THOUGHT - 19 (THE UNCHANGING GOD)

GET YOUR JOY BACK - A DEVOTIONAL BY RICK WARREN

“The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 NLT)

What’s the easiest thing for you to lose? Your glasses? Your keys? Your mind?

The easiest thing of all to lose is your joy. You can lose it with one phone call or email, a letter or conversation. You can watch a commercial on TV and lose your joy. It’s the easiest thing in the world to lose. And a lot of people in a lot of circumstances are conspiring to rob it from you.

When God’s children aren’t filled with joy, it makes God look bad. Cranky Christians are a bad witness. They look like they’ve been baptized in vinegar because they’re never really smiling. And that makes God look bad.

Why? Because God wants us to be witnesses with our countenance.

The Bible tells us that the Christian life can be summed up in three words: goodness, peace, and joy. Romans 14:17 says, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (NLT).

The reality is, though, that you can lose your joy so quickly, and there are thousands of ways to lose it. There are thousands of killjoys in life that will rob you of your joy, even to the point that somebody like Jeremiah, a prophet of God, could say this in Lamentations 5:15, “There is no joy left in our hearts” (GW).

I don’t know if that’s where you are today, but if you’ve ever gone through that period where you feel like you’ve lost the spark and you’re not as close to God as you used to be and you’re just going through the motions of life, you need to know that it’s quite easy to get your joy back, too.

So, how do you get your joy back?

The first step you need to do is admit you’ve lost it.

You simply look at your past and ask yourself a couple of questions: Has there ever been a time in your life when you were closer to God than you are right now? Has there ever been a time in your life when you were more joyful in the Lord than you are right now?

Now is the time to make the change. But you’ve got to start by admitting that you’ve lost what you’ve had in the past. You could ask God about it; he’s waiting to help you. David prayed this in Psalm 51:12: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (NIV).

This devotional ©2013 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

GOD'S EMBROIDERY - INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE TAKEN FROM THE WEB (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was, the underside. I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand.

She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view.

A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee."

This I did, only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?"

He has answered, "I am embroidering your life."

I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"

The Father seems to tell me, "My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

JESUS CHRIST WILL HEAL YOU AND SAVE YOU FROM THE CLUTCHES OF CANCER

Recently I had read an article about Cancer. In that article it was written that according to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 22,00,000 people got affected by cancer in India. Also 80,000 people are getting affected by cancer every year and out of those nearly 25 percent has no provision for medication and so they are simply dying. 

Even throughout the world many people are getting affected by cancer. Few weeks back I heard news about the famous Actress Angelina Jolie. I heard that she got breast cancer and her two breasts were removed in the surgery. She had fame, she had money and she had beauty but yet no one could save her from getting affected by cancer.

There was a little kid who got affected by cancer. The parents opted for surgery and the doctors did surgery successfully. The little kid was taken home and was brought back for Chemotherapy. As she was undergoing Chemotherapy her mom used to feed the little kid. One day as she was feeding food the little kid got hiccups and soon the little kid died. 

One of my relative did surgery for breast cancer and one of her breasts was removed in the surgery. But within a year she died. 

You might have money; you might have courage; you might have a person who loves you so much and you might have fame. But you have to understand that only one can save you from the clutches of cancer death.

You might got affected by cancer and you might think that you will die. The Lord who made you, heaven and earth is saying to you today:

“… I am the Lord who heals you.” – Exodus 15:26

You might be battling with cancer for so many days. You might have gone through surgery. You might have done all the best things that you can do for yourself. Your loved ones might have got affected by cancer. Don’t get discouraged.

You have a hope. You have a God who can set you free from the clutches of cancer. You have a God who can heal you. 

My dear young friends, Jesus Christ can heal your cancer disease and set you free from the darkness of death. 

He says to you today: “ I will heal you.”

Three years back my mom got breast cancer and we were filled with so much of sorrow and agony. We had no one among our relative to help us. We thought we were all alone. But Jesus Christ promised us that He will be with us throughout the treatment. There were times our faith was tested and we had a fear that we will lose our mom. 

She had undergone surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. She is a woman who could never bear the pain of a headache but Jesus Christ helped her through His grace to bear all kinds of treatment.

Now after 3 years doctors are saying that there were no signs of cancer in my mom body and not only that even after 3 years she is alive and her health is in a perfect condition.

Even when I attend so many spiritual meetings I heard the testimonies of people whom got healed from cancer by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ can do the same to you.

If you look to Him with faith He will heal you. I can tell you that today my mom is alive because of the grace of Jesus Christ. Nearly for one year as she went through the stages of treatment we were broken in our heart but today we were living as a family filled with perfect and divine peace of God.

I still remember the day of surgery in which my dad was standing outside the operation theater and tears were rolling continuously on his cheeks. He cried like a child but today Jesus Christ has filled my father’s heart with joy and peace.

We cried and went through sorrow and pain when our mom got cancer. Relatives stood at distance but Jesus Christ stood with us and led us safe. Now we are happy in Christ.

My dear young friends, even your family members might be going through the path of sorrow and pain because of cancer. Hold onto Jesus Christ. He will bring back peace, joy and healing into your family. Your sorrow will turn to joy. You will surely receive God’s healing. 

Do not fear and tremble. Jesus Christ is with you to heal you and carry you safe. Jesus Christ will protect you. God bless you.

