YOUR REDEEMER LIVES

“... They said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen...” – Luke 24:5,6

Most of the times when we face troubles and trials for a long time, our faith upon God get shattered. We murmur against God and at times we think that our God has forsaken us.

When Job went through pain, he proclaimed his faith through his words and I like one such Bible verse very much which proclaims the faith of Job.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth.” – Job 19:25

This is the faith that kept Job in line with God when he faced so many trials and troubles in his life. He lost his wealth, health, his sons and daughters. His wife provided no support to him. But yet he went through that painful path with so much faith that His redeemer lives. God honored his faith and indeed he heard God’s voice speaking to him and finally God blessed him double-fold.

My dear young friends, you might also be going through a painful situation in your lives. I just want to encourage you that your Redeemer lives. Call Him in prayer. He will come into your life’s situation and will redeem you.

Have faith in Jesus Christ. Do not let your life’s situation alter your faith on Jesus Christ.

I heard about a true incident that had happened recently. There lived a missionary couple in North India. They had one son and they lived happily together and did God’s ministry among village people and tribal people. They were proclaiming gospel everywhere and some of the other religious group people hated them.

So one day as the missionary couple along with their son returning from a town through a jungle, this group of people confronted them, assaulted them and killed the couple. They didn't kill their son. The young boy was less than 10 years old and he never ran nor cried. He stood there as his parents were lying dead in the pool of blood. Some passersby informed the police and they came. They were so surprised to see the boy standing like this.

The head of the police called the boy and asked him, “Don’t you have fear seeing your parents like this. Don’t you have any fear about your future?”

The young boy simply replied, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

What a faith he had upon Jesus Christ! Even when his parents were dead, he had known and believed that his Redeemer lives.

Can we have faith upon Jesus Christ like this young boy? Let us have faith in Jesus Christ. Let not the situation of our lives alters our faith.

My dear young friends your Redeemer lives. Believe in Him. Put your trust upon Him. He will bless you and raise you. You will be redeemed. 

GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU

Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Yesterday I went to a city where my brothers live. My eldest brother has a son and a daughter. His son is 6 years old and daughter is 4 years old. I like them both. As his son go to school in the school bus, I along with my father went with him to drop him in the bus stop.

We were the second to reach that spot and slowly other children came with some elder people. There came a little girl with an elderly woman. I think that the elderly woman might be her grand mom. She was a cute little girl and I think she will be around 7 years old. She had a heavy bag on her shoulders.

As we were waiting for the bus there came a very old man begging for money. He first came to us and my dad gave some coins to him. Slowly he started to move on his way.

Seeing this old man, the little girl began to remove her heavy bag from her shoulders. The elderly woman who accompanied her didn't like the little girl’s behavior. In-spite of that she removed the bag and opened it fast. I was keenly watching her. She opened her bag and took her snacks box out. From that she took a biscuit packed. Then she opened it as fast as she could and gave few biscuits to the begging old man. He was so happy about it and put those biscuits in his bag and moved away. Then the little girl gave some biscuits to her school mates who stood nearby.

I was so surprised by her behavior and I felt strongly in my Spirit that she will be blessed for what she did.

Even God wants us to do the same. That’s why Jesus Christ told us to give. Bible says in Luke 6:33,34 “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.”

Jesus Christ has set an example before us. He came into this world to give His life for us. He gave His life for us so that we might be blessed. He died for us when we were not at all eligible to receive such a blessing.

Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

My dear young friends, Jesus Christ loves you so much even today. All you can give Him back is you. Give yourself to Christ. Give your money to His ministry and needy people around you. Give your time to Christ in prayer and in His work. Give your best to God so that people will be blessed through God. As you give which belongs to you, you will receive God’s abundant blessing in your life. Not only you, but your generation also will be blessed.

Because Jesus Christ gave His life for us, we are saved. Similarly when you give your time, money, strength or whatever you have to Jesus Christ, many people will be saved through you for His glory. You will also be blessed.

On this Good Friday, let us learn to Give and be blessed. Give and it will be given to you.

CHRISTIAN BEST ONE LINERS - 8

It is my heart’s desire that I must be NO more, that He be KNOWN more.

When you say that a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God. 

Only he who can say, 'The Lord is the strength of my life' can say, 'Of whom shall I be afraid?'

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass!

Trust the past to God's mercy, the present to God's love and the future to God's providence. 

Jesus invested his life in you. Have you shown any interest?

When God ordains, He sustains.

Life has many choices. Eternity has two. What's yours?

