SPIRITUAL HOUSEKEEPING - AUTHOR UNKNOWN (TAKEN FROM THE WEB)

I do not know about you but I don’t like cockroaches.  We had them in a house that we bought in Long Island.  I did not know anything about hiring exterminators so I decided to get rid of them myself.  I bought a sprayer and bought some chemicals to kill them.  To measure the chemicals I took a measuring spoon and wired it to the outside of the sprayer.  I did this to make sure that I didn’t make a mistake and use the measuring spoon again in the house.  How could I ever clean it well enough to use it again safely for cooking?

Imagine going in your china closet, getting one of your best crystal glasses, and then using it to measure chemicals to kill the bugs around your house.  Then let’s imagine that you take it in the house and wash it.  Would you dare to use it again?  Of course not!  It would be contaminated with a toxic film invisible to your eye that might poison anyone who used this glass.

Now imagine that your soul and mine are like this glass.  It has been so easy for me to fall victim to the attractive but false temptations of our contemporary world.  For example, power, money, liquor, sex, and possessing more and more material possessions are alluring.  These are played up so seductively on television and in the media.  These can become our golden calves, our false idols!  Who has time for God or Church?  Perhaps unwittingly or even deliberately I have filled up my glass with these toxins that may kill my soul and potentially others whom I know and love.  We call these toxins sin. This mix more importantly is toxic to God and poisons our relationship with Him. The worst of these is so strong that it totally poisons our relationship with God. 

Imagine that we determine to do better and try to rid ourselves of these toxins.  Can you or I wash the glass of our soul clean enough by ourselves?  It would be like trying to wash the lethal chemicals out of our glass with household soap.

Let’s assume, however, that we turn to Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and ask Him with a contrite heart to wash our glass.  Is there a sin that He cannot forgive?  His Mercy is boundless.  He died to redeem us of our sins and is prepared always to forgive us.

How can we avoid refilling the glass to the brim with another toxic brew?  This also is very difficult to do by ourselves.  No matter how I have tried to do this the devil always seems to find a way to slip a temptation in my life when I am weak.  My glass, you see, is terribly weak and fragile.  The toxins once again begin to fill my glass.

Imagine that Christ not only cleans our glass but also puts a protective substance in the glass that makes it difficult for the devil to introduce any more toxins.  Is this possible?  The answer is yes.  We call this protection grace.  The Sacraments are the greatest source of this protection.  The more grace that we have in our glass, the stronger that this protection is.  The greatest of the Sacraments is the Communion.  We have the blessing and privilege to be able to receive Our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in Communion.  The grace that He brings surpasses all human understanding. Communion is the food of Eternal Life.  Jesus Himself, who suffered and died for us on the Cross, gives Himself willingly, joyfully, lovingly, mercifully, to us.  This protection increases the more frequently that we receive Communion.  The devil, compared to Christ, is a grain of sand.  When Christ fills our soul there is no room for the toxins that the devil seeks to tempt us with.  May we get in the habit of receiving Jesus in the Communion as often as we can to take full advantage of this protection!

When Christ has cleaned and filled the glass of our soul whom do you imagine others see when they look at us?  My we pray that they no longer see us - - but only see Jesus Christ Himself!

DO NOT FEAR BUT TRUST IN GOD AT ALL TIMES

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”- Psalms 56:3

As I wrote in the previous article when a bus came and hit our car while we were waiting to cross a railway track, we were shocked. It all happened in a second and it took minutes for us to realize what happened.

My mind was full of questions thinking how it has happened and why it has happened. Then as we were on the way my wife told me that she feared a lot when the accident happened.

I was about to reply something and at that very moment my little daughter who was standing on the back seat told, “Children of Jesus should not fear.” Her reply filled my heart with joy.

Sometimes in our life we get unwanted problems. We face certain tough moments in our life. Because of something we might get hurt. The pain that we carry might be unbearable because of those incidents that occurred in our life. Many questions might come in our mind.

But how we react to those situations? Are we filled with fear or do we trust God at all moments?

Psalmist says to God, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” He says that he was not afraid. Actually he was filled with fear. But he was not dwelling in the fear. He knew the way to come out of the fear. He knew he has a God upon whom he can put his trust. And so he says to God that he will trust in Him whenever he is afraid.

My dear young friends, you might be filled with fear because of your life situation. But do not dwell in the fear. You have a God who promised you that He will be with you at all times. He is with you now in your present situation. He will take control and He will handle those situations. Put your trust in God. Jesus Christ will never forsake you. He will give you victory and His peace will overflow in your life. Do not fear but trust God at all times. 

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 12 (GOD'S PROTECTION UPON US)

“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one."- 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Yesterday afternoon I was travelling from my Father-in-law’s home to the place where I reside. I was travelling with wife, my little daughter and my colleague in a car. The distance to be travelled was 380 Kms.

