When it is just you!

Passage: John 11

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”  (John 11, NIV)-emphasis added

People tend to take sides with the majority. If “ten people” say the same thing and you are the eleventh one there with a different view, you may be tempted to say the same thing as others

Jesus shows us a different model. After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus had a huge crowd after Him. But He knew that this was not a group that was committed to Him, and that they were only committed to their own personal agendas and stuff. Some wanted Jesus to be their king so that they won’t lack bread; some others wanted Him to be their prophet/leader so that they can have miracles every day; and a third group wanted Him to be their preacher/priest who will always speak the way they want. When Jesus spoke the truth of the word plainly, they all left Him!

Same is what we see even today; many leaders in the spiritual and political world want to please the majority. They want the support of the people. So they go to the extent of saying what the people appreciate, than speaking the truth

Jesus never ceased to be Jesus, even for a moment

He spoke the truth and stood for it; He did the right thing always. He was never the kind of person who wanted to be “politically correct” and “personally corrupt”!

Jesus was on a heavenly assignment. He followed the rules of His kingdom

When God puts a person in charge of a family/church/organization/nation, they need to remember that it was God who put them there. Their decisions and actions, their words and deeds matter to many. God is watching/ monitoring them!

The blessings of our tomorrow depend a lot on what we say and do today

People who take a strong stand on their principles will face some tough time in the beginning, but will benefit from it later. On the other hand, those who are too liberal may “benefit” in the beginning, but loose in the end

Jesus was never “bought” by the huge crowd who sang “Hosanna” to Him. He knew,

they were the ones who will say “crucify Him”, in the next few hours!

Those who give you a “crown” today, may give you a “cross” tomorrow, and vice-versa. So, watch!

Have a blessed day. It is time to pray!

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being unique and for being who you are, all the time. You are unchanging and so I can trust you. You are able and available. You are God, and you are good, all the time. I worship and adore you. Amen

If you definitely trust Jesus, He  will bless you indefinitely!

 

Compassion For Others

Let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. . . . And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
—1 John 4:7,21

 

If you would know the measure of your love for God, just observe your love for your fellowman. Our compassion for others is an accurate gauge of our devotion to God.

Some time ago, with some friends, I went through a museum in San Francisco. Among other things, we saw a collection of instruments of torture which were employed by religious people to force other people to believe as they did. History is largely the record of man’s inhumanity to man.

Prayer for the day

Lord God, fill my heart that I may love with the compassion of Jesus.

You see what you believe

Passage: John 11

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”  (John 11, NIV)-emphasis added

When a person chooses to believe in God for something, they will see God’s glory

Those who believe will be a minority and those who disbelieve will be the majority!

When Moses sent the twelve to spy the promised land, ten of them told, “we can’t get it”. Those ten could not get it, whereas the two others did get it

When we believe God for a miracle, we should not look at the majority. We need to hear from God and believe. What God thinks/says is more important that what anybody else thinks or says

When Jesus did the miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life, there was at least one person who believed, it was going to happen: Jesus

That is what God needs; at least one person

The time we are living in is a very critical one. Every day, we see and hear more “hopeless” news than hopeful ones; more accidents and unbelievable crimes..even from kids in high school

I remember reading about two separate incidents-one when a high school boy killed his teacher in the class room and another, where a boy killed his class mate

These particular incidents I read did  not happen in the US, but they happened in the East, and these are kids who leave in their homes, with both parents.  Media (movie, TV, Internet…) plays a big part in most crimes like this

As much as possible, we better watch what our children see/involve

Parents also need to be careful for themselves. If we watch things on the Internet that which we don’t want our children to watch, there is a certain  “spirit” associated with the bad stuffon the Internet. When a person watches the bad stuff, they bring that “spirit” and its effects into the individual and the home. Many don’t know that. We cannot just blame the kids

The remedy is to keep ourselves clean and then “watch” and pray

Pray with faith, even when it is “stinking”. Jesus can raise it up from “death”

If we reported a matter  to Jesus, He must be working on that

Have another blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. In a time like this, I need to be much careful and prayerful, and need to keep myself clean,  and then work the same thing for my family, forsaking some “pleasures”. So help me God. Amen

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (prov 29:10, KJV)

 

God Made You

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength . . . ”
—Isaiah 40:31

 

It is an exhilarating experience to live the new life, with Christ inside me enabling me to live it. As a man was riding along in his Ford, suddenly something went wrong. He got out and looked at the engine, but he could find nothing wrong. As he stood there, another car came in sight, and he waved it down to ask for help. Out of a brand new Lincoln stepped a tall, friendly man who asked, “Well, what’s the trouble?” “I cannot get this Ford to move,” was the reply. The stranger made a few adjustments under the hood and then said, “Now start the car.” When the motor started, its grateful owner introduced himself and then asked, “What is your name, sir?” “My name,” answered the stranger, “is Henry Ford.”

The one who made the Ford knew how to make it run. God made you and me, and He alone knows how to run your life and mine. We could make a complete wreck of our lives without Christ. When He is at the controls, all goes well. Without Him, we can do nothing.

Prayer for the day

Lord, so often I forget to give You complete control and I fail. Teach me to rely completely on You for my strength and needs.

Shifting our focus right

Passage: John 11

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”  (John 11, NIV)-emphasis added

Jesus had already done his “homework” on this project – raising Lazarus up

That’s why Jesus said: “Father, I thankyou that you have heard me”. He didn’t say, “Father, I think that you have heard me”

Before going to a home or to a person to pray for them, it is important that we do this “homework” (If we are going there just as a formality, then it is a different thing)

Jesus knew, what the people around him were thinking. He had a crowd of non-believers around. Usually, in cases like that, Jesus would take just a few with Him and ask the rest of them to stay away (as in the case of Jairus’ daughter)

Here, He had to do it even as all these people were watching (in disbelief)!

