CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONAL MANNA

The “worst” is avoidable!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:22:19 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Today: The “worst” is avoidable!

Passage: James 1

¹³When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1, NIV)

When a person reaches the limit of their patience, they may do something bad

When a person reaches the climax of their uncontrolled desire/temptation, they might commit an act of sin

Jesus focussed on the “heart” (not the physical heart but the mind). He knew that a disease should be treated from within, not without. Many a time we, even churches try to treat people from the outside!

That is why the word of God is important. If it really gets into our heart, we will become more responsible to God and others. We will become responsible citizens

Those who closely follow God are a blessing to the land. Crimes will be less

In some of the most crime-prone areas, you will see some churches. They may be small, store-front churches. But they do a great deal of goodness!

If churches do the right thing, we will need only less Police in the streets

Now, let us ask ourselves a question:

As a believer in Christ, how do we handle anger and temptation? How worse can we become in our words and actions, if we face the worst?

What prompted me to think of this is certain acts of otherwise “good” people, that led to some of the worst crimes. They were either upset because of something and took a weapon and did what they never thought of doing before; Some committed suicide. Some yielded to temptations/ lust and committed sins

Joseph in the book of Genesis is a good role-model for us. He survived temptation. He even overcame revenge and anger by showing mercy to his brothers, instead of punishing them. He did his best as an administrator in a foreign land!

If we, who claim to be children of God behave exactly the same way as others when we are under pressure or temptations, no good!

The words we speak, the things we do, must have some “God-touch” in it if we belong to God. We can’t be so different from the one we call “Father”

Adam forgot who he was, when tempted; so did David. But David confessed and came back, and became the man after God’s heart! He became an asset to God!

May God bless us to do good, in a “crazy” world. There is so much good that you and I can do, if we focus right.

Have a great, blessed weekend!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for being there for me. You are worth all my praise and thanks. Help me to be what you want me to be, in this world, touching many lives with your love, one life at a time. All this in Jesus’ precious name; Amen

Pressure and temptations can bring either the best or the worst out of us-depending on our relationship with God

From God, through man

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:16:12 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Today: From God, through man

Passage: Jeremiah 17

¹⁴Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (Jeremiah 17, NIV)

Salvation and healing comes from God; but most of the time, God uses a person(s) as a channel of salvation and healing to another!

Salvation is the highest form of healing; it is the quickening of a spiritually dead person, to life. There is no greater miracle than that!

God was willing to step down into the life of His creation. Isn’t that a miracle?

Welcoming Jesus into our life is not a great act on our end; the greatness of salvation is that Jesus was/is willing to walk into our lives, in the condition we are!

If the President of the nation comes to our house and we just open the door for him/her, is that a “great” thing we do? Not at all!

When we make it a big deal that we accepted Jesus into our life, remember that the great thing is that Jesus was willing to come into the life of His creation!

The word of God is God (John 1:1). So, the word of God is very important, when it comes to salvation or healing. It has power, just like God. Read/speak it to the person who needs salvation/healing. If it is you, read it to yourself!

Jesus did not heal everybody that was around Him. In the same way, just keeping the Bible under the pillow or on the table will not do us any good, than (may be) some mental satisfaction!

But if we meditate on God’s word and believe what it says, it will work great for us! I think, we need to understand that better

Jeremiah admitted that salvation and healing comes from God

Today, much healing is needed in the family; family is the #1 target of devil. Satan seperates; God joins!

None of us are angels. Many people look at themselves as an “angel”, and their conterpart as a “devil”. We say, God joins a man and a woman in marriage. Does God join a “demon” and an “angel” in marriage?

However, even “demons” can be transformed to “angels” through the right treatment!

We are transformed to transform; touched by God, to touch others with the same kind of love and compassion

A lot can be done and a lot of problems solved, by treating others right. Many a time, the change we expect in the other person need to take place in us first, so that we could look at them right and treat them right

It could be children; it could be spouse; it could be a brother/sister in church or a co-worker;

The healing we expect them to have, may be we need it first!

I am sure, that is true at least in most cases!

Have a great, blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you were ministering to me, and thank you for the same. You are a brother, a friend and everything best that I can think of. You not only preached, but also practiced what you preached. Help me to be the same way; Amen

There is healing in salvation, but not salvation in every healing; what is common to both is “L” (Love)

The father(less) connection!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:07:22 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Today: The father(less) connection!

Passage: Psalm 103

¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103, NIV)

Mother’s day is over. Father’s day is coming, but not a big deal (?)

Every day, we hear so much of bad news

Thank God for His word, which is good news

So, when you get tired of all the bad news out there, take a break with the word of God. It will calm and comfort your spirit, soul and even body

Yesterday, it was shocking to hear about the news of a mom who shot her four children to death and then killed herself

The children, most of them in their teens, were also “terrorizing” the neighborhood, as per the news

But the question remains. Where’s the Dad?

There was only so much she could take. May be she was not part of a church that could help. Obviously, the father was missing in the house

I read another news about a politically motivated murder carried on by a group of young men, in southIndia. These men were brought up in homes where both parents were there, I believe. Again, it is a question how much their fathers were involved in the lives of their children. May be it is worth a study!

Whether the father is physically missing or emotionally missing even while physically present, these types of incidents throw light on to something

When we see more and more women and young people involved in crimes like these, it raises the question: Where is the father, and what is/was he doing?

God takes responsibility as a Father. He is happy and willing to be called “Dad”

God is our Father because we owe Him for our very origin. He provides, protects and promotes His children. He stands with and for them-especially when they are properly connected to Him

How is our connection with our heavenly Father? How is it, with our eartly parent(s), if they are still alive?

Dads, moms, how is our connection with our children?

Just because they are growing up, does not mean they don’t need us. They need us more, day after day. Also, talk to a parent today. Encourage them

Jesus said, “watch and pray”. Open you eyes and watch; close them to pray

Have a blessed day. Parents, PTA (Pray, Think, Act)

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the privilege to call you “Father”. I know, you like to hear that. In you, I see the best Father, for you have always been doing what an ideal Father should do. Thank you again, in Jesus’ name. Amen

God is not only the King of kings and the Lord of lords; He is also the Father of all Fathers!

Led by the spirit!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:11:32 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Today: Led by the spirit!

Passage: Rom 8

¹⁴For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Rom 8, NIV)

Being led by the spirit of God is a unique experience

If we can get directions from God on a daily basis, that is great

But God promises even more than that; He promises a moment by moment experience. He promises to guide us each and every moment of our life

We know how people who drink “the spirit”/alcohol are controlled by it

When we are filled by the spirit of God , He controls each and every moment (Eph 5:18)

On the day of pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120, they underwent a drastic change, for sure. Holy Spirit was over them, dominating them

From that moment, Holy Spirit prepared their agendas/programs and plans; telling them what to do, where to go and when to go

It is very important to get God’s permission before we make moves

Sometimes, Holy Spirit warned the Apostles not to go to certain places

There is a big difference in being guided by the Holy Spirit vs. going on our own and seeking God’s help when we need it

When we are fully guided by the Holy Spirit, we can hardly make mistakes

But when we are self-guided and seek God’s help only when we are “lost” on the way, we may simply travel “extra miles” and pay for it

How (much) do we depend on God?

In these days, we see more and more “christians” afraid to stand up for the truth

God has already foreseen that. It is clearly mentioned in His word

When we are fully led by the Spirit of God, we don’t worry about what man thinks; we will only be concerned about what God thinks

When a person is truly married, they are not ashamed of that relationship

If we are ashamed of God, we are not truly united with God

The other day, I was attending a non-christian wedding. I was thinking of the values that people of different religions and faiths hold in life-and in marriage

But unfortunately, such values are coming down and are about to hit the rock bottom among christians!

It is time for a self-analysis. How much do I care about the value-system of God?

How much does my family/church care about it?

Are we ready to take on a journey, led by (the spirit) of God?

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for coming to me, even before I came to you. The greatest thing is not that I said “yes” to you, but that you were humble enough to come to me. Thank you God. In Jesus’ name; Amen

“If we are fully led by God, we can’t be led by anybody else”

Time to wake up!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:22:03 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Today: Time to wake up!

Passage: Psalm 33

¹⁰The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. ¹¹But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance (Psalm 33, NIV)-emphasis added

God, who is the King of His kingdom, is watching the world and its kingdoms

He looks from heaven and laughs at some of the things people do down here

And His eyes are very much on those who fear Him, to save their lives

Living in a world that embraces sin and satan, children of God will find it difficult to make their stand and to make their way forward. It becomes even more difficult when some churches don’t take a proper stand on various issues

Church is the body of Christ. Church is to stand for and support what Christ stands for and supports. If “I” want to create a community of people who follow what I believe, then it is not necessarily Church

The same God who formed marriage formed the Church. So when Church or leaders of nations try to define “church” or “marriage” in their own terms, they better make sure that they don’t do it differently from the original

No one has the right to re-define anything that God or His word has defined. It will be an encroachment on God

If you watch carefully, it was the “church” who started deviating from God’s word first. Many churches teach “their own” gospel.

When the church dereails, everything else derail

As the coming of Christ is appraoches, the true church must be prepared for more “shocks”, regardless of who is at the top of government. Things written in God’s word must be fulfilled!

The “false church” will alwys choose the path of less friction, because that is their basic criteria: “pleasing people than pleasing God”

While we boast about our church, worship, prayer or even tradition, what is important is what God says about it. If my “great” church/worship/prayer does not get God’s approval, then what’s the point?

It is time to wake up; God is near

Have a blessed week!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are sure, you are watching us; you are watching each and every action of ours. Help us to stand for the truth as you did, so that we can reap the rewards of it. Without you, we cannot make it. Thank you lord; Amen

Man may violate God’s laws but God cannot. God will be God when He judges man, by His word

Distractions that lead to destruction!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:11:26 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Today: Distractions that lead to destruction!

Passage: John 11

⁴⁰Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I 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 Jesus came to the house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, there were too many things going on, that could distract Him; yet Jesus focussed on His job

Every day, we hear about road accidents, and many are heart-breaking

Most of them happen because someone was not doing the right thing

Multi-tasking (doing several things at a time) is the last thing we want to do when we are behind the (steering) wheel; it is not worth it, to pay with one’s life

Young people are more prone to do that; over-confidence can be over-costly!

Most accidents that happen in work places/construction sites involve people that are well-experienced, not people “new” to the job!

“Familiarity” makes them less cautious and careless!

“I have done this several times, and nothing bad happened….” is what they think

And, all of a sudden, the “unexpected” happens!

Many accidents happen when family/group go together because the person behind the wheel gets too excited and forgets that he/she is responsible for many lives

When people get too excited behind the “wheel”, when they drive too fast/crack too many jokes/watch something on the phone etc., someone need to stop it!

Recently, when an airplane pilot got distracted on the job, people had to get him down and the co-pilot handled the situation

When the head of a family/church/nation gets “distracted” or mis-directed, that family/church/nation is in trouble.

When David went wrong, a man named Nathan went and told him straight

When a student gets too distracted and takes attention away from studies and God, it can destroy the carrier/future. Someone need to address that

Many a time, people get distracted at work and the productivity is reduced to a fraction. But when they receive the salary, even 1% deficit will be a BIG issue!

We expect lot of things from God and even blame God if we don’t get them

Do we have the right to do so?

Take time to find out all those areas we get distracted and find out how much we are loosing. Our decisions and actions make an impact on others too

Have a great, blessed weekend. Let it be a much better one!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being the role-model for me. You were, and are focussed on your duty and achieved the most in such a short time on earth. Help me to say “no” to distractions and get the most out of my life, and for you; Amen

If we don’t get serious about distractions, we may get into serious destruction!

When it is just you!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:56:10 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Today: When it is just you!

Passage: John 11

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!

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!

You see what you believe

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:10:20 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Today: You see what you believe

Passage: John 11

⁴⁰Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I 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 recently read 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 stuff on 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!

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)

Shifting our focus right

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:07:21 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Today: Shifting our focus right

Passage: John 11

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

That’s why Jesus said: “Father, I thank you 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

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……

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:52:24 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, May 07, 2012

Today: Sometimes, we need to……

Passage: Psalm 4

³⁸Jesus, 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 week!

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

Having the right Spirit?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:02 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, May 04, 2012

Today: Having the right Spirit?

Passage: John 4, 13

⁵Offer 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

¹⁰Jesus 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 weekend

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!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:49:52 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Today: In Spirit and in Truth!

Passage: Psalm 4, John 4

⁵Offer 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 worshipping like pentecostals. That is not just true. We can worship in all the tongues, but God won’t understand a thing, unless we are worshipping 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] ²Don’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!

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

It’s all about you, LORD!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:56:04 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Today: 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

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”

Fed to lead, not to lie down

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:23:12 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Today: 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

¹⁹So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. ²⁰And 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!

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”!

Missing: fear and love for God

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:10:19 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Today: Missing: fear and love for God

Passage: Psalm 3

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

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

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

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

That is what he tells to almost everybody!

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

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

Another time, he was dancing and worshipping infront of God’sArk. His wife Michal, also daughter of Saul, made fun of him. David didn’t even care!

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

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

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

See what else God does for those who fear God

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed week!

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

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

When “school” is over!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:42:42 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Today: When “school” is over!

Passage: Acts 1, 2 Kings 2

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

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

-emphasis added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do these verse(s) really speak about?

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

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

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

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

The message we speak, must first be spoken to us

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

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

Let the word of God be our standard all the time

Have a wonderful weekend!

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

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

Relationship, results and rewards

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:28:28 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Today: Relationship, results and rewards

Passage: Acts 1, 2 Kings 2

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

-emphasis added

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed day, as you ponder upon that

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

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

You get what you ask

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:38:49 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Today: You get what you ask

Passage: Acts 2, 2 Kings 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why not give it a try? God likes it!

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

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

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

Intimacy that takes away fear and shame

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:56:09 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Today: Intimacy that takes away fear and shame

Passage: Acts 1-2

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

They were neither afraid nor ashamed of their Lord Jesus Christ

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

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

Paul was not ashamed of Jesus because he knew Jesus well

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed day!

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

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

When the Holy Spirit comes

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:15:31 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Today: When the Holy Spirit comes

Passage: Acts 1-2

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

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

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

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

The world looks at Jesus Christ very differently

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

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

So, that is how people see Jesus Christ?!

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

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

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

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

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

God shows His power to those who wait upon Him

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

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

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

See how it helps. It helped me a lot

Have a blessed week!

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

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

Discerning the “foe” in the friend!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:07:30 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Today: Discerning the “foe” in the friend!

Passage: Mat 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We can lead them to confession and repentance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed weekend

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

“Jesus will always be what He should be”

How do we see Jesus?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:06:34 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Today: How do we see Jesus?

Passage: Mat 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“God is treated best, as God”

When God prevails

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:33:51 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Today: When God prevails

Passage: Ezekiel 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

See what Jesus did:

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

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

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

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

God sometimes teaches great things through our own children/family

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

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

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

Have a blessed day!

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

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

When justice prevails

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:16:09 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Today: When justice prevails

Passage: 2 Chronicles 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed day!

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

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

God’s power vs. my power

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:03:20 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Today: God’s power vs. my power

Passage: 2 Chronicles 16

God is committed to those who are committed to Him

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

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

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

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

God wants His strength to be available to His own

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed week

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

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

Strong and yet loving!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:52:45 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Today: Strong and yet loving!

Passage: Psalm 62

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

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

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

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

Two great attributes of God: Strength and love

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

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

When strtength and selfishness combines, it can be more satanic

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

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

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

They are both God’s gifts, not just ours

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed week end

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

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

The beauty of getting it all from God!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:53:13 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Today: The beauty of getting it all from God!

Passage: Psalm 62

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

The value of a person depends on his /her choices

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

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

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

That is why people struggle for those elements

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

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

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

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

ALL things are possible with God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a blessed day ahead

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

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

A good God or a “moody” man?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:50:20 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Today: A good God or a “moody” man?

Passage: Psalm 62

⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God^[a]; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. ⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62, NIV) –emphasis added

I was thinking the other day: “If Jesus raised dead people, and He himself was raised up from among the dead, is anything less than death a problem for Him?”

I mean, any sickness or other issues in our life a problem for Jesus?

It is not! Yet we don’t completely trust Jesus for everything. It is only when every other door is closed on us that we put our trust in Him

Many of us owe God big time because He has done such big miracles in our life. God saved our lives from death and destruction. We don’t need to look at another person and see what they are doing for God. We only need to see what God has done for us and what we have done/are doing for God

May be we are doing certain things for God, but is that it? Can’t we do better?

A child may say, “I am doing my best”. But the grades of that child may show that he/she is not doing the best. Parents know that child can do better

So they say, “you can do much better than this”

May be God is telling the same on us, when we think we are doing “big” for God

David was a man with so many strengths and skills. he could have easily felt that he don’t need to trust God much, like many around us. But he chose to trust God

As each day passes, one thing is on the rise: uncertainity!

Uncertainty about health, job, family, finance, church and so on

We can see more and more people getting stressed out and families braking…

The main reason for many such things is lack of trust in God

Trust in God comes out of atleast three things together: the faith and hope that God is able to do it, and our intimacy (love) with God

David not only trusted in God so much, but he also poured out his heart to God.

Man is good only when the mood is good; God is good at all times.

We need confidence in ourselves, but not without God

God is confident of Himself; but there is a trinity that works together

There is strength in togetherness

There is no limit to what God can do for us. We don’t have to wait till last minute. Bring it to God in the beginning itself, so that God gets some time to work on it

Have a great day. Increase trust in God. “Save” in Him for big returns

Prayer: Father God, thank you for being a rock, refuge and rest for me all the time. You never deserted me and you will not, except that I moved away from you sometimes. Thank you for being my good father. In Jesus’ name. Amen

“When God is not the best to trust, it is O.K to trust someone else”

For previous messages, please visit (click) http://manna.christianchannel.us)

Criticism: “yes” or “no”?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:21:40 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Today: Criticism: “yes” or “no”?

Passage: Psalm 62

³ How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? ⁴ They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. (Psalm 62, NIV) –emphasis added

David continues his lament about how he was being treated/criticized

Here, David speaks about negetive criticism that is aimed at destroying/toppling a person. Bible encourages positive criticism, which is constructive, aimed at building a person/family/church

That is what we see in Paul’s letters/epistles and in the letter from Jesus himself, to the seven churches (Revelation chapters 2 & 3)

The line between positive criticism and negetive criticism is a very narrow line. We can easily slip from one to the other if we are not careful

If a father fails to positively criticize/correct his children, others will do negetive criticism on that child. When the leader of a church fails to do positive criticism/correction on the church, people will start negetive criticism and gossip within the church, which will finally destroy it

Positive criticism is a “must” to make people better. It is done in love. It is aimed at making the person better, not bitter. However, don’t think it will work with all people. A good number of people cannot accept positive criticism!

Below are few verses that support positive crticism. (Emphasis added in most)

If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3, NET)

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. ⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive. (Proverbs 27:5-6, NET

¹ Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6, NIV 84)

² Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction. (2 Tim 4:1-2, NET)

A rebuke makes a greater impression on a discerning person than a hundred blows on a fool. (Proverbs 17:10, NET)

The goal of the act of correction is what is important.

⁵ The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

(1 Tim 1, NIV 84)-emphasis added

The Bible is about truth and true love. It does not support fake love and lies

The psalmist says: “with their mouths they bless, but with their hearts they curse” (Ps 62: 4). Do not “bless” someone, unless we mean it!

In positive criticism, there is love and truth. In the negetive one, there will be bitterness and lies, which may eventually destroy both or the one who crticizes

Those in whom we desire a change, pray for them first. Then, in love, go and speak to them. You will see acceptance and change

Did this help you? If so, pray for me

Have a blessed day

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for making me a part of your great family. It is a great privilege and honor. Help me to do my job right, as your child, here. Amen

“When we do our job right, less people will do theirs wrong”

My rest, refuge and rock-the risen savior!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:24:29 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, April 09, 2012

Today: My rest, refuge and rock-the risen savior!

Passage: Psalm 62

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. ² He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62, NIV)

This is a psalm of David. David does not find anyone better than God, to find rest, refuge or to rely on

When a believer does not feel good, he/she may call the Pastor or somebody like that. But if the Pastor himself is in need, whom shall he call?

Similar things can happen at work or with various other situations. You may not find anyone else but God to call upon

It is good to keep good personal relationships. But you cannot trust in them too much. People change in a moment or overnight…!

