only The Creator will know the reason for our life.

Dreams are being fulfilled every day in lives across the world. However, dreams do die or go unfulfilled if we allow it to happen. 

Here are some things that can ruin your dream.

  1).  Not keeping it alive in your heart

  2).  Sharing it with others who are jealous of you and don't support you.

  3).  Worrying about the cost and not making small steps working it.

  4). Giving up and loosing hope when you're in a temporary bad situation.

  5). Not praying and meditating over it.

  6). NOT WILLING TO RELOCATE.

      DCB.

TESTING GIVES US RESULTS

WHAT MATTERS

7/20/2015

Dr. C. Branker

The need for training and discipline never stops.

Have you noticed in every human being, doesn't matter the age; there is a confession of some thing in their life they are working on!!

Whether changing eating habits, the need to exercise or just something that needs to change.

Most of the times, someone else has to inspire or work with an individual to get it done.

By nature, we are not volunteers for change.

God knows this well. The purpose of testing is to strengthen our character and deepen our commitment to  Him. Abraham test was to perform human sacrifice which God himself condemned as a terrible sin. ( Leviticus 20: 1-5 ). Nevertheless God tested him to know his heart.  We all can examine ourselves by the word of God and allow His Spirit to purge us as we please Him in our daily walk. Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. ( Lev: 20 vs 7.)

DCB.

EXERCISE CONTROL

WHAT MATTERS

7/17/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Lack of authority breathes waywardness.

One of the sins of parents today, is lack of authority over their children's lives. Parents bargain and become friends with their little ones; hence we see so many uncontrolled children in the grocery store, the mall, church, and every other place the are taken. This is contrary to God's way of parenting.

If you want to raise intelligent and God- loving children, this modern way of parenting must stop. Authority in parenting is lacking. Unless parents understand the God- given authority they have for children, they will raise children they can't even enjoy and who will bring them to shame.

Remember, your child could just be a Samuel or a Moses, you are just the vehicle for preparing the child. If you fail, in this responsibility; repent.

Before Abraham got children, God said this about him, "For I know him, and he will command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him".

Your children are God's children. Teach and demonstrate authority today.

Use authority well, don't use it as punishment, but loving kindness and care.

DCB.

IMAGINE IT IS DONE

WHAT MATTERS

7/16/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

Working together generates power, while strife and discord hinders the project.

As I looked on the faces of the men and women as the television broadcasted the Fly-by of the space craft New Horizon to Pluto, I saw beaming  smiles with excitement and jubilee.

Imagine, each team member celebrated 9 birthdays while working together and waiting to see their efforts  pay off.  Seven, eight and nine year old children of these scientist are seeing the results of something their parents worked on before they were conceived.

Yes, there were difficult times and opinions flooded the moments for critical decisions to be made. Feelings were hurt and some ideas were not considered, but the team stayed committed to the mission. The team leader announced that the team will stay together and continue, working on more projects.

Get with your team Today,  Imagine and Plan your dream. ( Gen. 11:6.)

DCB.

WORK THE IMPOSSIBLE

WHAT MATTERS

7/15/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Can you imagine in the last 25 years , how many ideas and projects looked impossible.

Yet, the dreamers didn't give up nor squashed their plans.

Many things we see and use today were impossible; but people dare to persevere and make them realities. 

Right now, inventors are working on things that were impossible. In the future it will be in a store for sale to the public, and the world will know about it and accept it.

Whether it be pictures of Pluto send back to earth at the speed of light or a little hand held device technology cleared by the FDA for the treatment of insomnia, now being used in hospitals. Man was created to create. Keep dreaming of the impossible.

DCB.

FRIENDSHIP IS DIVINE

WHAT MATTERS

7/14/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Having good friends is a blessing from God.

Friendship today has taken on different meanings. Some people use friendship only to their own benefit. Others constantly drain friends of time and resources. Years ago, a friendship had a deeper and lasting purpose, which lasted for a lifetime. 

We all need friends, simply because the love shared is willful and not mandatory like a brother or sister. 

God has given us friends to enjoy good times and love; in times of trouble or sickness, they also bring comfort and hope. The need to show yourself friendly and make friends, is divine.

Someone will need your company and support soon. Be there for them. Proverbs 18:24

DCB.

ALL BLESSINGS COMES FROM GOD

WHAT MATTERS

7/13/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Receiving blessings from God, comes by  blessing God first.

Many Christians believe that their blessings are guaranteed and secure just by being a Christian. They quote the scripture that says, " God will give them the desires of their heart"

 Ps. 37: 4  However before that, we are to delight ourselves in the Lord first.

The psalmist David understood this principle as he wrote psalm 37:4

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple."

God will give us the desires of our heart, as we make Him our first desire also.

As we bless God, God will fulfill His word and bless us.

DCB.

 

DREAMS ARE YOUR GPS TO LIFE

WHAT MATTERS

7/10/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

Do not give up on your dreams. 

Alan Stern and Fran Bagenal has led a mission for years, to reach Pluto.

Days from now, on July 14th, NASA's probe New Horizon will be visiting the planet Pluto.

Pluto is 5,763,920,000 km. from the earth.  The world has been waiting nearly a decade for NASA's New Horizon's spacecraft to reach Pluto, and now for the first time since the planet was discovered in 1930, humans are about to get a closeup. 

Truly Knowledge has been increased to mankind to do all kinds of exploits. I remember when this space craft was lunched in 2006 from Cape Canaveral. I said to myself, this is impossible and in no way this space craft can travel through space for that long and still function to send back pictures.