When a person gets into a sickness or a “situation”, there will be more dis-believing and doubting people around, than those who dare to believe. That is true for almost anyone

When we have needs/issues of our own, we better work on it, on our knees. Many a time we expect automatic miracles, which may not happen always. As someone said, life itself is a battle; it is a constant fight

Those who do nothing, will be the losers in the end

We better tell Jesus at least, so that He can start working on it

After the tomb was opened, Jesus looked straight up and prayed

It is not always easy to look up, when we have a big problem right infront of our eyes. Some problems may come and go, but some last for weeks/months/years

If we don’t learn to take our eyes off the problem and look to God, life can become just a bundle of problems

But as we learn to transfer them over to God, we have a way to go so that we can keep moving forward

Have a blessed day, as we start transferring our “issues” to God and continue to work on the rest

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your help. You are ready, willing and able to solve all my problems. Thank you, because I don’t need to look for someoene else since there is no one else who can do a better job than you. Thank  you. Amen

When we do not “own” our problem anymore, God can claim it and work on it

 

Sometimes, we need to……

Passage: Psalm 4

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”  (John 11, NIV)

Sometimes, we need to shift our focus from our problem so that God can work on it

The gospel of John mainly focusses on the deity/divinity of Jesus

Yet in recording this incident of Lazarus, John didn’t forget to highlight the human side of Jesus. It is mentioned that Jesus wept and that he was very much “moved” by what happened to a personal friend-Lazarus

Jesus knew that that Lazarus was going to come to life. Yet it was the compassion of Jesus that was required. Jesus put himself in the shoes of Mary and Martha before going ahead and asking the Father to do it for the family

When we go and pray for people with sickness/issues, the effectiveness of our prayer is much linked to our attitude. If we don’t mean what we say/pray, we are accountable for hipocracy. We pay for it somewhere

Jesus worked everything as per directions from His H.Q in heaven

Do we ask God before we do some spiritual act? Better ask

Mary and Martha were taught by Jesus. They were focussed on Lazarus day and night, 24/7.  With those who are taught by Jesus, things work differently.

I believe, God wanted them to shift their focus away from their problem

Until burial, they had some hope that Jesus would come. Once buried, they lost their hope. May be they had some hope until the third day

Day 4: Getting back to their normal life; no more waiting on Jesus!

And that was when Jesus showed up! They were like: “why did you come now?”

Many times in our own life, we can see that God showed up when we forgot about it

God gave Isaac to Abraham when both Abraham and Sarah lost their biological ability to have a child. God waited till that point. He waits till the last drop of wine is out, so that we can say that it was 100% God and 0% of me!

Are we too much focussed on any particular issue/problem in life?

When we give our car to the w/shop or when a patiet is in ICU, they may not let us in. They need to work on it, freely

If we are worried about a hundred things, we can accomplish nothing. We need to  to work on one thing at a time. Check it off and move to the next item in the list

GOD IS AT WORK. Display that sign visibly somewhere

Have a great day!

BG

Pray: Lord Jesus, you are awesome. Yopu are our rolemodel. Sometimes, I have been too much concerned about things, without handing it over to you. From now on, help me trust you completely for all that I have handed over to you. Amen

When we let God work on one thing, we can focus on another

Human Nature

Who so trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
—Proverbs 16:20

 

There is much in our nature that perplexes us. Many people are disturbed as they confront the troubling riddle of their own existence. They are bewildered by their proneness to sin and evil. They quake and tremble at the thought of their inability to cope with their own lives.

Christ can give you satisfying answers to such questions as “Who am I?” “Why was I born?” “What am I doing here?” “Where am I going?” All of the great questions of life can be measured when you come by faith to Jesus Christ and receive Him as your Lord. Let Him be your Pilot. He can take away the worry from your life.

Prayer for the day

I trust You, Lord, to control my life. Knowing You will guide me in the right path gives me joy.

A New Birth

We started out bad, being born with evil natures. . . . But God is so rich in mercy . . . he gave us back our lives again
when he raised Christ from the dead . . .
—Ephesians 2:3,4 (TLB)

 

I am reminded of a period when all the agonies that afflict modern minds were felt by another generation, the young people who lived during the first century after Christ. They too sought change, but they directed their efforts at individuals, not at the Roman Empire, not at City Hall. And eventually the whole social and political structure felt their impact. In short, those renewed men and women became filled with a unique dynamic force.

Today this same force is available to all people. Over the centuries it has worked in the lives of millions. I personally have seen thousands of people changed. Jesus called it “a new birth.” The Scripture tells us that you need not continue as you are. You can become a new person. Whatever your hang-up—guilt, anxiety, fear, hatred—God can handle it.

Prayer for the day

I delight in knowing, Lord Jesus, that there is nothing in my life that is incapable of being changed through Your redemptive power.

Having the right Spirit?

Passage: John 4, 13

 ⁵ Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.. (Psalm 4, NLT) – emphasis added

²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4, NIV)

We can learn a lot from Jesus. Look how Jesus handled a sinner outside and  then those who were His own, when they did wrong

In our everyday life, we also come across these two categories of people: sinners outside, and those who are already in church, yet sin

First, when the samaritan woman (John 4),  highlighted the fact of where she

worships, Jesus spoke about who to worship, why to worship and how to worship

God expects His creation to worship God. Worship keeps us connected to God

We don’t know whether this woman went back to her old place of worship after that day. They never told her the truth.

In  John 13, we see this case of Jesus dealing with ‘His own”. He was washing the feet of His disciples, including thagt of Peter who was going to disown Him and Judas Isacriot, who was going to betray Him

Jesus told Peter, “You are clean”, knowing Peter was going to disown Jesus

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” (John 13, NIV)

Today, living at a time when people fight and separate for silly reasons, we find a role model in Jesus. Jesus tells the truth straight, but then He forgives and loves. He once called Peter “satan” when Peter made a statement Jesus did not want him to make (Mat 16). We often do the opposite. We are afraid to tell the truth, if we see someone doing the wrong. So we “pile up” all of that in our heart and talk to them as if everything is O.K. When we “look good” infront of others, and “save” our face, God expects us to be true to God and others by telling them the truth, in love, and forgiving them

Judas dealt with the consequences of his action, allowing “guilt” to take over, instaed of repenting; Peter repented and came back

May God change us so we can deal with others in the way Jesus would

Have a blessed day

BG

Prayer Request: Please pray for a brother Abraham, who went on a missions trip abroad and had a medical emergency situation

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to treat others the way you would treat them. I admit that I have acted “holier than thou” to many people and I repent. Thank you for your love and mercy. Amen

When God treats us right, we have no reason to treat others wrong

In Spirit and in Truth!

Passage: Psalm 4, John 4

 ⁵ Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.. (Psalm 4, NLT) – emphasis added

²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4, NIV)

In John 4, we see Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman about worship

This woman was trying to use her tradition/ church/temple as a “cover-up” for her sins. (In fact, that is what many people (laity and leaders) do even today!)

When the Samaritan woman emphasized on a place of worship, Jesus emphasized on the person of worship. Jesus was telling her that God is beyond the temple

God is looking for worship from a heart of brokenness and repentance

What goes before worship is a “wash-up” of our minds, contaminated with sins

We cannot cover up our sins and then walk into a great-looking church and just worship God, in truth. (Some do a physical wash-up before worship. It is good, but that alone will not just qualify us before God. He is looking for a “heart” wash-up)

Some people say that worship in spirit and truth is about worshiping like Pentecostals. That is not just true. We can worship in all the tongues, but God won’t understand a thing, unless we are worshiping in truth and repentance!

