A fresh start is always desirable but it takes discipline to maintain it for the long haul. When unexpected things creep up, how we handle these matter a lot.

In the parable of the seed and the sower, Jesus describes a similar situation. Mark 4:16, 17 (AMP): “And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy; And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.”

It’s normal that we encounter different good and not-so-good stuff along the way. When everything is going fine, it’s rather easy to move forward (though for some, moving forward is difficult at this point since they don’t want to lose easiness!). But when the pressure starts mounting up, some doubt their desire and ditch it at the door!

The Scripture exhorts us, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2 MSG)

How do we handle pressure?

1. Have a proper understanding about pressure. This is very important. One can simply talk against pressure, but surely it’s going to come. Another one can simply ignore pressure, but surely it’s going to overtake. It’s better to acknowledge the presence of pressure and then learn how to handle it right.

2. Use pressure to your advantage. Just like an airplane exploits air pressure to get itself lifted up off the ground and fly high, we got to learn how to exploit pressure to fly high! A great example of this is how Jesus, amidst severe pressure during His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, did a ‘miracle surgery’ for the one who lost his right ear during the fight! (Luke 22:49-51)

3. Know that during times of pressure, you are maturing! This is exactly what the Scripture says as mentioned above (James 1:2). We are not losing during pressure; we are only gaining! We aren’t breaking during pressure; we are, in fact, growing!

Read the article: Don’t Judge Life By One Difficult Season

The next time you encounter ‘Mr. Pressure’, tell ‘him’ you were waiting to exploit ‘him’ utterly!

Remember: You must learn to exploit pressure in order to start 2012 afresh.

Question: What are some of the great lessons you learned on handling pressure? Add your comments in the comments section below. In the next post, we are going to deal with the ninth step in this series.

- – - written by Joe Abraham from www.joeandancy.com

God gives personal revelation to some people.

The church has studied and often accepted the personal revelations given to saintly people over many centuries. The approach of the church to personal revelation is one of guarded scrutiny. The saints have often revealed their visions to their confessors and superiors in total obedience. If the superior told the saint not to reveal their visions to anybody else, the saints obeyed it without questioning. They practiced the virtue of obedience to the Holy mother church in all matters.

Examples of Personal Revelation

Take for example the visions and revelations of Teresa of Avila. She followed the instructions of her confessors and superiors in all matters without questioning. If a vision is from God, it will come to pass and no force on earth can stop it. If it is a vision of wishful imagination, it will die without ever producing any fruits.

Look at the visions of Joseph, the Patriarch. His visions were true and his brothers came to see him in Egypt and accepted his dominion over them, exactly the way as it was prophesied. Joseph was immature when he had the dream. He told his brothers about his visions. Joseph’s dream enraged his brothers. They burnt with jealousy and threw Joseph in the pit and sold him as a slave. Joseph lived as a slave, and was later accused as a molester of his master’s wife. Joseph was put in the prison for no fault of his own.

The experiences in the pit, the seductions of Potipher’s wife or the life in the dungeons of Egypt did not stop Joseph from becoming the master of Egypt. The dream of Joseph was from God and no creature on earth could stop the dream of the creator for his beloved Joseph. A personal revelation is also a test of obedience from God.

What to do when you receive a Personal Revelation

First, subject the vision to the authority of the word of God in the bible and see if it is compatible with the gospel. Secondly, subject the vision to the authority of the church and see if it is compatible with the teachings of the church. Thirdly, humble yourself before God and never show off to men about your vision. Visions do not make any one holy. You become holy when your life is offered as a living sacrifice to Jesus.

When a corn of wheat dies it will bring out more fruits. When you abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in you, you will start showing the character traits of the son of man. You are the branch and Jesus is the true vine. The branch can do nothing on its own. It is totally dependent on the vine for sap and sustenance. Jesus himself had told his disciples not to feel elated on seeing Satan fall from heaven at their command, but to feel happy that their names were written in the book of life.