We started our journey at 2:00 P.M. As I was driving the car, we were talking and enjoying our ride. Few hours into the journey my wife and daughter slept in the back seat. Then at around 6 P.M they woke up and were sitting together beside my colleague who was sitting in the front.

At 6:30 we were waiting before a railway gate. There were so many cars in front of us. After few minutes the train passed and suddenly a bus came and stopped towards my right side. The bus could not move further as the vehicles from the opposite side begun to come. The driver of the bus tried to drive the bus towards the left side where our car was there.

As he was coming towards the left I drove left. Again he came and again I did the same and as I could not move further I stopped the vehicle. The driver knew that our car was stopped. But then he tried to drive the vehicle towards his left. Then finally the bus came to a halt after dashing with our car.

We thought the bus will go straight. If the driver would have waited for another 30 seconds, the accident might not have happened. But then all in a sudden we heard a bang and then only we realized that the bus had hit our car.

It had exactly hit the door near to the driver seat where I was sitting. The door got damaged and the side of the car was scratched but then nothing happened to us who were seated inside the car. If the bus would have slightly moved further then it would have crashed the entire driver seat and today I might not be alive. I do not know how the driver stopped the bus immediately.

But I could very well say that God has protected us. The accident cost us few damage but our lives were saved. Few minutes before that only my wife and daughter moved to the other side and so they were saved from the banging impact.

As I drove further, I thanked God for His grace that protected our lives. We could able to come out of the incident within few hours because there was no physical harm to us.

As I look back what happened yesterday, my heart was getting filled with gratefulness to God for He protected and saved us. I thank God for His protection upon me and my family members.

Our God is faithful and He will guard us from all evil. 

SONGS I LIKE - 40 (GOOD GOOD FATHER BY CHRIS TOMLIN)

CHRISTIAN BEST ONE LINERS - 23 (QUOTES ON FAITH - TAKEN FROM THE WEB)

There is no fear in faith, and no failure in God.

Faith is the warranty deed that the thing for which you have fondly hoped is at last yours.

Faith moves first; then God moves in answer to faith.

Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. But faith looks up.

Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.

God puts no restriction on faith. Faith puts no restriction on God.

Faith is a requirement, not an option.

Feed you faith and your doubts will starve to death.

Both faith and fear may sail into your harbor, but allow only faith to drop anchor.

Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible.

IN THIS NEW YEAR GOD WILL DO MIRACLE IN THE LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE WHO WERE DESPISED AND UNLOVED

UPCOMING LENGTHY ARTICLES IN THIS NEW YEAR AND NEW PAGES

YOU WILL RECEIVE THE GOODNESS THAT YOU HAVE WANTED TO RECEIVE FOR SO MANY YEARS

In Mark 5:25-34 we read about a woman who had a particular sickness for twelve long years. All those years she longed for healing. She ran to doctors. She had spent everything that she had to get healed but she could not get what she longed for. But one day she ran to Jesus and touched His garment. Immediately she got healed. As she ran to Jesus Christ, she received what she had longed for.

In John 5:5-9 we read about a man who had an infirmity for 38 long years. He had been in that condition for long time. Jesus knew his condition and so He came to him and healed him. After 38 years he took up his bed and walked. 38 years he could not walk or do anything by his own. But then when Jesus healed him, he immediately walked. He was waiting for a healing for 38 years and Jesus Christ who knew his condition granted him what he had desired for.

You might be expecting a healing for years. You might be expecting a miracle for years. Do not get discouraged. You will receive what you long for in this New Year.

I knew two young girls who had lost their father many years ago. On a particular day the father met with an accident and he died. The father was the only man who was earning in that family. The mother was not well educated and she was a house wife. As she lost her husband she didn’t know what to do. But then she had kept her trust in God.

At that time the elder daughter was studying in a private college and the younger daughter was studying in a private school. They are in need of the money as the fees have to be paid for their studies. No relatives came forward to help. As their father had an insurance policy they thought that the insurance money will come and it will be helpful to them to pay the fees and manage their life. But the money they had expected never came.

A case was registered in the court but then years begun to pass. They waited for years in prayer asking God to intervene. By then God met all their needs in some other ways miraculously. Both the young girls had completed their studies in reputed institutions by the grace of God. The elder one got married and even at that time they thought if they receive the insurance money it will be helpful but they have not got it.

Yet they continued praying. Finally after 9 years recently the insurance money was sanctioned to them. They waited for the case to end for so many years. They kept their trust in God and prayed. Finally God gave them their expectations. Today I believe that the money will be somewhat helpful to them to meet their future needs.

My dear young friends, you might be longing to receive a particular blessing for so many years but yet you might not have received that. It might be a promotion, a job, or any other blessing. You might be barren for years and you are longing for a child for so long. Today God is promising you that you will receive the goodness that you are longing for so many years. Whatever that you are longing to have for these many years, will be granted to you in this New Year. God will do that in your life and definitely you will receive His goodness.

