“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5: 8 (New King James Version)
Picture this… I bring before you this really really broken down car , with the wheels missing , the sides all dented , the entire car rusty, the bumpers falling apart, and the engine does not work. And I tell you , you can have this car for not just the max. retail price… no no no… I tell you I will give you this car , if you give me everything you’ve got ! How does that deal sound ?? Crazy right !!?
Many at times I cant help but wonder ‘Wow Lord , You bore all that humiliation , all that suffering , You died on the cross and You got me in return ? ! “ That’s the strangest deal ever ! When I go to a shop to pick up anything , say a shirt for my brother , I check it all well to make sure there are no tears , no stitches coming loose , no stains… and then I make the payment .
Isn’t our Father amazing ? When He looked at us and decided to pay the price for us when we weren’t perfect … we weren’t stain free all white as snow ! Nope , we were damaged goods. But yet He paid the price and ransomed us by His blood ! Such love is just too wonderful for us to comprehend.
If you are thinking today ‘My life does not make sense ‘ ,’Im not worth anything ‘ , ‘Im damaged goods’ understand this – God has plans for you … Plans so beautifully ordained for you that He decided to pay the price for you.
We read in II Corinthians 5: 21 , “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.
I pray that every day we will surrender and submit our lives to Him for His plans to be fulfilled in our lives. Not what we think we want or need to have. But what plans He has for us. He paid the price knowing the paths that He intends us to walk in. I pray we will learn to obey
God Bless
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
In His Image
“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1 : 27 (New King James Version)
Growing up with my brother who is 7 years elder to me has been a rather interesting journey. He is a blessing to me and I thank God for him. A lot of times as a kid I would see him doing something and I would think , “well if he can do it , so can I … “ For those of you who have grown up with an elder sibling , especially an older brother I am sure you can relate to this. As I grew up I found myself challenging myself further because of what my brother could do. He played volleyball at a district level , he was popular in school , he was captain for his group… And I would think ‘Hey we share the same genes… so if he can do it …so can I J “. God is gracious and by His grace I played badminton at a state level , like my brother I was awarded the outstanding student at school and graduated school captain. I look at my brother and I see ‘well if he can do it then it must be in my genes too :-) ‘…. I praise God for a wonderful role model he has been in my life. I look at him today and see him as a Pastor and I go wow ! Praise the Lord !
We were created in the image of God. Do we truly understand how we can be ? We CAN be forgiving … we CAN be meek … we CAN be truthful… we CAN surrender all to Him … all by His grace !! We ARE free from the bondages of sin. He made us just like Him J The more we look to Him the more He transforms us …
Jesus Christ is our Savior. We were ransomed by His blood . We are now sons and daughters of the most High. We now have His nature in us. Don’t let the devil tell you otherwise. Be transformed in Him. He is our Father !
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3: 17-18
God Bless
Genesis 1 : 27 (New King James Version)
Growing up with my brother who is 7 years elder to me has been a rather interesting journey. He is a blessing to me and I thank God for him. A lot of times as a kid I would see him doing something and I would think , “well if he can do it , so can I … “ For those of you who have grown up with an elder sibling , especially an older brother I am sure you can relate to this. As I grew up I found myself challenging myself further because of what my brother could do. He played volleyball at a district level , he was popular in school , he was captain for his group… And I would think ‘Hey we share the same genes… so if he can do it …so can I J “. God is gracious and by His grace I played badminton at a state level , like my brother I was awarded the outstanding student at school and graduated school captain. I look at my brother and I see ‘well if he can do it then it must be in my genes too :-) ‘…. I praise God for a wonderful role model he has been in my life. I look at him today and see him as a Pastor and I go wow ! Praise the Lord !
We were created in the image of God. Do we truly understand how we can be ? We CAN be forgiving … we CAN be meek … we CAN be truthful… we CAN surrender all to Him … all by His grace !! We ARE free from the bondages of sin. He made us just like Him J The more we look to Him the more He transforms us …
Jesus Christ is our Savior. We were ransomed by His blood . We are now sons and daughters of the most High. We now have His nature in us. Don’t let the devil tell you otherwise. Be transformed in Him. He is our Father !
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3: 17-18
God Bless
Have we wandered?
“Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.”
Psalm 119 : 27 ( New King James Version)
Coming back to the discussion of being a Christian driver… Couple of days back I was awakened to an interesting realization. My car is always stacked with gospel music and I love listening to music and singing (no one around :-)) as I drive. However as I drove, God stirred up this thought in my heart . Why am I listening to what I am listening ? Yes , its gospel. But then I realized that sometimes my focus has been on the music rather on it coming from my heart. For example , I was cruising down the highway singing on the top of my lungs ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’ as the cd played. I loved the fast beat , I loved the tune , I loved the fact there was no traffic and I got to sing it ; unfortunately without really meaning the lyrics as I sang. It was just a really cool song that I liked. I went like “Lord when did I get lost on the way !!” Now as I drive its become a prayer… every song a prayer to Him. And its been amazing. He makes the change . He opens eyes and brings understanding.
We read in verse 10 that "With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” Two words that struck me : 1- WHOLE heart , 2 : Wander !
With our whole heart , that’s the way we ought to seek Him. Its not about the music , its not about the office work I need to do. Its not about what this world expects me to be .. Its all about Him and how He wants me to be. And I need to seek Him with my WHOLE heart.
Notice the word ‘wander’ ? Its like small steps small steps and then suddenly you turn around and realize ‘oh oh I’m lost’ .
We need Him to touch our lives , we need Him to make us understand the way of His precepts and we will meditate on His wonderful works. Today we need to realize that its easy to wander , we need Him to help us understand the ways of His precepts. And that comes from seeking Him.
Verse 28-29 , “ My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.”
God Bless
Psalm 119 : 27 ( New King James Version)
Coming back to the discussion of being a Christian driver… Couple of days back I was awakened to an interesting realization. My car is always stacked with gospel music and I love listening to music and singing (no one around :-)) as I drive. However as I drove, God stirred up this thought in my heart . Why am I listening to what I am listening ? Yes , its gospel. But then I realized that sometimes my focus has been on the music rather on it coming from my heart. For example , I was cruising down the highway singing on the top of my lungs ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord’ as the cd played. I loved the fast beat , I loved the tune , I loved the fact there was no traffic and I got to sing it ; unfortunately without really meaning the lyrics as I sang. It was just a really cool song that I liked. I went like “Lord when did I get lost on the way !!” Now as I drive its become a prayer… every song a prayer to Him. And its been amazing. He makes the change . He opens eyes and brings understanding.
We read in verse 10 that "With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” Two words that struck me : 1- WHOLE heart , 2 : Wander !
With our whole heart , that’s the way we ought to seek Him. Its not about the music , its not about the office work I need to do. Its not about what this world expects me to be .. Its all about Him and how He wants me to be. And I need to seek Him with my WHOLE heart.
Notice the word ‘wander’ ? Its like small steps small steps and then suddenly you turn around and realize ‘oh oh I’m lost’ .
We need Him to touch our lives , we need Him to make us understand the way of His precepts and we will meditate on His wonderful works. Today we need to realize that its easy to wander , we need Him to help us understand the ways of His precepts. And that comes from seeking Him.
Verse 28-29 , “ My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.”
God Bless
In Every Circumstance ?
“I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.”
Psalm 119 : 15-16 (New King James Version)
Driving in the city I am currently at, can be a little tough … well lets say it requires quite a bit of patience :-) Bikes and vans come within inches of the car and nearly hit the sides of the car in their attempt to over take you and drive ahead. Buses follow something like the law of the jungle ! In this case the bigger the vehicle the more the authority to shove smaller vehicles off the road. Buses cut diagonally across the car and I have to hit the brakes and come to a complete stop and see the bus go zigzag across the road. And if you get stuck in peak traffic hours then it can be a real test of patience as you move inch by inch and in that little gap between you and the other vehicle, a bike or a cycle tries to squeeze their way and in the bargain hit the rear view mirrors, scratches on the side of the door.
It takes a whole lot from me to try and refrain from shouting ‘Dude careful !!’ :-) Here is what the Lord has been gently and lovingly teaching me. Am I a Christian Driver ? Am I truly a follower of Christ even when I drive my car ? Would I be bold enough to stick a bumper sticker ‘I am a Christian Driver’ and would the way I drive be a reflection of that for all to see ?