Our words have power. The words we utter in total faith and surrender to the promises of Jesus can shake the forces of hell. We, by faith, can pray for healing and deliverance from the forces of oppression and it will come to pass. We should never get pumped up when we see the power of the living word of God. On the contrary, it should bring extreme humility into our soul as God is giving the power of the risen Christ into the hands of wretched sinners like us.

Read The PDF: Understanding The Principles of Personal Revelation

Personal revelation is a double-edged sword. It is a test of our obedience and humility. If you receive a personal revelation, then humble yourself before God and obey the teachings of the Holy Catholic and apostolic church. When you do so, fruits will abound from your visions and revelations and you will be worthy to be called a faithful servant of God.

- – - written by Dr. Jacob C Tony

Paradise is a name of pleasure and delight, for it signifies a garden, or most beautiful orchard, suitable both for recreation and amusement. In the book of Genesis this paradise of pleasure is not once named, when the terrestrial paradise is the subject of the discourse. But in the prophet Ezechiel speaking of the heavenly paradise, it is said of the chief angel who afterward fell and became the devil: “You were in the pleasures of the paradise of God.”

But since the Holy Scriptures mention nothing of Paradise, but that there were in it many trees and the fountain of living water, therefore it is my intention under the word “Paradise” to explain the joys and pleasures which the blessed possess in heaven. And this will be, unless I am deceived, a useful contemplation to excite our minds to seek and reflect upon the things above: and thus so to regulate our life, that when we depart hence, it may not be to sorrow and darkness, but by the divine assistance, to Eternal light and happiness.

All men, with few exceptions, are influenced more by pleasure, than by any thing else. And the Church in one of her prayers says, “There may our hearts be fixed, where our true joy is.” And first we shall consider what the Holy Scripture says of the heavenly Paradise, whence we shall prove that in it are true joys; then we shall endeavour to explain what these joys are: and lastly, by various reasons, or rather comparisons, we shall prove that these joys are far more excellent than we can either comprehend, or think, or even imagine.

First, then, the name of paradise signifies pleasure and delight, as we have already seen from the Book of Genesis. And that there is a Paradise in heaven, Ezechiel testifies. Our Lord also testifies in the gospel, when he said to the thief hanging by him: “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise”

He used the word paradise for the kingdom of God, and its essential beatitude: for the good thief had said, “ Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom.” St. Paul testifies in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says, “ I know a man in Christ such a one rapt even to the third heaven, and was caught up into paradise.”

St. John testifies in his Apocalypse, where he introduces the Lord thus speaking: “ To him that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.” From these passages it is evident, that the region of the “blessed” is a place of happiness and delight. And when our Lord says to the good and faithful servant, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” does He not most clearly declare, that the house or city of God is a place of joy, to which good and faithful servants are admitted when they leave this world?

Our Lord in many places compares the kingdom of heaven to a supper, as we read in St. Luke, where it is said: “ A man made a great supper,” And again, “I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom: that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom.” And when likewise we are told in the Apocalypse, “Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The Scripture, by the figure of the supper, certainly points out the pleasure and delight of the heavenly paradise; unless some one assert, that there is no pleasure in the sense of taste. In addition to these passages, the kingdom of God both in the Gospels and the Apocalypse is compared to royal nuptials: as we learn from the parable of the king, who made a marriage for his son; and from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, of whom the wise went with the bridegroom to the marriage; but the foolish virgins remained without.

The same also is found in the Apocalypse, where many things are said of the “marriage supper of the Lamb” celebrated with great magnificence in the kingdom of heaven. Now the beatitude of the saints may be compared to a royal marriage, because on such occasions every variety of pleasure is experienced and enjoyed. But of this we shall treat in the following Book.

Also read: Heaven Our Final Destination

In fine, in the Apocalypse St. John sees a choir of virgins who followed the Lamb wheresoever He goes, and sang a new canticle which no one else could sing. Which passage St. Augustine explains in his Book on “Holy Virginity” as having relation to certain joys and holy pleasures, which virgins alone will enjoy. Thus it is manifest, that in our heavenly kingdom and city, there are many true joys amid most abundant pleasures.

- – - written by St. Robert Bellarmine