SONG I LIKE - 20 (HE KNOWS MY NAME)

GOD'S PERFECT GIFT - 1 (LIFE IS A PRECIOUS GIFT. DO NOT HATE YOUR LIFE)

When I felt in my Spirit to write a continuous article on God’s perfect gift I thought to write about Parents and other relations. But day before yesterday I received a message from one of my sister whom I know and she said that our life itself is a perfect gift if we analyse it in God’s perspective.

Actually I had thought to start this article by writing about my mom and dad but once I received that message I thought I should start with the life which was given by God as a perfect gift to us.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” – Psalm 139:16

Bible says in Isaiah 44:2&24 that we were formed in the womb by the Lord. Before we were formed He knows us and all the days ordained for us were written in His book.

Life is a perfect gift given by God to us. There were times when we fall in sin or when we face tough situations in our life we begun to hate our life. At times we fail to understand the importance of the precious gift given by Lord to us.

Many years ago on one particular evening I got sick and the people around me took to me to a hospital. The doctors admitted me in the Intensive Care Unit. In the section which I was admitted a old man was also there. I think he will be around 45 to 50 years of age. His conscious level was very low and he was in life support machines. Even my body was also connected to so many machines but I was breathing normally. The doctors in that hospital were carefree about this old man because he was there for more than 7 days. His family was waiting outside crying anxiously for his life but doctors were not bothered about it.

They failed to load one medicine in the machine connected to him and suddenly his heart beat level went very low. Even now I remember the incident. His chest was going up and down and the old man gained little bit conscious and was looking at me and his eyes were pleading me to save his life. He could not speak because of the tubes attached and even I could not speak for the same reason. But his eyes looked at me and pleaded me to save his life. Soon a siren sound came and the doctors rushed to his bed and did so many things to bring him to normal stage. Later after some time his breath level was very low and they provided him oxygen through ventilator. I don’t know what happened to him after that but I came out of the hospital on the same night.

Till that night I hated my life for various failures. I was struggling in my Spiritual life too and so I used to ask God to take my life. Daily I used to do the same prayer very earnestly. But that night from the eyes of that old man I understood the importance of life given by God to us. That night I faced the darkness of death. On that day I was far away from God and I had no hope to reach heaven. Through His gracious hands of Grace Jesus Christ lifted me from the death bed and I am living today because of His grace.

If you die without Jesus Christ you will no way reach heaven. Life is a precious gift of God and do not try to end your life by committing suicide.

I know few people who tried to commit suicide because of their life failures and were saved by God. When I look at their life now, they are living a blessed life through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Situations might seem to be so tough. But don’t hate your life for that and also don’t try to end it by yourself.

One of my friend hated life and thought of committing suicide for love failure but his mom’s prayer saved him and today he is living with his wife happily and he is enjoying his life now.

Another person whom I know also failed in love and he also thought of ending his life. But God saved him and today he is living happily with his wife and children supporting God’s ministry.

When I was 17, I was told that I will be failed in a lab exam. That afternoon I thought of running to sea and kill myself. But Jesus Christ made me to go home on that day. I thought I will be a failure in studies. On that day I had thought I will never pass my diploma. After 12 years if you see my life now, I was about to complete my doctorate degree and God has given me a good job and a loving wife.

“...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world...” – Ephesians 1:4

My dear young friends, you are so precious in God’s sight. Jesus Christ loves you a lot. Don’t hate your life and don’t try to end your life for any reasons for your life is a precious gift given by God to you.

                       -         To be continued

CALLER TUNE CODES FOR AAYATHAMAA VOLUME ONE, TWO AND THREE (CHRISTIAN TAMIL SONGS)

NOTE: Recently got this caller tune list when I bought Aayathamaa video DVD. There were times I searched for my another favourite song code list to keep that as hello tune but I spent a lot of days on that and so I thought this list will be useful for those who reside in India if they want to have any of these Aayathamaa songs as their hello tune. Aayathamaa tamil Christian songs volume one, two and three was actually released by Aayathamaa Ministries.

BRINGING TO YOU... GOD'S PERFECT GIFT

Bible says in James 1:17, “Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

When I felt to write this continuous article I remembered this verse. As it says every good gift and perfect gift we receive in our life was given from above. I never prayed to God to give me loving parents but He gave me according to His will and my parents were the one of the perfect gift I received from God.

Before I was born my two elder brothers were born and they were also given by God to me. But after that whenever I need someone or something, I asked God in prayer and He answered it.

From the age of 12 to 18, I studied in the school and diploma college where there were no girl students. So when I went to study degree in a co-ed college my heart desired to have a girl friend. Once I got admitted in that college, I prayed to God to give me a girl friend. I fought with Him for that and finally He gave me one. Through that girl I learnt many good things and also I went through troublesome moments. I will share with you my experiences with God given people and with people whom I myself got close without looking for God’s will.

Earlier when I was young I learnt that if we have friends according to God’s will it will be a great blessing to us. Someone said that people stay in our lives for a season and a reason. It’s true.

God has blessed me through His grace and today I was in a good position in life. It’s all because of the grace of Jesus Christ. Through His golden hands of grace He carried me thus far. God always moulded me through many people.

For the past 29 years Jesus Christ moulded me through my parents, friends, brothers, relatives, sisters, wife and counsellors. They were God’s perfect gift in my life. Some people stayed with me for a long time and some went away quickly. But there were some people whom I was close to were sent by God according to His will.

In this article, I will be writing about them and the ways through which Jesus Christ has blessed me through them. I felt that it will be useful for you to stay close with someone who was a part of God’s will in your life and get blessed.

Meet you all soon. God bless you.