We are His children ! Its easy to forget that though, when we get focused on the world around us.
I love verse 11 , “Your word have I hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” His word is to be embedded within our hearts. Its to be hidden in our hearts that at any point in time we will not forget His word. Why hide His word in our heart ? That we may not sin against Him.
We read in verses 15-16, “ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” This has been my prayer over the last week. That I may not forget His word ! When traffic is crazy or when work gets stressful may I not forget His word.
Circumstances should never dictate who we are . As His children we get to dictate to circumstances :-) He is above every circumstance and every situation. If we will just meditate on His precepts and delight ourselves in His ways , His laws and not forget His word … wow … That’s being a Christian !!
God Bless
Psalm 119 : 15-16 (New King James Version)
Driving in the city I am currently at, can be a little tough … well lets say it requires quite a bit of patience :-) Bikes and vans come within inches of the car and nearly hit the sides of the car in their attempt to over take you and drive ahead. Buses follow something like the law of the jungle ! In this case the bigger the vehicle the more the authority to shove smaller vehicles off the road. Buses cut diagonally across the car and I have to hit the brakes and come to a complete stop and see the bus go zigzag across the road. And if you get stuck in peak traffic hours then it can be a real test of patience as you move inch by inch and in that little gap between you and the other vehicle, a bike or a cycle tries to squeeze their way and in the bargain hit the rear view mirrors, scratches on the side of the door.
It takes a whole lot from me to try and refrain from shouting ‘Dude careful !!’ :-) Here is what the Lord has been gently and lovingly teaching me. Am I a Christian Driver ? Am I truly a follower of Christ even when I drive my car ? Would I be bold enough to stick a bumper sticker ‘I am a Christian Driver’ and would the way I drive be a reflection of that for all to see ?
We are His children ! Its easy to forget that though, when we get focused on the world around us.
I love verse 11 , “Your word have I hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” His word is to be embedded within our hearts. Its to be hidden in our hearts that at any point in time we will not forget His word. Why hide His word in our heart ? That we may not sin against Him.
We read in verses 15-16, “ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” This has been my prayer over the last week. That I may not forget His word ! When traffic is crazy or when work gets stressful may I not forget His word.
Circumstances should never dictate who we are . As His children we get to dictate to circumstances :-) He is above every circumstance and every situation. If we will just meditate on His precepts and delight ourselves in His ways , His laws and not forget His word … wow … That’s being a Christian !!
God Bless
Think Again
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Ephesians 1: 3-6 (New King James version)
If you woke up this morning thinking , “well here starts another week ! sigh !!” or if you woke up thinking this is just another day think again .
· You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
(Can you comprehend the authority and power that you have in Him )
· You have been chosen in Him even before the foundation of the world
(Can you imagine how amazing and how intricately planned are the plans God has for you !)
· You have been chosen to be holy and without blame before Him in love
(We are to be Holy. Have we surrendered ourselves to Him today ? Only He can make us pure)
· You have been predestined to adoption as sons & daughters of the Most High by Jesus Christ
(Have we forgotten the price that was paid for us on the cross ? Have we forgotten who we are?)
And all of this is according to the good pleasure of His will ! It is to the praise and glory of His grace ! Blessed and accepted in Him !
If you woke up this morning thinking that today was revolving around the meetings you had , or the work that needed to be done , or the classes or tests you had to prepare for , think again.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” I Colossians 15-18
God Bless
Faith in Him ! Do your part and behold His awesome ways
“Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
I Samuel 17:47 (New King James version)
The story of David and Goliath. For those of us who have attended Sunday school, as kids I’m sure this was one of the most exciting passages especially when it came to picking someone to play the part of Goliath :-) A little background to this … The Philistines had gathered their armies together . The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side and there was a valley between them. Now out came Goliath from the Philistines and he challenged Israel to send someone to face him. And he defied Israel. David on the other hand had brought food for his brothers in the Israel army and he heard what Goliath was saying (he had been doing this for forty days morning and evening !). We read what David said in verse 26 , “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”” Armies of whom ? the living God !! Can you feel the passion of David ? When David said he would fight Goliath , they got him all decked up in an armor… but David was not comfortable with it as he tried walking . So he took off the armor.
