Rise Again!!

We might have faced or in situation which crushes or tears us a part. We must be questioning in our heart, Lord why these are happening to me? What did I do wrong, to undergo such things. Might be as King David questioned, we might be questioning Lord why there is suffering among the righteous and prosperity among wicked?

Many Christians today seem to think that faith in God comes with a guarantee of freedom from adversity. There is a wonderful verse in the book of Proverbs chapter 24, "the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes". Isn't this very clear Lord doesn't promise the righteous never falls. But He has promised though they fall, they will raise again.

 

We might feel that it is very simple to say the righteous rise again but how do they rise? When we read the book of psalms chapter 73, we see King David was questioning God why there is prosperity of wicked. The First thing we could see is personal spiritual turmoil. King David has mentioned, "my feet had almost slipped". Yes, our faith will be tested. When we are able to withstand the test and had strong faith that's when we will gain Lord's strength to raise again. Lord knows who we are and what we are undergoing but he waits just for us to pass our test.

 

Again its not so easy to keep up our faith during our spiritual turmoil. We see in the verse 17, "till I entered the sanctuary of God". Until we enter into the sanctuary of God these things worry us, try to destroy our faith and will not allow us to raise. But once we enter into sanctuary of God filled with praises, Lord's word and prayer, we will be able to understand why Lord has allowed these.

 

Bible says in the book of James 5:16, "..The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." So don't allow the situation to take you to the slippery ground, instead enter into the sanctuary of God and raise up again with the strength of God.

 

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Sovereign Battle In Christ

The situation we go through might makes us feel, as though we  are on battle field with no one on our side. Many might against us from different directions. unexpected attacks. Feel completely broken and crushed. The world looks strange. Finding our self helpless. When I was in such a situation, I cried out to Lord saying, "I'm unable to bear this, what I should do?". My eyes fell on the promises from I Corinthians Chapter 10, "He will not let you be tempted, beyond what you can bear". and also on Chapter 12 which says, "..for my power is made perfect in weakness". I cried unto Lord to strengthen me and lift me.

 

Saw a message in Fr. S.J Berchmans page, which lifted me. Posting here, believing that will help you too. Whatever situation you are in, we have a Lord who lifts us out of the situation.

 

Sovereign Battle In Christ:

 

" The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace (Ex. 14:14)."

 

"Having disarmed principalities and powers , He made a public spectacle of them , triumphing over them in it
(Col. 2:15)."

 

We saw that our victory is based on His victory, and God will ultimately gain honor from all our battles. This will make you strong to face your present battles.

 

The first key to victory is to see your battle as God's battle. The enemy himself knows, by fighting against you, he is fighting against God(Ex. 14:25). In Christ, God is fighting your battles from beginning to end. You can stand boldly when the enemy hits you.

 

See your battle as His battle:

 

When the Egyptians were pursuing the Israelites, God fought their battles. They simply stood still and saw God's deliverance. Know that all your battles are actually God's battles. The Lord fights for you, and you hold your peace(Ex. 14:13-14; 1 Sa. 17:47; 2 Chr. 20:17).

 

a) His enemies:
All your enemies are God's enemies (Ex. 23:22;
1 Pe. 5:8-9). Satan hated God before he hated you. Lucifer coveted God's exalted position, but you were freely given that place (Isa. 14:14-15; Eph. 2:6). That makes him hate you fiercely. It is The Lord who first declared war on satan and proclaimed His victory even in Eden (Ge. 3:15).

 

b) His strategy:
The war strategy is God's strategy. The good news is, satan can't know God's strategy, but you can know satan's strategy (2 Co. 2:11; Eph. 6:11).

 

Thank You, Lord,
 "I look unto You, the author and finisher of my faith (Heb. 12:2)."

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I Make All Things New!!

“Behold, I Am Making All Things New!” Rev 21:1-7.

 

Yes, Lord is making new things in our life. We usually get attracted by the words "New/Improved" which we see in products and in advertisements. Those doesn't guarantee the best for us. But what God has for us is so good that it will exceed, far exceed our expectations.