You have never looked into the eyes of someone that doesn't matter to God.

A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.

If the going gets easy, you may be going downhill.

Patience is trusting in God's timing.

The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.

The Devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible.

No one chills out in the fires of hell.

WHY GO TO CHURCH? - (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.’ I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. 

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: 

“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” 

When you are DOWN to nothing.. .God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and spiritual nourishment!

GO FORWARD AND GET BLESSED

“And the Lord said to Moses, “....Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” – Exodus 14:15

Most of us know the incident that was given in this chapter. Israel people came out of Egypt. Pharaoh with a mighty army pursued Israelites. As God asked Israelites to camp by the sea they were camping near the sea.

When the Egyptian army came against Israelites they could not go forward as they faced sea in front of them. They were struck in between the Egyptian army and the sea.

Bible says that their hearts were filled with fear. It happens even in our lives too. There were times in our lives we were chased by the sorrowful things and we could not move forward as we find no way in front of us. At those times we think that our life has come to an end.

Even Israelites thought they will die. But God’s word came to Moses asking Israelites to go forward.

When God asks us to go forward we have to know that He will go before us and will show a way in which we should walk.

As God told Israel people to go forward, He also told Moses, a way to divide the sea. Indeed God went before them and divided the sea and made a dry land for Israelites to walk safe in midst of the sea.

As the Israelites started to move forward, God did a miracle for them. Even today Jesus Christ is asking you to go forward. Do not stand in midst of the problems and murmur against God or people.

God does not want you to get struck in a place and complain about the life and the toughest situations. He wants you to move forward. When you decide to move forward He will surely make a way for you and you will safe in His hands.

As Israelites continued to walk in the midst of the sea the angel of the Lord went behind them and protected them from their enemies. Finally God destroyed the enemies by causing the sea to go back upon the Egyptians and their armies.

Even today as you go forward by putting your faith in God, He will protect you from your enemies and destroy your enemies.

Recently I came to know about a testimony of a young woman. She came to me and shared with me about how God spoke to her when she went through a toughest situation. From her birth to her marriage she lived in a particular city. As she lived in that city for several years she liked the city so much. But unfortunately her husband has lost his job in this month. As their family was caught up in the toughest situation she doesn’t know what to do. She has a girl child who was going to school. 

They feared about their lives as they don’t find a way to move forward. But as they prayed to God, He opened a way by giving a job to the husband in another state. She could not accept the blessing as she liked the city she was currently living. So she prayed to God to speak to them in a church service. God spoke to them through the above verse and clearly told them that He will bless them as they go forward to another state. She happily told me that they are leaving as a family in the coming month and she told me that Jesus Christ will surely bless her family.

My dear young friends, even you might be going through a toughest situation in which you don’t know what to do. You might be having a fear that you will never get any blessings in your life from God. Do not worry my dear friends. Jesus Christ is telling you to go forward in your life.

Jesus Christ will go before you and will show a way in which you should walk. Leave your past failures in the hands of Jesus Christ and go forward. Do not worry about the happenings of your past for God is going to do a new thing in your life. As you go forward you will see Jesus Christ doing miracles in your life and protecting you from the hands of your enemies.

Go forward and get blessed. 

BAPTISM: YOU ARE PART OF GOD'S FAMILY - DEVOTIONAL BY RICK WARREN

"Praise God for the privilege of being in Christ's family and being called by his wonderful name!” (1 Peter 4:16 LB)

Healthy families have family pride; members are not ashamed to be recognized as a part of the family. Sadly, I’ve met many church members who’ve never publicly identified themselves with God’s family by being baptized.

Baptism is not some optional ritual to be delayed or postponed. It signifies your inclusion in God’s family. It publicly announces to the world, "I am not ashamed to be a part of God’s family." Jesus commanded this beautiful act for all in his family.

For years I wondered why Jesus’ Great Commission gives the same prominence to baptism as it does to the great tasks of evangelism and edification.

Why is baptism so important? Because it symbolizes one of the purposes of your life: incorporation into the fellowship of God’s eternal family.

Baptism declares your faith, shares Christ’s burial and Resurrection, symbolizes your death to your old life, and announces your new life in Christ. It is also a celebration of your inclusion in God’s family.

Your baptism is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. It represents what happened the moment God brought you into his family.

Baptism doesn’t make you a member of God’s family; only faith in Christ does that. Baptism shows you are part of God’s family. Like a wedding ring, it is a visible reminder of an inward commitment made in your heart. It is an act of initiation, not something you put off until you are spiritually mature. The only biblical condition is that you believe.