Our body is God’s temple. Our very life-style should bring glory/worship to God

12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.^[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Rom 12, NLT)-emphasis added

On a given Sunday, we may say “It was great worship”. But if God does not say the same, our “satisfaction” don’t mean anything. We were deceiving ourself!

Have a great day. Worship God in truth; worship God where you are!

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for qualifying me to worship you. I won’t qualify unless you qualify me, because it is you, I worship. Let my thoughts, words and deeds bring glory to you. It makes sense to worship you-in Jesus’ name; Amen

Worship becomes worship when God calls it so, not when we call it so

The Love Of God

Keep yourselves in the love of God . . .
—Jude 21

 

The Bible is a revelation of the fact that God is love. Many people misunderstand the attribute of God’s nature which is love. “God is love” does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful, and happy, and that God’s love could not possibly allow punishment for sin.

When we preach justice, it is justice tempered with love. When we preach righteousness, it is righteousness founded on love. When we preach atonement, it is atonement planned by love, provided by love, given by love, finished by love, necessitated because of love. When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love.

No matter what sin you have committed, or how terrible, dirty, or shameful it may be, God loves you. This love of God is immeasurable, unmistakable, and unending!

Prayer for the day

My heartfelt gratitude to You, Father, for Your forgiveness and love. I must be acutely aware that in all my dealing with others the only yardstick I have is Your immeasurable love.

It’s all about you, LORD!

Passage: Psalm 4

 ⁶ Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. ⁷ You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. (Psalm 4, NIV) – emphasis added

The trend, even within the  church, is “how can I get some material blessings?”

Many churches and preachers have turned in that direction. They teach their people various ways to get “blessed” in the physical/material realm

A true child of God will put God first- he/she will be focussing on spiritual blessings. That is what we see in old as well as new testament, men of God did.

When a person is blessed spiritually, they become a blessing to many

David was a blessing to the people. God also blessed David in every area

When they ask, “who can show us any good?”, David says, “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD”. David was after the one who is the source of all blessings. He did not chase blessings! That type of people are very less

Many of us know how our ancestors put God first and everything else second

If someone ever gave David a chance to pick between a million dollars on one side and  spiritual blessings on the other, David would only pick the latter

God knows our needs in the physical realm. He is looking, how much we are focussed on God’s stuff, that which is spiritual. When Peter obeyed Jesus, He gave Peter a boat full of fish, proving that God is the master of any profession

When Jesus and the disciples needed bread for the people, Jesus proved that he can provide meals for thousands in minutes. No caterer could beat that!

When they needed money for taxes, Jesus had the solution.

David says, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.”

I have observed the ministry of people who try to serve both God and mammon at the same time. Their ministry is never effective

Jesus was always in demand. People rushed to where Jesus was! He had what they really needed. He had the word; He had the healing and the answers

Church today is handicapped, not having the answers/solutions for people because the focus is shifted. The solution is to do just what He says

May God bless you, as you ponder on that

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being there for me. You are the source of all my blessings, spiritual or material. You put me ahead of you, dying for me on the cross, and saving my life from death. You deserve to be first in all my life. Amen

“If we take time to put God first in everything, we won’t have enough time to worry”

God With US

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
—Proverbs 18:24

 

How many lonely people there are today! God did not create man to live in miserable inner loneliness. In that first Eden, God Himself came down to keep the man He had made from being lonely.

One of the most heartening things Jesus said to His disciples was, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). He came to restore fellowship between man and God, and to take away human loneliness. Jesus Christ will take away loneliness from your soul. He will be your companion and friend.

Prayer for the day

You want to fill all the lonely moments, Lord, and turn them into times of incredible delight. May I never fear loneliness again.

Triumph in Affliction

You don’t understand now why I am doing it; some day you will.
—John 13:7 (TLB)

 

May I remind you that physical illness is not the worst thing that can happen to you? Some of the most twisted, miserable people I have ever met had no physical handicap. Some of the world’s greatest and most useful people have been handicapped.

“The Messiah” was composed by Handel, who was suffering from a paralyzed right side and arm. Catherine Booth, in the last year of her life, said that she could not remember one day free from pain.

Helen Keller has written, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and God.” Some of the most radiant Christians I have ever met were “wheelchair” saints. May God give you grace to “triumph in affliction.”

Prayer for the day

When physical afflictions come into my life, may they draw me closer to You, my beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

Fed to lead, not to lie down

Passage: 1 Kings 19

 ⁷ The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (1 Kings 19, NIV)

We recieve strength from food. God is interested in feeding His people

What we feed on, will create appropriate results in us

Israelites were fed by the Lord; Elijah was fed by the Lord.

When God feeds, we not only get satisfied; it strenthens us and takes us a long way. It quenches our thirst and hunger completely (John 4)

God does not expect us to be fed and then go back to sleep. Once fed by the Lord, God expects us to get to work

Medical experts say that sleeping immediately after food is bad/dangerous

We get fed by the word every Sunday, and sometimes during the week

God has been constatntly telling us: “wake up, O’ sleeper”

The more we hear that, the more we pull up our “blanket” and go to sleep!

When Elijah first met Elisha, he put his blanket/mantle upon Elisha

Elisha immediately left everything and followed Elijah

¹⁹ So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxenbefore him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. ²⁰ And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” (1 Kings 19, NKJV)-emphasis added

We pray for revival. We like to have the “Revival-On/Off” switch turned to the “On” position all the time. Did we know that once the revival is “On”, it is “work”?

Peter and John, after they had the baptism of Holy Spirit, went out and started dealing with the lame and the needy. If they saw someone being enslaved by the devil, they would take up the case and act upon it!

God has been feeding us with His word, for years. Many of us even claim to be baptized by the Holy spirit.  What are we doing with it?

⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture.  (John 10, NIV) –emphasis added

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses inJerusalem, and in all Judea andSamaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1, NIV)-emphasis added

The more we receive, the more we need to give

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for giving us yourself, through the word and the Holy Spirit. We admit that we didn’t do much after being fed. It is time! Help us to get out of our sleep and slumber and start working. In Jesus’ name; Amen

We tell God, we need some more sleep; God says, “I cannot sleep at all”!