I remember a real story from late Bro.DGS Dinakaran, who was a leading Evangelist in India. As a young boy, he was offered a seat in the Engineering college, by the head of the institution. But as he went there with his dad, the officer acted in the opposite way. He did not get the admission

He then went into a regualr college and later became a senior officer with a leading bank in India, which he quit later for full-time ministry

In God, our soul finds real rest. I have heard this famous words: “our souls are restless until they find rest in God”

That is true. Our (young) people are restless and they are tempted to try almost evrything out there. They need help and we can show them the right place

Jesus met this woman (John 4). She was never satisfied in her life. Her heart was thirsting for something and she had five husbands, one after another and was living with the 6^th man. Finally, Jesus met her. She understood that any number of men were not going to quench her thirst. She found rest in Christ. She stopped her old lifestyle and became a firm believer in Christ.

Christ did not feel ashamed that she was going to tell people about Christ!

David goes on to say that his refuge, his rock is God

Jesus conquered death. Who else qualifies to be our refuge? There is only one!

If there is one place that is always open, that is the presence of God

That door never closes. Trusting in any man can prove false

However big the problem is, our God is bigger than it. He knows what you are going through. He has handled such issues before. He is able to help and will help

Have a blessed week ahead

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my rest and refuge. Thank you because you are always there for me. Let me put my trust always in you and you alone. Amen

“I can rely, rest and take refuge in Christ because He even conquered death”!”

The Easter I (didn’t) celebrate!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:04:35 +0000

Welcome!

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Today: The Easter I (didn’t) celebrate!

Passage: Rom 1

⁴ and who through the Spirit^[a] of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God^[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 1, NIV 84) –emphasis added

“Do you celebrate Easter?” I’m sure most of you hear this question every Easter

Well, “we do….”, “do not……..”, “kind of……” and so on goes the answer, depending on who asks the question (!), in most cases

For many, Easter day is just an eater day; another such day is Christmas

For some, these are the two days they go to church: Easter and Christmas

And for most christians, theses are the two main celebrations in the year

I have a question about Easter: If Jesus had lived another 30 or so years after his ressurection and then died like Lazarus or Jairus’ daughter (whom He raised from the dead), where would Christianity have been today?

You think it still would have been a great religion?

The death and resurrection of Jesus marks the most important purpose of His coming. His life and ministry were important as well. His body was alive on earth until His death, dead inside the grave and was totally transformed into a heavenly, glorified body when He came out of the grave.

That gives us hope. Any time we go through the experience of the cross, we come out totally different, even though for a short time we may be like “dead”

After Jesus was resurrected, Pilot or anybody could not crucify Him any more! Satan/world cannot deal with you the same way as before, after you come out victoriously from a situation that God allowed/appointed

Q:Who should really celebrate Easter?

A:Those who have become one with the Lord, by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior; those who have identified with His death, burial and resurrection (Rom 6)

Those are the people who should really celebrate Easter

Q:How often should it be celebrated? A: Every day, 24/7

Q: What should we do when most others celebrate Easter on a particular day of the year only?

A: Use the opportunity to speak to them about the real Easter and Christ; what actually happened on the cross and why Jesus came into the world.

Celebrate the resurrection of our saviour in the real, holy spirit, not the spirit of this world. Celebrate Christ! Celebrate in a way that Christ can also join with you

Be a blessing

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your life, love and the legacy you left for the world. Let me not defile your name in celebration of your death or resurrection, but only bring praise and glory to your name. Thank you for your sacrifice. Amen

“We are here, because of Him; He was here, because of us!”

Where love met justice

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:38:19 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, April 06, 2012

Today: Where love met justice

Passage: Rom 12

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom 12, NKJV) –emphasis added

For many of us, life is about going to work, come back and get ready for the next day. Many people spend hours commuting to and from work

For some others, work follows them 24/7. It follows them day and night, and even during their vacations. “Life is work and work is life”

Then, there are also people for whom entire life is like a vacation. Even at work, they do something namesake and them wait for the time to go.

Jesus was very committed to His work, His assignment. He was 100% into it

His work was doing the will of the Father, the one who assigned and sent Him

Jesus wanted to do every detail of his work exactly as the Father wanted and exactly as it would please the Father. Jesus was not worried about His pay

First the Father and then the people. Anything else came only after that

What is unique about Jesus was that He was (and is) REAL. Most of what we see are masks out there. Real people are rare.

One of the reasons many relations fail is when they pull off the masks. When real people face real people, there will be issues

As long as we put on the masks, we cannot lead anyone to Christ. We need to remove the layers until we can expose the Jesus in us. We are to put on Christ and nothing over that! (Gal 3:26, 27)

Good Fridays come and go, and we are the same. But if Jesus ever came into our life, we can’t be the same anymore. We must become real!

Jesus was 100% God, 100% man, 100% Truth and 100% Grace, and much more…

He is 100% Love and Justice. When His Justice demanded punishment for our sins, His Love demanded His own sacrifice by taking our punishment on Him

In other words, the cross is where the Love of God met the justice of God; the punishment had to be taken. Love transferred it from you and me to Jesus. And then, Justice said (in my words): “that’s fine, as long as someone takes it”

Jesus could not find any reason to transfer our punishment on to Him except His grace, mercy and love.

If the biggest problem of man was sickness, many medical professionals would offer help. If it was financial, there would still be many who could help

But for the problem of sin, there was only one- the 100% sinless-Jesus Christ

So he stepped up-because there was no one else who could do that job

Can we step up to our God-assigned tasks? If we say “not now”, then when?

May God continue His transforming work in us and bless us!

Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your love. When Jesus was crushed upon the cross, we know that was not easy for heaven to take, but that was necessary for us to be saved. Thank you Lord Jesus, for your saving your sacrifice. Love you. Amen

“If we know why Jesus died, then we (must) know why and what we live for!”

An offering of praise; an offering of pain

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:17:22 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Today: An offering of praise; an offering of pain

Passage: Rom 12

You might have heard and sung the song that has these wordings: “there’s pain in the offering”

It is God’s will that you and I must conform to God’s image day after day

We need to look at God daily and meditate on Him

The more we worship God, the more changes will be there, God-ward

You have seen children who are fans of great players trying to imitate them

Jesus descented from heaven to the earth. From the cross, he started his ascention process. Those three days marked the most important days in world history. Golgotha hosted the (most) perfect sacrifice and worship

Let me bring to you the picture of something from real world

It so happens that sometimes people fall on the rail tracks, in the station.

If they try to climb up to the platform and an oncoming train is too close, they may get hit by it and get “wedged” between the train and the edge of the platform. That is a horrific scene. In most cases, the person may still be alive for a few minutes and die

If that was difficult for you to take, look at the cross. Jesus went through something much worse than that. His whole body was battered and bruised that he was no longer recognizable as a man! What we see in pictures is nothing comparable to the real one. That was how bad, the our sins were

Every time we worship God, it must involve a sacrifice. If we did not sacrifice something, we did not worship!

On the cross, Jesus wanted to make a perfect offering knowing that it was the last one. If Jesus offred anything less than perfect, the whole sacrifice was going to be of no good!

As we worship God, something in us that was conforming to the world must get broken off and we must conform to God, in that area

The basic theme of worship/sacrifice is “not my will, but thine”. When we choose to decide what we must get rid off in our life, it may not be enough. We need to know what God wants us to get rid off. That will be painful!

Let us ask God to show us what(sacrifice) needs to be done in our lives

We may need a change in our lifestyle, our routines. We have to sacrificially set apart time for God. Doing it in sparetime or if-i-get-time is no sacrifice!

May God bless you and guide you

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your perfect sacrifice on the cross. I know you did all of that to make me perfect in fron of the father. Show me what I need to get rid off, so that I can live and worship in a way that pleases you. Amen

“A true sacrifice of praise is a sacrifce of pain as well”

Saved? Stay saved and successful!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:08:23 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Today: Saved? Stay saved and successful!

Passage: Rom 12

Throughout the Bible, we see people struggling with God’s will

God often had encounters to get people submit to His will

Adam went out of God’s will. Abraham was asked to leave his kith and kin, and start a journey of faith, to be in His will. Later, Abraham was asked to get his son Ismael out, and was tested to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.

Isaac dug so many wells which the philistines covered. Jacob had to run away from his house at the most unexpected moment and wander like a stranger

Can you relate to something like that? Are you worried about the various situations you had to go through in life?

David’s life was no different either. It was mostly troublesome. He always had one problem or another. Was David in God’s will all that time?

While we try to live a life pleasing to God, the enemy gets mad at us. He will do everything possible, to attack us- scheduled and unscheduled attacks

When the enemy plans to attack a child of God, he plans it-schedules it

When we pray to God, God will reveal them to us and we can pray and overcome it much stronger and succesful, than otherwise

Then there are the sudden attcks of the enemy, which also can be better handled by a person of constant communication with the Lord

God warns us about both of them – the schemes of the devil and the sudden attacks, which he releases whenever he gets a chance

¹⁰ If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (1 Cor 2, NIV 84)-emphasis added

⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5, NIV 84)-emphasis added

Devil plans/schemes attacks. He also prowls around so that he may get any!

If we are not in God’s covering, we can easily become prey to the devil

May god help us to stay out of trouble!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your promise and help. You are always there for me, whenever I need help; but I am not always there when you look for me. Help me to stay closer to you so that I can be farther from the devil. Amen

The key to “not perish” is to stick to God and stay away from satan

Doing it God’s way, together

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:29:19 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Today: Doing it God’s way, together

Passage: Rom 12

What do we do, when we are sure that a certain thing is God’s will and another person so close to us cannot agree with it?

That other person could be our spouse/parent/child/friend or anybody like that

First of all, we need to make sure that it is God’s will

I know many people who “jumped” into something because someone told them something or because someone else did a similar thing

Many families struggle because one person felt God was calling him/her into something and the family had to make changes. Later on, they could not cope with the change. They struggle together

When you are having a tough time to convince the other person about God’s specific will on a certain thing, the first step is prayer. God can and will talk to you and the other person. Say, someone prophecy to you that you are to do something. Bring it to God first, in prayer. You are God’s child and let the same God speak to you also. Once convinced that it is God’s will, pray that God will speak more clearly to you and the other person. God will!

Once I was travelling with a ministry friend of mine. When I was through 90% of the way, I felt strongly to go back. My friend could not accept it, but I told him I have to go back anyway. It was good that I did so. Some people were waiting there for a meeting and the person who was supposed to lead, was not there!

The apostles in the first century church were instructed by the Holy Spirit to change the course of their travel several times. They obeyed God

Some people cannot yield to changes that fast. “What I decided I will do” is their style. It is good to have determination, but it is better be flexible to the spirit of God. The best thing is to follow God’s directions

If a superior person in job tells you to make changes to something you did, how good are you in that? Some people will do it once or twice and that’s it!

It is because they feel that it was not done right, that they ask you to change

When God tells us to make changes, and we say “yes” to God, our lives will finally look like how God designed it. Otherwise, the finished product of our lives will look very different from God’s original design/blueprint

May God bless you and help you accomplish His will for your lives

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. Your grace is better than life and your advice is better than my choices. Help me to be sensitive to what you tell me and to make changes so that me and my family will NOT struggle. Amen

“When we build our way on God’s plan, we end up paying more for a product of much lesser value”

God’s will and purpose for me

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:52:10 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, April 02, 2012

Today: God’s will and purpose for me

Passage: Rom 12

Knowing the “will and purpose of God” was a topic for dicussion in a recent youth meeting. It was a very useful and a needed one

Many of us struggle in this area: “How to know God’s will and purpose for me? What do I do about it?”

God’s will and purpose matters only to those who have something to do with God

If God is our father, we need to be definitely concerned about His will for us

No father will be without expectations for the children. No father would want his children to go bad. Neither does God

In God, we find a father who only wishes the best for His children (Jer 29:11)

He is LOVE. God is also JUSTICE. That means, we will get justice from God even if we don’t get it from anywhere else. At the same time, if we go the wrong way, the justice of God will start to bother us. God does not tolerate sin.

How much do we care about “God’s will and purpose” in our daily life?

Do we take time to ask God “Is that your will Lord”, at least once a day?

If we are truly connected to God, we will ask that question often

It all depends on the relationship. If we are part of God’s family and God part of ours, we need to involve God in our decisions. Again, within the family itself, there has to be communication. In some families, they discuss things and in others, they don’t. It is all about the quality of relationship. Things that need to be discussed should be dicussed, for a healthy family

God’s will is in God’s word. For many of our questions about God’s will, we can find answer from His word

Holy Spirit will also guide us, speaking to our inner man. But the Spirit of God will always be in line with the word of God. The Spirit reminds us the word. We need to study and “keep the word” in our hearts to stay away from sin and to do that which is God’s will. We will continue on this topic, God willing

What if one person is sure of God’s will and the other person in the family is not?

That is a sensitive question; we will look into it

Have a blessed week

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and care. I know that you love me with all your heart and that you have the best plans for me. Help me to know your specific plans and purposes for me and to move along that direction. Amen

If we call God “loving father” and we mean it, we better know His will and do it

Called to be a family – of God!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:34:35 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Today: Called to be a family – of God!

Passage: 1 Peter 3

⁵For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. (1 Peter 3, NIV 84) –emphasis added

What is the “terror” mentioned in the above verses?

Was Sarah being “threatened” by her friends for repecting Abraham too much?

The scripture above may be looked upon as out-dated by many today

Sarah respected Abraham and called him “Lord”. She meant it. It was not just “another way” to address him.

But today, many consider their spouse as a load, not Lord!

I am not suggesting how wives should address their hsuband. What is important is the attitude, in the relationship. How we say, is equally or more important than what we say.

Attitude matters the most, in marriage. It really does!

Bible gives us these advices on marriage and family under the expectation that marriage is until “death do us part”, and not until “divorce do us part”!

When we buy stuff from a store/shop, there are things of different quality. Some last long, some don’t. Good quality stuff lasts long, and is a little expensive

Bible talks about good stuff, quality stuff. It talks about love and faithfulness, that keeps us going a long way. There is a cost for that, but it pays in the long run. These days, many things are copied from the world, by people of the word. When we simply try to copy what others are doing, make sure we are not going the “cheap” way. We may end up where they end up, not where God wants us to

Many families and churches are failing big time these days. Many people are struggling in these two areas. The cure is to check with “the book” and find out where it is going wrong, and fix it.

Joshua said, “me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh 24). That was not easy. Joshua was a leader par excellence!

Christian family is a representation of Christ and the Church. It is like too much is expected out of a husband, while it makes the lives of wives easier (!)

⁷Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Pet 3, NIV 84)

Husband is to “dwell” with the wife emotionally, not only physically. It is quite possible to sleep on the same bed and be somewhere else in mind. That is bad!

Discipline is the key. We need to say “no” to various temptations and “opportunities”, to stay committed. It all depends on the goal in life

If we know where we are going, things will be easy. Unfortunately, most don’t!

The scripture above says that wives are heirs together with the husbands, in God’s kingdom. That means, they need to be respected from a spiritual point of view. (That might be “shocking” to many, who plan to be there alone!)

God will help. Have a blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that you have a plan not only for me, but also for my family. Help me to re-orient my personal and family life, to make it the way you want. Help me to restore and revive my peronal and family prayer. Amen

“If we love quality, we better love the Book and live by it”

Let nothing hinder your prayers!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:59:04 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Today: Let nothing hinder your prayers!

Passage: 1 Peter 3

⁷ Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Relationship with God and relationship with people are very connected. You love God? You love your fellow human being also. That’s what “the book” says

The other day, I was in an Indian store. An elderly lady was telling her husband: “If you can cut and clean it, buy it; if not, don’t buy”!

Peter’s writing resembles that of Paul very much, even though they were not on the same page always. That’s the beauty of the scripture. It is God-breathed!

Preachers may have differences, but if all preach the same gospel, that will be great. Instead, if I speak “my” gopsel and you speak yours, it’s no longer God-spell!

God instituted marriage; He also gave us the instructions to live by

If we follow the manual, we will do good. Peter (as well as Paul) tells basically the same thing: If you are in disgareement with your spouse, your prayers will be affected (applies only to people who take time to pray)

Adam and Eve agreed together, even as they sinned (For some reason, there is more agreement to do other things than in doing God-things!)

Satan has crookedly wiped out times when family comes together to pray. It is dangerous and costly. We pay the cost somehwere down the line. We better restore our personal and family times with God, before it is too late

One of the themes of an upcoming youth discussion is about understanding and confirming to the will and purpose of God. It is not easy; there is so much to give up, to confirm to God’s will. It was not easy for Abraham, Moses or even Jesus!

In the family, things can become difficult if the husband/wife feels that a certain things is God’s will and the other persons thinks differently. In most cases, we don’t worry much about God’s will and so we don’t have much problems (!)

It is not the best thing to ignore God’s will and go ahead.

When we get things done quickly, it may look “good” for now, butbthere could be a long-term (negetive) effect later

It’s not vert easy to keep the unity and warmth in the family; it needs to be worked out on a daily basis. To break it, all it takes may be just one second or one incident!

God will help us to be meet God’s expectations on us. God will be so delighted to see the man and the woman He joined, living happily. Satan simply hates it!

God bless your family

Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your love and care, not only in our personal lives, but in our family as well. It’s only because you are working in our lives that we are able to enjoy your blessings. Thank you so much. In Jesus’ name; Amen

“All things are good, when God is in it”

Satan’s schemes: persecution/pleasure!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:39:55 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Today: Satan’s schemes: persecution/pleasure!

Passage: 1 Cor 6

¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Cor 6, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Whatever God created/instituted, satan tries to destroy

Satan will try his best to pull it down anyway he can

God created man and satan had his eyes on them. He had his eyes on the “weaker vessel” and got the family to where he wanted. Then he got Cain (the child) and killed the true worshipper Abel. Satan is continuing the work of “killing” true worship wherever we give him a chance

Because the people yielded to satan, sin abounded. God had to come and sent judgement through flood. Satan was not the looser. The people who sinned, lost.

God wept. But God is a God of justice, just as he is a God of love!

When people sin and die in their sins, God weeps over it. Satan doesn’t care.

We are God’s products and God’s purchase. God had to purchase His own!

Today, satan is fighting tooth and nail against evrything God’s

In the East, satan mostly uses persecution; in the west, pleasures/materialism, apostasy, liberal teachings and different philosophies like humanism and so on..

If we fail to identify the schemes of the devil, we will be the loosers!

There is much prayer (followed by action) needed for ourselves, our children/spouse, church, community and the city. God put us here for a reason

Jesus knew that the devil will fight against the church. The true church belongs to Jesus. When the word of God is preached without dilution or adulteration, and people are encouraged to live according to the word, it will be built by God.

If anyone tries to make the church his/her own, Jesus will not take it back by force. Same principle works with us/our body. Jesus keep knocking at the door

The reason why Jesus said “I will build my church” is because He alone can do it right. When someone else builds it, they will build it according to their taste and will not look anything like the master Architect’s design. Jesus will have a tough time identifying such churches!

It is not the committee or even the Pastor that builds it. All can do their part, but God alone can build it. We need to just follow the directions

We need to pray, more than ever before. The devil is so mad at God’s property

A single father (his wife died few years back) was telling me the other day:

“Pray for your children and encourage them”

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you so very much for all that you are doing. Help me to let go things I should, and take responsibility for those I should. Thanks for your work in me, my family, our church, community and the City we live in. Amen

“When we pray and act right, satan cannot prey on us anymore”

The fact of God’s ownership!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:35:40 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Today: The fact of God’s ownership!

Passage: 1 Cor 6

¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body (1 Cor 6, NIV 84) –emphasis added

As man became technologically advanced, he also became more selfish and un-dependant on God. We have come to a place where we are too independant that we cut-off almost all relationships in life

Starting with God, it spreads to the family, then church, work and so on

Many have fallen in love with lonliness. A dog or a gadget is their best buddy!

We, “the human robots”, don’t care what is happening around us; we have no time!

Our conscience is dead long time back. We think and act like our “fellow robots”!

When we see people who don’t smile or cry when you smile or cry, when people don’t care as others go through troubles and struggles, when everything is about “me” and me alone, there is no other/ better name that fits us, but “robot”!

What God/His word says, has been replaced by what people say. Someone says/does something and we make it our model (?) And then, as we struggle, they laugh at us!

God paid a huge price to get us back. He didn’t pay it to satan. Jesus fulfilled the requirement on the cross before the father, the judge of all judges!

There is no force or pressure on us to submit to God, because we are not slaves but sons/daughters of God. It is on us to submit or not!