Now we need to understand the reality of the situation , here was Goliath nine feet plus in height and totally guarded with a bronze armor and a spear and all. And there is David… a boy in his youth. No armor… Interesting picture right? Most of us know what happens next. David slings a stone and it hits Goliath on the forehead and he falls face down !! And David climbs on him and kills him with Goliath’s own sword. God works wonders
Here is what I want to turn your attention to this morning. We read in verse 40 , “Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.” We read in verse 49 that David put his hand in his bag and took a stone and he slung it. It took just one stone to kill Goliath . But David had carried five stones !
David knew just one thing : God will give him victory ! He did not know whether it would take one stone or three or five. He just knew he would go prepared with what he had and the only reason why he would win is not because of what he had but because of God !
Verse 37 , “Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, ”Go and the LORD be with you !””
Verse 45, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
Verse 47,”Then all the assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”
Some of us decide not to take a step forward just because we do not know how many stones its going take to kill Goliath. We say “No no … I will not do this until I know God’s plan to the very last detail and then only will I do it.” Or we say “How can I overcome this or how can I pray for this or how can I do this if I don’t know how God is going to do it… what if I don’t have the right number of stones…” Oh we worry too much at times !
The battle is the Lord’s and He will give us the victory ! Will you step out in faith for His name ? Go prepared just as you are and trust in Him ! Its His battle ! We just need to go out in faith ! The Lord will deliver , the Lord will overcome , His victory banner will reign on high !
David did his part of getting the stones (yes he did not have an exact idea of what would happen…but he did his preparation) . And God worked His miracle , His wonder and showed the victory that is in His name.
I pray my brothers and sisters in Christ that we step out in faith in His name !
God Bless
I Samuel 17:47 (New King James version)
The story of David and Goliath. For those of us who have attended Sunday school, as kids I’m sure this was one of the most exciting passages especially when it came to picking someone to play the part of Goliath :-) A little background to this … The Philistines had gathered their armies together . The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side and there was a valley between them. Now out came Goliath from the Philistines and he challenged Israel to send someone to face him. And he defied Israel. David on the other hand had brought food for his brothers in the Israel army and he heard what Goliath was saying (he had been doing this for forty days morning and evening !). We read what David said in verse 26 , “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”” Armies of whom ? the living God !! Can you feel the passion of David ? When David said he would fight Goliath , they got him all decked up in an armor… but David was not comfortable with it as he tried walking . So he took off the armor.
Now we need to understand the reality of the situation , here was Goliath nine feet plus in height and totally guarded with a bronze armor and a spear and all. And there is David… a boy in his youth. No armor… Interesting picture right? Most of us know what happens next. David slings a stone and it hits Goliath on the forehead and he falls face down !! And David climbs on him and kills him with Goliath’s own sword. God works wonders
Here is what I want to turn your attention to this morning. We read in verse 40 , “Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.” We read in verse 49 that David put his hand in his bag and took a stone and he slung it. It took just one stone to kill Goliath . But David had carried five stones !
David knew just one thing : God will give him victory ! He did not know whether it would take one stone or three or five. He just knew he would go prepared with what he had and the only reason why he would win is not because of what he had but because of God !
Verse 37 , “Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, ”Go and the LORD be with you !””
Verse 45, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
Verse 47,”Then all the assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”
Some of us decide not to take a step forward just because we do not know how many stones its going take to kill Goliath. We say “No no … I will not do this until I know God’s plan to the very last detail and then only will I do it.” Or we say “How can I overcome this or how can I pray for this or how can I do this if I don’t know how God is going to do it… what if I don’t have the right number of stones…” Oh we worry too much at times !
The battle is the Lord’s and He will give us the victory ! Will you step out in faith for His name ? Go prepared just as you are and trust in Him ! Its His battle ! We just need to go out in faith ! The Lord will deliver , the Lord will overcome , His victory banner will reign on high !
David did his part of getting the stones (yes he did not have an exact idea of what would happen…but he did his preparation) . And God worked His miracle , His wonder and showed the victory that is in His name.
I pray my brothers and sisters in Christ that we step out in faith in His name !
