ANGRY SNAKE

A carpenter went home after shutting down his workshop. When he was gone, a poisonous snake entered his workshop. The snake was hungry and hoped to find its supper lurking somewhere within. It slithered from one and to another. Finally it bumped into an axe and got very slightly injured. In angry and revenge, the snake bit the snake with full force. What could a snake’s bite do to the metallic axe? Instead the snake’s mouth started bleeding.

Out of fury and arrogance, the snake tried its best to strangle and kill the metallic axe - The object that was causing it the pain by wrapping itself around the axe. The next day the carpenter opened the workshop. He found the dead snake wrapped around the blades of the axe. Here the snake did not die because of someone’s fault.

But it faced these consequences merely because of its own anger and wrath. Sometimes when angry, we try to cause harm to others. But as time passes by, we realise that we caused more harm to ourselves. It is not necessary that we react to everything. Step back and ask ourselves if the matter is really worth responding to.

*SEED FOR LIFE*
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and assure himself that there is good in his labour. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 2:24

*King James Version:*
There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

At creation, labour was appointed as a blessing. It meant development, power, happiness... though the curse of sin has brought a change in the conditions of labour, it is still a source of happiness and development. It is a safeguard against temptation. Its discipline places a check on self-indulgence and promotes industry, purity, and firmness. Thus, it becomes a part of God’s great plan for our recovery from the fall.
• Education, p.214

*• A Point To Ponder •*
Work is not merely a means of survival; it is a gift from God. It points us to Christ, who Himself spent most of His earthly life as a carpenter. He dignified honest labour by His own example.
_(FrontierOfHopeMinistry)_

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Lifeline Today
Sunday August 9
Handling Rejection 2
Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?" And so they rejected him. Mark 6:3 (GNB)

To get over rejection, we have our Master as role model to follow. He handled His rejection as if it was nothing. He was not disgusted at the way they treated Him. Know that it is not everybody that will believe you for who you are. Go round it as He did, go on and continue the pursuit of your purpose. View the rejection as a redirection toward a better fit rather than a final failure.

As painful as rejection can be, don't let fear of it stop you from putting yourself out there. It's important to learn from it, build resilience, and keep trying. Blaming yourself or others won't help. Think about it: if you’re being rejected, that means you’re trying. And if you’re trying, that means you’re more likely to succeed. So being rejected isn’t a bad thing - it’s just part of getting where you need to be. This is your day.

Wisdom Fountain: “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up.”
Prayer: Father Lord God, I stand in authority and renounce and break the power of the spirit of rejection over my life, and I declare my total freedom from it. I refuse to be weighed down by feelings of rejection or accept any form of rejection that comes my way, because I know that I am accepted and loved by You. I choose to see beyond every form of rejection, trusting that You are working all things together for my good, in Jesus name.

Daily Bible Lesson.
THE BIOGRAPHY OF JESUS CHRIST — THE LORD WHO SAVES.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6.

Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity—the Saviour who came into the world to reveal God's love, teach truth, and redeem humanity through His death and resurrection.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name: Jesus Christ
Hebrew: Yeshua
Greek: Iēsous
Meaning: “The Lord Saves”
Birth: Traditionally dated to around 4–6 B.C., in Bethlehem of Judea.
Family:
Mother: Mary, a young Jewish woman.
Legal Father: Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth and descendant of David.
Siblings: The Gospels mention brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas—and also unnamed sisters (Mark 6:3).
Origin: Jesus was Jewish and was associated with the tribe of Judah and the royal lineage of David. He was raised in Nazareth of Galilee.

2. EARLY LIFE
Birth in Bethlehem: Jesus was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn (Luke 2:7).
Visitors: Shepherds came to see Him, and later wise men from the East visited Him.
Flight to Egypt: Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod's attempt to kill Him (Matthew 2:13–15).
Return to Nazareth: After Herod's death, the family returned and settled in Nazareth.
At Age 12: Jesus astonished the teachers in the temple with His understanding and answers (Luke 2:46–47).

3. EDUCATION & TEACHING
Jesus was not known to have attended a formal rabbinical school. Some people were amazed at His knowledge and asked, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15).
His teaching was marked by:
Deep knowledge of Scripture
Divine wisdom
Dependence upon His Father
Unparalleled spiritual authority
Jesus was called Rabbi, meaning Teacher, by many who recognized His authority (John 3:2).
His authority did not come from human credentials—it came from the truth He taught and the divine mission He fulfilled.