Biblical submission is voluntary and it comes out of love. A true christaian enjoys being submissive while enjoying the freedom in God.

If anyone submits to us, they should enjoy the same type of freedom, which we receive from God

In the triune God, we see the best example of mutual love and submission. Jesus always submitted to the father and was in full agreement with the Holy Spirit

Jesus showed us the example. He Himself became the most surrendered one the world has ever seen. Can He (not) plead to us to submit ourselves to Him?

See the language Paul uses, when he asks us to submit our bodies to God:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom 12, NKJV)-emphasis added

It is a language of pleading/urging, not commanding

It is upto us to do whatever we want to do with our body, because we are the one who pay the bill/penalty. God, (not our friends) will tell us how much the bill is!

Living a life of submission is not easy, but possible. We usually look at sin the way others look at it. We need to look at sin as Jesus looks at it – serious, not light!

May God help us and bless us, to live a life pleasing to God

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need your help to make it to heaven. Many a time, I am tempted to look at sin as others look at it. That makes life difficult. I don’t want to live a double-standard life. Help me to live a life that pleases you; Amen

When we are not in love with Jesus, it is not easy to stay away from sin

What a family-friend we have, in God !

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:28:51 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Today: What a family-friend we have, in God !

Passage: 1 Peter 3

¹ Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴ Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3, NIV 84) –emphasis added

The Bible does say certain things about marriage and family, and they are significant. What the Bible does not say, we better not say much about it

The Bible does not say much about how younger the wife should be or what should be the wifes’s profession and things like that. It is not wrong if a man want his wife to be younger by so many years or to say that “all I want is a …….(profession)” or so, but the Bible does not specify all of that. Don’t blame God afterwards!

What the Bible does say is helpful to stay married, once we make the choice. God does not interfere with our choices. He is such a good father..!

Relationship and responsibility are keys to marriage. Everyone goes through various tides and ripples, but make sure we have God with us at all times

Submission is an attitude, which we learn from Jesus. He always submitted to the father. Even if we don’t learn anything else from Jesus’ earthly life, that one thing (submission) alone is enough! It is worth a study!

The more Jesus submitted to the father, the more authority and power He had!

Is n’t that something encouraging for wives? (Try it out!)

Satan is so scared of someone submissive to higher authorities. Satan hates submission. He controls by slavery, threat, cheating, lust and use of force. If a man uses any of these on the spouse instead of love, that is not from God!

Next, (v.3) we read about the adornment of a woman. Bible says that the true adornment of a person is not in anything external, but internal.

(Caution: If you use this verse to “prove” that wearing jewellery is sin, make sure that you include “fine clothes” together with it at all times)

The theme in these four verses is character, and not anything else

Character is what matters in marriage than money, materials or anything else

How or how young the wife is (or looks) is not a problem, as long as the two can agree and walk side by side. Others don’t decide how the husband and wife should treat each other. Many marriages are spoiled by (wrong) friends and families, whereas many have also been “saved” by the right ones. It all depends on who we listen to and what they say. The best thing is to listen to God and His word

May God give you a blessed week. Let today’s devotion not spoil your week!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding me about the realities and responsibilities of family. I see that there is a bunch of wrong practices out there, but help live by your advice and not of others. Thank you Lord; Amen

“If we involve/allow God to work in our marriage, He will do a perfect job. If we let anyone else do it, you know what…!”

What a shepherd we have, in Jesus!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:06:19 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Today: What a shepherd we have, in Jesus!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

²³ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2, NIV 84) –emphasis added

We have a “treasure” in Jesus. He is one we can be proud of!

People sometimes feel proud about a prominent person being part of their family or friends’ circle. But not much people feel so, about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords being our best friend and we being His children!

In the first century church, they had an issue. They used to “worship” certain men who were of good position in the society. Such men were given “special seats/positions” in church, a tradition/practice we carry on to this day (!)

Do we have some “special friends/people” whom we support and uplift, while ignoring some others who are gifted and have a calling?

I have seen that in some churches. But Paul simply condemns that practice!

Jesus quietly suffered all that we gave Him- all the insults and mocking and all the physical torture. Beyond that, He also took other people’s sin/blame upon Him!

We find it so difficult to admit even the very sins we commit. How would it be then, if someone tried to blame us for something we didn’t do?

Jesus took it all. He went through the cross. Now we know better, what “cross” meant for Jesus!

If Jesus does not qualify to be our best friend, we better find out who else?

Jesus left his mission with us. He thought you and I would continue it (!)

The other day, I was reading this story about a hard working father who had two lazy sons. When he got weak, he called them and told them that there was a treasure in their farm. These kids dug up the entire farm!

Now that the entire ground was tilled, they put the crops and it gave a good yield

They sold the grains and got gold coins in return. Now, the father told them that this was the “treasure” he told them about!

The reason we get so lazy about our master’s mission is that we don’t know the benefits. The peace and joy you enjoy after ministering to someone, you can get from nowhere else. You need to try it out!

Jesus qualified for the title, “the shepherd and overseer of our souls”

He earned it. He did not get it as a “honorary degree” or something like that

No one was there to give Jesus a D.D (Doctor of Divinity); All we gave Him was the C.C (cross of Calvary)

Our souls are safer with the good shepeherd. We better pick up where he left the mission

Have a blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for all that you became, for me. Help me to be unto others as you are, for me. You truly qualify to be the shepherd and overseer of our souls and our souls are safe in your hands, and with no one else. Amen

“If Jesus wasn’t the good shepeherd, there’s no way we could be the good sheep”

Doing good means a lot more!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:13:26 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Today: Doing good means a lot more!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. ¹⁶ Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2, NIV 84) –emphasis added

When we continue doing good, it makes God talk, and the foolish ones silent

Many people do wrong things because they don’t have any goal to focus, in life; and for most, doing good is doing something that neither hurts God nor devil

But “the good” that Jesus did was all about destroying the works of the devil

Those who do good, displease the devil

The church is not just a “maintenance program” run by God. It is way more than that. It is a “demolition and building” program. It is also like a hospital, where everything is not “calm and quiet”. You will hear someone crying or weeping; you will hear the noise of new babies. Some people will be jumping with joy, while some others will be taken into the “operating room” where that which is malicious is being removed. It may be little painful, but they will come out clean and healed!

What kind of a place do you expect the church to be?

An all saint’s club of the elite where Holy Spirit is a “stranger” and sinners are not welcome? In most such places, people who can “cover up” their sins in a nice way are welcome! If someone ever confess/repents of a sin, that will be “remembered for ever”, in their honor. That could be one reason we don’t see much confessions or repentance in Church, from top to bottom(!)

I believe, God is not happy with these “maintenance shops” which most people cherish as “church”; God is not happy with those “everything will be O.K” clinics either, where large crowds gather to hear messages that don’t prick anybody. If there is a hospital where they don’t press and clean wounds or do no surgery, but will only “cover-up” your wounds with an “evrything will be O.K” bandage, how will it be?

One day, the person might “die”. In church, many are dying spiritually because of this “cover-up” , and no one seems to bother much about it!

Without good discernment, people won’t know that many of these leaders have “their own” agendas, which has nothing to do with God’s. Like the frog that was put in water and then the heat slowly raised, these people won’t know that they are spiritually dying, slow but for sure!

God is like a physician, like an Engineer. Healing, surgery, “heart” transpalnt, demolition, construction-all are happening in His kingdom

God is raising up a new (generation of) people to do something different, when the old crew gets lazy/tired or un-productive. God never takes a break, until that day!

If we have been comfortable with a spiritual “maintenance” program, it is time to open up your eyes. God called you to destroy the devil’s stuff in people’s lives and to do spiritual “heart transpalnts”!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being so personal with me. I never knew that you have called me with a specific calling, to do something specific in the lives of people. Thank you for making me part of this great process of your kingdom. Amen

“When you are raedy, it is time for God”

Free to serve God

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:46:19 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Today: Free to serve God

Passage: 1 Peter 2

Live as free men (women), and be submitted to God; live as servants of God

Can you be a servant and be free at the same time?

Good question! That is the uniqueness of serving God. God does not micro-manage us. He gives us freedom, even as His eyes are always upon us.

That’s one reason we call Him “father”

Today, many people ask this question about the church: “what’s going on with the church? Why isn’t God doing anything, even as (many) things are done wrong?”

If we observe the way God acts, we will find the answer

Adam sinned. God had given him freedom of choice, which God never violates

David sinned. God did the same thing. God did not interfere with David’s freedom

But God does question afterwards

See the letter to the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 2 & 3) God was watching, even as they took these different tracks. But then, God runs a report on them. Each church was responsibile to correct what was wrong, as per God’s report.

You and I are free. We can use or misuse that freedom. But one day, we will stand before the Judge of all judges, our very own Jesus Christ!

We can do something for God every day, or we can just do nothing and enjoy life

That day will surely come. Until that, things may go just like that

God is looking for some who are crying out to God seeing the wrong things. He is about those who stand in the gap, and stand for the truth. Such will always be a few, but are very special to God! (Ezekiel 9:4)

Church is the place where we get reminded of sin and sanctification, the wrath of God and the grace of God. When church starts saying and doing what everybody else is doing out there, it is no longer church, in God’s eyes

The body of Jesus cannot behave very different from Jesus, and be very friendly with the world. That is deception!

Church is (to be) like a hospital, where we are spiritually diagnosed and treated

Unfotunately, some churches only diagnose people and sent them home with a warning! some other churches never bother to diagnose or heal. And then there is this third category, that gives the same tonic of grace to people every Sunday, like a cure for all. Looks kind of nice, but very different from the Jesus way!

When church becomes more gracious than God, there is a problem!

May God bless and guide you right

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your concern for me, my family and the church. Help me to guide my life and my family in the right direction. I pray that church will do what it should do, so that many will be healed and sanctified. Amen

“Whether we do what we are supposed to do or not, God will do what He has to do”

Born again, not bondage again!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:50:23 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Today: Born again, not bondage again!

Passage: Ps 111

⁹ He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise. (Ps 111, NIV 84) –emphasis added

God is more concerned about us than we ever think. He is in the business of planning and preparing the best for us, and providing for our daily needs

We will be better thinking of God and His things more, than getting frustrated and worried about ourselves. We can hand our frustrations over to God. We can ask for His guidance in every thing we do, small and big alike!

Once we have the conciousness and fear of God in us, we are not looking for an opportunity to sin! Instead, we will be looking for an opportunity to do something good for God and for others

When Israelites were in Egypt, they realized they were in bondage. All they did was to cry out to God. From that point, God took care of it. He went and talked to a man called Moses, shook him out of his comfort zone and plucked Israel out of Egypt with His mighty hand. Pharaoh tried to resist, but how long could he?

Many who are redeemed from satan and are born again, have yielded themselves into bondage again. Some are in the bondage of sin. Some are in the bondage of certain people, while some others are in the bondage of certain “principles”/positions. Christ wants everyone to be free! He paid with His life!

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5, NIV 84)

Until and unless we recognize we are in bondage, we cannot come out of it!

That is the diagnosis part. The next part is treatment, which God will do if we approach Him. He will get us out and free

Satan likes to have slaves. He enjoys it. God doesn’t!

If we are in a leadership position in any area, be careful not to create slaves. It will kick back some day! Slaves will only do things upon pressure. People who fear the loss of their “authority” tend to create slaves, out of that fear

¹ He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil^[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. (Mat 10, NIV 84)

Jesus delegated authority to His disciples. Instead of He doing it all by himself, He wanted His disciples to practice it. They were not too bad- did a good job!

Lack of wisdom is one of the root causes of many problems in individuals, families and churches. When we don’t have discernment of people and situations, we will fall into all sorts of problems

Wisdom makes us think of the after-effects/consequences of our actions. Foolishness will tell us: “don’t worry about the consequences-just do it!”

May we enjoy deliverance and wisdom from God. For the spirit of God is not one of fear, but of faith, wisdom and love. It is one of power and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)

God bless your way!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you gave me, including delivernace, freedom and wisdom. Thank you for the divine authority and delegation. Help me to exercise your gifts and skills; make me an instrument in your hands. Amen

“We are truly free only when we find God as we should”

Un-conscious of God?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:52:48 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Today: Un-conscious of God?

Passage: Ps 111

¹ Praise the LORD.^[b] I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. ² Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. ³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. ⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate. (Ps 111, NIV 84) –emphasis added

This is one of those psalms with a “descriptive praise” for God

These psalmists found time to think and thank God for His goodness and greatness

They found time to worship and praise God; it doesn’t happen automatically

If we don’t find time to think of God and His works, it is only because we don’t know how important it is, and how beneficial it is

Many people don’t eat certain foods or do exercise until the doctor tells them something. That’s how most of us we are, with God!

People who have God’s wisdom will have the fear of God and vice-versa (v.10)

If you notice people who “play” church, having no fear of God, you will also notice that they have no wisdom, and they do lot of fololish stuff!

Why is it that we often become un-concious of God?

Simple! We are over-concious of ourselves; in other words, selfishness!

If Jesus chose to be (selfish) like us, we would have been in big trouble!

We often take God for granted. We go to God like we go to the doctor- when something happens!

But men of God like Moses and apostle Paul were less skilled in that area than us; They needed to communicate with God very often

The works of God are pondered by all who delight in them. The word of God is the masterpiece work of God, besides all other. When we take time to meditate and delight in God’s word, we are delighting in God’s work

What are the kind of thoughts we entertain and enjoy the most? Why not include “God’s word and His works” in that list?

Moses had the ten commandments on two tablets. Having come a long way, we have many versions of the entire Bible in our tablets/phones/computers.

Only problem is that we are not very familiar with God’s stuff as much as we are with the other “apps” on our gadgets

God has time. If we have some time, He is available. No appointment needed.

May we turn a bit God-ward. We live in a time and day when people say “all things are possible with Gold”. In America, someone made it short and smart: “all things are possible” (and that’s it!). Yet, it is better to say what the Bible teaches us: ”all things are possible with God”. Trusting in God, we can accomlish much

Have a blessed, God-concious week ahead!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being selfless and for being concious of me. Help me lord, to get less selfish and be more concious of you and others in my life. Sorry for taking you for granted and running a long way on my own. Love you.Amen

“we can’t focus on God and Gold at the same time; it is either the word or the world”

God is always on time

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:57:35 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Today: God is always on time

Passage: Gen 50

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Gen 50, NIV 84) –emphasis added

When he went through various struggles in life, Joseph would have faced the same temptation that many people face in life: “to become “somebody” some way, without waiting for God’s time and God’s way!”

David also would have faced the same – to look for other options, than waiting for God to do it. This is where the devil gets the majority of Christian leaders

We can see a classic example of this in the Bible. When Saul became the King of Israel, he had an eye on the other offices there. The two other offices were that of the (High) priest and the prophet

Samuel was the prophet. But then, what if Saul could combine all the three offices into one? May be, God didn’t know what ALL Saul could do(!?)

Saul wanted ot “demonstrate” his ability . Also, he could show to the rest of Israleites that what prophet Samuel was doing was no big thing!

When a person tends to do what he/she is not called to do, God takes it very very seriously. If someone is called by God for certain ministry and they stretch their hands to do something else, they might end up paying a big price for that!

Samuel had told Saul to wait for seven days and until Samuel came.

⁸ “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings,^[b] but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” (1 Sam 10, NIV 84)-emphasis added

Saul somehow made it seven days, and then he jumped into action just before Samuel came. The excuse? “my people were scattering; so I did it”

Saul had not properly trained his men to be together. (Saul had to first get himself together and then people would have stood together with him)

⁸ He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. ⁹ So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.^[e]” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

¹¹ “What have you done?” asked Samuel. (! Sam 13, NIV 84)-emphasis added

When Saul hasted to do that, God didn’t wait any longer to act. God told Saul, “you are out” of being Israels’ King!

If we “jumped” into something because we found some “reason” to do so, wait a minute. We better consult God before doing that

We see similar traits in people all the time. A business man may feel jealous of someone with a salary job, even though they make much more than the other.

In the same way, there are many who somehow want to become a “Pastor”. Getting a licence is not that difficult. So “why wait”?

What God says, has become immaterial!

We better know our calling. God is never late. If God says “jump”, do it!

Have a blessed weekend

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your care and concern for me. I know you love me and have prepared the best for me, which will come at the apprpriate time. Help me to always focus on what you called me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen

“God is never late, never early; He is always on time”

Don’t blame the preacher!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:55:03 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Today: Don’t blame the preacher!

Passage: 2 Tim 4

³ For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4, NIV 84) –emphasis added

When the message of the gospel is communicated, the recipient also has some responsibility, not just the messenger/preacher

When people make themselves available to listen to preachers who preach in a way that is “itching to the ears”, the listener is responsible

In other words, you and I will be held reponsible for encouraging the wrong type of preachers/pastors/prophets!! (I am not saying that; the word of God says so)

If we think we are only sitting infront of such a preacher/pastor who preaches partial/wrong gospel, that itself is the problem.

What is full gospel any way?

It is when you preach the whole message of the gospel, in it’s entirety

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; (Isaiah 61, NIV 84)

The full gospel does not end with preaching; it only begins there

Some preach just positive thinking. Some of them never preach from the Bible. When you listen to a preacher/pastor next time, see how much of the Bible they are preaching. My question to such pastors/preachers is: “what does your people get from God’s word after listening to you for a whole year?”

Some of these preachers do acts of generosity in some parts of the world. Generosity is important, but doctrine is equaly important for God. Salvation is more important; not to ignore soap and soup though

To comfort all who mourn, ³To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61, IV 84)

The ultimate goal is that “He may be glorified”.

If anything we do is aimed at our own benefit and security, God may intervene at some point-because all this is done in God’s name. The other option is to not use God’s name at all, when we are doing our own business

The essence of Paul’s letter to Timothy is: “Preach and live the gospel in its entirety or don’t do any of that at all!”- No shortcuts, no semi-gospel!

It is illegal before God to dilute or modify the gospel

May God open our eyes to the truth, if we have been blinded somewhere

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Father we thank you for your word, salvation and the savior. You gave us the gospel in its entirety so that we could be saved from hell and condemnation. Help us to keep our eyes fully open to the truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen

“God completed His word so that we don’t have to struggle to proof-read or edit it!”

Committed to word or world?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:36:32 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Today: Committed to word or world?

Passage: 2 Tim 4

³ For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Paul was always committed to a cause whether he was working against or for Christ. Previously, when he was working against Christ, Paul was 100% committed. Now, as he was turned around and became a follower of Christ, he wanted to be 100% committed, not 99!

He wanted to live and die for Christ!

Look at apostle Peter. After walking with the Lord for his entire time of ministry, Peter made the most hopeless and discouraging comment on Jesus: “I don’t know him”. That is much worse than saying “he is bad”. That hurts so much!

But Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. He went after him. Jesus turned him around, to be the best, even though he made one of the worst comments ever!

Have we given upon somebody just because of one statement or action? May be we need to take a second look at it; may be they can be the best!

Now look at Paul’s case. You and I might have stamped him “hopeless” or “horrible”, but Jesus looked at him differently. He knew what Paul was going to be. People opposing the gospel are more likely to become supporters of the gospel than those who take a median stand!

Now that Paul was 100% converted and 100% committed, he wants to pass on the same type of zeal and commitment to his spiritual son Timothy. Paul was investing in Timothy, just like Jesus did with Peter and others

There was a good number of false/fake teachers those days, ust as we have today. These preachers would not preach or promote sound doctrine. Instead, they tune their messages according to the demand of their listeners. Their supply didn’t come from God!

The true/real church belongs to Jesus, where real truth is preached by real ministers, to (make) real people!

When the word of God is “compromised”, it will fire back sooner or later

We can confirm either to “the word” or the world, not both. Church is supposed to teach and train its people how to advance in the word and to be transformed heaven-ward. A person going to space will be trained in simulated situations similar to the one he is to go to. A similar approach is needed in the spiritual. When church takes a light stand on the doctrines of God’s word, it will be producing third grade citizens for heaven. (Such will have to “wait” for others to first get-in!). A minister who truly loves the people will not promote such!

Make sure you become a first grade citizen of heaven!

Have a blessed day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. Thanks for all your love and grace. You were 100% committed to me and there is no reason for me to be less committed than that. Deliver me from compromise to commitment. Amen

“It’s not right to expect another person to be committed to us than we are; I mean, God”

He knows you more than you know!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:53:01 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Today: He knows you more than you know!