Hope For The Future

For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 3:20 (NASB)

 

If you are moving to a new home, you want to know all about the community to which you are going. And since we will spend eternity some place, we ought to know something about it. The information concerning heaven is found in the Bible. When we talk about heaven, earth grows shabby by comparison. Our sorrows and problems here seem so much less, when we have keen anticipation of the future.

In a certain sense the Christian has heaven here on earth. He has peace of soul, peace of conscience, and peace with God. In the midst of troubles and difficulties he can smile. He has a spring in his step, a joy in his soul, a smile on his face. But the Bible also promises the Christian a heaven in the life hereafter.

Prayer for the day

Father, as I face whatever trials come my way, I will take heart in the glorious promise of heaven—knowing I shall be with You!

Missing: fear and love for God

Passage: Psalm 3

³ Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. (Psalm 4, NIV)–emphasis added

Fear of God and Love for God has almost disappeared from our churches

The psalmist (David) lived for God even as he could have easily succumbed to pressures and pleasures. He had power, possessions and possibilities

One of the tricks of the devil is that he will tell you, you have very unique opportunities to sin, and that no one else gets such “chances”.

That is what he tells to almost everybody!

God  knows that you have opportunities to fall. But He is warning of the consequences. Comparing the “pros” and “cons”, sin is not worth going for. God never lies. Devil does not speak real truth either

David loved and feared God at all times. When he sinned, he repented completely. David was a man who would not bother about what people say. As a very young man, when he was getting ready to face Goliath, his own brothers discouraged him. But David knew what he was going to do. So he went ahead and got Goliath

Another time, he was dancing and worshiping in front of God’s Ark. His wife Michal, also daughter of Saul, made fun of him. David didn’t even care!

If David would care for anything, that would be about a report from God

Aren’t we just the opposite of David? Don’t we give much importance to what people say, and less importance to what God says?

God has separated and sanctified people who take God serious. Who those people are, will be known only at the coming of Christ. There will be some from your church and mine, but not all!

See what else God does for those who fear God

¹⁹ How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. (Ps 31, NIV)

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; ¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Ps 147, NIV)

God delights in those who fear God; He showers His goodness upon them

Do a self analysis, how much you love and fear God

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for blessing every day and hour of my life so that I can be rest assured in you. Help me glorify your name through the things I do, words I speak and the thoughts I think today. In Jesus; name; Amen

When God is in front of you, you are heading in the right direction

When “school” is over!

Passage: Acts 1, 2 Kings 2

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. ¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”  (2 Kings 2, NIV⁸⁴⁾

-emphasis added

When Jesus ascended to heaven, that really affected His disciples. They would have been much better off, with Jesus physically with them

As a child, I have desired that the pastors and preachers who come to our home  stay there for ever. When some people go, you feel sad.

Jesus, however wanted his disciples to take on responsibility and continue what he started. We just can’t have school all life! We need to practice what we learn

Most people in church love to remain the same, all the time.

“Let the pastor do all the ministry; we don’t want the misery”…..!

We just like to be “the royal high priests, holy nation and the people of God…”

I don’t think God runs that type of “company” where people get all power and title, with no responsibility. What do you think?

We like to hear verses like; “I can do all things through Christ…..”  and “to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph 3;20, NIV)

What do these verse(s) really speak about?

They actually speak about we doing something for God, when God is in/with us; they are not about getting the most expensive car or home. What do you think?

In Eph 3:20, we usually focus on “immeasurably more than we ask or imagine”, but I think, what comes first is: “according to his power that is at work within us”

When God, His Spirit is at work in us, there is no limit to what God can accomplish through us. We are to serve; we are to become a blessing to others!

This power has to first work in us, before it works through us

The message we speak, must first be spoken to us

There is much wrong gospel and commercialism out there, which destroys many

We need to take guard against such. We need to be informed and inform people about false doctrines and false teachers/prophets.

Let the word of God be our standard all the time

Have a wonderful day!

BG

Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus,  for your power that is freely available to us. I admit that I am not availing it fully. I must change, and I need your help. Help me to focus more on being a blessing to others, than me getting blessed. Amen

When we are ready, tell God; He already has the assignment for us

God Is Love!

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love . . .
—Jeremiah 31:3

 

As I read the Bible, I find love to be the supreme and dominant attribute of God. The promises of God’s love and forgiveness are as real, as sure, as positive, as human words can make them. But the total beauty of the ocean cannot be understood until it is seen, and it is the same with God’s love. Until you actually experience it, until you actually possess it, no one can describe its wonders to you.

Never question God’s great love, for it is as unchangeable a part of God as His holiness. Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But God is love! And His love for us is everlasting.

Prayer for the day

Knowing myself as I do, Lord, the knowledge of Your love and forgiveness never ceases to amaze me. In the knowledge of this, help me to communicate to others that this love is theirs too, if they will only reach out for it.

Relationship, results and rewards

Passage: Acts 1, 2 Kings 2

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. ¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”  (2 Kings 2, NIV⁸⁴⁾

-emphasis added

The disciples watched the ascension of Jesus. Later on, they received the same spirit and power that was on Jesus. The Holy Spirit came upon them with power

In the case of Elijah, he specifically told Elisha: “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”

Why such a condition? What is the connection between witnessing the ascend of a person and the descend of the power that is on them?

The person(s) who receive the power need to have an intimate connection with the person who had the power. In other words, if Elisha had no connection with Elijah, he was not going to receive that power. Even though it is ultimately the power of God and not the power of Elijah, relationship matters

Those who are not connected to Jesus should not expect the power that was on/with Jesus, to come upon them. You can’t by-pass Jesus and have the Holy Spirit!

If we are very friendly with God and unfriendly with people, if we have all the gifts and no fruit, it can affect the working of God through us!

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, as much as He was full of love and compassion

A person with the anointing of Holy Spirit may see multitudes touched by God, while a person without that anointing may not see much results here. However,  the rewards in heaven may not be linked to the results here (Mat 7:22, 23)

God wants to reach as much people as He can, in the limited time. So He wants you and me to be baptized by His Spirit, while we remain connected to God

We may be anointed; but, are we connected? How is our prayer and devotions?

Have a blessed day, as you ponder upon that

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for all your love and provisions. What I am, where I am and who I am, is all because of you. Help me to stay connected so that I can be a channel of your love and power to others. All this in Jesus’ name. Amen

“A good relationship with God and people will always have its results and rewards”

Battle Of The Spirit

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts . . .
—Colossians 3:15

 

When we examine the problems that confront us in our world today, we find that every one of them resolves into a problem of “inner space,” a problem of the dark side of the human spirit. From thousands of letters we receive, it is evident that a large proportion of the population is facing deep personal problems. They vary from person to person, but they do exist, and they are all problems of “inner space.”