MIGHTY WATERS WILL NOT REACH YOU AS GOD'S GRACE WILL SURROUND YOU AND PROTECT YOU

From my young age, whenever New Year eve comes, I used to hear the prophecies of certain great servants of God whom I like a lot. Even in this New Year I listened to few prophecies that God revealed to His servants. Most of the prophecies warn about the dangerous things that are going to happen around the world. God wants us to pray and so He reveals His plan through His servants.  And then I was thinking how God’s people will survive in those situations.

Yesterday as I was sitting in a Spiritual meeting and listening to the message of one of the great servants of God in India, He quoted a Bible passage which is in 

Psalms 32:6-8 &10

“Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while You may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.”

Through him God spoke certain things that encouraged me a lot which I wanted to share with you today. Mighty waters may come against you but it will not reach you as you will be surrounded by three important things.

1.      You will be surrounded by Songs of Deliverance.

2.      God will counsel you with His loving eye upon you.

3.      You will be surrounded by Lord’s unfailing love.

My dear young friends, in the beginning of this New Year, you might be anxious about so many things. You might fear about certain things. The situations might be similar to the mighty waters that rise against you. But today God promises you that evil things will not reach you for you. God will deliver you from all troubles. He will counsel you and teach you in the way you should go. His unfailing love will be upon you.

All you have to do is to pray and trust God. When you pray the situations will change for good. As you trust God, you will see God doing greater things in your life. Jesus Christ loves you. He will protect you and save you from all troubles. You are not alone in the path in which you are going now. Jesus Christ is with you and He will never forsake you.

WHAT GOD IS PROMISING US IN THIS NEW YEAR 2017?

1.     You might be despised, unloved, hated and afflicted. This year God will do miracle in your life and He will be revealed through you.

2.     You might be living a deserted life without any blessings. This year God will remember you and will pour out His blessings upon you and He will raise you.

3.     Those who are mourning in the beginning of this year will be comforted before the end of the year.

4.     You will receive God’s provision in abundance.

5.     In this year, God will give you the blessings that you are longing to receive for so many years.

6.     You will prosper.

GOD WILL SATISFY YOU WITH HIS GOODNESS AS HIS PLANS ARE GREATER THAN YOUR PLANS

“I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord."- Jeremiah 31:14

In this new year God is promising you that you will be satisfied with His goodness. In I Kings 17:8-16, we read about a widow in the city called Zarephath. She was a widow and she had a son. Her life situation was in a terrible state. She had only a handful of flour and a little oil. With that she knew that she could eat only for a meal and they could survive only for a while.

She was gathering the sticks to cook the meal and her plan was to eat and die. She had no hope about the future. All she had was about to end. She had no one to support her. She knew that she and her son were not going to live. She had no future in her sight. Her plan was to eat that one meal and die. But God’s plan about her life was different.

“…See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” - 1 Kings 17:9

While that widow thought that she will die, God has already planned that she will live and also provide for Elijah in the future days.

Bible says in 1 Kings 17:15  “…she and he and her household ate for many days."

When the whole city had no rain and when other people struggled, the widow and her household was blessed by God. God’s plan about that widow’s life was greater than her own plan. God’s goodness filled her and she lived and also provided for Elijah.

My dear young friends, God says to you today that your life will be filled with His goodness.

I knew a girl who got married a year ago and her husband was working under a cruel manager who used to make his subordinates work very hard and take all credits to himself. That person was even more unfair to her husband just because they were Christians. He literally plunders all appreciation, appraisal and incentives of his team member because of this many had jumped into different company and her husband too longed to get into other company. At last on the month of May 2016, by grace of God he got a job in another company and that very day God has promised them from Haggai 2:19 “Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. ‘From this day on I will bless you.’” and also counselled them not to shift to the new job, but to stay where he was working and he will be blessed in that same place.

Her husband decided to obey God and stayed in the same company. Within two months, on the month of August as God has promised he blessed her husband with an increment of 25% from his actual salary. They were so astonished to see the way God blessed them with His goodness in their life. God hasn’t stop there, He also provided them 35% of salary as bonus for the Christmas 2016.  In years, this was the first time he was getting the bonus from the company as a team member. God met all their needs and satisfied them with His goodness as they surrendered themselves to God’s plan.

My dear young friends, as you surrender yourself to obey God’s plan, He promises you that He will satisfy you with His goodness. You have to understand that God has greater plans about your future. His plans are greater than your own plans. His plans will bring goodness and joy into your life. Holy Spirit says that this year you will receive the goodness that you long to have for so many years. This year will be a blessing to God’s people and you will be blessed.

GOD'S PROMISE FOR THE YEAR 2017