Isaiah 59:1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Are you frustrated, anxious or troubled? Quiet yourself, you are in the hands of  God. We live in a world of so much uncertainty, discontent, and turmoil. It is important to quietly reiterate each morning that our life and times are in His hands. When we allow an attitude of discontent to settle into our heart,   we fail to live in God’s perfect peace.

God’s hand is victorious

Psalms 118:15-16 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!

God’s hand carries us

Isaiah 46:4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime-until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

God’s hand is secure

Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand. I, the Lord your God. And I say to you ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

God’s hand formed us.

Isaiah 64:8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.

Five guidelines to help guard the heart against discontentment:

• Do not complain
• Do not compare yourself with others.
• Do not dwell on the wish that this should have, could have or otherwise been.
• Do not worry about tomorrow.
• Do not dwell on thoughts that are negative.

LET THE HAND OF GOD BE YOUR RESTING PLACE, YOUR PLACE OF VICTORY, SECURITY AND DEEP CONTENTMENT.

God bless you

Hannah Emmanuel

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn’t always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned, but overbearing, regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, teenagers suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they had themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer paracetamol, sun lotion or plaster to a pupil, but could not inform the parents when a pupil became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home, but the burglar could sue you for assault because you protected yourself and your own.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I’m A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized that he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author Unknown

Lent is not a spiritual exercise that we follow year after year with a decision to give up something, and go about without a change in our character and our attitude.  People are so used to attending the three hour Good Friday service and the mid week Lenten service. Anything   different from the usual they feel that they have lost it all.  It is time that we keep our traditions aside and ask what impact has the cross made in my life. What have I learnt from Jesus life on the cross? It is possible to sit through a three hour service, and come back missing seeing the cross.

One of the characteristics of Christ that stands out when we see the cross is FORGIVENESS. He spoke about it, he showed the disciples and he practiced it on the cross. It is easy to teach on forgiveness.   It is also easy to tell others to forgive when you are not the hurting one but,  It is so very difficult when you are hurting, falsely accused, dragged, insulted and beaten.  Jesus listened to the conversation between the two thieves and remained silent.  Isn’t it amazing?  His power not to retaliate was greater than the power to retaliate.  Yes, we need power to hit back but to control that power  we need a greater power and that only Christ can offer.

How soon we hit back on people for the slightest of injury caused to us.  Once we do that we feel that we are the victors.  Remember the victorious one is the one who forgives and not the one who hurts others.

The best way to celebrate the cross is to forgive those who have hurt us.

Forgiveness is a decision, a deliberate action.

Forgiveness is showing mercy even when the injury is too deep.

Forgiveness is accepting the person as he is.

Forgiveness is taking a risk

Forgiveness is way of living

Forgiveness is choosing to love.

Let us forgive one another and let us do it quickly.

Benjamin C. A.

Mahatma Gandhi:  THE WEAK CAN NEVER FORGIVE. FORGIVENESS IS THE ATTRIBUTE OF THE STRONG.

Should I or shouldn’t I? Everyone else is, why not?

We live in a time and age were people are gaining knowledge. We are faced with choices- choices about life, careers, friendships and relationships. There is so much set before us that it becomes difficult to choose that which is right. The things we don’t want to do we do and the things we want to do we don’t. What can you and I do in times when we are under pressure?

Changing the way you think 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. Romans 12:2

ME: ACCORDING TO ME

• How I look is more important than accepting how God has made me.
• I need to be an achiever in order to be significant.
• I don’t feel good about who I am?
• I’ve made so many mistakes and that makes me a bad person.
• Nobody loves me.

Who I Am?

It is who I am that determines what I do.

ME: ACCORDING TO JESUS

• I am a child of God: But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
• I have been made righteous: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Cor 5:21
• I am justified through faith: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Rom 5:1
• I am forgiven of all my sins and set free: who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Col 1:14
• I am free from all condemnation: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1
• I am complete in Him: So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Col 2:10

Have you ever had something happen that shook you? Are you at a place where you have to make a choice? God cares for you. He cared enough to give His only son Jesus Christ for you and me. Jesus came so that you may have life in Him. Your real identity is in Christ. Know for sure that you are loved by the God of the universe and your future is secure with Him.

