BLOOD
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor’s son.
The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting.
As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this: “My fiancée’s past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?”
The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble.
What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus! End of case!!!!
One day at a time
Many a times, we are overwhelmed as we consider, “How am I to be consistent in my walk with the LORD?” Today, it seems okay; but how about next week, when I travel to onsite? New contacts and new surroundings pose threateningly. How do I survive among my colleagues, who do not share my beliefs?
When I go to my home town and meet my old friends, how do I manage? How do I survive from being unspotted by the world, when I go on a vacation? Today, I feel strong in the LORD and serve the LORD – I preach, sing & pray; but how about tomorrow? Will I be able to stand till the end?
Many of us are stumped when we consider the deliverables and deadlines we have to meet. It seems so paramount and unreachable! We spend our time worrying about our goals and targets. We wonder if we will come up against some obstacle that has not been foreseen or estimated, during the project planning phase.
Yet others worry about their family – wife and children. My wife pesters me about her career growth – she had a break when we had a baby this year. She also raises concern about my ‘peanut’ salary increments, in spite of having put in many a long ‘n stretched working hours. My kids are getting ill often; how will they fare in the exam?
Dear friends, be it our personal spiritual life, our family life or our work life; we tend to worry and waste today as we think about tomorrow!
Shall we listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ has to say about this?
- Consider the following logic – to discourage ourselves from worrying about tomorrow:
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:27)
On the contrary, by worrying we loose many a single hour! As we gain nothing by worrying, why worry?
The secret to ‘Quit Worrying’ is to know the nature and mind of God, our Creator towards us concerning our diverse needs.
- Know that God, your heavenly Father knows your needs!
…your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:8)
…your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (Matthew 6:32)
Now, hear the counsel of God on what we need to do after we quit worrying and know the nature of God!
- Aim at and strive after maintaining at first, a right relationship with the LORD God your Savior and then, at also spreading the Good News about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the needy around you.
…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
Bonus! You get a bonus when you are right with God and are involved in the extension of His kingdom! All things that you were worried about initially are sorted out. When God takes the rightful place in your life, everything else falls into place – like a jigsaw puzzle.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Mathew 6:34)
Remember, the good old song ‘One day at a time’?
I’m only human – I’m just a man
Help me to believe in all I could be
And all that I am
Show me the stairway I have to climb
Lord for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time
One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That’s all I’m asking from You
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What You’d have me do
Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time
Do you remember when You walked among men
Well Jesus You know, looking below
It’s worse now than then
Pushing and shoving, crowding my mind
So for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time
Let us ask God each day to give you grace to take ‘One day at a time’.
Prayer: Thank You Father God for You know all my needs! I realize that I cannot achieve anything by worrying. Help me as I decide to quit worrying today and seek a right and living relationship with You. Lead me and guide me; as I strive to help the needy around me with the good news of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me take ‘One day at a time’. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer.
Prayer
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing the first man prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that his wife and he could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming,
“Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered.
“His prayers were all unanswered, and so he does not deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”
“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.
When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!
Race of Faith
“Winning horse doesn’t know why it runs in the race. It runs because of beats and pains. The larger you get pain, the stronger you achieve. Life is a race, win it. “
Yesterday, I received this SMS, which urged me to ponder on the race that we run.
Is it the ‘survival of the fittest’ race in the corporate jungle? Or is it the race of
patience and endurance that focuses on the end of the race?
Christian life is a race. It’s a race of faith. Here the contestants are people washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, gifted with the precious jewel of salvation and set in their tracks to run the race and reach the finish line. Here the criterion is not about who reaches first, but who reaches the finish line without losing the ‘salvation’ jewel. That precious jewel can be lost while running the race, if we sidetrack.
Thank God, unlike the ‘Winning horse’ mentioned in the SMS; we know the reason why we are in the race. The goal is Jesus Himself – to be with Him in the heavens forever. Moreover, we don’t run the race because of beats and pains; but we run with the heavenly hope of receiving the crown of life. Even so, we have ‘cheer leaders’ and supporters (angelic beings, fellow Christians and above all the Holy Spirit – who resides in us) to enable us to run with grace and strength.
On the other side, Sweet Jesus, the King of kings is holding the reward for the winners! In this race there can be millions of winners, but a certain reward exists for all who finish with the ‘salvation’ jewel. Oh, that’s really encouraging. isn’t it? So, “looking unto the author and finisher of our faith – Jesus, let us run the race.”
Praise God!!
The Journey
Acts 9:3 –As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
- For Moses, it was the burning bush.
- For Peter, it was walking on water.
- For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was walking through the burning furnace untouched.
- For Paul, it was being blinded and spoken to by Jesus on the Damascus road.
- For Daniel, it was deliverance from the lions’ den.
- For Joshua, it was parting the Jordan River and crossing into the Promised Land.
There have been many defining moments in the lives of human beings that changed their lives forever. These defining moments often set the course for the balance of their lives.
We could go on and on. Each of these servants had years of preparation leading up to their defining moment. These moments forced the servants to be involved in something beyond their human experiences. It took them outside their own paradigms of life. God had to move them outside their own boxes. And when He did, their lives were never the same.
You may be in one of three stages of life: You may not have had your “defining moment” yet – God may be preparing you with many important life experiences. You may have had your defining moment and you are living out your call. Or, you may be toward the end of your journey and you have already experienced what I speak of.
We are all called to a relationship with God; and we are all called vocationally, which is often ushered in by a defining moment. And there can be more than one defining moment, each pointing you down a path that God foreordained from the foundation of the world. The secret of a great life is often a man’s ability to discern the defining moments given to him, understanding them, and learning to walk in the path that leads him to his ultimate destination.
Once you have had a defining moment, you are never the same. Pray that you have eyes to see and ears to hear when your Master brings a defining moment into your life.