4. CAREER & PUBLIC MINISTRY
Occupation: Jesus was known as a carpenter or craftsman (Mark 6:3). He worked before beginning His public ministry.
Public Ministry: He preached the Kingdom of God and:
Healed the sick
Cast out demons
Forgave sins
Performed miracles
Raised the dead
Taught God's truth
Trained His disciples

5. ACHIEVEMENTS & CHALLENGES
His Achievements
He taught the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).
He performed many recorded miracles.
He trained twelve apostles and many other disciples.
He fulfilled numerous Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.
His Challenges
Opposition from religious leaders.
Rejection by people in His hometown.
Betrayal by Judas.
Denial by Peter.
Abandonment by His disciples.
False accusations, torture, and crucifixion.

6. MARRIAGE, CHILDREN & PERSONAL LIFE
Marriage & Children: The Bible does not record Jesus as having a wife or biological children. His earthly life was completely devoted to His Father's mission.
Personal Life: Scripture does not describe hobbies in the modern sense, but Jesus regularly:
Withdrew to pray
Spent time alone with His Father
Fasted
Spent time in quiet places
His greatest passion was fulfilling the will of His Father and saving humanity.

7. MAJOR TURNING POINTS
Baptism: Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son.” (Matthew 3:16–17)
Temptation in the Wilderness: Jesus fasted for forty days and resisted Satan's temptations (Matthew 4:1–11).
Transfiguration: Jesus revealed His glory before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1–8).
Gethsemane: Before the cross, Jesus experienced profound anguish and submitted Himself to the Father's will (Luke 22:39–46).

8. LEGACY & IMPACT
Redemption: Through His death and resurrection, Jesus became the foundation of Christian hope for salvation.
The Church: He established and commissioned His followers to carry the gospel to the world.
His Teachings: He taught radical love, forgiveness, humility, mercy, and service.
Global Impact:
Billions of people identify as Christians worldwide.
His teachings have profoundly influenced cultures and societies.
His life became a central reference point in the traditional division of history into B.C. and A.D.

9. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Jesus lived during the period of Roman rule in Judea.
Caesar Augustus was emperor during the time of His birth.
Herod the Great ruled Judea as a Roman client king.
The period was marked by:
Roman political control
Social unrest
Religious tension
Jewish hopes for the promised Messiah

10. CHALLENGES & HOW JESUS RESPONDED
Challenges
Religious opposition from Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes.
Misunderstanding from His own disciples.
Betrayal by Judas.
Denial by Peter.
Abandonment by His followers.
False accusations, torture, and crucifixion.
His Response
Deep prayer life
Complete trust in the Father's will
Unshakable commitment to His mission
Forgiveness—even toward those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34)
Jesus responded to hatred with love, to betrayal with forgiveness, and to suffering with obedience.

11. REFLECTIONS & LESSONS FROM JESUS
Lessons He Taught
Love your enemies — Matthew 5:44
Treat others as you would want to be treated — Luke 6:31
True greatness is found in serving others — Mark 9:35
Forgive others
Love God with all your heart
Core Christian Beliefs
God is love.
Salvation is offered through God's grace and received through faith.
Eternal life is available through Jesus Christ.
Jesus' Call to His Followers
“Take up your cross, and follow Me.” — Matthew 16:24
“Love the Lord thy God... and thy neighbour as thyself.” — Matthew 22:37–39

12. HIS DEATH & RESURRECTION
Crucifixion: Jesus was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, around A.D. 30–33, during Passover.
Place: Golgotha, meaning “The Place of the Skull,” outside Jerusalem.
Manner: He was crucified between two criminals after suffering severe physical abuse.
Significance: Christians believe Jesus died as the Lamb of God, making salvation available to humanity (John 1:29).
Resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and appeared to His followers and many others, including more than 500 people according to 1 Corinthians 15:6.
Ascension: He later ascended into heaven.
THE CROSS WAS NOT THE END—THE EMPTY TOMB DECLARED THAT JESUS HAD CONQUERED DEATH!

13. HIS LEGACY AFTER DEATH
Christianity spread throughout the world.
His followers carried His gospel to the nations.
His life inspired martyrs, missionaries, reformers, and countless believers.
His resurrection remains the central hope of Christianity.
His message continues to transform lives today.

THE GREATEST LIFE EVER LIVED
Jesus was more than a historical figure. He is the Saviour, the Messiah, the Son of God, and the hope of humanity.
He came to seek the lost.
He came to reveal the Father's love.
He died for sinners.
He conquered the grave.
He is coming again!

THE QUESTION IS NOT ONLY “WHO WAS JESUS?”
THE QUESTION IS: “WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?”