 

When we talk about new things, we tend to imagine a brand new house, vehicle or job.  Some even imagine of a new spouse. But what Lord promises is, He is going to make us a new creation, restore every hard situation, every broken relationship, every sickness and pain will go. Bible says in Isaiah 43:18, "I am doing a new thing". When we read this submit to Lord and allow him to make us a new creation.

 

The New Creation

Lord is going to make us spiritually and morally new and glorious.  That is what God promises when he makes all things new. We will be made spiritually and morally new, not just partially but wholly.

 

Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5 we read, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  God will make us spiritually and morally beautiful for our final marriage with his Son.  As John says in Revelations 21:2, "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." That's the first way the newness is coming. When God makes all things new, he makes us new spiritually and morally, he makes us new physically, and then he makes the whole creation new so that our environment fits our perfected spirits and bodies.

 

The New Relationship

 

John tells us about this in the book of Revelations, "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them." Yes now we see Him in sprit and soon we will be seeing Him face to face as said in the book of Revelations 22:4, "They shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads."  Lord is restoring the relationship we have with Him and preparing us to see Him. In the Mathew wrote in his book, "Blessed are the pure in heart," Jesus said, "for they shall see God." It's a promise. Something greater is coming for all of us in our relation with God.

 

Yes, the new has already come, the newness of Christ has come into your life. And the new is still coming. It’s on the way, and we can look forward to it. When Lord makes all things new, He will make us spiritually and morally as pure as flawless crystal, He will give us a body like the body of His glory, He will renovate all creation to take all futility and evil and pain out of it, and finally He himself will come to us and let us see His face.

 

“Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “but my words will never pass away.” This old life / our old self is passing away, but  there is a whole new world coming! You can count on it! For our Lord has given us his word: “Behold, I Am Making All Things New!”
 

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The Greatest!!

We read in book of Corinthians written by Paul, "And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." We must have read this verse very often, heard in many sermons, seen in many cards. But why Bible says Love as the greatest.  Isn't Love something which dwells in everyone?

 

Why Love?

Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". Out of love for the world, God gave His Son and John 15 says, the Father's love toward the Son motivated the Son to love us. Lord's love towards us is a genuine, heartfelt, all-encompassing love that cannot and will be changed by circumstance and only through His Love towards us we are saved today.

 

We read in the book of Mathew chapter 22, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". Jesus Christ calls this the first and greatest commandment, which shows how important is the divine Love in our life.

 

Bible says in the book of Corinthians chapter 13:8, "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." Yes, Love is Eternal, it never fails, that is what makes it the greatest.

 

Some scholars suggests, if one really has divine love, that love will take care of all the details. You can check yourself to see if you have Godly love by asking if you have joy, peace, patience, kindness, and all the rest, including meekness and self-control as said in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love is not just one of the fruit of the Spirit, rather it undergirds the rest.

 

Love is indeed the greatest of virtues.  When properly understood and manifested in our lives, it serves as the basis for our faith, hope and all other fruits of Sprit.

 

Are we walking in love, as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us(Ephesians 5:2).Lets ask Lord for filling our hearts with divine love.

 

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Wanna Jump!!

We all must have faced situations which makes us feel it is impossible. We must have used or heard the words, no way.. no hope.. no chance.. Is there a way from impossible to possible? The answer is yes.

 

Bible says, in the book of Luke chapter 1 verse 37,"For nothing is impossible with God." and Mathew 17: 20 says, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Its very clear, with faith in God everything is possible.

 

How that faith can be developed? Bible says in the book of Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." We listen to the Word of God carefully with undivided attention then God's Word itself and the right attitude toward God's Word produce hearing. and we start to hear word of God. Bible says in the book of John chapter 1 verse 1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

If we want to jump from impossible to possible, Word of God is the beginning. We have to listen to the Word of God with undivided attention and we start hearing God. As we continue hearing, or being focused on God's voice, faith develops out of that hearing and through faith in God everything is possible.

 

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