The Bible says, "Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:11 CEV).

Let that amazing truth sink in! Because Jesus makes you holy, God is proud of you.

This devotional ©2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

GUEST ARTICLE - 3 (WAITING PHASE: CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES)

Recently, I was pondering over all the wonderful promises that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, which really boasted my soul and spirit and was filled with overwhelming joy to know God’s ordained plans for my future. But when I look at my present circumstances it contradicts to what God has promised me. Then I wonder, whether I will ever experience these promises of God in my life. Though I know for sure that My God is not a man to lie, but I was still asking God how long I should wait to see his promises come real in my life.

 This waiting phase of life seems to me as a season of drought, a path of wilderness and a stage of uncertainty. Gradually, a seed of doubt and fear was sown in my heart, which started to ruin my mind; I had a feeling of living a bitter and fruitless life. Suddenly  the Holy Spirit of sovereign God interrupts my thoughts and said “Dear child, do you know why as a child of God you have to go through this waiting period, which you find so hard to endure even after receiving Lord’s promise of blessings in your life?” I kept mum. Then He taught me 3 reasons for why God allows this season of drought, this path of wilderness and this stage of uncertainty before I could enjoy the blessings of God in abundant. 

The reasons are:

1. To display the glorious power of the true living God through your life.

2. To make you understand God’s faithfulness and His unfailing love towards you forever.

3. To prepare your heart to receive God’s blessing with all humility knowing that these blessings are only due to His grace.

He continued to teach me the most important lesson from the lives of 3 Biblical characters; they also came across the stage of uncertainty, season of drought and path of wilderness. Through their lives the Holy Spirit of God taught me some do’s and don’ts and warned me to be careful in the choices I take up during this period of waiting upon the Lord for which I have consequences to face. I would like to share that with you.

Don’t fear like Sarai

Genesis chapter 15 says The Lord’s Covenant with Abraham. We could see that Lord had promised Abraham a son at age of 80 and also prophesied about his descendant. Lord gave wonderful promises to Abraham when he was exactly in a stage of uncertainty but still the Father of Faith (Abraham) trusts the Lord and believes that his promises will come true. It is common for every good husband to share everything with his wife; obviously Abraham would have also shared and encouraged Sarah with promises of Lord.

Even after knowing firm plan of Lord, Sarah dares to ask her own husband to sleep with her servant (Genesis 16:1-4).  Which no women will agree to do so but Sarah did that? Do you know what made poor Sarah to make such abominable decision against God’s own plan and will for her? It is her Fear that failed Sarah to trust the Lord. Fear is a powerful tool used by the enemy to destroy peaceful future which God has in store for us. Though our Lord forgives our mistake still we have to face its consequences. Even now there are constant conflicts between Ishmael descendant and Israel descendant. They remain mortal enemies for thousands of years.

            Yes, if at all Sarah waited patiently with faith trusting the Lord who will fulfil His promises at His due time then today we might be able to hold God’s peace rather than battling with Ishmael descendant. But it’s all because of wrong choice of Sarah who gave room to fear during this period of waiting and made us to face the consequence even after many generations. So, wait for Lord who made everything beautiful in His time never choose to neither fear nor lean on your own understanding rather have FAITH and wait patiently for Lord’s time. Then you can inherit God’s promises in fullest with His peace.

Don’t doubt like Zechariah

There is another couple in the New Testament who almost underwent similar circumstances of experiencing season of drought for very long time which can be read in 1^st chapter of Luke. They are Elizabeth and Zechariah, the bible records clearly that “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.” 

Eventually the Angel of God appears to Zechariah and promises him the most blessed and joyful future through his son John, the Baptist. Angel of God guaranteed Zechariah saying, “Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” and prophesied about the life of his son, John. Instead of rejoicing, Zechariah was doubtful in the Lord’s promise and he questioned the angel of Lord which provoked the anger of God’s angel so he punished Zechariah to be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because Zechariah did not believe the Lord’s words, which will come true at their appointed time. This seed of doubt crushed the happiness that Lord has promised. Doubt is another powerful tool used by enemy to hinder the joyful future that God has planned for us.

 What a pathetic condition it was for Zechariah because of His own unbelief he became mute and he couldn’t even share it with his own wife about the feeling of becoming a father. Never doubt God’s promises it will come true at his appointed time till then wait patiently with faith. Instead of facing unnecessary pathetic consequences because of your wrong choices of giving room to doubt and having unwavering FAITH on the Lord, If suppose you wait hopefully with full expectancy of God’s promises being fulfilled then you can enjoy the waiting period too, with no regrets.