Let who you are determine what you do.

God bless you

Hannah Emmanuel

Dear friend

Greetings !!!

Wish you a blessed new year. For some it is a year of expectation, for some it is a year of anxiety, for some it is a year of fear, and for some it is a year of sadness. Sadness because of what happened the past year. Challenges are sure to be there and we need to know how to face it with confidence. Ezra 1:1-11 gives us few truths. In Jeremiah 29:10-14, the Lord had sent word through His prophet to those who were already in exile in Babylon: For thus says the LORD, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope”. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.” The seventy-year captivity began in 605 B.C. Jerusalem fell in 587 B.C. The decree of Cyrus was in 538, the first year of his reign over Babylon. The Bible says the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1). Cyrus was a pagan king and the Lord stirred his heart to accomplish His purpose. In these 11 verses we see three valuable truths.

1. GOD FULFILLS HIS WORD NO MATTER WHO IS SITTING ON THE THRONE
Our God is sovereign. He stirs the hearts of individuals to fulfill his word. No ruler or leader can hinder the word of the Lord from being fulfilled. This year when you face hurdles and obstacles on the path of progress remember the Lord is in control.

2. THE PURPOSE OF GOD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CIRCUMSTANCES
There were many Jews in Babylon who were comfortable there. Many of them had been born in captivity and Babylon was all that they knew. They heard stories from the old-timers about the glories of Zion and the beauty of the Temple. But they just shrugged, “Why go back there when we have a good life here?”
Besides, it was both inconvenient and risky to go back to Jerusalem. It meant saying good-bye to the comfortable and familiar surroundings and friends and venturing across 1,000 miles of hostile desert terrain to a land that had been decimated by war. There weren’t cities with beautiful empty homes awaiting them. There were piles of rubble and some hostile people who had moved into the empty land after the Babylonians had dragged off the surviving Jews 50 years earlier. So why go back?
We need to be obedient to the Lord and keep moving rather than staying back. He will take care of your circumstances. What he has promised he will accomplish and he will take care of the circumstances we are in.

3. HE STIRS THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO BE PART OF HIS PURPOSE AND PLAN.
In v 5-11. Cyrus and the people of God gave according to their ability. They were not just spectators, they willingly participated in God’s plan and purpose rather than leaving the responsibility to others. This is very important for us. Very often we do not want to do our part, we always expect God to do things for us or others to do what we are called to do. It is a blessing to do our part in God’s kingdom.

What does this mean for us in our journey this year?
1. We need to be sensitive to know that the Lord’s working in difficult situations.
2. We need to be obedient to the Lord no matter how difficult the circumstances are.
3. We need to be willing to play our part for His purpose to be fulfilled

Have a joyful and confident new year .

Rev.Benjamin.C.A

Are we busy to stop and see the change in us?. Have things changed in me and around me, that I am not aware of?. Are we going through life without noticing the beauty around us but only looking for reasons to be unhappy and complain?. Take time to see the change. It takes an effort to do it, it is a deliberate act.

Lk 17:11-19, is a classic example of how we move on without acknowledging the change and in the process miss out on change maker.

There are four things to notice in this passage

Passage from the Bible – Exodus 17:8-16

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi.

In this passage we read about a great battle that took place. The battle between Israel and the Amalekites. It happened at the time when Israel was wandering in the wilderness. Moses who was leading Israel, asked Joshua to lead the Israelites into battle while he went up to the hill to pray. As Moses lifted his hands and prayed, Israelites prevailed in the battle but when he let his hands down, Amalekites prevailed. So Aaron, Moses brother, and Hur his assistant held his hands up until the battle was won. Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi because he understood the truth that God himself is our banner and our victory.

