Holy

"What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

2 Corinthians 6:16

The word used for temple here is the greek word Naos. This doesn't just refer to a temple or a place of worship. It refers to The Most Holy Place where God's presence was manifested over the ark of the covenant. Wow !

Can you just picture this ? We are the temple of the living God ! Our Holy God...Holy , pure , righteous , merciful , the great I AM , King of kings and Lord of lords... He dwells within us ! We are carriers of His presence .. 

I love it how God always says " I will be their God and they shall be my people". He give us first our identity as Him being our God ! And then He says we will be His people.  

Its like God always always always has shown His love first towards us. He forever keeps embracing us...

Along the way we have somehow lost our pursuit for holiness. The word of God says "what agreement has the temple of God with idols"... In other words what do you - the most Holy Place where God's presence resides.. what agreement do you have with idols? Since when did the pursuit of holiness be termed as "just a catch phrase" or "too idealistic"....?

2 Corinthians 7: 1 , "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. "

May we never lose sight of who we are in God's sight ! 

God Bless

"There is power power wonder working power..."

"how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Hebrews 9:14

We read in Galatians 5 : 1 , "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" For what ? For freedom !! He has set us free so lets stand firm and not get pulled back to the former things of the world that once had us bound.

With every moment that we live we need to realize how blessed we are .. we have been ransomed by the blood of Christ. And the word of God says He was offered to purify our consciences from dead works to serve the living God !

Have you been washed by His blood ? Then know this... you are in the service of the living God , You are free in Christ , dead works have no place in you because He purified us from it all

Reminded of this old hymn

1. Would you be free from the burden of sin?
   There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
   Would you o’er evil a victory win?
   There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
   • 
     There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
     In the blood of the Lamb;
     There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
     In the precious blood of the Lamb.
2. Would you be free from your passion and pride?
   There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
   Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
   There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
3. Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
   There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
   Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow;
   There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
4. Would you do service for Jesus your King?
   There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
   Would you live daily His praises to sing?
   There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
5. God Bless 

Living the Greatest Love Story Ever !

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

People are so captivated by reading love stories , listening to love songs and sometimes searching for some magical love story that their ever searching fantasy tends to eclipse a beautiful reality . And reality is this ... YOU ARE LIVING THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER !!

This is truth.. this is reality ... You were loved before you ever knew (let alone loved) Him... You were trapped in sin... condemned to die... covered with shame... And He came and rescued you from it all.. He paid the price... He bore your sins.. He took your shame... He died in your place that you may be free... He rose from the dead and is alive ...He has clothed you with a new identity in Him..How awesome it is to be loved by Jesus ! Love that is so beyond our understanding...

Never a sense of fear , never a sense of disappointment..never a sense of being abandoned because this is Jesus, and this is what the word of God says "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What a wonderful sense of security in Him..Circumstances dont dictate His love because He is above it all.. He is the King of kings , He is the Lord of lords... He is not bound by tiny things like time frames or logics of the world... Hey created it ALL.... My God gives me life...He has purposed to let my eyes open this morning to see this beautiful day... How beautiful it is to know that I am living the greatest love story ever !

God Bless

The old has gone ! Live new !!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

We read in verse 21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Isnt that amazing ! Basically He bore all our sins (Jesus who was sinless bore our sins) and now we stand we free ... And not only that... He has clothed us with His righteousness !!

He did not just take away our sins but He has clothed us , He has covered us... He has infused within us His righteousness. We do not stand as orphans.. but we stand today alive and free as sons and daughters of the Most High.

And if you believe in Jesus , if you truly understand the finished works of the cross then know that this is our reality : We are a new creation ! The old has passed away !

If that is indeed our reality then do remember this ... when circumstances come up which remind you of the old,  be quick to trample the flesh and remember you now walk by the Spirit ! When you feel things of the flesh creeping up , put to death the ways of the flesh ! We live by the Spirit now ! 

Live as citizens of heaven knowing who you are and above all who your Father is and rejoice and share this love with those around !

Sin has no part in our lives. We walk in freedom in Christ !

God Bless

If you are not a christian and reading this and have questions regarding "how can I be free ? what is this finished work of the cross? Who is Jesus?" please do drop a mail to sparks.ablaze@gmail.com

If you are a christian and are going through something or struggling with something , please do drop a mail. Would like to pray with you via email and even in personal times of prayer

Dare to dream ?

"Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”"

Genesis 41:16

Let us rewind a bit to chapter 37. I encourage you to read from chapter 37 till 50. So in chapter 37 we read in verses 5-8 , "Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words."  We read again in verses 9-11 of another dream.

Now we all know what happened after this.. Joseph was sold by his own brothers as a slave , he was bought by Potiphar , he was unjustly put in prison. 

The question here is, after all of this would you still dare to dream ?

Joseph did... in fact he moved up a level and began interpreting dreams. Now we know this is not an act of self. It comes from walking in a close relationship with God. Now even after interpreting two dreams and having been forgotten for two years , when he is presented before Pharaoh guess what he says ? “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer.”

Wow ! Isnt that beautiful ! No bitterness , no discouragement , just constant faith in knowing God is GOD ! He is in charge and thats all we need to know.

Joseph wasnt worried about what was the interpretation or fulfillment of his first couple of dreams mentioned in chapter 37. He knew God's hand of favour was with him. He knew that it didnt matter where he was but that he would honour God no matter what the circumstance or situation and it was from the heart.

Joseph was 17 in Chapter 37. When he came to power he was 30.  Would the greatest thing of your heart just be to honour HIM and love HIM and not be so caught up in how things are to unravel ? Would we be found praising Him and placing our trust in HIM no matter what ? And here is another key ... Would we be found giving God our all , doing our best no matter what the circumstances look like ? If I'm a slave I will still do my best and honour my God... If Im in prison I will still do my best and honour my God... I will speak and share of the goodness of Him wherever I am... I will not be found taken a laid back, disgruntled or hopeless posture because my GOD IS GOD !!

And here is the fun part... When you read the rest of the chapters and see how the Israelites came to Egypt and what happened thereon you realize that the first reaction of the brothers to his dream was unwarranted. While he was in a position of power , he didnt laud it over them and make them bow down to him for the rest of their lives... far from it actually.  Let our hearts be guarded by His word and not try to figure things out with our limited minds.. but let us lift it all to Him and let us walk trusting Him

Be encouraged ! Dare to dream ! Because our God is the great I AM ! His name is Jesus and He is Lord over all ! Our lives are in His hands and Daddy knows best ! He knows it all

God Bless

Now the time came...

"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son."

Luke 1 : 57

God hears every prayers and He knows when to answer them. Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. Sometimes we act as though they do :)  We serve a living powerful God and we need to put our trust in Him knowing that He knows best because He knows it ALL and He loves us with an everlasting love. 

We read in verse13 the angel tells Zechariah , “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." 

Do note in verse 7 it is written that they were both advanced in age.So they were well past the age where people would normally be likely to conceive. And from Zechariah's response to the angel it sounds like he had stopped praying regarding it for a long time. Verse 18, "And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”" How shall I know this ?? In other words , "How shall I believe this ? I am an Old Man and my wife is advanced in years. What you are saying sounds good but  how can I believe this?"

Have you given up hope on prayers that you have lifted up to the Lord ? His promises are forever true.  If you are wondering today , "How can I believe this?" Be encouraged, He is our God, He is the great I AM , Nothing is impossible for our GOd. He is not confined by logic. Only we are ! 

And we know what happened. Elizabeth conceived and who was their son ? John the baptist ! His timings are just so perfect..s o beautiful ! Praise the Lord ! He sees more and knows  more beyond what our mind can comprehend !

Do not become weary or disheartened. Put your trust in Him and in His wisdom ! 

God Bless

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture

"Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture."

Psalm 100:3

The sheep of His pasture ! What does His pasture mean ?  Did you know that shepherds take such great care in what the sheep eat ? Its not like they take them to any piece of grassland and let them eat it. In reading a couple of sites  it says that shepherds actually ensure that the sheep eat a variety of different kinds of grass, clover and small grains. There are those who prepare their own pastures and plant special grass and a mixture of other things for their sheep. They also ensure the perfect height of the grass.

We are His people and the sheep of HIS pasture ! He has prepared what we should be feeding on. Not just are we given the identity of being HIs people His sheep, not only are we under His protective care but we are the sheep of HIS pasture.  