Passage: 2 Tim 4

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Tim 4, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Athletes do not get involved in wars; nor do soldiers come into the track

They focus on two different areas, even though a soldier may do some athletics

The life of a committed christian is a race and a fight at the same time

In a way, we are building and fighting. In the book of Nehemiah, we see that. They were building the broken walls of Jerusalem, and the enemy didn’t like it. While they were building the walls, they were also carrying their weapons with them. They focussed on their job regardless of what the enemy was doing, and finished it. They had a goal and they knew the enemy’s goals/tactics.

Jesus knew what He was doing while on earth. That is why He said this:

¹⁸And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Mat 16, NIV 84)-emphasis added

Jesus affirmatively said that He was going to build His church, no matter what!

(The church belongs to Jesus and He himself will build it. That is another message)

On the cross, Jesus said “it is finished”. He accomplished his task!

Those who do God’s work on earth face this fight

Sometime back, I read the story of a Christian minister who was tired of his work. This happened some twenty or so years back. He also had a television ministry.

He was once travelling with his family and some others on a vacation trip, and at that point, he was seriously thinking of quitting the ministy, unless God showed him a clear sign to continue. When they stopped for some food, he remained in his van

After a brief moment, he slowly got out of his van and went to a store to have some cold drink. He saw the phone in that shop ringing continuously and nobody was answering. He felt so upset that he finally picked up the phone himself!

To his amazement, the lady was asking for him. It was a long-distance call

He was like “How can somebody know I am here at this moment?”

The lady said that she was seriously thinking of ending her life up, but then this

T V preacher came to her mind. She didn’t know his phone number but something in her mind said to write this number. She didn’t even know what area code was that!

That was more than enough for him. He prayed for her and counselled her

God knows you! He knows where you are right now and what you are going through. He also know where you will be ten years from now!

The devil will fight, only to loose. Jesus already got the victory for us

Run the race and fight the fight while keeping the faith!

Have a very blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for ministering to me. There are times when I thought you don’t care; times I thought I am all alone. But I know I was wrong and that you were watching me and protecting me. Thank you and sorry. Love you! Amen

“When we ask God “where are you?”, God is like “where are you?”

Leaving a good legacy behind!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:20:30 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Today: Leaving a good legacy behind!

Passage: 2 Tim 4

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Tim 4, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Apostle Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, his son in the Lord

At the end of his earthly life, knowing that he was going to die as a Martyr soon, Paul was taking a look back at the race he ran, the fight he fought and the faith he kept from the day he met Christ. His life was no longer the same, after he met Christ. It was turned “upside down” by the one about whom people said, “this is the one who turns the world upside down” (Ref Acts 17:6)

However, it was not only in those days we had such people

There are some in this day of ours who live a life that is worth mentioning-leaving a good legacy behind. Today’s message is devoted for one like that. Please excuse me for doing that

Pastor (Prof) T.C Mathew was called to his eternal rest last Thursday, mar 08, 2012. When I told our younger son about it, he couldn’t accept it. It was just few months back we met Pr. Mathew at my cousin Simu Thomas’s house and had some nice time with him. Pr. Mathew was a man of strong faith, which he practiced in his life. After being diagnosed with a certain illness few years back, he was tarvelling and ministering, also in connection with the Hospital ministries India, of which he was the founding president

Pr. Mathew went into a coma few months back, due to meningitis, as I could understand. My first acquaintance with Pr. Mathew came throgh my uncle (late) N.A. Cherian who was a good friend of Pr. Mathew. I had also been told about his wife (late) Lillykutty by my uncle T.V Abraham, with whom she worked as an Engineer in Kerala Telecommunication. She was one of the first female Engineers in Kerala, and a great support to Pastor Mathew in ministry

Pastor Mathew was a college professor in Govt. colleges in Kerala, India. He had such a passion and zeal about Evangelism that he could be seen preaching in the open air right outside the college, where his own students could be the witnesses. He was active in ministering to the youth and college students in association with PYPA, youth wing of the Indian Pentecostal Church. He was aslo accociated with the ICPF (Inter Collegiate Prayer Fellowship)

Pr. Mathew was a man who had upheld a very good testimony in life. About 25 years back, he came as an immigrant to the US and became the founding Pastor of India Christian Assembly, New Jersey. They have a new full-fledged facility purchased recently. He entered his eternal rest last Thursday. The funeral will be held this morning (Monday, March 12, 2012) and you may be able to watch live broadcast on http://www.icanj.org/

At the end of the day (life), what is important is how our life looks, in the eyes of the very creator, who is also our very savior and Lord

May you have a blessed week ahead. Also pray for Josh Mathew and his sisters and families, and ICA-NJ, grieving because of the demise of their dad

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for those who leave a great legacy behind, even in our generation. Thank you for those role-models who give us the confidence that it is possible to live Christ, even in our generation. Amen

“A good start is better than a bad one, but a good end is the best”

An attitude of humility, not just an appearance!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:57:55 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 09, 2012

Today: An attitude of humility, not just an appearance!

Passage: 1 John 2

⁵ Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”^[a] ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5, NIV 84) –emphasis added

“Humility” is one of the most misunderstood terms

For most of us, a person is “humble” when they are soft spoken and when someone does not easily react to an aggressive situation and so on

But the opposite could be true. A person with humble heart could react spontaneously to a situation, and then break down immediately. They go to God and cry out! They know/admit they are not perfect

People with humilty repent and confess. People without humilty assume that they are always right and never repent or confess

Many of us fall into the second category, when we think that being part of a certain system/church gets us an easy access to heaven!

Jesus said this parable on the two types of people:

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^[a] himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ ¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

(Luke 18, NIV 84) – emphasis added

Humility and prayer are very connected

Prayer is the first action in connection with humility; other actions follow

¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7, NIV 84)-emphasis added

One of the foremost marks of biblical humility is prayer

How is your prayer-life? Is God answering your prayers?

If not, the problem may be on your end/mine!

We may not be able to reach the level of humility that Jesus had, but may be we can atleast start getting in that path

Next to prayer, it is obedience that God expects from us as a sign of humility

If we call “Lord, Lord” and do not obey his commands, that is rebellion!

We better not humbly rebel against God!

Let our humility be approved by God, than men!

Have a blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my model and thy word, my moral guide. Help me to make sure that I have the kind of humility that you expect from me- in prayer, obedience and action. Let my personality be hidden in yours.Amen

“What we need is an attitude and action of humility, not just an appearance of it!”

News from NY: Pastor T.C Mathew (New Jersey) entered his rest yesterday, March 08, 2012.

The funeral arrangements for Pastor TC Mathew are as follows:

Viewing Saturday and Sunday (March 10 & 11th) at 6PM and the Home going service will be on Monday, March 12th @ 9 AM.

All services will be held at India Christian Assembly, New Jersey

315 State St, Hackensack , New Jersey, 07601

Please visit ICA NJ @ the following site for more details

The beauty of letting God lift you up!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:56:12 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 09, 2012

Today: The beauty of letting God lift you up!

Passage: 1 John 2

Frankly speaking, every one likes to have a “lift up” in life.

God does not want us to stay in the same level, all the time!

But it is better that “the lift” comes from God than from ourselves!

I have read the above verse several times, and have even preached from it. But at all those times, the emphsis was on “he may lift you up”; recently, as I was thinking of it again, I felt that “in due time” is is more important there

“In due time” is better understood by a pregnant mother than anybody else. If a baby is delivered before time, he/she can have its consequences

When God wants to do something in our life, He will do it at the appointed time, and in His own way. All we need is to humble ourselves, under the mighty hand of God. (That is not that easy and not that sweet..!)

I have seen many people “rushing” to get there. They device their own schemes, “canvas” people and do all sorts of things, but God “disqualifies” them

Absalom, son of David was a typical example. He had a desire to sit on the throne of David. He “effectively” won the hearts of people, but could not really enjoy it that long. His end was pathetic!

When we rush to positions without waiting for God’s time and will, it can cost us a fortune, and can end up in a “foreclosure”!

There are many who think that they are the only ones who can handle certain jobs, and nobody else can! Our attitude towards positions and possessions is very important

The O.T example of Abraham and Lot is worth mentioning in this context. Lot selected a place of his own choice, whereas Abraham just let it go…. Both were rich, but Abraham’s attitude towards riches was totally different from Lot’s (Gen 13)

Abraham had his riches and his riches were his servant!

Lot’s riches had him. They were his master!

God is interested in our well-being. Our God is not a saddistic/pessimistic God. He is full of optimism and He wants us to be so.

In the end, it is about “how” we did it, than “what” we did. God is watching each and every move of us closely. One day, He will give us a report on our life, and it’s FREE! The only questions is, whether we will be free after that or not!

Those who want a “lift up” from God will wait; those who can’t wait, will “get” it!

Jesus knew that the people singing “Hosanna” one day will scream “crucify him” the next day; so Jesus didn’t wait for or “buy” praises from people

May God “lift us up” at the due time. Until then, stay “blessed” under His arms!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your interest in me. Help me to stay in submission to you, and be under your mighty hands so that I can be a channel of your blessing to many, just as you did during your earthly days. Amen

“It’s only when we come out of God’s hand can the devil put his hands over us”

Note: An Android app has been developed for Christian Manna. Search ‘Manna Daily Bread’ for this application…

I phone APP development is still in work…….

The struggle for power (from below)!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:33:36 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Today: The struggle for power (from below)!

Passage: 1 John 2

¹⁵Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2, NKJV) –emphasis added

The three “L”s: The Lust of the flesh, Lust of the eyes and the pride of Life!

If we have them with us, we can make a “succesfuL” trip to heLL!

Or, get away from them and be on the way to heaven

“Power” is so powerful; once somebody becomes greedy of power, they won’t take their hands off, even on death-bed!

Some of the power-struggles in christian organizations/church leadership is shameful! It looks like there are only one or two people who will pass that baton/ball all the time between them, while many others are gazing upon this ongoing game, for decades!

Leaders need to be role-models for the believers. But if they just become “models” themselves and get into the “battle-field” of power and politics, they will loose the ministry and anointing of God they once probably had!

In the first century church, Peter and others selected a man named “Mathias” by vote, in place of Judas Isacriot (before they received the power from above).

I believe, God’s pick was apostle Paul!

There is always a “God’s pick” who remains “behind the curtain”!

Instead of getting “crazy” about positions and power in the world, (even when it is in religious organizations), it is time for some of us to get crazy about the power from above. God is waiting for some like that

Ask yourself this question: “Do I need what God gives or what people give?; Do I need power from above or below?”

It takes time and devotion-to wait in the presence of the Lord. (Acts 1:4,5)

The disciples of Jesus wanted Him to become some kind of a “star” just like the “disciples” of some of these leaders today. But Jesus never gave-in to their “dreams” or “wishes”. Jesus boldly said “No”

He knew what He came for, who He was and what His call and commitment was!

It is better to always remind ourselves of God’s calling upon our lives so that we can stay on track and reach the finishing point!

Many who think they will make it, won’t be there; and vice-versa!

Many Pastors and Leaders will be “missing”!

May you be blessed to stay on track and make it!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my role-model. You were never crazy of any power or position in this world, except the cross. Your sacrifice and suffering gave me substance and success in my life. Thank you for being there for me. Amen

“Jesus came down so that we could go up”

Note: An Android app has been developed for Christian Manna. Search ‘Manna Daily Bread’ for this application…

I phone APP development is still in work…….

Be a slave to nobody!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:58:23 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Today: Be a slave to nobody!

Passage: 1 Cor 6, 7

¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Cor 6, NIV 84) –emphasis added

The God of the Bible is not one who would makes anyone His slave. Adam and Eve were given the full freedom. They had the freedom of choice. It was Adam who named the animals. When God brought Eve to him, Adam liked her!.

I don’t think God ever “forced” any girl or boy to anybody saying “marry him/her”. God gave that freedom of choice to man/woman. Yet, when things go wrong (in marriage), God gets the blame!

Even though most people do not like to give God the rights/authority on their body, most want God to protect them completely; not just the spirit and the soul!

When Jesus died on the cross, it was not just His spirit, but His entire being. That is why He has the rights on our entire being. There is danger in partial submission!

Many churches these days abstain from preaching holiness, judgement and the sacrifice of Jesus. Such churches will not change the topic even after Jesus comes and goes.

Our modern (modified) theory and theology may not help us to get to God!

²³ You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. (1 Cor 7, NIV 84)-emphasis added

God has no slaves, only sons/children. In the olden time slave market, they used to buy slaves. But Jesus paid for our redemption with His life and set us free, instead of making us His slaves. But there could be people who make others slaves!

Some people, even in the spiritual realm tries to treat people like slaves, making decisions for them. Satan treats people like slaves, but not God!

So, do not be a slave to anybody or anything!

We need to respect people and things we need to. Respect superiors; respect work; repect Pastors; respect church/worship; but don’t worship anyone/anything except God! And don’t forget: God has the right upon our body

If you are going through any physical illness, say “God, my body belongs to you, as my soul and spirit also”

May God bless your day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for paying my price infront of the Judge of all lives and delivering me from the devil. You gave me all the rights and privileges in your kingdom. Help me to use it, and not to be a slave to anyone/anything. Amen

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36, NIV)

Note: An Android app has been developed for Christian Manna. Search ‘Manna Daily Bread’ for this application…

I phone APP development is still in work…….

Man, money, master!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:19:08 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, March 05, 2012

Today: Man, money, master!

Passage: Pro 23

⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. ⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Pro 23, NIV 84) –emphasis added

Man is after money, but the maker is after man to tell him that man was not made for money.

God is trying to get us the message that there is more to life than money!

Money has its place/importance in life, but unless we are careful, it can take eternity away from us. If someone is committed to mammon (money), they can’t be committed to God! (I didn’t say that, but Jesus said so) – Mat 6:24

I read somewhere that Money is a bad master, but a good servant!

When we say “money”, it also includes more tha just the dollar/currency. It includes all that is luxurious. There has to be a line between what we need and what we greed for. God gave allowance/provision to meet our needs. We need a job, a house, family, vehicle to travel. We need those which are basic in life. There is nothing wrong in asking God for our neccessities. But again, make sure that we don’t go after our own picks. Whatever it is, ask God in prayer and wait for God to show you the right stuff. When we are in need of something, satan will also come up with a bunch of stuff to tempt us. So, we need to be careful!

When Daniel and friends were in Babylon, they had lot of opportunities. Instead of saying that they were all God’s blessings, they said “No” to many things. In today’s context and teachings, many people would say, “just pray and have it”!

When somone gets “crazy” about making more than what they need, they will have to compromise on many things. We can make ourselves “slaves” of money by compromising our time with God, family and even by not taking the rest that is needed. Life becomes “mechanical” and we will see people as “robots”!

I know people who try to make a dollar from everyone they come in contact with! They pridefully say , “I make atleast a dollar from anyone I come in touch with”. Some others just follow their pattern and end up loosing everything!

There was a rich young man who once came to Jesus because he wanted to “add” eternal life to his package. Jesus said he can’t just do that. He had to get rid of one, to get the other!

Many people use ministry and cheating on taxes etc., to make money, which again can cost us eternity.

May the riches of God become our priority. If we are have a gift of the spirit, are we craving for the next?

¹³ For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. (1 Cor 14, NIV 84-emphasis added)

May God fill us with a desire for that which is spiritual!

Have a blessed week ahead!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for dealing with me. I admit that I have been in a spiritual poverty all this time, while I was only concerned about my material needs. I am sorry for doing so. Help me Lord, to change my priorities. Amen

“God can’t be wrong; so is His word”

Building “my” City or God’s?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:38:46 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, March 02, 2012

Today: Building “my” City or God’s?

Passage: Gen 11

⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” (Gen 11, NIV 84)-emphasis added

After the flood, man increased in number and advanced in skills and technology; they wanted to build their own City/Tower. (People get crazy about the buildings that reach upto the sky. If possible, they want those buildings to touch heaven!)

Unfortunately, they forget that God made man as well as the earth

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,^[b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Gen 1, NIV 84)-emphasis added

Compare the verse from Gen 1 above and the verse from Gen 11. When man built a city/tower, the intentions were selfish and full of pride. But when God made man, He was unselfish. God wanted man to rule over everything. God wanted man to be blessed and stay blessed, and that was a blessing for God as well!

Today, man does the same as they did in Gen 11. Even many churches and organizations are “built” using God’s name, but for man’s glory and profits. That is like the “tower of Babel”, to God. But if God is the focus and God’s will and name is first, no work should perish. Such works will have God’s blessing upon it

³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5, NIV 84)- emphasis added

Every day, I hear advertisements/commercials in the Christian radio about companies that use God’s name to get customers. In the end, the goal is money.

Before we do anything, it will be good to run a test on ourselves!

“Am I doing it for my own benefit or for God?”

If done sincerely, we will find that we had our own “hidden” agendas/goals, in most cases. If that is the case, better abandon the plan and run to God. Start from scratch, with God. He will bless and multiply it!

Many preachers come to the US from countries like India and go back “blessed”. But then I was listening to this man Glen Bandonsky yesterday. He often goes to India, to minister. When they go from here, nobody, but God alone “blesses” them. They spent their time, money and everything sacrificially, for God’s glory.

May we have the attitude of Christ, in everything we do

Have a nice weekend!

Prayer: Father God, I come to you as I am. I admit that I had my own personal agendas/goals behind many things I was doing. Help me to do that which you want me to do; you did everything for me, nothing for you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

“What is done sacrificially for God becomes an asset; what is done selfishly, becomes a liability”

Sowing and reaping!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:23:33 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Today: Sowing and reaping!

Passage: Gen 9

⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. (Gen 9, NIV 84)

God loves us. We were created in His image and likeness

We live in a world where hundreds and thousands have been slaughtered without mercy by individuals and groups. We know how one individual alone has lead the killing of millions of people.

On the other hand, many have been touched by the love of Jesus and have turned from their wicked ways; otherwise some of them would have done such things. If Paul was not converted, he could have killed many. Prayer has power!

Below is a link where you can view some of the incidents where people died in thousands/millions due to various reasons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll

In the new testament we see that Jesus using the word “murder” in another sense also. Here, we see that when we mistreat a person, it is like murder. We need to look at each individual through God’s viewpoint. We may hide our disrepect and anger towards another person in our heart and behave nicely, but in the end, it is only going to hurt us bad! See the link below:

http://jerusalemcouncil.org/articles/commentaries/raca-fool-matthew-5/

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother^[b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,^[c]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. ²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (Mat 5, NIV 84)

There is a cause and effect for everything we do. Prevention is better than cure. It is better to train ourselves to respect others right in our heart, if we need blessing from God. By harnessing bitterness and jealousy within, we live less!

We reap what we sow. If we treat others nice, we will get the same

Sometimes we follow practices that are followed by others and even argue or make judgements based on that. At the coming of Jesus, we will have to answer based on God’s word, not practices

May God make us a blessing to many!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being personal with me one more time. I need you badly. I have been making judgements on my own, which were wrong. Help me to have the same attitude as you, not just behaving “nice” outside. Amen

“When we get it right, we do it right”

Excellent & profitable vs. useless & unprofitable!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:43:12 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Today: Excellent & profitable vs. useless & unprofitable!

Passage: Titus 3

⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. ⁹ But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3, NIV 84) -emphasis added

¹⁵See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5, NKJV) – emphasis added

Everyday, most of us waste so much of time, even while saying, “time is so tight”

At the end of the day, what we achieve is the same routine things we do every day. It has been many years we ever shared the gospel with somebody…..?

Another area many Christians struggle is with “worship”. The struggle started right from the beginning, during the days of Cain. It continues till this day

Throughout the Bible, we see this “struggle” in one way or other. In Eqypt, Israel could not worship freely. God wanted them to get out of Egypt so that they could worship God freely, in the wilderness. Even though they cried to God because of slavery, God told Moses to set them free for worship. When we worship God as we should, many yokes on us will be broken!

During the days of Elijah, he challenged the people to worship only one God. Elijah wanted a clear distinction between those worshipping Baal and Jehovah. Satan’s attempt is to keep both together, mixed; but God wants the distinction to be clear. Then only will the fire of God come down and God’s power be proved

The reason why we don’t see the power of God in action is because of this mix-up

On the day of Pentecost, the 120 were in one accord, had one agenda and only one aspiration. God really honored their oneness and blessed them

In our own personal life, if things are not happening as they should, it is possible that we keep one foot in one boat and the other in another…! We are not totally committed/focussed on the one God/goal

Jesus sometimes asked certain people to stay out, when He was about to bring a dead person to life. That was not for nothing…!

When people who can agree together pray together, things do happen!