Trials we need to overcome
Some of the trials and spiritual battles we need to win are:

1. Doubt:  Doubt or unbelief is often detected in one’s spirit and attitude (which often includes grumbling). When we fail to see God’s hand in our daily affairs and fail to trust Him for our daily provision, we often begin to fret and complain. We first need to listen earnestly to the voice of God, seeking to know what He is trying to say to us in our present circumstances.
2. Discouragement: Many times we look at the things happening around us and get discouraged. We often magnify the problem and dwell on it more than we need to. We need to remember the past victories and know that our God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
3. Disobedience: When our faith is being tested do we obey? Delayed obedience or partial obedience is complete disobedience. We must be willing to surrender our lives, trust God completely and practice obedience.

Slum Dog Millionaire has caught the world’s attention. The movie brings the squalor, the filth and the stench of the life of the underdogs of Mumbai’s Dharavi slum right before your eyes. It hits you hard with its stunning reality of abuse, poverty and pain. This is only one example of India’s poverty. This article is not about glorifying slums, poverty or the dark under belly of Mumbai. It is not about eradicating poverty either. It is not even about turning a millionaire over night.

No matter who they are – call center workers, sex workers, outcastes, beggars, women, street children, victims of communal violence, the chaiwallahs or the dabbawallahs –each of them is a face in the crowd.

God commands us concerning them. Deut. 15:7, Prov. 31:8. Prov 14:31. He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God. We see that His heart goes deeper still: He identifies with the poor; 2 Cor 8:9, Prov 14:31. God not only takes the side of the poor; in the very alarming parable of the sheep and the goats he speaks of salvation as depending on how we treat the poorest and the most afflicted. Another thing to note about God’s Word about helping the poor is the lack of excuses. None of them add “…once a year” or “…when you feel you can” or “…if they’re moral” or “…if they are of your community” or “…if they speak my language”.

And what about the millionaire or the crorepati? Read Lk 18:18-30. This man was a capitalist with the right question but the wrong motive. Perhaps he cared most of all in investing in his own business, wealth and power.

Jehovah Rapha – The Lord you healer

Passage from the Bible- Exodus chapter 15
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. (Exodus 15:26)

Jehovah Rapha heals our physical, spiritual and emotional needs. Physical healing is important but man’s greater need is spiritual healing. All around us we see the destruction sin has caused – broken relationships, strife, hatred, bitterness and so on.  We are sick from head to heart to toe (Psalm 38: 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin). Therefore healing is needed in our personal lives, families, churches, and community for God alone is the source of all healing.

Believe And You Will Be Healed…

1. The Cross (tree) is source of healing for sins. 1 Peter 2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
2. Confession and prayer for one another can bring healing. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
3. The Word of God is the source of healing. Psalm 107:19, 20 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
4. Fear of the LORD is associated with healing. Proverbs 3:7, 8 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
5. Jehovah Rapha heals the brokenhearted and the souls of men Psalm 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. Psalm 41:4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John: 2

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

As we live on this earth, we go through times which may be confusing, questionable and difficult. During such times if we meditate on the Names of our God it would be enough to see us through and also help us emerge as victors. I pray that as we meditate on His Name, God will give us a fresh understanding of His Glory and we will worship Him not only for what He does but also for who He is. I pray that you will be encouraged and uplifted as you read the Names of God.

1.   Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Will Provide

Passage from the Bible  –  Genesis chapter 22
And Abraham called the name of that place ‘Jehovah Jireh’: as it is  said to this day, in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. (Genesis 22:14)

• Where does the Lord provide for our needs?  In the place of His will. Abraham was at the right place, so God could meet his needs. We need to be in the place of His will in order to receive the provision of God.
• When does God meet our needs? When we bring our requests to the throne of grace, God answers with mercy and grace “in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need). Sometimes it looks like God waits until the last minute to send help, but God is never too early or too late. He is always on time.
• How does God provide for us? God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9 – For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.) He knows the need and he also knows the way in which the need will be met. God provided the ram at the time when Abraham needed it and in a place where Abraham could get his hands on it.
• Why does God provide for our every need?

God was glorified on Mount Moriah because Abraham and Isaac did the will of the Lord. God provides for every need because He loves us and for the glory of His Name.

The Lord will provide – God will see to it that we shall not be ashamed and that our needs will be met for the Word of the Lord says – But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19