God Bless
Its all about Him
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Mark 8: 35-36 (New King James Version)
This Sunday as we stood in worship I could not help but notice this little boy… he must be around 7-8 years old. He had his one arm wrapped around his Bible and his other arm raised towards heaven and he was crying , he was pouring his heart out to our Lord and I just prayed “Lord may I always have a heart of worship like that !! Totally devoted to you , simple and pure like a child”. I am blessed with two nephews. The older one wanted a helicopter toy the one with a remote. And I told him I would get it. He did not worry how or when I would get it. He did not try to fit his thinking to mine. He just knew if I said something, I would do it. I remember once when I went up in church to testify , my nephew saw me up front , wriggled away from my mother and came straight up to me as I was testifying and hugged me and stood with me sweetly till I finished and walked back to the seat with me. Aren’t children amazing ? Circumstances around don’t matter to them :-)
Do we have a heart like that when it comes to the Lord ? Or are we busy holding on to the things of the world ? We read that “ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” What is our desire ? When we are faced with choices to lie , to bribe , to become one with the world …what do we do ? Do we say , “Sorry I am a citizen of heaven and I live by what my King says” or do we say , “Well , if I don’t drink with them and hang out then I wont be considered cool and I wont get promoted !” Do we say , “well its only a class test , its ok to cheat” … “hey everyone cheats on their taxes by giving false bills, so whats the big deal if I do it ?” …. ‘its ok to watch that channel , its ok to pass those kind of comments … everyone does it..”
We read in verse 38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” First thing we need to understand is we are not of the world. Yes we live in an adulterous and sinful generation where even an advertisement for a bag is tied to adultery. The flesh will try and pull us towards the world. But we are to hold on to Him. It does not matter what the world has to offer. Christ has already given us something priceless. His blood shed on the cross for us. There will come many instances where you say ‘No sorry I cant do that’.. ‘Nope I wont do that’ why ? Because the Bible tells me so :-) share the word with them. Pray for them. They may not always understand. But never hesitate from planting the word of God in their life. The word is living and powerful. God can do wonders.
We read in verse 34,”When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them , “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Its not about the car we need to buy or the house we need to build … its all about Him. If we desire to follow Him , first step deny our self. In other words, things of this flesh get crucified. And we take upon us the things of God and walk where He leads. He is our priority.
And when the world around us tries to pull us towards itself , we take a stand for Him .Do not be ashamed of who we are in Him ! Its all about Him and we live our lives not by what the world says is ok but by what the word of God says. That little boy had a heart lifted up to God in worship. He wasn’t bothered about people around him . It did not matter if he used grammatically correct statements , it probably would not have mattered if I had placed him with all the presidents in the world. Simple childlike worship. Not complicated by the things of the world or circumstances. It simple : I am in the presence of my King and that’s all that matters.
If we find ourselves entangled by the things of the world its time to be set free. Our God is faithful and so patient. He will pluck our feet when we get stuck. We serve an awesome God !
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them , “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
God Bless
Mark 8: 35-36 (New King James Version)
This Sunday as we stood in worship I could not help but notice this little boy… he must be around 7-8 years old. He had his one arm wrapped around his Bible and his other arm raised towards heaven and he was crying , he was pouring his heart out to our Lord and I just prayed “Lord may I always have a heart of worship like that !! Totally devoted to you , simple and pure like a child”. I am blessed with two nephews. The older one wanted a helicopter toy the one with a remote. And I told him I would get it. He did not worry how or when I would get it. He did not try to fit his thinking to mine. He just knew if I said something, I would do it. I remember once when I went up in church to testify , my nephew saw me up front , wriggled away from my mother and came straight up to me as I was testifying and hugged me and stood with me sweetly till I finished and walked back to the seat with me. Aren’t children amazing ? Circumstances around don’t matter to them :-)
Do we have a heart like that when it comes to the Lord ? Or are we busy holding on to the things of the world ? We read that “ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” What is our desire ? When we are faced with choices to lie , to bribe , to become one with the world …what do we do ? Do we say , “Sorry I am a citizen of heaven and I live by what my King says” or do we say , “Well , if I don’t drink with them and hang out then I wont be considered cool and I wont get promoted !” Do we say , “well its only a class test , its ok to cheat” … “hey everyone cheats on their taxes by giving false bills, so whats the big deal if I do it ?” …. ‘its ok to watch that channel , its ok to pass those kind of comments … everyone does it..”