There are conflicts in worship, in many places. There has to be a real homework done, to distinguish between that which is excellent and profitable, vs. that which is useless and unprofitable. If we engage in arguments and disgareements more often, we are putting an axe on our own blessings!

It is time to move forward, choosing and doing that which is excellent and profitable. Identify those times/areas which are useless and unprofitable; STOP wasting a second on such things…whether it be hours on the inter-net/web or on TV! Start making use of every moment for good, or we will pay BIG later!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for choosing me to be yours; it was absolutely your work, not mine! Help me identify and get rid of the useless and unprofitable things in my life and to focus on that which is excellent and profitable; Amen

“Redeeming time is one of the most difficult yet most important things in life; everything else comes after that!”

Saved, to be sanctified!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:46:49 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Today: Saved, to be sanctified!

Passage: Titus 2

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2, NIV ⁸⁴) emphasis added

When we are made God’s children, God’s plan is to transform us to be like Jesus

Each day, there should be some degree of transformation in us along that line

Unless that happens, we can’t make it to His kingdom.

If someone needs to go to moon, they better practice it right here, in simulated situations similar to that in moon..

Many churches today promise different kind of things. Some don’t even speak about sin, whereas some speak only about sin. What is important is how the people are transformed in a christ-ward direction

The other day, I went for a hair-cut and the Barber was hard on me. Instead of just my hair, his “took care” of my skin as well. But as I reached home, my family said that the hair cut looked nice! I was little upset to hear that

But then I was thinking about other times when another Barber was too nice with me and gave me a bad hair cut. Which one is better?

Some churches are too nice, but at the end/coming of Christ, you may not look that “good” in the eyes of God; then all that “too nice” is of no good!

Churches should treat people nice, but should also do the right thing. The word of God cannot be compromised.

The Pastor(s) should be a role-model for the Church, not a model-roll!

If a they have no time to pray and prepare, don’t preach! There are many other professions available. It is better to go to heaven without preaching, than to go to hell after all the pleasing/preaching. See Paul’s advice to Timothy:

¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4, NIV 84)-emphasis added

“For the time will come (and has come) when men will not put up with sound doctrine”

As churches sprout up like mushrooms, be careful what kind of a church you go to. If you don’t think you are in the right place, pray and move out, instead of staying there are creating problems. You will sin less by moving out, than staying in a place and complaining about it every day. The other option is to continue there, not complaining or grumbling or murmuring about it!

If I am wrong, please correct me

May God bless your way

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you sacrificed your life, your comfort and everything for me. I see that I am not sacrificing anything for you, and that I may not be headed in the right direction. Open my eyes so that I can see what you want from me. Amen

“God’s work can be done either in our way or God’s way; not both”

Saved, to stay!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:49:29 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Today: Saved, to stay!

Passage: Titus 2

As we were pondering on the subject of salvation, I was about to jump into another topic. But again, I was prompted to stay there some more time

Our salvation is entirely the work of God and there is nothiong we could do about it. But once saved, we have a resposibility!

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11)

God’s grace upon our deprived and desperate situation made salvation possible. When Israelites were saved out of Egypt, God brought them all on to the other side of the red sea. None of them perished at that point. That was God’s act!

But once they crossed, they started their own journey if faith. This is what the grace of God does, after we are saved:

¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:12, NIV ⁸⁴)

God’s grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness. A teacher cannot take complete responsibility for each and every student; he/she can only teach them. The student has to do his/her part. In the same way, God will give us all the help we need. We need to do our part

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. (Rom 6, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

Even though God brought all the Israelites across the red sea, most of them failed in their wilderness journey. Only two of the six hundred thousand men made it to Jordan. Once they reached Jordan, God brought all of them across Jordan, all who wanted to come to the promised land

In the salvation process, we have these three stages- saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from the power of sin and to be saved (future) from the presence of sin. God takes full responsibility for the first and third stages. But it is upto us, how we run our earthly race and fight against the temptations and the power of sin. If we faithfully make it to the end, then God himself will take care of the rest. Such people will reign with God in His kingdom!

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because^[b] to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Heb 6, NIV 84)

Now, can salvation be lost?

“Yes” and “No”. From God’s end, “No”. But from our end, there is possibility

May God help us and preserve us until the end of our journey (Jude 1: 24, 25)

Have a blessed week!

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your grace and mercy upon us, to save us and redeem us, at the cost of the sacrificial death of Jesus. Help us to love you with our thoughts, words and actions, not only with our worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“The same God who qualified us for our race of faith is waiting at the finishing point; all we need is to keep running, on the track, with faith, love and hope”

His own, and eager to do good

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:44:39 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Today: His own, and eager to do good

Passage: Titus 2

Once we become a child of God, God is interested in our maturity more than anything else. God wants us to get the right food and grow right

One of the devil’s trick is to keep us the same way and never let us grow

He will try it through so many ways. Satan will try to put every possible “roadblock” for the truly anointed, will “bring up” those with a false anointing!

Just like how a home is the place where children thrive, church is the place where the children of God should find their place and grow. Parents are to understand the gifts and talents of the children and help them grow in the right direction. Same should happen in the church

If parents fight with each other and win the battle, children are the loosers!

If churches and pastors fight with each other and “win”, poor people loose!

In a recent article in the “Engage” magazine from the Church of God, Cleveland, Rev. William Reid mentions about the “my church” spirit. When we get too much of that “my church” spirit, we become “territorial” minded than “kingdom” minded. In the pursuit of making “me” go up by making “my” church grow up, Christ is often forgotten and left behind!

The Church better go back and pick up Jesus, or it will end up in a disaster!

When God’s agenda becomes the agenda of the Church, it will start going in the right direction, and grow right. Otherwise, the “growth” we see is mere swelling!

God will sometimes allow people to build their own kingdoms, upto a certain extent. When the descendants of Noah wanted to build the tower of Babel, God just stood watching and waiting to see how far they would go. And then, one day, God just did what He had to do!

When we see sop much false teachings and false churches come up, we need to understand that God is just waiting to see if they will come back and do it God’s way, or just continue to do it their own way (in God’s name)

There is laways a “remnant” crying about the wrong way the church is “growing”

God is closely watching them. They are the “choice ones” of God

³ …….Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side ⁴ and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” ⁵ As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. ⁶ Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. (Ezekiel 9, NIV 84)

The day of the Lord’s coming and judgement are near.

Keep watching for Christ’s appearance, so that you won’t miss it

Have a blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for talking to me again. I receive the strength and energy for my daily living from you, like from no body else. Create in me an eagerness to live Christ and do the good your good works. Thank you. Amen

“We can either build our territory or God’s kingdom, not both”

A message that needs to be rushed

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:42:43 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Today: A message that needs to be rushed

Passage: Titus 2

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2, NIV ⁸⁴) emphasis added

This is the third in this series, “back to basics”

The messgae of salvation needs to be rushed in whichever ways we can

What we mostly see in the church today is this: The “sleeping church” (with few exceptions); Preachers and Pastors diluting the gospel to fit the demand of the people; Sin is “justified” and covered; “repentance” became history; Word of God is rarely preached in its originality; Power of God and Agape love are aliens..!

What is salvation? Here is an illustration. Suppose there is an epidemic like cholera spreading fast and many are dying. Someone found out a cure for the disease and would like to spread the news across as fast and clear as possible. He tries his best to do so by all means, to save one more person if he can. That is the kind of urgency needed, in spreading the good news of the gospel!

God knows that millions are living and dying unsaved. If one more person can be snatched from eternal fire to life, that is definitely a great, great thing!

Our salvation is 100% God’s work. Here is another illustartion, which I have shared once before. A rich father in the U.S sends his son to a very poor part of the world where people don’t even have one meal a day. This son has compassion on them and decides to adopt a child. That child has never been into a plane, not even a car! What would be the excitement of that child, when she is given a good shower, given the best dress and finally brought into that mansion? She will be running all over the place, touching every thing in that house in amazement and wondering, “what in the world is this!”

That child did not qualify for any of this on her own. There is nothing she could do, to “qualify” for such a selection, except that she accepted the offer. Had she done anything to make herself “look better”, this man would have selected someoene else because he was looking for the poorest of them. Those who are somewhat better, he would ignore!

²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. (1 Cor 1. NIV ⁸⁴)

The message of the cross has a “dead line”, which is the coming of Christ

So we need to get it fast, before that happens

May God bless your day. Get the good news across to someone, some way!

Prayer: Thank you Jesus, for “qualifying” me for your kingdom, to such a high privilege. I feel many times that I am better than many out there, and I know that is a “disqualification” for you. Help me to have the right attitude. Amen

“When we look good in our own eyes, we may not look so good in God’s eyes!”

A gift like no other!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:41:46 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Today: A gift like no other!

Passage: Titus 2

This is the second in this series, “back to basics”

The grace of God teaches us to live a life of bearing the fruit of salvation. As babies, our parenst taught us how to do things right. Otherwise, we would do them in the wrong way. Many children go bad because of the environment in which they grow. Children growing up in the “red streets” think and grow accordingly

Once the church gets the right and strong teaching on salvation, it will go in the right direction; otherwise, the church becomes a mixed gathering of sinners and saints, where they go parallel, never converging to God. In such places, there won’t be any stability; you will hear all kinds of noises and sparks, “thunder and lightning”, until something major happens.

Salvation is not like changing from one lane to another; it is taking a “U” turn. Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus (John 3) that he needed to be born again, and anything less than that would not qualify. God has provided a way to Him. If we choose our own way to reach Him, we will end up in “our own” place, not God’s!

When the angel of God spoke to Mary that she was chosen by God to have Jesus, it was not easy for her. She had to undergo shame and suffering, being a virgin herself. When you allow Jesus to come into your heart, it is not a funny experience. Some churches make it a “no cost, no pain” experience. When Jesus comes into you, the world will look at you like you have a “foreign body” inside of you. You are a “stranger” to the world, when you become a friend of God

When Mary accepted the word of God, the word took flesh in her womb. She was free to accept or reject it. She chose to accept it, and was blessed!

Unlike the natural child birth, there was no physical seed involved, but it was the seed of the word of God. God created matter through His word, in the beginning. The word of God is the energy/power of God which can create matter as well as life, from nothing. When a person receives the word of God and says “yes” to it, Jesus takes “flesh” in that person. From that moment onwards, he/she becomes a new creation, where a “cremation” of the old happens!

²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1, NIV 84)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,^[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1, NIV 84)

From that point, growth starts. Church must have a major role in helping the “spiritual baby” grow. The one who got Christ on the inside, is now “in Christ” because the Church is (to be) the body of Christ.

May God bless us, as we continue this topic

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the greatest gift of all, in and through Jesus. Thank you for saving me from hell fire and making me part of your heavenly kingdom. Help me to grow in your grace as I share this love to others. Amen

“Salavtion takes us from slavery (to sin and satan) to the sonship of God- changing our status from sinner to a saint”

A gift which multiplies through sharing!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:58:58 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Today: A gift which multiplies through sharing!

Passage: Titus 2

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2, NIV ⁸⁴) emphasis added

Yesterday (Feb 20) was President’s day in the US. It is a national holiday

We have few more months to pray for the election.

Last week, I was in a children/youth meeting. The topic “salvation” was given to them, to talk about. They did a good job, sincerely. Today’s topic is “salvation”

Most kids brought up in Christian homes, need a good teaching on the subject of salvation. They need to know what real transformation means. They need to have a personal experience with Christ. Many are baptized around ages 12-15, without having a good understanding of salvation. Just because they come with us to Church and sing “Halleluiah” does not mean they are saved. Their “active participation” in various church activities is no proof of their salvation either

The only reason for our salvation is that God in his grace and mercy, was pleased to gift us salvation. The three stages of salvation are clearly evident here:

Past: we are saved from the penalty of sin:

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. (Titus 2)-emphasis added

We are saved from the penalty of sin, which is spiritual, eternal death. Death is separation; spiritual death is separation from God. The way out is to be born again, to get connected to God.

2. Present: We are (being) saved from the power of sin:

¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2, emphasis added)

We are saved to live saved. The moment we return to a sinful life-style, we are neglecting the precious salvation we received through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

3. The future: we will be saved from the very presence of sin!

Our bodies shall be saved and transformed into the immortal, heavenly body, at His coming

¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ….(Titus 2)-emphasis added

The coming of Christ is the one thing every true Christian is waiting for

As time passes by, we will see “shocking” things happening among our own! Many will start denying the second coming of Christ and will come up with various theories. It is important to keep our relationship with Christ very strong. Agape Love is dying within the Church, and in some cases, it is replaced by other forms of love, not welcomed in the church. When church is converted to a club style, it will not go too far!

God willing, we will continue on the topic of salvation

Have a blessed week!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. I need to “brush up” on the subject of salvation occassionaly, so that I can re-affirm my love for you and live the life of bearing the fruit of salvation. Help me to lead somone to you; Amen

“Salvation is God’s (free) gift which multiplies through sharing!”

“You have my orders”!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:48:27 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Today: “You have my orders”!

Passage: Joshua 8

⁸ When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.” ⁹ Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people. – (Joshua 8, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

We have been on this topic past three days. This is the fourth and final

Joshua’s words came from his faith and from his relationship with God

We have seen many people “commanding” to the devil, and nothing much happens!

Its all about speaking for God vs. speaking for yourself

Moses was by the red-sea with his people around him and Pharaoh behind. See what the people told him and how Moses responded:

¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14, NIV ⁸⁴)

Moses knew that he was following God’s orders. So he didn’t care what the people said. Instead, Moses said something like this: “you just keep quiet and let God do what He wants to do”

The words of Moses proved to God that there was one man willing to believe. God is not looking at the thousands who disbilieve, but at the one who believes. Later on, when 12 people were sent to spy the land, only two brought a good report. The majority said, it was going to be impossible!

The lack of faith of a thousand others cannot stop the work of God, if there is just one “Moses” or “Joshua” willing to believe and act

This kind of faith is not only for men but also for women. We know what Mary did, in that wedding in Cana. She ran to Jesus as soon as she identified a problem in the house. She treated it as “her own” problem and took the right action. Just as Joshua spent the night with the people, Mary identified herself with the people of the house. But Jesus told her that His time had not yet come!

⁴ “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2, NIV ⁸⁴⁾

I believe, the words of faith that came out of Mary triggered God into action

She said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

That was a command, not a concession!

In my words, Mary was telling those servants: “You have my orders. Do whatever He tells you; just do it!”

How can God not do it, when Mary had such a faith in God?

Mary knew Jesus. She knew the magnitude of the problem in that house. She didn’t know exactly what Jesus was going to do, but she just believed!

Now, it is our turn. What are we going to do about the situation?

Have a blessed weekend!, as you ponder upon these things

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being there for me. I see that the distance between my problem and their answers is the distance between me and my faith in you. Help me act at the right time in the right way. Amen

“God is not waiting for His turn to act; He is waiting on yours!”

Talking our cities for God!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:54:33 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Today: Talking our cities for God!

Passage: Joshua 8

This is the third in the series, “you have my orders”

The other day, I was just browsing through this book, “taking our cities for God”

It is all about a man’s explorations with God, in some of the spiritually worst cities which are in good demand among the people

The author, himself living in a relatively bad part of a city, was describing about the temptation to move to a calm and quiet place little away from the city

But he deliberately chose to live in the city, and in a relatively bad area!

The percentage of the population in the cities is growing at an alarming rate. In many cases, it is somewhere in the nineties; only about 10% live in the rural.

In the first eight verses of Joshua 8, we see the term “city” at least 7 times

God is concerned about the city because that is where the people are, and so is sin. God gave the city of “Ai” to Joshua and his team of 30, 000

(Jesus didn’t have even the “three” with Him, when He needed them the most)

God loves the city and so should we. We have to do the “good things” of God in the place we love and live. God appointed you and me there, for a reason!

Joshua gave the orders to the people; see what Jesus did:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

There is so much to talk about the passage above, and comparing it with Josh 8:8,9. Jesus was given the authority; He did not just snatch it from anybody

We can’t have the authority of Jesus unless He gives it to us. He gives it to His disciples, not to everybody who goes to church. Discipleship is a process!

Once Joshua gave the orders, His people went, and did exactly what they were asked to do. If we are waiting… for orders, see that it has already been given!

¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

Jesus received the authority from the father, which He also passed on to us

When a batch of Police Officers graduate from their training, they are given the authority by someone who has already received it/graduated before them

The power of God, the anointing is something to be passed on to others, while we keep ours. There is strength is the fellowship of the anointed

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Tim 1, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

Receiving the anointing from God, has a personal aspect, and a fellowship aspect. We spend time with God in prayer, praise and the word. But we also receive/renew it through the ministry of anointed people!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Yeshu, I thank you for your love and selection of me. I admit that I am not exercising the anointing from you as I should. Help me to renew it, and to fellowship with people who have the right anointing from you. Amen

“Once we get the orders, don’t wait; thereafter, every delay will be charged to us”

True leadership is no dealership!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:17:16 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Today: True leadership is no dealership!

Passage: Joshua 8

This is the second in the series, “you have my orders”

After the initial failure in “Ai” and clearing all the “blocks”, Joshua is now ready to go back to the same place and make his next and succesful attempt.

There are couple of things we notice here:

Joshua had a clear connection with God: Joshua got the “clearance certificate” from God to go ahead and against Ai. When we do spiritual warfare, this is very important. We should have a good relationship with God, and keep posted (updated). We need the Bible for general directions, but the Holy Spirit, like GPS, will give us the timely direction. In the book of Acts, we see how the Holy Spirit “blocked” the disciples from going to certain places
Joshua removed the “block”:There are some people who say that sin is not a problem when we are using the authority of Jesus, because it is “His” name that is at work. That is wrong. We should remove every speck and spot in our life by the blood of Jesus, before we go on a spiritual warfare, because we are carrying “His” name. Otherwise, it can re-coil and attack us/family
Joshua takes on authority: He gives orders. He received that from the Lord. The same Joshua commanded sun and moon as well. Do we ever use our authority to command, or, are we always at the grace of some big preacher or pastor?
Joshua takes responsibility: This is what most people don’t do. There is “risk” in responsibility. But without taking some risk, we can’t achieve anything. The US govt took risk, in the operation against Bin Laden. There is a chance of failure, when you take a risk. But when it comes to spiritual warfare, we need to listen to God first. When God promises success, and He gives the green signal, we don’t have to fear!
Joshua stayed with the people: Joshua is the root name from which the name of Jesus (Jehoshua/Yeshua/Yeshu) came. True leadership involves sacrifice. Remote-control leadership, which is so common in many Christian organizations today, is more of a dealership than a leadership. A dealer doesn’t care to keep his stuff. He wants to get rid of them!

Joshua had big success. God was with Him. But Joshua was with God also

On the cross, we see Jesus, who destroyed the devil and gave us victory

Jesus didn’t have a crew with him; his disciples were scattered. Joshua had a battalion with him! We need good spiritual/prayer partners

May God give you victory in your encounters/endeavors!

Prayer: Lord Yeshu, thank for being my leader, my commander-in-chief. You defeated the devil on the cross and you are truly qualified to be the commander-in-chief over all others. I am proud of you, and to serve you. Amen

“Leadership without sacrifice is no better than a dealership”

Identifying the “Achan” in your life

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:37:01 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Today: Identifying the “Achan” in your life

Passage: Joshua 8

This is the first in the series “you have my orders”

Joshua, who is also called a “servant leader” by many biblical scholars, is a person who lead by example. He faithfully served Moses until God told him to step up to leadership. When God wants to exalt somebody, nobody can stop it

Joshua never tried any tricks to get up there. When people put a person in a position, they put a person who has “proved” their ability. When God puts somebody in a position, He puts the one who is scarcely known by anybody

Sometimes, when a certain person comes to a certain position, people ask “who is that person? Never heard about him!”

Joshua was God’s pick. God can’t go wrong. Joshua did an exemplorary job!

Coming to the promised land, Israelites had their first victory. They conquered the city of Jericho. Their confidence went all the way up. Smaller cities like “Ai” never paused a threat!

So, they went against Ai even without consulting God. They miserably failed!

