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 me42 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 me42 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] 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!


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