(HYMN) LYRICS THAT TOUCHED MY HEART - 12 (JUST AS I AM)

CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT
1789-1871

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

GOD'S THOUGHTS ARE GREATER THAN OUR THOUGHTS - (THANK YOU LORD FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING IN MY LIFE)

I never had hope for a better future,

But You gave me a best stature,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

Tears and pain became an integral part of my life,

But You ended my sorrow and gave me peace,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

Many times I feared that darkness will prevail,

But You made your light to shine when I travail,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

My faith upon you was not stronger at all,

But Your protection upon my life was the best of all,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

I preferred not to choose anyone to come along with me,

But You had chosen best people to stay with me,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

Marriage was one of the thing I was dreaded about,

But You gave me a wonderful wife for whom I praise you a lot,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

I was worried that my sins will never be forgiven,

But those cruel sins, You have forgotten,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

So many times I ditched You and was backslidden,

But You carried me when I was grief stricken,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

Pain, grief, betrayal and disappointment caused so many wounds in my heart,

But You showered your love and healed my wounds from the start,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

So many blessings you have given to me, to which I do not count myself worthy,

But yet You are still blessing me with riches and glory,

Your thoughts are greater than my thoughts.

In future days I might face twists and bends,

But I know that You will be with me till the end.

Thank You, Lord, for Thy grace because of which I am still alive.

GET RID OF THE BITTERNESS - AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY (TAKEN FROM A FORWARDED MAIL)

One day, two saints were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own. The first saint kindly offered, "We will carry you across if you would like." "Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting their help. So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river. When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way. 

After they had walked another mile or so, the second saint began to complain. "Look at my clothes," he said. "They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river. And my back still hurts from lifting her. I can feel it getting stiff." The first saint just smiled and nodded his head.

A few more miles up the road, the second saint griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain." The first saint looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning. "Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked. "Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago." 

That is what many of us are like in dealing with our families. We are like that second saint who cannot let go of the past. We hold the pain of the past over our loved ones', or we remind them every once in a while, when we want to get the upper hand, of the burden we still carry because of something they did years ago.

May the Lord Almighty help us all to get rid of the bitterness from our hearts.

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 2 (JESUS CHRIST WILL PROTECT YOUR FAMILY)

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” – Psalm 127:1

Many years ago when I was a small boy, my parents took me to a crowded city for shopping. At those times mobile phones were not in practice. We had a landline phone in our home and remembering the phone number is so difficult for us. At that time my dad was working as an accountant in a private firm and he was suffering from a skin disease. My mother didn’t study much and she was a housewife. 

We heard that the cost of the dresses in the particular city which we went was much lesser than the cost of the dresses in the city where we lived. The city that we went was the capital of that state and it was too crowded. We went and did shopping throughout the day. We were carrying huge bags in our hands and we took a bus to travel from one area to another before travelling back to our city.

The bus was also too crowded. I along with my father was standing at the back side of the bus and my mother was standing at the front side. My mother never knows any people in that city and also she doesn’t know the way to reach back to the city we lived. 

We travelled for nearly half an hour and suddenly someone told that the bus had reached the stop in which we have to get down. We never knew that the bus will not stop in that particular place. Bus stopped in a signal and so I and my father got down from the bus and went to the front to call my mother.

Unfortunately the bus started before my mother could get down. I and my father thought that the bus will stop few metres away from the signal but the bus didn’t stopped there. The speed of the bus was increasing and then we understood that the bus will not stop at that place at all. 

I and my father were filled with fear and we do not know what to do. My father could not run because he was suffering from a skin disease which caused him so much of difficulty to walk itself. 

Suddenly I felt in my heart to run and so I asked my father to stand in one place with all the bags and I started running behind the bus. I was far away from the bus but yet I could see the way it goes. 

It was a busy road but all that was in my mind to run and somehow find my mother. As I ran across the road, few buses applied sudden brakes and scolded me for they thought I was doing a stupid thing. I never minded about their words and continued running. 

Finally I could see that the bus stopped somewhere and then started again. I ran so fast to that place hoping my mother would somehow get down from the bus at that place. By God’s grace my mother stood there with tears not knowing what to do.

I caught hold of my mother’s hand and brought her back to the place where my father was standing. When we reached back I could see my father was crying and praying. Then we returned back happily to our home. 

Even this day my grandmother used to tell about this incident to my brothers and says that I ran because I loved my mom a lot. 

I could not imagine how we could have lived and what we could have done if we would have lost our mother on that day in that crowded city. As I look back I thank God for protecting our family on that day. Because of the protecting hands of Jesus Christ we live happily as a family even today. I whole heartedly thank God for the miracle He had done in our lives on that day. 

Jesus Christ saw the tears of my parents and helped us. Even today He sees your tears. He will protect your family and all that belongs to you. So don’t worry. God is with you to protect you and lead you safe.

GOD'S WORD TO YOU - AN EBOOK (COMING SOON)

FILLED WITH GOD'S LOVE AND BE A BLESSING

“…For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” – Luke 11:42

Yesterday I was talking to one of my colleague and he was so concerned about the lifestyle of children of God. He said, “We think that we will go to heaven because we are giving tithe properly and attending church every Sunday. But that’s not all. We also have to be filled with the love of God and do something for Him.”

I felt what he said was true. We feel happy when we give tithe to God and we feel relieved once we finish attending the Sunday service. Once these two things were done we think we have completed what Jesus Christ expects from us. But there is something more. 

Jesus Christ tells in Luke 11:42 that it’s necessary to give tithe but also we should not neglect justice and the love of God. If we fail to carry God’s love and live righteously, we can’t please God through our lives. 

My dear young friend, Jesus Christ wants you to be a witness for His glory, His holiness, His love and His mightiness. You have to be filled with God’s love at all times.

Many years ago, there was a group of young boys studied in a college which is in southern part of India. They were Christians but most of the students and staffs who were in the college were non-christians. They had the habit of praying as a group during night and many other students didn’t like their habit. So they complained to the management about these guys.

Though the young boys got repeated warnings they continued to pray daily. Hearing about them one day the chairman of that college decided to visit them during their time of prayer. Without informing them, a group of top authorities including the Chairman of that college went to their room while they were praying. As they were approaching the room, the Chairman asked the staffs to cut the power supply so that the students will not see who were there in their room. 

The power was cut off and then they slowly entered the room and sat in the hall without making any noise. As the group of young boys was praying, they never sensed the presence of others in their room. Soon they began to pray for the welfare of their college and for all those who work and study in their college. 

As they were praying, the Chairman felt the love of God flowing through the words of those young guys. They were filled with the love of God and prayed so eagerly for all others who were in the college. Hearing their prayers, the Chairman was moved and once he came out of the room, he ordered to allot a big prayer hall for the students to gather and pray and also he arranged bus service for the students to go from college hostel to churches on Sunday. 

Though those students passed and went out of that college, even today prayers were held in that college. 

My dear young friend, God wants you to be a vessel of blessing to many people around you. You have to be filled with God’s love and you have to live righteously so that God will use you for His glory. Jesus Christ will give you His grace to live righteously in front of everyone and His sight. You will be a blessing. God bless you.