Do have faith like Mother Mary

As we have known well about conversation of Gabriel (angel of God) with mother Mary and Promises of the saviour’s Birth. This can be read in Luke 1 where Mary too went through the path of wilderness till she gives birth to Jesus. Mary also questioned the angel of Lord but it was not the question of doubt, it was a question of conforming God’s promises, that’s why the angel of God confirmed it through the testimony of Elizabeth to boost up the faith of Mary on the Lord.

 Mary took the road which no women on this earth has or had taken in their life.  On those days it is not at all at ease to be conceived before marriage, if so people will stone them to death. Knowingly she risked her own life. She said to God, “Let it be to me according to your word”. She was fully committed and totally surrendered herself in fulfillment of God’s promises. Do you know what made ordinary Virgin Mary to take up this courageous choice of facing the Consequences of this world? It’s her unexceptional faith on the true living God which made her to carry the son of God with the shadow of the Holy Spirit.

God himself took responsibility to convince Joseph and made a beautiful life for humble Mary. As Mary underwent this period of waiting to see Jesus she took the path of wilderness with a heart of faith and song of praises (luke1:46-55). She neither fears how it will happen nor doubted whether it will happen instead she believed with her strong faith on the Lord and inherited God’s promises with full of joy and without consequences.

Most of the time, there’s a season of waiting involved in everyone’s life. Maybe you’re waiting for a relationship to improve; waiting to get married; waiting for a job; waiting for a promotion, or waiting to overcome an illness. Much of life is spent waiting. But there’s a right way to wait with the right choice of faith on the Lord and a wrong choice of fearing and doubting. Too often, when things don’t happen on our timetable, we get down discouraged or anxious and fretful. That’s because we give room to fear and doubt during the period of waiting but learn to be careful that you have to face the consequences for your choices. So never choose that wrong choice anymore but have faith on this unchanging God who fulfils all His promises at His due time. 

3 Tips for growing in Faith on Lord and to be an over comer of all fears and doubts are:

Focus only on Jesus and His promises not on your own ability or circumstances.

Look at yourself and your circumstances through the eyes of Jesus.ie see yourself as God sees you.

Confess, pronounce and declare the promise of Jesus Christ on your life everyday because there is a power of life and death on your tongue.

So keep your thought, sight and tongue under the blood cover of Jesus Christ and enjoy every moment of your life with joy and happiness that the Lord has promised you every day.

(My dear young friends, this article was written by Ms. Ayshwarya. She is doing her PG studies in Bioinformatics. This article was edited by Ms. Joceline. GHG team thank Ms. Ayshwarya for the article and Ms. Joceline for editing. May God bless both of them. If you wish to send your article, mail it to goldenhandsofgrace@gmail.com)

 

OPEN VIEW - 1 (QUESTION)

“The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” – Genesis 2:18

GOD found a suitable helper for Adam in Eve. In-fact she was made from one of the rib of Adam according to Genesis 2:22.  Well you can even call it a marriage made in heaven as GOD directly intervened and formed this couple. But all of us know what happened in the End.  Eve was used as a tool for the failure of Adam to obey God’s will.

God only gave Eve to be with Adam then what be the reason for same Eve to become a hindrance for Adam's blessing? So what went wrong? Where did it all start?

Send your views to goldenhandsofgrace@gmail.com before 24^th March 2013. We will publish your views after that. God be with you.

TO REFLECT

SONG I LIKE - 18 (WHEN I CRY)

FEAR NOT, LORD WILL GIVE YOU VICTORY - MSG BY BRO. MOHAN C LAZARUS

Today morning as I was traveling to my work place I read shocking news in the daily newspaper. The news is about a young boy who attempted suicide by jumping off from the second floor of the school building. It seems that he wrote one of his higher secondary subject exams this week and he didn’t perform well in the exam. So fearing about his exam results and the future, he attempted suicide. As this is the month of higher secondary exams and secondary school exams, most of our young student’s heart will be filled with fear and anxiety. 

Few days back I had read a Christian monthly magazine named Jesus Redeems. In that Bro. Mohan C Lazarus had written a special message for the exam facing students. I hope it will be a blessing for many students who face their exams. 

Below is the copy of the message taken from the ‘Jesus Redeems’ monthly magazine. God bless you.