Well, we are already seeing what no one has seen before. ; it set the record for the highest launch speed of a human-made object from Earth.

The dream of one, has become the dream of many and the reality to all.

Mark 9:23. "Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes."

DCB

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

WHAT MATTERS

7/9/2015

Dr. C. Branker

Who will control the use of  technology as it advances? 

 Millions of people around the world enjoy their smart phones and many personal gadgets daily.

The advancement is way beyond comprehension to my simple mind. Satellite, one of the most remarkable inventions by mankind, can transmit all sorts of radio signals, TV signals, and cellular signals around the planet at the speed of light. 

What scares me the most is biotechnology. Biotechnology is in the leading edge of  advancement by being able to clone animals, such as cows, sheep and mice.

The ability to alter the genetic make up of human beings and then fabricate one, will be one step closer to the "Man" himself. Being able to play the roll of God is something  no one is ready for. We cannot deny what is ahead, just look around and see how much has changed. God knows, the capability of man, He didn't make man stupid. Man discovered the unknown in the garden of Eden, and he will do it again.  " Behold the man has become like one of Us to know good and evil". Genesis 3:22. 

The only difference in mam cloning man, is a man without a soul.

DCB.

SELF EMPOWERMENT

WHAT MATTERS

7/7/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

Self- Empowerment is the ability to use all that you already have, and motivation stirs your ability to perform.

 Self- Empowerment is also Self- Employment; even if you're working for someone else.

Every once in a while people need the encouragement to stir their performance because what they are producing have not been accomplished by any one else in that style or fashion.

We all have gifting and talents for the purpose of living our lives, and what we produce is necessary for ourselves and others.

Your gift can change the world, as others have done in Technology and so many things.

You're a flame about to blaze a trail and destiny for others. Fan your Flame.

DCB.

ANGER DESTROYS KINDNESS

WHAT MATTERS

7/7/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who riles his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32.

There are some who are  harsh on the outside, sensitive on the inside.

Often the pain that fosters a spirit of anger comes from the rejection of a parent or another person. Anger then becomes a shield that an individual hopes will protect him from the pain of further rejection, yet the person still has an intense longing for acceptance and approval. When he begins to sense disapproval from someone, he tends to quickly reject that person out of fear of being rejected. Many people suffer from social rejection. Social rejection occurs when an individual is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or social interaction for social rather than practical reasons. Anger destroys Kindness.

DCB.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

WHAT MATTERS

7/6/2015

Dr. C. Branker

One of the greatest thing we can use our mind and will- power to do is Hope.

Hope and Faith work together, but they are different.

Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. 

What is the difference between Faith and Hope –

 Faith means trust and hope means anticipation. Sometimes faith means loyalty and hope means optimism.

We use faith to believe for things, but hope is necessary for life at large.

Everyday we are hoping subconsciously. We are hoping for answers to prayers, checks, business opportunities, spouses, dreams to be fulfilled and many other things.

We really don't understand how important it is to hope. Strangely so, that a person can loose faith but still have hope. Pay attention to the things you hope for and don't give up.

KEEP HOPE ALIVE! 

DCB.

BELIEVE GOD CAN SAVE THIS GENERATION

WHAT MATTERS

7/3/2015

Dr. C. Branker.

No one knows to what level the decline in morality will drop in this world.

So many believe, that God will step in anytime now and bring an impending judgement; others believe it is overdue. Whatever we believe, God's grace and Spirit is here to save and deliver.

The same way God has rescued millions over the centuries, He will do the same with the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The same Spirit that delivered others, can and will do the same for this generation.

Some says it is too far gone for help; but the word says, "Romans 5:20.  Where sin abounds, Grace abounds more."

There is no sin too vile and wicked that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse and forgive.

1 Corinthians. 6: 8-11 reminds us of our cleansing by His Spirit. Let us do good and share this gospel of love and deliverance to everyone so they too can be cleansed and sanctified.

DCB.

GIVING GUARANTEES LIVING

WHAT MATTERS

7/2/2015

Dr. C. Branker

You can live a life by what you earn, but you can only enjoy living by what you give.

One of the purposes of giving is longevity and divine sustenance. 

A heart of giving, comes with the promise that you will receive the reward.

 The tree that does not bear, does not stay in the garden long. Even though God is merciful and long-suffering; He gives an unfruitful tree time to recuperate. 

Giving is the nature of God. Every thing God has made, gives back in some form. The sea, the mountains, the valleys, and every living creature.

The salvation of the earth will be completed, when there are no more starving children and no homeless families. Not because there is not enough resources on the planet, but the people who have them; share.

Jesus said according to Acts: 20:35. " It is more blessed to give than to receive."

DCB.

BE COURAGEOUS

WHAT MATTERS

7/1/2015

Dr. C. Branker

The Lord retreats to no enemy.

Read More>>> www.artostoday.blogspot.com.

Recently I saw a documentary of a full grown lion getting a drink of water, as a crocodile came to the waters edge to make an attack.

I have seen many animals fall prey to crocodiles many times before on television; but this was completely different. The lion, with its mouth low to the water and a fixed position, never moved when he saw the crocodile. He made a deep, soft growling sound, that penetrated the water and caused the crocodile to retreat. I WAS AMAZED!!!!

Then I realized what the scriptures says about the lion. Proverbs 30:30. " A lion which is mighty among the beasts, and does not turn away from any".

So is Jesus; He is The Lion of the tribe of Judah, and He retreats to no enemy!!!

Read Deuteronomy 28:7

DCB.