Joshua got into action. He enquired of the Lord the reason for the failure and found out that a certain person by name “Achan” was responsible

They took care of Achan. He was killed. That was the O.T rule

We better identify the “Achan” in our own personal life and deal with it, if we need victory

Coming to the New Testament, we don’t deal with individuals that way. Our fight is not with flesh and blood. But we deal with the devil directly

If we experience failure in any area of our personal/family life or as a church, we better run a “search querry” and find out the root cause, instead of “accepting” failure as part of God’s will

Sometimes God allows certain set-backs, but we better identify between the ones that God allows and the ones that satan brings

We being God’s children, satan will fight his best against our progress in life. Things may not come that easy. We may need to fast and pray so that some of the hindrances will be removed and that we can go ahead

After all the “blocks” had been removed, Joshua, like a commander-in-chief, gives orders to go and take Ai. If they fail, Joshau will take the responsibility.

Joshua listened to God; so the people listened to him!

He was sure that he had removed all the hindrances and that God was with him

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus spoke with authority

God willing, we will continue tomorrow, on this

Have a blessed time!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being our commander-in-chief. We now know the reason for the many failures in our life. Help us to trust in you more, and ask of you, instead of depending on our own wisdom and acting foolishly. Amen

“When we follow God’s directions, we are following Him”

Listening to God?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:20:18 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Today: Listening to God?

Passage: Psalm 85

⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints— but let them not return to folly. ⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. – (Psalm 85, NIV ⁸⁴)-emphasis added

The title of this psalm says, it is written by “the sons of Korah”; but when it says “I”, it looks like one of them wrote it

May be, the author of this psalm does not want to take credit for himself

Listening to God is a personal thing. Each person listens to God in a different way

Most of the time, we fail to listen to God. God may not speak that audibly all the time. God speaks to us through various ways, but we may be expecting it just from one source or in one way!

Once God even spoke through a donkey because someone wouldn’t listen otherwise!

Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” (Num 22:28, NIV 84)

You may read the entire chapter to see the context

Most of the time, we listen to our own self or to others, than to God

We are more concerned about what people say, than what God says

If that is our sitaution, we can miss many of God’s ways and can even be in a trap! God sometimes speaks to us through people. But more often than not, He speaks directly to us through His word, in our spirit, and in ways like that

God tried to speak to the Israelites through words; when they didn’t listen, he spoke through his works of discipline. They went into captivity. Yet many did not understand, it was God’s hand. They failed to recognize God-talk

Check into our own lives, if we ever failed to recognioze His vopice

If you are a person getting ready to get married, listen to Him; if you are contemplating a job, listen to Him; if you plan to buy a house, listen to Him

The pslamist goes on to say, that God promises peace to His people

When God promises peace, it is peace

But in the O.T, we see several instances when false prophets promised “peace” to Israelites who were in sin, even as God “promised” them punishment

(Jeremiah chapters 6, 24, 28; Ezekiel 12-14)

When God propmises peace, He also knows that there is a chance for people to go into sin when everything goes well. God is more interested in our spiritual blessing and the salvation of our souls than in our material blessing, whether you agree with me or not. The psalmist says: “Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land” (Ps 85:9)

When the fear of God leaves us, we better fear everything else; when we fear God, we need not fear anything else

Have a blessed week ahead

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me. I admit that I failed to listen to your voice many times and I “paid” for it. Help me listen to your voice more than any other voice, so that I can be blessed and be a blessing to many. Amen

“When we are spiritually blessed right, we can handle material blessings right”

Jesus never stumbled!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:23:45 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Today: Jesus never stumbled!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

⁸ and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2, NIV ⁸⁴) – emphasis added

Among those who “follow” Christ, many stumble; only a few makes it straight

In the O.T, we can see this phrase in many places: “(he) did everything exactly as God told him to do”

Noah, Abraham, Moses all fall into that category. They never stumbled. They did not invent their own ways of doing what God asked them to do. They just did it exactly as God told them to do

I will tell you one person who really stumbled: Jonah!

He found his own way around the message of God; he was smart

And then, he found that he was made for Nineveh, not Tarshish; he was very effective in Nineveh

In fact, he never thought he would be that useful there. People repented before he even finished preaching. He couldn’t believe his own eyes!

But then, he didn’t like it. He wanted to see God’s judgement upon that city!

Jonah was never used to being that effective; until that day, he was like a “rejected stone”. No one knew the prophet!

Noah preached like a fool; when he said “it will rain and flood”, people thought they found the craziest man ever. He was crazy for God. He believed God 100%

Abraham was no different. He just followed God and His command; no questions!

Mosed did exactly what God told him to do. So God did exacly what Moses asked

Moses told the people infront of the red sea that God was going to do a great thing for them, even when he didn’t know exactly what God was going to do.

God honored the faith of Moses; those words of moses triggered God into action!

When children are good in things, when they are obedient, parents will be pleased to do things for them. God is no different. When Joshua commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, God did it for him.

In the new testament, we see that apsotles like Peter and John were very effective. People were amazed at their effectiveness!

¹³ When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4, NIV⁸⁴)-emphasis added

Being with Jesus and doing exactly what He wants us to do, is the key to success and the way to avoid stumbling

Have a blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I have stumbled many times because I wasn’t obeying you completely. Many a time, I was too busy to spent time with you. Help me spend more time with you and do exactly what you want me to do. Amen

“The best way to avoid stumbling is to hold on to Jesus; Jesus never stumbles”

Stumbling block for many; stepping stone for us

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:16:40 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Today: Stumbling block for many; stepping stone for us

Passage: 1 Peter 2

⁸ and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2, NIV ⁸⁴) – emphasis added

Jesus Christ is a person whom different people see in different ways
Jesus was a “stumbling stone” for many of his time; but he was a “stepping stone” for some, who could step up from their depravity to their destiny in God

It was only because of Jesus that we could step up into all that God has provided for us; from darkness to light, from death to life. When I say “stepping stone”, I don’t mean Jesus is just a stepping stone and nothing more than that. But Jesus went that low, so that He could take us that high, all the way to the father

While Christians mostly look at Jesus as savior of the humanity, there are some who look at Jesus as a revolutionist and so on. In the state of Kerala, India there is some talk going on recently because a communist leader spoke of Jesus as a great revolutionary. Some christians didn’t appreciate it.

When we christians don’t preach Jesus right, and not enough, others will pick up and speak what they know about Jesus. I think we need to first educate “our own” before complaining about others who speak of Jesus in a way we don’t appreciate. The fact is that the most nails are put on Jesus by those who call themselves “God’s own”, than by anybody else!

If we interview some of our preachers about their understanding of Jesus, we may get “enough shock” for the rest of our life. Like the blind men who went to see the elephant, each will have a different story to tell, about Jesus

When Jesus came to His own about 2000 years ago, He knew what He was going to get. We read, ”They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for” (1 Peter 2:8, NIV 84). The question of pre-destination comes here: “If some people were destined to reject Jesus, then how can we blame them for rejecting Jesus?”

The fact is that God has not destined anyone to perish. He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). However, God knows that all people are not going to accept God (Ps 14), since God has given them free will and because satan is at work. God foreknew who was going to accept Jesus and who won’t! (Rom 1:18-32)

²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom 8, NIV 84)-emphasis added

If you are/were ill-treated by anybody, remember: sometimes God allows it, so that He can bless you. But all bad treatment is not the same. In some cases, especially when someone is abused/ threatened, they need to act right and wise!

In many countries, women as well as children are treated bad, by men. That should not be found among those who trust God

The church becomes ineffective when we don’t know Jesus right. When we don’t know Jesus right, we don’t live right and we don’t preach right

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my cap stone in my life. I was about to stumble and fall without you, but you were at the right place at the right time for me. Help me do all that I do, through you so that I will not fail in any. Amen

“When you see Jesus right, you change; He doesn’t”

God did His best to make us His best!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:35:02 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Today: God did His best to make us His best!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

⁹But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2, NKJV) – emphasis added

Each one of us is special to God; but God looks at us as part of the whole

He sees us as part of the body of Christ, if we have Him as our Lord

If God was ever “selfish” about anything, that was about His people, not Himself!

Like how a mother chicken is protective of its little ones, God always protects and provides for us. God would do anything for His people. If anyone touches God’s own, God always acts on their behalf

In essence, God is about you and me. Jesus came here, lived, died and resurrected, all for you and for me. Even now, He is interceeding, watching and waiting for us. He is busy preparing the place for His bride!

A chosen generation: God was pleased to choose us. His choice was based upon who He is. It was our depravity that qualified us to be chosen by God.

If we were perfect, He wouldn’t choose us. He chose us only because we needed Him so badly, and were helpless without Him. We have nothing to boast about it, and there is nothing we could do, towards “qualifying”. It’s all God’s work (2:10)

A royal priesthood: Jesus is the great high priest, who once and for all offered the FIRST and the LAST physical sacrifice needed for the remission of the sins of the entire humanity. We, being co-heirs with Jesus, qualify for the royal priesthood, which is so great a privilege. We have access to God’s most Holy place anytime. We don’t need to confess our sins to any priest here on earth because Jesus is our only High priest!

A holy nation: Is there a “holy nation” on earth? All earthly nations have enough sin in them. But God has made a Holy nation- the kingdom of God. When the Holy God Himself is the King of that nation, that nation got to be Holy.

He made us royal citizens of His nation. We should be proud of that citizenship more than any other citizenship in the world. There is only so much your country will do for you. But God did the most for His own, and He will go to any extent, for His own!

His own Special people: God was so particular to have a group of people as His own. He did not pick the best, but the worst! Then He made us the best.

There are certain companies who don’t pick the best, but picks the “average” and make them the best. If you are broken and rejected, you will qualify easily

²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him (1 Cor 1, NIV)- emphasis added

Enjoy your position in Christ. Go celebrate Jesus! Sing unto Him a new song!

God bless you!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for choosing me to this great and precious position, making me part of a Holy nation, a royal prieshood, chosen generation and very special people. Let my very life be the “thanks” to you. Amen

“God gave us His best and made us His best. Give God our best ”

His own special people!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:42:20 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Today: His own special people!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

Just like how Jesus himself was a “rejected stone” while He was Heaven’s best, God had the grace and mercy to choose you and me to be part of everything that is in heaven. The difference is that Jesus paid all the cost and we are getting such a precious salvation and all the benefits and inheritance completely FREE!

If someone gave us a vacation package which includes free travel by air, a week’s accomodation in a five-star hotel, free food etc., how would we feel?

I am sure we will be very excited. But then how much more we should be excited, to get such a privilege as this, the salvation of our souls from hell to heaven and spending our lives eternally with God in heaven- not as a customer, but as a son/daughter and having angels at our service………?

God gave us the inheritance of all that is in heaven. In other words, He gave us the ownership deed. It’s not like we get a certain portion as ours, but everybody owns the whole because we are co-heirs with Jesus Christ!

All that heaven expects from us is to be thankful to God for that

Our “thanks” should not be the way we say “thanks” to others, but it should be more than that; through a lifestyle of thanks, praise and worship

God chose us from darkness to light. It’s only when people come into this light that they will know how dark it was with the devil, and about all his tricks, traps and tactics he had “prepared” in advance for us. On the contrary, God had prepared such a great salvation for us, in advance

¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10, NKJV)

Jesus told the truth; yet many a time, we belive the lies of the devil!

It is not through men of other religions that the devil speaks to us; more often than that, he picks some of those who claim to be “God’s own” and speaks through them. Satan takes some of those great preachers and pastors and seduces them to speak for him. As they live the lives that pleases satan, he comfortably abides in them and speaks through their mouth

It is very important that we compare the preachings, teachings and styles of these “ministers of the gospel” and accept only that which aligns with God’s word

Have a blessed day. Think on the verses in 1 Perer 2: 9&10

Prayer: Father God, we thank you for accepting us ionto this precious privilege of making us your very own, special people, heirs of all that is yours and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. Help me to handle it right and do what I must do. Amen

“Trying to mix God’s light in us with devils’ darkness, will be like mixing drinking and driving; we will never go straight, and will reach an entirely different, unexpected place!”

Rejected? you have a reason to rejoice!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:58:14 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, February 06, 2012

Today: Rejected? you have a reason to rejoice!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2, NIV) – emphasis added

If you have seen masons working with granite stones, you will understand this

They pick up a stone and see if it fits correctly in the next spot on the wall

These stones do not come square-cut. Each stone is a differenet shape, as
it comes from the quarry

If a stone does not fit correctly, they will throw it away and pick up the next

Jesus Christ was like one of those “rejected stones” for the religion of his time. They were building their religion up, and thought Jesus will fit-in. But they found out that he was a different kind of a “stone” and just threw him away!

But then, he was the dearest of heaven. He became the chief corner stone of heaven’s project-the kingdom of God-which includes the Church

Throughout the Bible we can see God picking up these “rejected stones” and making them the cap stones elsewhere

Joseph, s/o Jacob is a good example. Jacob himself had to run away from his home and so was Moses. Abraham left his own and journeyed like a nomad most of his life, before God “settled” him!

Unless God “settles” a person somewhere, nobody really settles

David was the “rejected” one in his house. God picked him up-all the way up!

If you were “rejected” somewhere by somebody, you have a reason to rejoice. God is in charge. He allowed it for a reason and will last only for a season!

The crowd that Peter was addressing, was the “scatterd Church”- people who were scattered because of persecution

Those who are persecuted for the sake of their faith in Christ will receive a “rich welcome” into the kingdom of God. Those who suffered the most will “decorate” the special places in God’s kingdom!

If we don’t labor for the Lord, if we do not suffer anything for the Lord, we need not expect much up there. (That is just basic common sense!)

God has put each of us in certain positions where others cannot easily come. That is our mission field. That is where we are to “shine” for the Lord!

The mission field is not within the church, but outside. (God does not use angels anymore to reach out to people with the gospel, because you and me cando a better job, being the recipients of that salvation!

The field (outside the church) is ripe unto harvest. All it needs is you and me!

Have a blessed week ahead!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for all that you became for me. They rejected you, but you accepted me! You took the cross and you got the crown, which you put on me. Let my very life become my thanks and worship to you. Amen

“Jesus picked up the cross so that we can pick up the crown”

God’s pick-you!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:50:37 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, February 03, 2012

Today: God’s pick-you!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

Why would God, the creator of the universe allow himself to be a “rejected” person? Doesn’t that sound like a paradox?

When God put Adam and eve in the garden and told them “you can eat all but one” , wasn’t another paradox? Why would God put His own in a “trouble” like that?

….These are questions that the “natural man” would ask (1 Cor 2:14)

We are born into a “fallen” world. Our natural mind is oriented to think in a way that is against God’s. That is why Jesus spoke about the need for a re-birth, a renewal of our mind (John 3:3)

Our spiritual eyes are naturally blinded (2 Cor 4:4). We cannot see the good things of God unless our spiritual eyes are opened

Until that time, things of the world will look like “great” in front of our eyes

But once Jesus conquers our heart, things turn upside down

We start looking at things in an entirely different way

That is why the kingdom of God is “an upside down kingdom”, for most

Peter gives a good picture of who we are and who we are called to be, in 1 Peter 2

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2, NIV)- emphasis added

In our naturally “blind” situation, we were unable to find that we were living in darkness. It took the light of God to fall in our hearts to realize who God was and as to what He means to us. That was what happened to Paul on his way to Damascus. Until that “light” struck him, he didn’t know he was on the wrong path!

Once we become God’s, He has a great great plan for us. he starts working out that plan in us. We need to understand and cooperate with God

We need to grow in our knowledge of God through His word

God “quarried” us out of that dark quarry “underground” and brought us out, “shaped us” and made us part of His great building, His kingdom!

He wants us to be “precious” stones in that “precious building” He is building

In our earthly life, we hold on to a certain car, home or a job which we cherish

But the moment we see that we can have a better one, we start to look at them in a different way. We no longer cherish the one we have been cherishing so far!

When we see Jesus as we should, the things of the world we have been “cherishing” becomes “upside down” for us. We realize that we have been walking in darkness so far, and that the real light has now come into our lives!

Praise God for this precious privilege. Get the max out of it!

Have a blessed week end!

Prayer: Precious Lord, thank you for the true light you focussed on me. Thank you for snatching me out of that dark world of hell, and making me a part of this great royal heritage in you. Help me to max out all that is in you. Amen

“Cherishing darkness after being enlightened, is like cherishng death while you are still alive”

(For previous messages, please visit (click) http://manna.christianchannel.us)

What are you craving for?

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:33:01 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Today: What are you craving for?

Passage: 1 Peter 2

2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ²as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,^[a] ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2, NKJV) – emphasis added

The exhortation to desire the pure milk of the word of God is only for thiose who have tasted the grace of God!

For many of us born and brought up in Christian families, we may not have such a strong desire or craving (NIV) for the word because we have not really tasted the grace of God. But many who have come from other backgrounds crave for the word because thay have really tasted the grace of God

There are some foods/restaurants that really get into people’s heart. They will “crave” for that food because it was so tasty and delicious!

I have seen long lines infront of certain restaurants because of the demand for their food. I rarely see such lines outside churches, except when people line up for the “soup kitchen program” where they get food and stuff

Wherever Jesus went, people were rushing to see and hear Him. He had some “good stuff” with Him!

Psalm 119 is all about the word of God. In other psalms also we see how the psalmist was waiting for the dawn to come so that they could read the word and meditate upon it. They didn’t have electricity or TV. Their eye-pad was darkness. So they waited for the morning, and read the word more than us!

Those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, will crave for God-stuff!

These days, there are many who sincerely desire for some good word or prayer

Since many pastors and preachers are busy with politics, it is really hard to find someone who could really minister some good stuff to the people

When I was in college, I remember my friend Jerry used to say about going home on vacation; “I need to have some good, homely food”

We had good food in the hostel, but mom’s food was always different

There are so many “ministries” out there, but how much of real, original stuff from God’s kitchen is available?

Peter is not only encouraging them to have good food but also to walk good- to get rid of all bad stuff like malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking!

That is where Christ makes a difference with others. If Christ is in, the neighbor will know!

Instead of pots and pans flying around, they will hear prayers and praises

They will see Jesus through our actions and words. Most of the time, you get the right picture of a person from someone outside the church, because in the church, all they see is our mask, not the real “me”

God bless your day. If we don’t crave for the word, we are sick. Get to the physician of physicians ASAP

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace and mercy showered upon me. I have not found anyone else like you and will never find one. I admit that I lost my hunger and thirst for you somewhere. Put it back in me please. Thank you. Amen

There are so many “hell’s kitchen”s out there but not that many heaven’s kitchen”s!

When trash becomes a treasure!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:56:52 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Today: When trash becomes a treasure!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

⁴Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2, NIV) – emphasis added

Here in the US, people give away things they don’t need anymore

They either take it to a “thrift shop” run by Salvation Army or some other organizations like that; or, they call such people and they will come and pick it up

Yet, the usual way is to keep those “unwanted” items (like furniture) outside the house by the side-walk, and someone (who needs it) will pick it up!

Sometimes it could be a very good painting that someone throws out; another person who values it much, will cherish it like a treasure!

That is how one man’s trash becomes another man’s treasure!

In the verses above, Peter talks of Jesus Christ as a “stone” that was rejected by men, but precious to God. When Jesus came into the world, “his own” could not identify Him! So they despised and rejected Him

It is not easy to identify a small Jewel among pieces of broken glass. Someone will easily sweep it away along with the glass pieces and put it all in the trash!

For the people of Jesus’ time, He was just an ordinary person, a carpenter’s son

They didn’t even know that He was born of God! They called Him “son of Joseph”!

The world doesn’t know the difference it makes, with someone born (again) of God!

If you are a child of God, you are precious to God, but the world may treat you “cheap”!

By the same token, things highly esteemed by the world are of “no value” to God! (Lk 16:15)

The word of God tells us about what is really going to happen to the world; every day, we see incidents that prove that the word of God is true. But for the world, the word of God is “foolishness”. To those who are saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). We are saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from its power and finally, will be saved from the presence of sin (as we leave here and join with God!)

The word of God is power-packed.

Jesus drove the devil away with quotes from the scripture, from the O.T!

There are some who say that the Old Testament is obselete. The devil likes to hear that. Satan likes people who believe half the truth, than those who don’t ! Satan likes luke-warms than the “cold” ones!

Unfortunately, satan likes many of us more than the unsaved!

Who is this Jesus to us? Isn’t He like a “rejected stone” even in our own lives?

How important is God’s word to us? Is it only on Sundays we pick it up?

(Some forget to take the dust off their Bibles even on a Sunday! So they keep their Bibles at home and come to church)

Read the word and stay blessed; be alive and powerful!

Amen!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for disregarding you-the most important person in my life. I did it because everything was going nice and well, even without prayer and reading of the word; but I was seriously wrong. Help me treat you right. Amen

“God doesn’t expect you to give Him more (value) than what He deserves!”