Yes, we are the people who have been conquering outer space, but are in danger of losing the battle of the spirit. But there is a solution-for millions it has already been reached-and that solution is in Jesus Christ. He said, “My peace”-my liberty, my freedom-“I give unto you” (John 14:27).

Today if we will turn the searchlight of truth on the dark side of our human spirits and let Jesus Christ become the Master Control of our lives, a new day will dawn for us. Submit the “inner space” of your life to Him.

Prayer for the day

How often I hurt deep down inside me, Lord, but the knowledge of Your love and compassion brings me hope and peace.

You get what you ask

Passage: Acts 2, 2 Kings 2

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. ¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”  (2 Kings 2, NIV⁸⁴⁾

Once Elijah met Elisha, Elisha was after Elijah. God knew what type of person Elisha was. Elisha would not leave Elijah without the power that was upon Elijah!

Elijah was putting Elisha through a test; Elisha passed the test

Elijah said: “you have asked a difficult thing”. That is true

If we are willing to pursue with perseverance, we will get it. Things of the world will come to us just like that. Things of God-we have to go for it

The disciples were willing to wait and pray until the spirit came upon them

They had witnessed Jesus being taken upto heaven. They felt lonely, when Jesus was gone. They waited, setting aside every thing else. It was worth the wait!

¹² I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 12, NIV⁸⁴⁾

Was Jesus lying, when He said that? I don’t think so.

Elishah asked for a double portion. He  did double of what Elijah did.

When we go to a place where we can bargain, we may say a certain price and the salesman may agree. Then we feel, “I should have asked a still lower price!”

Don’t make that mistake when you ask spiritual gifts to Jesus. Ask for the best!

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”. (Luke 11, NIV)

When was the last time you asked God for something spiritual?

Why not give it a try? God likes it!

Have a blessed day. God has so much in store for you!

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for sending Holy Spirit for us. Thank you for empowering us with the same power that manifested in you. We are blessed by the work of God: the father, son and the Holy Spirit. Thank you. Amen

God gives only genuine things; so we don’t need to check the “rating”

Intimacy that takes away fear and shame

Passage: Acts 1-2

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

When the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 on the day of Pentecost, they did not just stay there “enjoying” the spirit or the gifts. Instead, they started going out with the power they relieved and started influencing/changing the world

They were neither afraid nor ashamed of their Lord Jesus Christ

The reason why they were not afraid or ashamed of Jesus was that they knew Jesus well. Apostle Paul says why he was not ashamed of the gospel either:

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,^[a] for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1, NKJV)

Paul was not ashamed of Jesus because he knew Jesus well

When you become intimate  with a person, you are no longer ashamed of that person/relationship; instead, you will be proud of that relationship. You don’t care what others say….

The closer we get to Jesus, the more we will become like Him; our walk/talk everything will change, even without our knowledge. Peter was so much influenced by Jesus and other disciples that he was identified as a man with Jesus, by the way he talked! (Mat. 26: 69-74)

To know whether we spend more time with Jesus or not, just  ask our friends what they feel. If we spend time with Jesus, they will know

The world around us may be doing things different; we don’t need to do it that way

On the day of Pentecost, when thousands were gathered in the city to celebrate the Jewish festival of Pentecost, a group of 120 were praying in a room. In the previous years, most of these celebrated the festival. But now, they had a transformation. Instead of them joining the crowd, the crowd joined them!

We cannot get the things of God without a cost. A school/college student who wants to enjoy everything out there, cannot score high grades/marks. Those who are focused on success  need to sacrifice accordingly

What is our spiritual goal? We sometimes ask children what they want to become. Have we ever asked ourselves the same question, on a spiritual level?

God is not against our advancement in job or finance, provided we are not using the wrong means to get there and we are not worshiping them. But we don’t have to ignore/sacrifice our spirituality for that

It is important we set our priorities right. God needs us, as we need God

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the gift- the gift of giving yourself to us through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Help us to know you more, day after day, so that others will come to know you, through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen

“God gave us His best so that we can be the best”

When the Holy Spirit comes

Passage: Acts 1-2

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

The resurrection of Jesus Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost are two marked the two important events that marked the beginning of the Church. The Church was launched in the Power of the Holy Spirit. She continues the work of the bridegroom in the same power, even today

In the Old Testament times, God dealt primarily with a person who was appointed by God to be the leader/prophet. But the church started differently, in the N.T time. It started with a group of 120 people. That is work of the Holy Spirit in the past-resurrection era!

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1, NIV^{84 )}   

The power of Holy Spirit came on a day when there were so many people in the area, who came to attend the festival of Pentecost. 3000 people were added to the church on the inaugural day itself. Church has been growing/multiplying from that day, at a rate that alarmed its opponents

The world looks at Jesus Christ very differently

I couldn’t believe how they named a very poisonous lizard they found out there

Check “national geographic” site. They say, “people” named it J…C…. Lizard!

So, that is how people see Jesus Christ?!

Jesus came to deliver you and me from the venom/poison of the serpent, the devil

While Jesus is the savior for many,  He is savor to many others!

The value of the church will be known to the world only when she is gonefrom here

The power of God is no secret; it is public. But it becomes “personal” only to those who believe. One can go all the way to the moon and say “I didn’t see God anywhere”; that does not mean God is not there. God is a reality and He makes himself known to those who seek Him earnestly

⁹ For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; (2 Chronicles 16, NKJV)

God shows His power to those who wait upon Him

If you have time for Him, He (always) has time for you

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹ But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40, NKJV)

Why not separate some time for the Lord this week? If you can, fast at least one meal a day and pray. Read the word

See how it helps. It helped me a lot

Have a blessed day

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me with real love from the depth of your heart. Help me to live that love out so that many others can experience your love. I pray that you will heal and revive the church where it is sick and “dead”. Amen

“When you have Christ in you, you live, not just exist”

 

Genuine Love

. . . being knit together in love . . .
—Colossians 2:2

 

Thousands of young couples go through with a loveless marriage because no one ever told them what genuine love is. I believe we need to read the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, in which the Apostle Paul gives us a definition of love. He says, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” If people today knew that kind of love, the divorce rate would be sharply reduced.

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, we need Your love and forgiveness in our hearts, if we are to love unselfishly.

True Colors

God carefully watches the goings on of all mankind . . .
—Job 34:21 (TLB)

 

There is an old story that tells about a pig. . . . The farmer brought the pig into the house. He gave him a bath, polished his hooves, put some Chanel No. 5 on him, put a ribbon around his neck, and put him in the living room. The pig looked fine. He made a nice and companionable pet for a few minutes. But as soon as the door was opened, the pig left the living room and jumped into the first mud puddle that he could find. Why? Because he was still a pig at heart. His nature had not been changed. He had changed outwardly but not inwardly. . . .