When God prepares a pasture for us to walk in and feed on its definitely exactly what we need. He knows whats right for us. Just reading on how much detail human shepherds go into for preparing their pasture for their sheep , I cant  begin to imagine the depth and detail our heavenly Shepherd goes into for preparing pasture for us. 

He is God. It is He who made us. So He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need. He knows the timing of everything . We are His people and the sheep of HIS pasture. 

Eat Well ! :)

God Bless

Where are you ?

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1

Two aspects we need to realize here... One is "Dwelling in the shelter of the most High".  A lot of times we treat prayers, God's presence like a guest house.  Its something where we enter in and enter out when either we need something or are looking for a pat on the back. But here is the thing, and think about it for a second.. we read in Thessalonians about "praying without ceasing" or even in sticking within the Psalms we see David saying "on His law he meditates day and night"... How is this possible ? God is calling us to dwell which is to constantly be with a heart lifted towards Him... Its a state of being not an act of doing. Its where we know that we know that we know that we are under His shelter and so it doesnt matter if we see a thousand falling ... Lets check out the verse ,,its so beautiful ..."A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you,no plague come near your tent." (Psalm 91:7-10) 

The second thing is this also talks about our relationship with God. I have made His presence , His shelter my dwelling place. I am not a stranger to His presence.. Its where I live ! Its where I will be ! Its where people know where to find me !

The latter part of the verse says "will abide in the shadow of the Almighty" ... Let me tell you how I picture this..Have you seen little tiny baby chicks/birds hovering below the wings of its mom ? Its like where the mom goes the little ones follow... Constantly under the parent's care.

Abiding in His shadow ! As He leads I will follow.

God's looking for a relationship with us. 

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

God Bless

You go and do likewise

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”


Luke 10:36-37

Many of us are pretty familiar with the parable of the good samaritan. A quick background to the context. "And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”"

And Jesus explains with a parable. Now here is the thing.. what does this look in our today's context ? What is God requiring of us ?

- Have compassion (v33)

And here is the best part... This is not about showing compassion just to those who like you or who you get along with .. God is requiring of us to show love to even those who despise us. Would our heart be moved with compassion for them?

We read in verses 34 and 35 , " He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back."


- He bound up his wounds , he poured out his oil and wine he was carrying

I dont know why the Samaritan was journeying down that road.. for sure he had some agenda.. no idea who all were waiting for him... But he decided to stop and bind up the wounds of someone

- He set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him

This basically means this guy had to walk ! Instead of the comforts of riding there he walked.. And no idea how far the inn was...

He took care of him. And then the next day he paid money to the inn keeper and also ensured he would stop on the way back to pay any difference.

This guy basically literally did ALL he could !

We have heard this so many times.. sounds like a cool story.. but hey this is the living word of God and God says "You go and do likewise"

Are we so consumed in our own little worlds that we refuse to see the dying world surrounding us ? People wounded and bleeding from abuse , hurts , abandonment , people facing eternal death because they do not know who Jesus is ...

Is our heart moved with compassion ? Have we gotten so wrapped up in our agendas , our jobs, our families that we refuse to see those lying around and move on ? Have we become selective in who we help ? (just the ones whom we like who fit a standard profile ? )

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

God Bless

An Attitude of Gratitude

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:2-5

Bless the Lord o my soul ! This is a prayer I pray over myself "Bless the Lord o my soul". Sometimes its just so easy to take for granted how much we are blessed !  

When I get a a headache its pretty bad.. Feels like someone is pounding on it and even if I shake my head a bit ..whoa ... extreme.... I remember  couple of weeks back when I did get a headache , at that time I realized "Wow...how often to I remember to thank God that I can shake my head pain free !"... 

Check these verses "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Wow ! Sometimes we tend to walk around as though God OWES us all of this rather than understanding how blessed we are to be ransomed by His blood. It is an honour to be called the sons and daughters of the Most High ! 

May our hearts always be positioned with gratitude and love for our God ! May we not be those who take things for granted but those who with thanksgiving and praise just relish in His love for He crowns us with His steadfast love and mercy ! We are free in Him ! Our lives our secure in Him for all eternity ! Amazing Love !

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

God Bless