Belonging to Jesus and living like one!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:15:42 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Today: Belonging to Jesus and living like one!

Passage: 1 Peter 2

¹Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ²as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,^[a] ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2, NKJV) – emphasis added

That which is born of God will live like one

God made Adam in God’s likeness and image. Adam and Eve had the glory of God upon them. They had the likeness of God, in being tri-partiate beings with the spirit, soul and body. When they sinned, they lost the image- the glory

When we are born-again by the word of God and the spirit of God, we are entering into that image of God. In the spiritual realm, we are elevated to be the children of God with all its rights, privileges, inheritance and authority!

We become heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ, for FREE! (Jesus paid it all!)

The sad thing is that we have many in the church today, who are not born again

Many of them are baptized and even claim to be spirit-filled!

Here, Peter is encouraging the believers to get rid of some bad stuff and take-in the pure milk, the word of God. When we are too busy to do that, we are starving the spiritual man in us, and will remain as a spiritual baby. When these “babies” cry together, it is very difficult for one man or two to manage them. Moses had a real problem with Israelites, in the wilderness journey

We need to be childlike and mature; we ended up being childish instead!

If we allow the word to get into us and work in us, it will “flush-out” the evil in us. The word of God and the Holy Spirit are soul-cleaners (John 15:3, 16:8)

When we grow spiritually, we will be filled with divine knowledge and understanding. We will understand that we belong to the Lord, and so does the church. It is God’s thoughts that prevail in the end

In his famous gettysburgh address (Nov 19, 1863)- one of the shortest ever addresses (speeches) in the history, (under three minutes) President Abraham Lincoln stated: ”—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (source: Wikipedia)

President Lincoln’s address changed the course of the civil war

The kingdom of God, by God and for His people -a kingdom that shall never perish, is what Jesus established, and called it the Church. And God shall come down with counter-part from heaven and the two shall join together to become one!

And in that kingdom, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking have no place!

The language of that kingdom is one of peace, love and respect

Have a blessed, wonderful day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your saving love. As each day passes, help me to be more like you, in my thoughts, words and actions. I know you have a plan for me, my family and the church. Let thy plans succeed above everything else. Amen

“If we are excited to be the bride of Jesus, we should also be excited to live like that!”

God’s call to be a watchman/watchwoman!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:24:23 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, January 30, 2012

Today: God’s call to be a watchman/watchwoman!

Passage: Ezekiel 3

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

Ezekiel was asked by God to go to the Israelites in Exile and prophecy to them

When he went there, he could not speak anything for the first seven days. So he just sat there, overwhelmed. The mission was not an easy one

In the book of Job, we see that the three friends, who came to see Job and comfort him, went through as similar experience. (Job 2:13)

Ezekiel opened his mouth and stated speaking, after that

Ezekiel did not speak anything of his own. He was on a God-mission. He was only allowed to speak what God gave him

If Ezekiel had thought that it is a bad thing not to speak anything for seven days, and he started to say something, he would have spoken something of his own, not God’s. We hear many such people who speak their own stuff, not God’s!

Start speaking only when God propmts you to speak. Speak only what He gives you!

I am sure, Ezekiel was not simply sitting there. He must have been talking to God!

It is worth talking to God, for a period like that. He must have been on a fast!

God fed him with His word, before he could speak to them

¹ And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them (Ezekiel 3, NIV)

Ezekiel was to “feed” on God’s word and then speak exactly what God fed him with

Apostle Paul and all the others who penned the word of God, did the same. The entire Bible is written that way. Men of God wrote what God gave/inspired them to write (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21)

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: (1 Cor 11, NIV)

If we speak for God, speak what we recieve from God. Otherise, we may end up displeasing God, and pleasing ourselves/people

A “watchman” should work for the owner/master and not for the people he is appointed to watch over. God has appointed you as a watchman/women over your house/at work/church/community. Bring the news to God. Speak to and for God.

If a watchman makes a “deal” with the people he is supposed to watch and does what they want him to do, he will be out of the master’s register. Such names will be found elsewhere!

God bless your week as you choose to speak/stand for God

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for making me a watchman/watchwoman. Help me to do that job faithfully, and be tuned in to you all the time, so that I can tell you what is going on, and also hear from you and speak/act accordingly. Amen.

“It is better to keep quiet, than to say something that is not from God”

God’s call on you is strong, straight and specific!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:41:33 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Today: God’s call on you is strong, straight and specific!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹ He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” ² As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

God called Ezekiel to be a prophet to the people of God who were in exile. (3:11)

Ezekiel was not born as a prophet. God made him one. He had no choice but to accept. The call was so strong, straight and specific

God told him all the “bad” before setting out. The people of Israel would not listen to him. That was their typical reaction to all the prophets of God!

God’s justice is in His word. During the time of Noah, God let the whole world know what was going to happen-not one was left. No one could say, “I didn’t hear”!

Many a time, we comfort ourselves saying “Jesus won’t come anytime soon because there are many more who need to hear the gospel”. But if someone died without hearing it, God has His own ways of dealing with them. We have to be sure that we will not be left behind, at His coming

God told Ezekiel to stand up, so that God could speak to him. We need to stand up from among those who are sleeping, so that God could speak to us. When Ezekiel was willing, God himself made him stand!

It is only by God’s help/grace that we can stand up. But it is important that we stand up for God, instead of continuing to sit or sleep!

Ezekiel was instructed to eat the word and then speak to the people (3:1-)

When a preacher/pastor/prophet does not spent time with the word of God in prayer before they preach, it is not going to touch anybody

But when the word that we receive from the Lord is preached/published, it will do its work. The word of God has life. It will revive, renew and restore the people!

When God spoke, the Spirit came to Ezekiel and raised him to his feet

The word of God is Spirit. But the manifestation of the Spirit also depends on who speaks it. When some people speak the word of God, people sit like “dead”!

When Peter preached in Cornelius’ house (Acts 10) the Spirit of God came upon them. Also, on the day of Pentecost, the spirit worked in the hearts of 3000 people who heard the word. It is all about a person who is broken, melted and moulded by God!

Ezekiel and all the prophets whom God send to His people, went through that process. Allow God to do the same with us, if we want to be “a mouth” for God!

Have a blessed week end! Read chapter 2 & 3 of Ezekiel

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me. Forgive me for being stubborn and for not allowing you to break, melt and mould me. Help me to understand the times you deal with me, and to yield completely. Thank you Lord. Amen.

“There is one thing impossible for God. If we don’t let Him work in us, He can’t work through us”

Longevity from God- for real!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:20:18 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Today: Longevity from God- for real!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

²⁴ For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord stands forever.”^[c] And this is the word that was preached to you.

(1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

When Steve Jobs (founder of Apple computer corp) died recently, it was like a shock to many. Man’s life is fragile, but there is so much man can do in that life!

The Bible tells the truth about man, world and God. Yet many people choose not to believe it. They would rather believe the “big bang” or “man came from monkey” or some story like that, than the facts mentioned in the Bible!

Now, here is a tip: Man’s life is only so much, but when a person is born again (and lives like one), they never really die because the word of God that made them born again, is eternal. Even though their physical body may die, the real man in them lives for ever!

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11, NIV)

The life-span of a person and the quality of life depends on the source from where life came to that person. When we are truly born again, the bad things from our ancestors need not rule on us anymore, whether it is that high blood pressure or diabetes or whatever! Say to the devil, “Satan, you have no right on me. I am a child of God, redeemed from the “empty way” of my forefathers, by the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:18, 19).

Resistance to God of the Bible started with the first man Adam. Disobedience comes from an unwillingness to be humble. True humility will be revealed by obedience, not by calling “Lord, Lord”

¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.. (Dan 10, NIV)-emphasis added

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5, NIV)-emphasis added

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4, NIV)-emphasis added

The other day, someone was telling me this story about Eastern Airlines, a company which was doing very well and closed in the ninetees. “The wives of most pilots quit their husbands after the company closed, because they could no longer get those flight privileges and stuff”.

Whether it is true or false, one thing is sure: people are getting more and more selfish, day after day. It’s all about “me”!

The word of the Lord stands for ever. Read the word and preach it. The word never dies. Those who read it more, live more, because God’s word is eternal!

God bless your day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the eternal, abundant, overflowing life you have given me. Thank you because you are full of power, charisma and energy. Help me live that active life, instead of being weak, lazy and passive. Amen

“Life comes by birth; real life comes by re-birth”

True love happens- when you are truly born again!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:26:31 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Today: True love happens- when you are truly born again!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.^[b] ²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

2000 years ago, they had such love-deep love among the children of God

Today, that has disappeared (?). Everybody is about themselves

I know there are exceptions-especially where there is persecution, there is strong christian love among the people in the church

Unless the love of Christ truly penetrates our heart, we can’t love others truly

First, we need to be truly born again. Then only will the word have any impact on us. True love can come only from a transparent, purified heart!

In most cases, the reason why we are not able to love others is because our heart is not pure- not because something is wrong with them!

The word of God will grow and bear fruit only in a heart that is prepared well

When a farmer sows a seed (with life in it) on the (dead)ground, the seed takes root and shoot and grows into a plant. Usually, the seed is dried well before sowing, but that does not take the life away from it. Life is strong!

The reason why we lost our spiritual appetite, and why we don’t feel like reading the word or praying, is because we are sick-spiritually sick!

We have sick families and sick churches. We are on “sick leave” from God, for months and years! God is asking, “when will you be back, my dear…?”

That which is born of human seed will only live so long, in time and quality

That which is born of God (the seed of God’s word), will have abundant and eternal life!

When we know that we are spiritually weak and sick, better come to God and admit it. Follow His prescriptions and get well soon!

The longer we stay in the spiritually sick condition, more complications will develop and a complete restoration will be difficult!

The word of God is powerful, imperishable and living. Most churches don’t emphasize on the importance of the word or prayer, as they should. They are like “just come here every Sunday, and we will fix it”. Instead, we need to read the word like a prescription medicine or like milk. Prayer should be as important as breathing. Praise and worship should be as important as food

In the “Newsday” yesterday, there was an article on how faith and prayer help a person live longer and have a better quality life. This was not from any preacher, but from secular medical physicians!

So, it is worth clinging on to God!

Have a blessed day!

BG

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me and four pouring your love into this dead “me”. Now that you have quickened me to life, help me to live that life to its full, radiating that love and life into others through your word and spirit. Amen

“Those who don’t pray (at home), play (in the) church”

Chosen before creation; revealed in His time!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:32:17 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Today: Chosen before creation; revealed in His time!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

I have read somewhere that satan has much patience. He plans things way in advance and waits for the opportunity to “get” the child of God

But our God is way ahead of that. He planned things even before He created the earth. God had you and me in His mind way ahead of time!

However, God has His specific times for revealing the things He has planned

Jesus came into the world at the appointed time. Each and every prayer of ours will be answered by God at His appointed time. We need to wait. But we also need to fight in prayer for those which the devil is trying to block

¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. (Dan 10, NIV)

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5, NIV)-emphasis added

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4, NIV)

So, when the answers to our prayers are delayed, don’t think God has forsaken. Instead, keep on giving thanks and glory to God.If we think that we are so lucky that things work very well, just know that God was working behind the scene!

Look at the life of Joseph and David in the O.T; they went through real hardships before they reached the pinnacle of their life. After they reached there, they did not waste time to pay back their enemies, but they went ahead doing what they had to do. What is expected of us is to be faithful and keep moving, instead of standing still!

When the Israelites were in the wilderness forty years, they were grumbling, murmering, complaining. Nothing positive-all negetive came out of them. Little did they know that God was watching and that God was in charge.

Aren’t we somewhat like them – complaining about the things we don’t have?

If we want to be blessed of God, we better stop grumbling and start praising!

Peter encourages the suffering, scattered believers to put their faith and hope in God. Once we allow satan to take HOPE away from us, we will be LOST!

We HOPE in the coming of our Lord, and He will come!

When will He come?

At the appointed time!

Have a blessed day! No more complaints, only praises and thanks!!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for all the plans you have for me, and they are the best-whether it is in connection with my life, work, family or ministry. I know you are in charge, and that you always do the right thing at the right time. Amen

“Get closer to God and His plans will work for us; or get closer to satan, and his plans will work. The choice is ours”

An uncompromising life, for His unconditional love!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:24:41 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Today: An uncompromising life, for His unconditional love!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

God is love. At the same time, He is a God of justice

Instead of the church penetrating the world, the world is getting into the church these days. We are becoming “friends of the world” and strangers to God, instead of becoming friends of God and strangers to the world!

A “compromise” life style is preferred over a committed one

The problem is: we will simply miss Jesus when He comes

(Most people in the Church today don’t even care about it!)

God loves the sinner, but hates sin. The same God who forgives our sins will one day be the judge of our lives!

God’s love towards us was so much that God redeemed us with a huge price- the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. For the same reason, if we deliberately choose to sin, the punishment will be heavy!

The traditions of our forefathers, which many count “important”, God calls it “empty” -because it does not do us any good. Instead, it was the sacrifice of Jesus that did us all the good-giving us salvation for our souls, from the grip of satan. All we can do with tradition is that we can simply boast about it!

Paul the apostle was a man with a great tradition. But when he met Christ, he found out that his traditon didn’t amount to any good. He counted it all dung, when Jesus became everything for him

Many people want to mix both. They want to boast about their tradition while boasting about God also. However, the two don’t mix well!

In the early church, Jews had a big ego problem with the greeks/gentiles.

Even today, we can see this; one group looks down on the other…!

When the love of Jesus conquers us completely, we cannot not do that anymore!

When we really know how precious a blood Jesus shed for us and the extent of His love for us, we can only count others of more value than us!

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Phil 2, NIV ⁸⁴)

May God help us to live our lives reverently, uncompromising and in Christ-like love and humility. When we sow disrespect to others, we will reap the same!

Have a blessed week!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me unconditionally, without any reservations. Help me to be a channel of that love to others, while not compromising with the world and sin-considering others better than me. Amen

“The best way to prove our love for God is to hate sin”

Get into action, before it’s too late!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:29:40 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Today: Get into action, before it’s too late!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”^[a] (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

The immediate response of a person to a situation has a great impact on avoiding/allowing certain big tragedies!

Different people respond in different ways. Some jump into action quickly, but some wait for ever!

If a ship sinks in the sea in the middle of the night, many could be be sleeping. Those who love their sleep too much will take time to get up. But those who are very much concious will awake quickly and get into action, saving their lives!

What is the attitude we have, towards life? Are we expecting a life where “nothing bad” will ever happen?

If that is how we live, it will be very difficult for us to survive any bad incidents in life. On the other hand, if we look at life through God’s eyes, we can survive any situation. That is how Job survived the worst kind of situations in life!

Recently, I see various videos of incidents where Christians are being persecuted because of their faith. In rare cases, persecution also happens because of some unwise actions, but in most cases, that is not the case. We have a responsibility to pray for the persecuted, instead of just disregarding it. It is spreading…!

Before His coming, Jesus would like to know who are real and who are fake!

In the verse above, Peter is encouraging the suffering Christians to get into action, instead of getting behind in their Christian work. It is easy to rejoice and be happy, but there is so much to be done! Start with the action of prayer!

On one side, people are playing politics and all kinds of games, while on the other, our own are beaten up and ill-treated. I wish some would come out of those games and politics and do that which God warns them to do!

Peter also encourages self-control. We need God’s grace for that

Our hope is the coming of our Lord Jesus. Many of us are scared about it.

Peter goes on to say: “as obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires….” The Church is growing in numbers worldwide, and so are the percentage of sinners! Many preachers and pastors are promoting themselves, instead of God!

Marketing is going on very well, at the expense of the cross and the crucified!

Peter stresses on holiness, which again is scary for most of us

Holiness happens, when we spent more time with the Holy one

God bless you; have a special weekend with God

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I pray for the persecuted. I am sorry for being slack in your things and for giving too much emphasis for my things. Help me to get into action, be self-controlled and holy, putting all my hope in your soon coming. Amen

“In the end, dear friend, it is always between us and God, not between us and them”- Mother Teresa

Jesus paid it all..! (you tube)

Jesus paid it all; it’s ours to keep!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:17:15 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Today: Jesus paid it all; it’s ours to keep!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

¹ We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. (Heb 2, NIV^{84)- emphasis added}

In Heaven, you can see atleast two categories- one that of God, and the other the angels who are serving/ministering unto God

When we get to heaven, we will not be in the category of angels, but that of God!

Angels will be serving us!

I have heard many people speaking too much about angels and demons, “my guardian angel” and stuff like that. For whatever reason, I am not too much into it. I just ask the Lord for my protection and provision and He takes care of me!

Our subject today is salvation-which can only come from God. Angels cannot bring us salvation because they are not given that privilege. Man was craeted by God in His likeness and image. We have the breath of God in us

That is why God himself stepped down to save us. There was the only one option!

Salvation is God’s free gift. Our responsibility is to keep it, and God will help us to do that.

Can a truly born-again person go back to sin and perish? If God made us His son/daughter, can we ever go to hell?

If we read the book of Hebrews, we see that there is a possibility

First of all, many people who claim to be “born again” are not truly, fully born again- especially those born in Christian homes

²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. ³⁸ But my righteous one^[f] will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”^[g] ³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Heb 10, NIV)

God’s gift is eternal and God does not want anyone to loose it. But we have a constant enemy. It is our responsibility to keep fighting the sinful temptations. God will always help

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Phil 2, NIV)

²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1, NIV)

With God’s help, we can!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the greatest gift of salvation!. I thank and worship you for you alone qualify to do that and that you have become a sacrifice for me. Help me to work it out on a daily basis until I see you in person. Amen

“Salvation is free- because Jesus paid for it in full, through His sacrifice”

Jesus paid it all..! (you tube)

Inexpressible Joy from an invisible God!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:46:01 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Today: Inexpressible Joy from an invisible God!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

Peter has been with Jesus during the earthly ministry of Jesus

But these believers that he is addressing, had not seen Jesus physically

So Peter is commending the love and faith of these people, towards Jesus

Even as they were going through severe trials, they were rejoicing in Christ, whom they had not even seen physically!

There are different types of religions in the world. Some of them worship a “God” they can see. So they have an idol or a picture infront of them

Some others worship a God who is invisible, and they don’t have a picture or an idol, but the worship is one-way. They don’t have an interaction with that God

Then there are those who worship an invisible God, but they do experience that God, talking/interacting with Him. In Jesus we see a God who came seeking man. Even when we are busy with our own things, God who has enough time for us

In the garden of Eden, after Adfam and Eve sinned, God came down looking for them. Then God himself clothed them with skin of an animal. An animal was sacrificed. That is the love with which He loves us.

In the garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus, God who took the form of man, offering Himself as a sacrifice so that He could cover you and me with His grace

Once we have this Jesus in us, we also get in Him; we become part of His body

²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1, NIV)- emphasis added

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor 5, NIV)- emphasis added

Christ wants to fill us entirely, from inside to outside. He wants us to hide in him, submerge in Him completely. He wants to keep us under His wings

When we speak to God in prayer, He speaks to us through His word, spirit and mind. He speaks to us in various ways. He prepares things for us ahead of time. He knows what we need, more than what we want.

There are many families in India where the husband is in the middle-east and the wife in India. They meet once in a year or so, but they keep the love and faith in each other. Faithfulness is the key. They keep their relationship warm, through constant communication, wherever possible. Then they eagerly wait for the next time they could be together again

Can we love God and have faith in Him, more than we love our phone/gadgets?

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace and mercy. Even though I don’t see you face to face, one day I am going to see you in person; that very thought excites me and fills me with great Joy. Thank you Lord, for loving me. Amen

“God’s choice is to be in you, with you and cover you; what’s your choice?”

“Before we become a new crea…

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:16:48 +0000

“Before we become a new creation in Christ, a cremation of the old must happen”

Being the “real you” in Christ

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:35:33 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Today: Being the “real you” in Christ

Passage: 1 Peter 1

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

Yesterday, America celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day, in honor of the late Dr. King. He was a man with a strong Christian belief who belived that injustice has no place in a country like America. He stood and fought for what he believed

The problem with most people today is that they would rather be copy-cats and do what most others do, instead of being themselves. Even while we know what is right, we are afraid of the consequences and reactions from others and we try to “save our face” instead of doing what is right. But there are just a few who want to do that which is right, regardless of what others would think of them

There is an “inertia” at work in most of us. We hesitate to get into action!

Gandhiji was another man who was inspired by the teachings of Jesus Christ. He did what he felt right, and didn’t care what others would think of him

Mother Teresa also received the inspiration from the same source. When she saw the need, she responded to it the way she felt- that’s all she did.