We read in verse 38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” First thing we need to understand is we are not of the world. Yes we live in an adulterous and sinful generation where even an advertisement for a bag is tied to adultery. The flesh will try and pull us towards the world. But we are to hold on to Him. It does not matter what the world has to offer. Christ has already given us something priceless. His blood shed on the cross for us. There will come many instances where you say ‘No sorry I cant do that’.. ‘Nope I wont do that’ why ? Because the Bible tells me so :-) share the word with them. Pray for them. They may not always understand. But never hesitate from planting the word of God in their life. The word is living and powerful. God can do wonders.
We read in verse 34,”When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them , “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Its not about the car we need to buy or the house we need to build … its all about Him. If we desire to follow Him , first step deny our self. In other words, things of this flesh get crucified. And we take upon us the things of God and walk where He leads. He is our priority.
And when the world around us tries to pull us towards itself , we take a stand for Him .Do not be ashamed of who we are in Him ! Its all about Him and we live our lives not by what the world says is ok but by what the word of God says. That little boy had a heart lifted up to God in worship. He wasn’t bothered about people around him . It did not matter if he used grammatically correct statements , it probably would not have mattered if I had placed him with all the presidents in the world. Simple childlike worship. Not complicated by the things of the world or circumstances. It simple : I am in the presence of my King and that’s all that matters.
If we find ourselves entangled by the things of the world its time to be set free. Our God is faithful and so patient. He will pluck our feet when we get stuck. We serve an awesome God !
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them , “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.
God Bless
He redeems , He restores
“And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.”
John 21: 6 (New King James version)
This verse is taken from the last chapter of the book of John. Does this verse sound familiar ? Before we get into that , here is a little background of the context of the verse. Peter had denied Christ, Christ was crucified , Christ rose and appeared to a few people two times. Peter was deeply saddened by his denying Christ. I mean who wouldn’t be. Picture this … You tell Christ that even if you go to prison or face death you will never deny Christ. And then you actually do deny Him. Not once, not twice, but thrice.
We read in the beginning of Chapter 21 that Simon wanted to go fishing and couple of the other disciples also joined in . We read in verse 3 that they went out and immediately got into the boat and that night they caught nothing. And in the morning Jesus was there standing on the shore and He asks them if they have any food and they answer no. And Jesus says cast the net on the right side of the boat.
Does this sound really really familiar to you ? Turn with me to Luke 5 : 1-11. We read here that Simon and the others had toiled the entire night but had not caught any fish. This was way in the beginning … This was while Simon was still a full time fisherman .
Isn’t the way God restores so amazing. When God called Simon this was the miracle that He did , we read in Luke 5:11 , “So when they had brought their boats to land they forsook all and followed Him.”
And now after all that time, after denying Christ, when Peter is feeling so low see how amazing the love of God is. He restores. Can you imagine what must have been racing through Peter’s mind when he heard the words ‘Cast the net on the right side… ‘ and they get a multitude of fish… We read that he plunged into the water :-)
We all make mistakes , most have us have backslidden at one point or the other. If you are feeling low , if you are feeling hurt , if you feel you have disappointed God , know one thing , our God is faithful to restore. He will restore. Will you take that plunge ?
Here is something interesting . We read in Luke 5:6 , “And when they had done this they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
And we read in John 21:11 , “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three and although there were so many, the net was not broken.”
God’s love and His ways are so incomprehensible. When He restores us its just so mind boggling. Such a Holy God looks at us with so much love. His mercies , His forgiveness and His love is just indescribable.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you are feeling hurt, disappointed , sad … feel that you have strayed away from God , feel you have hurt Him… know this : He is faithful and loving to restore to a point where we are better than before. We will never be worthy of His love on our own. It is His blood , His love , He calling us His own, that gives us that authority. Its all Him !!
Do not ever doubt the love of God , or think that you have reached a point of no return. Lean not on your understanding. His arms are wide open. He is calling us to restoration ? Are you read to take plunge ?