You can take a man—dress him up, put him in the front row in church, and he almost looks like a saint. He may fool even his best friends for a while, but then put him in his office, or in the club on Saturday night, and you will see his true nature come out again. Why does he act that way? Because his nature has not been changed. He has not been born again.

Prayer for the day

Almighty God, there are times when I debase my Christian walk and slip again into the mire. Cleanse and strengthen me, for Jesus’ sake.

Discerning the “foe” in the friend!

Passage: Mat 16

 ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”  (Mat 16, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

Peter makes an apparent statement of love and concern, and Jesus rebukes him!

But notice what is written there: “Peter…began to rebuke him”

I checked other versions. Peter was using sharp language, trying to STOP Jesus from being crucified. Jesus discerned the devil’s voice in that “friendly” talk

Are our “friends” keeping us away from doing what God wants us to do?

They may be sincere; they are talking to us out of compassion. But they could be sincerely wrong. We may be going against God’s will by yielding to their advice

If God is first in our life, we better ask the Lord, what He wants us to do

Jesus told Peter that his mind was having the things of men. This is what is happening to us. We get too much of the things of men/world even while we claim to be people of God. We should know where to draw the line

When we deal with spiritual people, our relationships should be spiritual

When spiritual relationships get too personal, there are chances of compromising the truth. Many issues happen in churches because “I will support my friend whether he/she are doing the right thing or not”

On the other hand, when someone behaves wrong, it is their heart. We better address it right. They did something wrong, while there is still goodness in them

We can lead them to confession and repentance

It is interesting to see how Jesus treated Peter on various occassions. When Peter disowned Jesus just before his crucifixion, Jesus did not call him “Satan”. Instead, Jesus just looked at Peter

After the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter went back fishing again. He thought everything was over. But the resurrected Jesus went after him

If it was you or me in place of Jesus, we would do just the opposite. When Peter expressed such concern saying “let not that happen to you”, we would say, “what a love and compassion he/she has for me!”

In the second palce, when someone disowns/deserts us, we will do the same back to them, especially when we are in a powerful/better position than them

Through each of these incidents, Peter got to know Jesus closer and better

Finally, Peter became the best of all whom Jesus had.

Let Jesus be our best friend at all times. All others come next

Have a blessed day

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being such a good, real friend to me. Thank you for correcting and rebuking; loving and guiding. You were not always the person I wanted you to be, and I thank you for that. You have always been good. Amen

“Jesus will always be what He should be”

Bread Of Life

I am the living bread that came down from heaven . . .
—John 6:51

 

In John 6:48 we read that Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus had just fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. They were all excited and thrilled over the great miracle that had occurred, [but] Jesus was talking about something more important than social needs. Bread in the Scriptures is a symbol of spiritual life.

Man has an inborn hunger for God. He cannot be satisfied with anything less than God. God alone can supply the bread which satisfies the inner longing of your soul and the hunger of your heart. . . . The Bible says that He is the Bread of Life.

Prayer for the day

Lord Jesus, thank You for satisfying the yearnings deep down in my heart. Your presence fulfills the needs of my soul, and I rejoice.

How do we see Jesus?

Passage: Mat 16

 ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”  (Mat 16, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

All about Jesus is all about God; when He was looked upon with sympathy by one of His own, Jesus just called him “Satan”!

Few verses above, Jesus commented the same Peter for such a great revelation, when Peter spoke rightly about the deity/divinity of Jesus

Why did Jesus change so quickly, to call Peter “satan” few moments after commenting him?

That is a reasonable question. However, it was not Jesus, but Peter who changed. Peter changed from his divine view of Jesus to a human view. Jesus had to die for the sin of the world. He did not want anyone to look at Him with (human) sympathy and stop Him from that act on the cross. Jesus also stated why He addressed Peter as “Satan”: “you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

As soon as Peter made a true statement about Jesus, Satan influenced his mind to speak just the opposite. Peter got a little too childish after hearing a positive comment from Jesus. Same thing happens to many, who make a good start in Jesus. Similar things have happened to certain groups and denominations

Many Charismatic groups started right, but later on slipped into the wrong

Certain groups give much importance to the humanity of Jesus, at the cost of affecting His divinity. For some, He is still “baby Jesus”. There is a “dangerous side” of looking at Jesus from such a point of view

Judas Iscariot had to kiss him, to show who Jesus was. He did not make himself look different from the disciples by wearing a different type of dress or anything like that! Jesus was identified by His words and His works

What happened to Peter can happen to anybody, if not careful. We can easily “switch” from a divine perspective of Jesus, to a human one!

Jesus was a friend of His disciples, but He was also their Guru. He did not want “familiarity” to stop Him from doing His job. He corrected Peter then and there

Recently some US security officials who went abroad, have become the focus of the media for alleged misconduct. They had a very responsible job, which could not be compromised. That tells us something; God expects a higher standard from those in spiritual responsibility. It may be possible to “responsibly” hide certain things, but God acts responsibly after that

God is the best in every area of His responsibility. There is no judge like God!

Have a blessed day. Allow Jesus be our friend, Guru and Judge, at all times!

BG

Prayer: Father God, I fear you in reverence for who you are. I love you for what you have done for me through Jesus Christ. I thank you for the continuing work through the Holy Spirit. Help me to live and act responsibly. In Jesus’ name; Amen

“God is treated best, as God”

Cure Discouragement

Wait on the Lord, be of good courage . . .
—Psalm 27:14

 

Discouragement is nothing new. Many of the great Bible characters became discouraged. Moses in the Sinai desert; Elijah when he heard Jezebel was searching for him to take his life; and David when his son Absalom rebelled against him. It is as old as the history of man.

There is often a cause for discouragement. It comes many times when we don’t get our way, when things don’t work out the way we want them to. Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan’s device to thwart the work of God in your life. Discouragement blinds our eyes to the mercy of God and makes us perceive only the unfavorable circumstances.

I have never met anyone who spent time in daily prayer, and in the study of the Word of God, and was strong in faith, who was ever discouraged for very long.

Prayer for the day

Lord, when I am discouraged, take away the blindness of my wavering faith. You are with me always. Forgive my ungrateful heart.

When God prevails

Passage: Ezekiel 3

 ¹⁶ At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: ¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. (Ezekiel 3, NIV⁸⁴)–emphasis added

God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel. No one else could dis-appoint him.