Jesus is our perfect example. He saw the great need of salvation for us and He stepped down from His place and came down for us. He knew the cost. He suffered all of that and finally achieved His target. Jesus is the only person born of God’s seed in a human being and lived among us, died and resurrected, and never had another death.

In the verses we read above, Peter refers to sufferings of a Christian and the test of faith. Gold can survive a fire, but even that gold can be melted in high temperature. But then faith is compared to something much more precious than gold, which will stand any fiery trial. No one likes a test of their faith, but God does allow that, so that we will be qualified for heaven.

Christian life is living our tomorrow today. We always look ahead, not just on what we see now. When others see everything O.K, we try to see what God sees, and may find that evrything is not O.K. We need that “prophetic” worldview

All things are pointing towards our greatest hope, which is the coming of Christ

May God help you endure all that you are going through, because of that glorious hope!

Have a blessed week ahead. Pray, read the word and worship God, more than ever before

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help to be myself as you want me to be, and see things the way you see them, so that I can respond to the various needs and situations in the right way. Get me out of that bad “inertia” and laziness. Amen

“It is much easier to be like someone else, than being yourself”

Cremation before a new creation!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:41:45 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Today: Cremation before a new creation!

Passage: 1 Peter 1

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2, NIV⁸⁴⁾

I was just reading a statement of Reinhard Boenke about re-birth. God does not take anybody’s permission to create man; but He asks us, if we would like to be born again by letting Jesus into our lives, and giving Him the control of our lives

I have seen people who are very confident of driving- some of them very young and some very old. Others sitting with them or watching them may not be that comfortable to see that, but these people are very confident.

When we think that we can take care of ourselves nicely, we may be simpy over- confident. Involving God makes a big difference

First of all, we don’t know what the future holds for us, but God knows it all!

We can only see so far! Also, God has set plans for each individual.

The death of Jesus on the cross followed by His resurrection is central to our redemption and our position in Christ

When we are born again by the imperishable and living seed of God, we are likened to a status similar to that of Jesus, who came into this world as a man, when God’s seed fell into the womb of a woman named Mary

We are born-again, as the living word of God falls into our heart

A man born of man can only live as far as man. But the word of God is eternal. Being born again by the word, our souls can never die!

When Jesus came into His own people (Israelites) they could not acceopt Him because He came with something “new”, not with an addition or attachment to their system, which they believed to be perfectly O.K!. Jesus turned the tables (system) upside down. What He did in the temple shows what He came for!

Jesus never suggested a “modification” to anybody. He said, “be born again”

In India, few decades back, they used to throw the petrol (gasoline) engines of cars out, replacing it with a brand new diesel engine!

Thereafter, you put a different fuel; the input and output are different!

In your new life with Christ, you don’t read/look stuff as you used to do before!

What comes out of you is Christ’s character because you mostly feed on His word and are directed by His Spirit, not your own!

God bless your new life in Christ!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the provision of re-birth. Without your divine action, I would have no hope at all!. Thank you for all that is mine because of you! Help me to live the life that is yours, and spread the news around. Amen

“Before we become a new creation in Christ, a cremation of the old must happen”

In Christ alone – you tube

One God and one gospel for one body

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:43:37 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Today: One God and one gospel for one body

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹⁸ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰ which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (Eph 1, NIV)-emph. added

The two scripture portions above are taken from two different letters/epistles written by two different persons – Peter and Paul

They were contemporaries in ministry, but they did not make very good companions

They had differences/disagreements on certain topics/issues, but the gospel they both preached was the same. It was from the same source!

God assigned Paul to minister to the greeks/gentiles whereas Peter was assigned mainly to the Jews. However, Peter was assigned to minister to Cornelius, (Acts 10) thereby opening the ministry to gentiles. God wanted to break that little ego in Peter, in ministering to/associating with the gentiles.

God calls each person for a certain type of ministry; but sometimes, He gives us opportunities in various types of ministries, so that we are not strangers to some of them. It is like we study different subjects in college, even while we major in just one. So, let’s not say “No” to those “unfamiliar” subjects/situations/experiences that God allows/brings into our life!

Peter and Paul emphasized on the living hope, our glorious inheritance in God/ God’s inheritance in us and the incomparably great power of God that is ours through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead

The resurrection happened in the past, the great power is for the present, and the hope is for the future. Our inheritance is from day 1 we met Christ, until eternity- for the past, present and future

Father, Son and Holy Spirit- the God head-took care of our past, present and future. We don’t have to worry about it any more. Just hand it over to God.

God will fix all areas of our life- whether it be spiritual, physical, material or emotional- whether it be about ourselves/children. Just hand it over to God!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your saving love, your power and the great hope I have in you. Thankyou for being gracious to provide me with your incomparably great power.. Help me to manifest that power in and through me, every day. Amen

“There is just one God and one gospel, for the one body of Christ”

In Christ alone – you tube

God’s work: selection, salvation and sanctification

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:09:02 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Today: God’s work : selection, salvation and sanctification

Passage: 1 Peter 1

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Peter 1, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

The epistle of Peter was written to the believers scattered the disapora, in parts of Asia minor (Turkey). It seems there were Jewish and gentile christians there

Peter had two of his assoaciates – Silas and John Mark with him. He states that he writes it from Babylon (probably Rome) and written around AD 62 (1 Pet. 5: 12-13)

Peter recognizes the scattered church as “God’s elect”, while identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Peter brings all the three persons of the Godhead in the second verse: Father, Son and Spirit

Chosen by the father: Our position as God’s children is the greatest privilege we could ever have. Salvation is fully God’s work; all we did was accepting that free gift. It is very difficult for man to think of receiving the salvation (moksha) without any input from him because our own sins prick us. That is why we need to get the true picture of God, His nature and love for us. None of the sinful man’s work qualify him/her infront of God.

Sprinkled by the blood of Jesus: It was by the shed blood of Jesus, we were saved. No other person can represent the whole humanity, because Jesus, “the word” was the one through whom all thuings were created. He is the only one born of the seed of God, and is thus sinless. His blood alone can achieve salvation for the whole world.

It was God’s rule that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22, Lev 17:11)

The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is represented by fire and water (Acts 2:3, John 7:38, 39). Both fire and water are used to clean/sanctify. The work of sanctification is also achieved while the word of God is read/preached in the fullness of the spirit (Jn. 15:3)

God is at work in you and me from beginning to the end. He is at work in the church. He watches us 24/7 and He keeps us. As we continue in obedience to God and His word, His grace and peace will be ours.

Have a peaceful, graceful day!

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for your selection, salvation and sanctification on me. It is your grace and mercy, none of my merit. Help me to bear fruit accordingly and be a channel of your grace and love in this life. In Jesus’ name; Amen

“The only person qualified to save us, is God”

No correction; no love

Rev.BijuGeorge — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:42:13 +0000

Welcome!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Today: No correction; no love

Passage: Job 5

¹⁷ “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.^[a] ¹⁸ For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. ¹⁹ From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you. ²⁰ In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
²¹ You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes. ²² You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth. (Job 5, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

These are the words of Eliphaz, one of the three friends of Job who came to visit Job while he was going through hardships

These three friends heard about what Job was going through and they got together and came to visit Job. At first sight, they could not even recogonize Job. For seven days, they sat with Job, nobody speaking anything. After seven days, Job started speaking and then Eliphaz started to talk

Eliphaz mentions about the God who corrects; the God who wounds and then binds up the wounds.

If we define “true love” as the one where no one ever corrects you, you could be wrong. True love involves correction

In the church today, many don’t like correction. As long as everything is given an “O.K” signal, there is no problem!

But God’s nature is different. The word of God is also a double-edged sword

It cleans, corrects and even cuts. The word also restores, revives and renews us

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15, NIV⁸⁴)

What kind of preaching do we want to hear? Only that which says “God will make you the head and not the tail?” (Often, you need to become the “tail” first and then God will promote you to become the “head”!)

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3, NIV⁸⁴)

Sometimes, when the word corrects and rebukes, we may not like it. But we better submit to the authority of the word and admit our sins, instaed of justifying our actions and trying to twist the word

¹⁸ Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. ¹⁹ “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.” (Daniel 10, NIV⁸⁴)

⁶³ The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit^[e] and they are life. (John 6, NIV⁸⁴)

The word of God has evrything we need: instruction, correction, blessings, guidance etc. Don’t look just for one type of messages.

God bless you, and the reading of God’s word

Prayer: Father God, help me to know you more closely, and as you are, through the word. I can sense your love in different ways. Help me to accept it not only when you bless me, but also when you correct/chastise me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“True love is incomplete without correction”

No pain, no gain

Rev.BijuGeorge — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:22:33 +0000

Welcome!

Monday, January 09, 2012

Today: No pain, no gain

Passage: Psalm 66

⁸ Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; ⁹ he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. ¹⁰ For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. ¹¹ You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. ¹² You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. (Ps 66, NIV⁸⁴) –emphasis added

Read the whole psalm 66. There are some good thoughts in it

In verses 10-12a, the psalmist says that God tested, broughtthem to prison and God Himself allowed men to ride over their heads

In other words, God allowed all those things to happen, as in the case of Job

In most cases, it is true. But then there are cases where people do the wrong things and create trouble for themselves. Don’t blame God, if that is the case!

There are two things we do, when we bring up children or train people:

Discipline for the wrong things 2. Encouragement/reward, for things done right

The Bible also does the same. It rebukes/corrects when we do wrong, and promises rewards for doing things right

¹ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (2 Cor 7, NIV⁸⁴)- emphasis added

The following is about Moses, who was prompted by the reward infront of him

²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. (Heb 11, NIV⁸⁴)- emphasis added

In Psalm 66, in the verses we looked at, the psalmist finally says in v.12 “we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” (Ref Isaiah 43: 1-2)

Those sufferings were predecessors to the blessings that were to follow

We see this pattern in the whole Bible – Joseph, David, Job are all examples; but the best example is Jesus himself, who went through the cross before the crown and through death, before resurrection!

When God allows “men to ride over our heads”, we better know that abundance is on the way. Otherwise, those blessings won’t taste that good!

While I was a child, I liked to eat with people working in the farm (ploughing in the mud/tilling the ground). I wouldn’t enjoy that warm food like them, because they came from that dirt/cold water and they were working hard.

Food tastes best when you have it after some real hard work!

Blessings of God taste best when they come after some suffering/pain!

Have a blessed week ahead!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for all that you allowed in my life. I didn’t appreciate some of them because it was not pleasant at that time, but now I am convinced that all of that happened for good. Thank you; I love you. Amen

“Sinful things look good in the beginning, but end bad; saintly things work just the opposite way”

Our provision and protection – in Christ

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:27:54 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, January 06, 2012

Today: Our provision and protection – in Christ

Passage: Psalm 91

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge— ¹⁰ then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.. (Ps 91, NIV)

We love psalm 91. We love scripture that talks about blessings, protection etc.

We need God’s protection and provision. But there are always certain conditions

We need to dwell in the shadow of God. We need to take refuge in Him

As long as the disciples were with Jesus, they had no problem. Once they even went with Jesus saying “let us go and die with Him” (Thomas said it-John 11:16. Jews were already talking about stoning Jesus, and now Lazarus was dead!)

But when Jesus was crucified, their “world” collapsed! They were really scared. All their boldness was gone, until Jesus ressurrected and appeared to them

We are not safe, if Jesus is not with us. When we selct any path, make sure He is with us. The essence of psalm 23 is the same. If the Lord is my shepherd, He will protect and provide for us. If He is not, we are in trouble

Israelites were truly protected and provided by God, in their 40 years of wilderness journey. God covered them as a cloud in the day. In the night, the pillar of fire assured them about God’s presence

What do we do, when God’s presence is not that evident/visible?

Disciples were scared when their boat was about to sink in the storm; once it happened when Jesus was with them; another time, Jesus was physically not in the boat. But Jesus was watching them. He came to them, walking on the water!

We will say “God is with me” and in the next moment, start getting scared!

He is with us in the storms of life. God purposely allowed the disciples to face those storms so that they could get stronger. God has allowed such storms in the life of all those He loved and used. Nothing just happens, without a reason!

When we leave evrything to God and do just what He wants us to do, it will be beautiful in the end. God did everything for the Israelites. They didn’t have to cry out and make noise, but they did. God did the right thing at the right time

Have a blessed day, blessed weekend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your provision and protection. Regardless of all that you have done for me in the past, I have wondered “why” and “what?”. I now choose to hide under your wings and you will do it all for me. Thank you Lord. Amen

“It is in the worst storms of life that we see Jesus walking to us, on water!”

Who we are in Christ, and what we can do in 2012!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:51 +0000

Welcome!

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Today: Who we are in Christ, and what we can do in 2012!

Passage: Gen 2

¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and
whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. (Gen 2, NIV)

God created man as the supreme creation. Then, God gave man the privilege to name all living beings.
God had no fear of insecurity, in delegating that job to man. Living in a world of insecurity where people hardly share their “privileges” with others, we see the best example of management and delegation, in God.

When God sent prophets to the people of Israel, God did the same thing; whether it was Moses, Samuel or Jermiah. This is what God told to Jeremiah:

¹⁸ Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. ¹⁹ They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. (Jer 1, NIV)-emph. added

To Joshua, God said something similar:

⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1, NIV)- emphasis added

God has given us the authority, which we seldom use. In the early days of our walk with God, others ministered to us. Later on, we should start ministering to others

The authority that Jesus gave to His disciples is on us, if we are His disciples

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16, NIV)-emphasis added

We don’t have to go after snakes and pick them up. But Paul himself shook a venomous snake off his hand. The essence of the matter is that we can overcome the powers that overtake others, if we have this kind of (next level) faith!

¹⁷The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10, NIV)

Regardless of what church you go to, we better believe what Jesus said

When a senior official says something, it is given the due significance

When our Chief Commanding Officer Jesus says that He is sending us with a certain authority,
all we have to do is to just go in that authority and do what He says! Jesus doesn’t lie! Even communists agree to that fact!

Always act according to God’s word, and let the communication line (prayer) be open!

Have a blessed day from the Lord! Pray also for me, if you are blessed

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this blessed time in my life. You gave me another year. There is so much I can do for you in a year. Help me to be truly your agent in this
world which is truly in need of love, mercy and peace. Amen

“Once we realize who we are in Christ, we will no longer be overcome by other people or situations; we will be the overcomers”

Kanunnu Njan Viswasathal…KJM

All things are possible- Hillsong

Called for a reason, a purpose

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:26:13 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Today: Called for a reason, a purpose

Passage: Gen 2, Eph 2

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen 2, NIV)

I had a childhood friend, who was very active. He was never found sitting idle. After his Engineering degree, he joined the Indian Navy and is in a good position

If you look at Jesus, He never wasted a second. He was always active, doing something. When He was not doing the ministry, you could find Him praying or teaching the disciples or something like that. He raely took rest

How busy are we, with God’s stuff?

God does not want His children to be idle. He wants them active

God gave enough work for Adam (and Eve) to do. They were kept very busy

They had to work (work is not a curse) and take care of God’s garden

See what is expected of us, as recorded in the New Testament;

¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2, NIV)-emphasis added

We were craeted to do “good works”, not to just go to church on Sunday, to warm up the seats! We are part of christ’s living body. We are also living stones

A living body will grow and will be active. The life we have is not just any kind of life, but is the abundant, eternal life! (John 10;10, 3:16)

What is the kind of “good works” God expects from us?

³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. (Acts 10, NIV)-emphasis added

With the anointing in Him, Jesus went around delivering people from their sins, demonic oppressionss, sickness and even physical death!

As the apostles came out of Pentecost, they were doing similar things

Peter and John healed a man who was crippled and was begging (Acts 3)

God brings such people to us. are we able to minister to them?

¹⁷ This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you
should go. ¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48, NIV)

God Himself will equip you with gifts/talents. He will give you the tools

He will be with us and protect us. That is His promise (Luke 10:19)

Get little busy for the Lord. Once we are gone from here, we won’t have the chance to work for the Lord. Now is the time to do it!

Have a blessed day!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your saving grace and mercy which you showered upon me. Help me to be the tree that bears fruit for you, and to do the good you expect me to do. Anoint, equip and train me Lord. Amen

“If we belong to God, we will do Good”

Kanunnu Njan Viswasathal…KGM

Tools, talents and training from God

Rev.BijuGeorge — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:22:23 +0000

Welcome!

Wednesday, January 03, 2012

Today: Tools, talents and training from God

Passage: Isaiah 43

Welcome to a new, blessed 2012!

Let this be a year of spiritual discipline, where we separate specific times for God, for the word, prayer and worship. If we don’t, our survival itself will be difficult. Satan
is mad against us, our ministry and family. We better not take things for granted. We need extended hours of prayer, praise and the word

It is good to find friends/prayer partners and get together for prayer and Bible-study. Small group-discussions on Bible passages will help a lot

Once we become children of God, God does not want us to be idle, but active

The church is the body of Christ. He alone can say, “my church” (Mt 16;18)

He appoints His servants/shepherds to “work and take care” of it

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Gen 2, NIV)

When Adam misused his rights/freedom, God expelled him from the garden

God teaches us, directs us and commands us (Is 48:17-18). If we go as per God’s command, we will be blessed

Jesus taught and trained the disciples for a period of three or more years (the time-period is not exactly mentioned in the Bible, but most agree on 3-3 ½ years). He gave
them the tools and talents as well (Luke 10:18-20)

The tools we have are the word of God, Christian education, books etc

The anointing of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts and talents are essential for the ministry. God also trains us is various ways, working with an anointed Pastor who has a good
understanding of the word and practical life.

Many of us need to get out of the shore and get into the water. You can only do so much, standing on the shore. We will get wet and our dress might stink a little bit, but God will take care of that. Get ready for the ministry.

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 1, NIV)

Have a blessed day, a blessed week and a blessed year

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for your promises, provisions and protection. We have been unfaithful to you with our time, tithe and so on, but you remained faithful to us in evrything. Help me to have more discipline this year. Amen

“We can’t walk on water unless we step out of the boat”

Grandson of DGS Dinakaran- “Fear not”

Fear not!

Rev.BijuGeorge — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:10:38 +0000

Welcome!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Today: Fear not!

Passage: Isaiah 43

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43,NIV)

³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. (Luke 1, NIV)

Why is it that many of God’s people live in fear?

Fear, doubt & disbelief have all become common like diabetes, hypertension etc.

When those emotions leave us, those sicknesses will also leave us, I think

Fear/anxiety about sickness, job, chidren, death, certain people/circumstances and so on..

Fear, stress and anxiety have become some of our best friends

God knows our nature very well. When we become anxious about these things, we become part of the majority of people out there. Most people fall in this category. There are only a few who have no fear/anxiety about things

God has provided the solution: “Leave everything to me” says God

But we find that almost impossible. I can preach a very good sermon on “leaving everything with God” and in the next moment, start worrying like nobody else

People who worry less live more. That is a truth

Life is fragile. Anything can happen any time. But is there not a God in whom we can trust?

Sometimes we look at certain people critically about their beahvior/ appearance; but it may be that they are trying to cover-up their fears by doing that!

We never know - people are more scared/insecure than we think!

God’s promise held us yesterday, holds us today and will continue to hold us tomorrow. He is a faithful God who will fulfil what He has promised

Let us be thankful all the time, instead of being thankless and miserable in life!

When we choose to thank, praise and worship God, it also does a lot of good for us

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. ² Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— ³who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Ps 103- NIV-emphasis added)

It is our choice, to remember or forget the good things we receive

When we do what is said in verses 1 & 2, what is said in v.3 & 4 becomes ours!

More than just saying “thank you” and then living the way we want, it is important to live a life that pleases God. That is another way of saying “Thank you” to God!

Yesterday, I was hearing this radio preacher who said:”Just give ten minutes to God every day”. We may say, “just ten minutes?”

Yes. Just ten minutes at least! I would say, five more if possible-for prayer, praise and for the word- five minutes each

Let the new year be a year of no fear, seflessness and a year of gratitude to God

Let it be the year we do the most for God and for others

Have a blessed, happy New year!

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for the wonderful, miraculous way you brought me through, in this past year. I have been thankless and I forgot the many things you did for me; yet you provided and protected me and my family. In the new year, help me to be thankful, unselfish and be a blessing to you, my family and others. Thank you
Jesus. Thank you Holy Spirit of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen

“There is so much to be thankful, than all that is there to worry about”

Grandson of DGS Dinakaran- “Fear not”