God Bless
John 21: 6 (New King James version)
This verse is taken from the last chapter of the book of John. Does this verse sound familiar ? Before we get into that , here is a little background of the context of the verse. Peter had denied Christ, Christ was crucified , Christ rose and appeared to a few people two times. Peter was deeply saddened by his denying Christ. I mean who wouldn’t be. Picture this … You tell Christ that even if you go to prison or face death you will never deny Christ. And then you actually do deny Him. Not once, not twice, but thrice.
We read in the beginning of Chapter 21 that Simon wanted to go fishing and couple of the other disciples also joined in . We read in verse 3 that they went out and immediately got into the boat and that night they caught nothing. And in the morning Jesus was there standing on the shore and He asks them if they have any food and they answer no. And Jesus says cast the net on the right side of the boat.
Does this sound really really familiar to you ? Turn with me to Luke 5 : 1-11. We read here that Simon and the others had toiled the entire night but had not caught any fish. This was way in the beginning … This was while Simon was still a full time fisherman .
Isn’t the way God restores so amazing. When God called Simon this was the miracle that He did , we read in Luke 5:11 , “So when they had brought their boats to land they forsook all and followed Him.”
And now after all that time, after denying Christ, when Peter is feeling so low see how amazing the love of God is. He restores. Can you imagine what must have been racing through Peter’s mind when he heard the words ‘Cast the net on the right side… ‘ and they get a multitude of fish… We read that he plunged into the water :-)
We all make mistakes , most have us have backslidden at one point or the other. If you are feeling low , if you are feeling hurt , if you feel you have disappointed God , know one thing , our God is faithful to restore. He will restore. Will you take that plunge ?
Here is something interesting . We read in Luke 5:6 , “And when they had done this they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
And we read in John 21:11 , “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three and although there were so many, the net was not broken.”
God’s love and His ways are so incomprehensible. When He restores us its just so mind boggling. Such a Holy God looks at us with so much love. His mercies , His forgiveness and His love is just indescribable.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you are feeling hurt, disappointed , sad … feel that you have strayed away from God , feel you have hurt Him… know this : He is faithful and loving to restore to a point where we are better than before. We will never be worthy of His love on our own. It is His blood , His love , He calling us His own, that gives us that authority. Its all Him !!
Do not ever doubt the love of God , or think that you have reached a point of no return. Lean not on your understanding. His arms are wide open. He is calling us to restoration ? Are you read to take plunge ?
God Bless
He does exceedingly abundantly
“Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.”
Daniel 6 : 23 (New King James Version)
A little background regarding the context of this verse. Darius had set over the kingdom one hundred satraps. And over these satraps he set three governors. One of these governors was Daniel. We read in Daniel 6: 3,” Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” So the other governors and satraps tried to find some fault in him. But they could not. So they consulted together and spoke to the king and had him set a decree that for thirty days that people were to petition no god or man but only the king else they would be thrown in the den of lions. Daniel heard about the decree and guess what he did ? He worshipped God in His room as always three times that day. Now the these men went and told the king what Daniel had done. The king was then forced to have Daniel thrown in the den of lions because once the king has passed a decree no one can change it including the king himself. The next morning the king arose and went to the den and Daniel was alive. We read in verse 22 Daniel says ,””My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouth, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also O king, I have done no wrong before you”.”
Now picture this… being thrown into a den of lions. Lions prowling all around you … God did more than just shut the mouth of the lions. The lions never even pounced on him , they did not scratch him with their huge paws… there was a lot that could have gone wrong. But God’s protection is so amazing. It goes beyond what we could imagine. We read in verse 23 that there was no injury at all that was found on him . Not even being thrown into the then had any scratches or cuts. I’m sure dens were not well polished and smooth !! God’s protection over the lives of those who trust in Him is so amazing.
As you read this I pray God will stir up a grateful heart within to understand how amazing His protection is over our lives. We read of accidents, burglaries… I’ve heard of people falling from a tiny stool barely half a foot above the ground level but the fall being fatal… Now days someone sneezing can transmit germs which cause fatal death …
We breathe in and breathe out perfectly by His grace ! Praise the Lord ! We can eat and taste the food that God has so graciously provisioned for us. We get to hear and see our family .. such a blessing . And above all … He has blessed us with another day to be lived for His glory . Not for our purposes… but for His purposes. Can you imagine how wonderful the purposes of God is in our lives that He set His protection upon us and willed that we see today ? He protects us from things beyond the natural.