In the New Testament, we see Paul. God appointed him. Whether others recognize or not is secondary. He did his job

You and I must do the same. Give respect to those who deserve it. Honor God

Ezekiel didn’t care what anyone less than God would think or say about his appointment. If the children of God, ministers of God were like that, church would have been much better. Instead, when we look at others and try to do what they are doing, we don’t care about God’s specific plan for us. We disappoint God!

Ezekiel’s messages were brought straight from God’s kitchen to the people.

See what Jesus did:

⁴⁹ For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (John 12, NIV 84)-emphasis added

Even when the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one, Jesus made sure that every word that came out of his mouth was exactly what the father wanted Him to say. Why not we do it?

In preparing messages, let our first and the last thing be sincere prayer and let everything else fall in between.

We may hear preaching from a “leading” Pastor/preacher and may get nothing. On the other hand, God may speak to us through someone in church, may be a child or a young person. But we have a tendency to look at the messenger than the message. That is how we miss the message from God! Namaan could have missed a great blessing, if he disregarded what that servant girl told him. (2 Kings 5)

God sometimes teaches great things through our own children/family

Many churches are going their way, and God His way, parallel. In my school days, parallel lines didn’t use to meet. These days, many things have changed!

Are we on the right track? Churches and leaders claim they are on the right track, because they have to. We better search the Bible and find out if the word we hear comes from God or not. God only stands behind His word, not behind anyone else’s. So check it before we retire from the race/life. Otherwise, it may be too late

²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. (John 5, NIV)

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Father God, you have a great plan for us and the whole world; that is what is going to work, not what anybody else plans. You are in charge, and nobody else. Help us to stay focussed on you and your word, nobody else. In Jesus’ name; Amen

We can’t apply God’s warranty to anyone else’s products/preaching!

Prejudice Is Weakness

Judge not, that ye be not judged.
—Matthew 7:1

 

The word prejudice means “prejudging” or “making an estimate of others without knowing the facts.” Prejudice is a mark of weakness, not of strength. Prejudice is measured by computing the distance between our own biased opinions and the real truth. If we would all be perfectly honest before God, there would be no prejudice.

Prayer for the day

You love each one of us with a love that breaks through all prejudicial barriers, Father. Forgive me for the times I judge others. Purify my heart, that I may be used to draw people together into the bond of Christ’s unifying love.

When justice prevails

Passage: 2 Chronicles 16

 ⁷ And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. ⁹For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of thosewhose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16, NKJV)–emphasis added

On the cross, the love of God prevailed; on the judgment day, the justice of God will prevail

God is looking for loyalty. Today, we see ministry that is ineffective because the goals are not right

Commercialism has got such strong roots into the church and leadership so that almost everything is done is in exchange of something, some “benefit”

We can either put our complete trust in God and do everything that pleases God, or we can please some people and get some benefits

In ministry, there is this practice of pleasing somebody in leadership, securing own chairs and then grabbing some people, for the same purpose. But God, the judge of all, is watching

¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas^[a]”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Cor 1, NIV)

Yesterday, a New York City firefighter died in the line of duty. He was committed to his duty. We better learn commitment from the secular world. Many soldiers are dying in their line of duty every day

On the cross, we see commitment at its peak.  The love of God prevailed. When justice of God demanded punishment for our sins.  the Love (Jesus) took that penalty from us, and bore it himself. On the day of judgment,   justice will prevail. That day, love will say to justice: “go ahead”

King Asa, who is mentioned in the scripture for today,  started his job very good

² Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. ³ He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.^[a] 4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands. (2 Chr 14, NIV)

But later on, what happens to most people happened to Asa; he messed up. Then he put prophet Hanani into prison for telling the truth

Even today, when we speak the truth, we could be “isolated” and put in the emotional prison; but God is watching.

¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers.

Asa put his trust in people. It is important that we put our trust in God alone

May God assign and use people to help us. Leave that part to God

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are a God of love and justice. Thank you for your love on the cross, which saved us from condemnation. Help us to live our lives fully committed to you, even to th end. It is hard, but possible. Thank you Lord; Amen

“Short-term gains can end in long-term loss”

 

Where Is Heaven?

I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.
—Luke 22:29

 

Many people have asked, “Where is heaven?” We are not told in the Scripture where heaven is. Some students have tried to take some Scriptures and put them together and say that heaven is in the north. They quote Psalm 48:2, “The joy of the whole earth is . . . on the sides of the north . . . ” The magnetic needle points north. Perhaps the Celestial City is in the north. We do not know. But no matter where heaven is, it will be where Christ is.

Many people ask, “Do you believe that heaven is a literal place?” Yes! Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” The Bible teaches that Enoch and Elijah ascended in a literal body to a literal place that is just as real as Los Angeles, London, or Algiers! The Bible also teaches that heaven will be a place of beauty. It is described in the Bible as “a building of God”-“a city”-“a better country”-“an inheritance”-“a glory.”

The Bible also indicates that heaven will be a place of great understanding and knowledge of things that we never learned down here.

Prayer for the day

Living Lord Jesus, the knowledge that You have prepared a place for me in heaven brings comfort and delight to my soul!

God’s power vs. my power

Passage: 2 Chronicles 16

 ⁷ And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. ⁹For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of thosewhose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16, NKJV)–emphasis added

God is committed to those who are committed to Him

When a person of God trusts in sources other than God, it is a violation!

If you are an expert in some field and a very close friend of you went to someone else for the same thing, how would you feel?

Same is what God feels when we go to someone else about something where God can help us. We should not even rely ourselves too much.

God is strong. Yet he does not want to show His strength to everybody out there

God wants His strength to be available to His own

When Jesus was physically on the earth, the disciples wanted Jesus to show His power to His enemies. They sometimes wanted their master to act, when He did not even want to. They wanted Jesus to become a King, here on earth. But Jesus never yielded to their wish

Today, we have many people in leadership in church circles, who won an election and climbed up there. Many of them are too busy to pray because there is so much to be done in one term. They (have to) act in favor of the people who supported them and neglect or even put down those who didn’t.

The #1 worry/concern of most believers today, is the church. Church has become what the leaders want it ot be, and not what God wanted it to be. People are tired. If the wrong spirit is manifesting in the top leadership and that spreads to the local church leadership, that church is no longer available to God, to demonstrate His strength and love!