Here is where it gets interesting … we read in verse 24, “And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions— them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.”
Even before they could reach the bottom of the then their bones were in pieces .. and these were a whole lot of people. The lions overpowered them. And we just read about Daniel who spent the entire night … and not one scratch. Even if the lions mouth were shut they could have still overpowered him and crushed his bones. There were many lions and only one Daniel. What made the difference ? Our Living God who is above all !! He sends His angels and He sets His protective hedge around us.
Daniel’s primary focus was not His job. It was His God ! I pray that we will lead lives that are of Him and for Him. May the pressures or demand of our work , our colleges, our schools , our loved ones… never ever take the place of our God in our lives. Daniel was a busy man. He had people reporting to him, he had to oversee things happening in the kingdom… but yet His primary focus was God. He prayed and gave thanks on his knees three times. His work was done in a manner that was acceptable in the sight of the Lord.
May our lives be lived for Him. He has blessed us to see this day for purposes of Him . Have we sought Him ? Have we thanked Him ? Are we living our lives for Him ?
God Bless
Daniel 6 : 23 (New King James Version)
A little background regarding the context of this verse. Darius had set over the kingdom one hundred satraps. And over these satraps he set three governors. One of these governors was Daniel. We read in Daniel 6: 3,” Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” So the other governors and satraps tried to find some fault in him. But they could not. So they consulted together and spoke to the king and had him set a decree that for thirty days that people were to petition no god or man but only the king else they would be thrown in the den of lions. Daniel heard about the decree and guess what he did ? He worshipped God in His room as always three times that day. Now the these men went and told the king what Daniel had done. The king was then forced to have Daniel thrown in the den of lions because once the king has passed a decree no one can change it including the king himself. The next morning the king arose and went to the den and Daniel was alive. We read in verse 22 Daniel says ,””My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouth, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also O king, I have done no wrong before you”.”
Now picture this… being thrown into a den of lions. Lions prowling all around you … God did more than just shut the mouth of the lions. The lions never even pounced on him , they did not scratch him with their huge paws… there was a lot that could have gone wrong. But God’s protection is so amazing. It goes beyond what we could imagine. We read in verse 23 that there was no injury at all that was found on him . Not even being thrown into the then had any scratches or cuts. I’m sure dens were not well polished and smooth !! God’s protection over the lives of those who trust in Him is so amazing.
As you read this I pray God will stir up a grateful heart within to understand how amazing His protection is over our lives. We read of accidents, burglaries… I’ve heard of people falling from a tiny stool barely half a foot above the ground level but the fall being fatal… Now days someone sneezing can transmit germs which cause fatal death …
We breathe in and breathe out perfectly by His grace ! Praise the Lord ! We can eat and taste the food that God has so graciously provisioned for us. We get to hear and see our family .. such a blessing . And above all … He has blessed us with another day to be lived for His glory . Not for our purposes… but for His purposes. Can you imagine how wonderful the purposes of God is in our lives that He set His protection upon us and willed that we see today ? He protects us from things beyond the natural.
Here is where it gets interesting … we read in verse 24, “And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions— them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.”
Even before they could reach the bottom of the then their bones were in pieces .. and these were a whole lot of people. The lions overpowered them. And we just read about Daniel who spent the entire night … and not one scratch. Even if the lions mouth were shut they could have still overpowered him and crushed his bones. There were many lions and only one Daniel. What made the difference ? Our Living God who is above all !! He sends His angels and He sets His protective hedge around us.
Daniel’s primary focus was not His job. It was His God ! I pray that we will lead lives that are of Him and for Him. May the pressures or demand of our work , our colleges, our schools , our loved ones… never ever take the place of our God in our lives. Daniel was a busy man. He had people reporting to him, he had to oversee things happening in the kingdom… but yet His primary focus was God. He prayed and gave thanks on his knees three times. His work was done in a manner that was acceptable in the sight of the Lord.
May our lives be lived for Him. He has blessed us to see this day for purposes of Him . Have we sought Him ? Have we thanked Him ? Are we living our lives for Him ?
God Bless
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