Church is where God wants to demonstrate His power, His love

Peter and John of the early church walked and worked together. They didn’t have much silver and gold, but had the power of God in them, as opposed to today. We have the money and the material stuff, and we lack the power and love they had. The greatest miracle would be to see a church where the original love and strength of God is available and manifested

May we make ourselves available to God so that He can manifest His love and strength in and through us

¹¹ One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, ¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (ps 62, NIV)-emphasis added

Have a blessed day

BG

Prayer: Father God, thank you for choosing me to be a channel of your love and strength. Let me be filled with your love and strength that I can give it out to others who are in need of it. Help me stay out of worries. In Jesus’ name; Amen

“God is full of Power; He is looking for some channels”

All Have Sinned

So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.
—Romans 3:28 (TLB)

 

Many people still cling to the notion that man is naturally good. We did not get this from the Greeks. Aristotle said, “There is no good in mankind.” We did not get it from Judaism. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

We did not get it from Christian teachings. The Apostle Paul said, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We got this illusion, I believe, from the philosophers and psychologists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who taught the false doctrine that man is a helpless victim of his environment.

The Bible says that man is not naturally good. All human experience confirms it. Man is rebellious by nature. This first rebellion in history happened in the Garden of Eden, where the environment was perfect and there was no heredity on which to blame it!

Prayer for the day

Each time I become obsessed by the idea that my deeds are so noble, let me remember the magnanimity of Your perfect life.

Strong and yet loving!

Passage: Psalm 62

 ¹¹One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, ¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (Psalm 62, NIV) –emphasis added

God is Strong, yet Loving; that is what David has found out and experienced

The usage “God spoke once but I heard twice” refers to how much important is God’s words to David. Compare it with “God spoke ten times and I heard only once”

That is what happens in most cases. David was so keen to listen to God

Two great attributes of God: Strength and love

When you have a loving friend who is not strong enough to help you, you know what that is; on the other hand, there are many who are strong/capable, but have no love. When we have the capability for something, God wants us to help others as much as we can (Pro. 3:27, James 4:17)

When strength and love combines, it is something Godly/divine

When strength and selfishness combines, it can be more satanic

Strength of knowledge, money, beauty, health, whatever it be….

Sometimes God has given you many gifts and you are keeping it to yourself without using it for the blessing/benefit of others

As long as we can share our time and talents in a way that brings glory to God, do it

They are both God’s gifts, not just ours

David goes on to say that God will reward each person according to their works

We may say, “Lord, I don’t want any reward” (!),  but God says that He will

Do we remember to complement people who do good to us?

If we do, we are doing something divine. If we are simply there to enjoy “free stuff” and not be thankful, that could be more unlike God

In the east, mostly ladies/mothers do cooking, cleaning and stuff; others usually take it for granted, because it is “their job”. Most of the time, they don’t get any compliments, but get a lot of complaints instead (for a piece of hair in the food..or for salt/sugar and so on)

As a child, I have seen Pastors/preachers come to our home and they “thank” after food or something. At that time, I used to think, “why thank? It is mom’s job!”

But later I knew that even a “thanks” means big sometimes. Many forget that!

Thank God that He is both Strong and Loving. He can and will help us

Have a blessed day

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your strength and Love. You made me strong with your strength; make me loving, with your love. Help me to be a channel of all that I receive from you so that many will be blessed, as I am blessed. Amen

“Being more like God than devil, is a matter of choice, not chance”

Blessed Are Peacemakers

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
—Psalm 4:8

 

In a materialistic world which has tried to sever diplomatic relations with God, we have nowhere to retreat except within ourselves. We are like turtles in a traffic jam—the best we can do is to pull our heads into our shells and shut our eyes. But that’s a good way to get the life crushed out of us, as any dead turtle can attest.

Man’s conflict with man has been but an expression on the human level of his conflict with God. Until man finds an armistice with God, he cannot know peace with his fellowman. If we are to be peacemakers, we first must make our peace with God.

Prayer for the day

In Jesus’ name, I have found peace with You, Father. My soul praises Your holy name.

The beauty of getting it all from God!

Passage: Psalm 62

 ⁹ Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath. ¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. (Psalm 62, NIV) –emphasis added

The value of a person depends on his /her choices

Sometimes we get gift-cards from stores. What they have is basically a blank plastic card. The person at the counter puts in it the the value we pay for. Then that card is worth that much

When a person meets God and is charged/filled with things of God, he/she will have a certain value. The value systems of this world are very different. These are two kingdoms, two different “currencies”!. One does not work in the other

“World” will call you smart if you have power, possessions and so on

That is why people struggle for those elements

But when you have God, He takes care of all areas, everything

Jonah was in the belly of the fish, all the way down in the water

But as he prayed to God, God heard him and commanded the fish to vomit Jonah If God can bring Jonah up from such a situation, if God can command to a fish, who is it that He cannot command to? Are you in a worse position than that?

That is why it is always better to put our trust in God.

ALL things are possible with God

¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them (Ps 62, NIV)

Extortion and stealing: two ways in which things are wrongfully taken away from a person. In both cases, what is rightfully belonging to another person is forcefully taken away. The difference is that extortion is done while the person is watching, while stealing is done without the person’s knowledge. Satan is a stealer, most of the time (John 10:10). Unfortunately, both of these happen more often, not outside the four walls of the Church!

Why someone steals? They want things quickly. People “act love” and steal things away (Ps 62:4)

Many young people are not aware of the way in which devil steals their time and commitment. They get distracted and diverted from what is important!

When we extract or steal because we have power, we pay back later, for everything. If we deny the opportunity for someone to grow, God will block ours! The reason why many churches/people struggle, can be traced back to something done in the past. Someone was probably hurt. Once the root cause is dealt with/ solved, things will change for good

The paslmist says: “do not set your heart on riches”. Do not set your hearts on  beauty, health, children, job, power, property or anything!

If we let God be our pride, we will never regret!

Have a blessed day ahead

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for caring for me. You alone is the one I can trust and rely on. You are the one who is truly interested in my well-being. Help me not to steal or extort anything from anybody, but only wait for you and pray. Amen

“When it comes from God, it stays best, and it stays for long”

A Need For God

Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.
—Colossians 1:27 (TLB)

 

The age-old issue, “Can man save himself, or does he need God?” is still raging across the world as furiously as ever. As long as the world goes on, people will build towers of Babel, fashion their graven images, and invent their own ideologies. Now, as in every period of history, people think they can manage without God.

Economically, they may manage; intellectually, they may manage; socially, they may get by. But down underneath the surface of rational man is a vacuum-a void that can be met only through Jesus Christ. The most astounding fact of all history is that the great and almighty God of heaven can live in your heart. It makes no difference who you are.

Prayer for the day

You fill the emptiness and longing of my soul. I need the presence of Your Spirit, dear Lord.