WHERE ARE YOU?

GENESIS 3: 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

God created Adam and put him to live in a garden which was carefully and specially created by God for him. God wants him to live happily in a very peaceful and happy environment. But one day God found that its not good for Adam to be alone. God wanted to create a help meet for him. So He created Eve from Adam’s rib and brought her to Him. God loved Adam so much that He created everything for his own happiness and joy. If you read clearly the beginning chapters of Genesis, we can find that God never took much care in creating other things compared to the creation of Adam. The only reason is, He wants Adam to live in a peaceful environment with utmost joy. God wants Adam’s life to be filled with much blessings.

But one day, Adam give himself to the words of Eve who have sinned hearing the words of the serpent. Adam immediately understood that he was sinned and hide himself from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. At that moment, he hears a loving tender voice calling his name and the voice asked: “Adam, where are you?”. Its not the voice that was filled with authority and anger but a voice of love. God’s love is in such a way that He longs for Adam.

Even today, my dear young friend, God’s love is searching for you. You might have sinned against God and now you might have hiding yourself from the presence of God. You may think that God will forget you soon as you have committed sin against Him. No my dear friend, He will never forget you. God’s loving voice is calling out you today: “Where are you?”. God’s heart is longing for you. He loves you so much that you can never understand His love. He wants to see you in His presence. Don’t hide yourselves from God’s presence. It does not bothers God that you have sinned. What bothering God is that you are not seen in His presence. Even if you have sinned, come to My presence, says Holy Spirit. When you come to my presence, I will forgive all of your sins through My blood and fill you with My power that you will shine for My glory says Jesus Christ, your Loving Dad.

My dear young friend, God is calling you only. You might have done a hardcore sin against Him. You might feel that He will not forgive you and you were not deserved to be His child. That’s not true my dear friend. God wants to see His child (that’s you) back in His presence. He can never bear you suffering from sin losing all your peace. He want you to be happy always by being…..WITH HIM. Come to Jesus for He loves you lot, even now.

YOU WILL RECEIVE GOD'S BLESSINGS

When you be in the place where God wants you to be, you will get wonderful blessings. Let us see some of the blessings that you will get when you are in the place where God wants you to be.

1. YOU WILL GET GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS
“ Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s hourse, to a land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curseth you and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken to him……” - Genesis 12:1-4
Abraham received God’s blessing only when he left the place which God wants him to leave and also only when he went to the place where God wants him to go. It is very important that you have to be in God’s will if you want to receive God’s blessing abundantly.

2. YOU WILL GET TO MEET GOD
“Then said Jesus to them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee and there shall they see me.” - Matthew 28:10
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him…..” - Matthew 28:16,17
Disciples saw Jesus because they were in the place where God wants them to be. If on that particular day some disciples had gone to Gethsemane or the transfiguration mountain they would have never had a chance to see Jesus. If you want to see God or meet Him, you have to be in the place where God wants you to be. Obeying God is more important than anything.

3. YOU WILL GET GOD’S PROPHECIES FULFILLED
“Being warned by God in a dream Joseph came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth…...that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” - Matthew 2:22,23
There was a young guy to whom God has promised many blessing through His mighty prophets. That particular guy thought that he can live according to his own ways to get the prophecy fulfilled. But God wants him to be holy and in His path. Finally as he lived a life away from God, he lost all the God’s promises. Even today he is struggling hard to come up in life but all is efforts are going in vain. If you want God’s prophecies to be fulfilled in your life, you have to be in God’s will.

4. YOU WILL GET GOD’S PROTECTION
“But he (Necho) sent ambassadors to him (Josiah), saying, what have I to do with you, you king of Judah? I come not against you this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: for bear you from meddling with God, who is with me, that he may not destroy you.” - II Chronicles 35:21
Josiah was the king of Judah who loved God with all his heart. On a fateful day he leave the place where God wants him to be and face king Necho who was going according to God’s will. Josiah never understand that God’s protection will be in his life only when he resides in God’s place. Josiah went against the will of God and was killed. Many a times sin enters into our life easily because we leave God’s presence and get into the danger zone of the enemy. If you want God’s protection to be upon your life, you have to be in the place where God wants you to be.

If you are in the place where God wants you to be:
You will receive God’s abundant blessings
You will see and meet God
God’s prophecy will be fulfilled in your life
God’s protection will be upon you all through your life.
If you are in God’s will:
No disease will overpower you
No sins will overpower you
No problems will overpower you
No man will overpower you
No demonic spirit will overpower you

GOD WILL NOT CAST YOU AWAY

My dear beloved friend who is reading this , you might be in an inexplicable situation right now. You would have left God and moved to a distance far from Him, you would have grieved God’s heart a lot because of your sinful life, your life would have been a toggle-game between standing and falling in Spiritual life and above all, you might be in a state where you hate yourself for whatever you have done; Jesus Christ, who died for you and resurrected from His earthly grave, is telling you this today: “Take courage, My dear child, I WILL NOT CAST YOU AWAY”. Even today, God loves you as you are. God’s love is an unchanging and everlasting love. Today Jesus Christ says to you: “My dear child, I love you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I will draw you to me.”

From the Bible if we see certain examples, we can understand the love of God. John 9:34 “They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.”

Pharisees and Jews judged a blind man as a sinner and they cast him out. But what did Jesus do?

Jesus heard what had happened,
Jesus found that man,
Jesus talked with Him and
Jesus revealed Himself to him.

In John 8:3-11, Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and they wanted to cast her away and stone her to death. Even though Jesus Christ knew she was a sinner, what did He do?

Jesus did not cast her away,
Jesus saved her from the accusers and
Jesus never condemned her.

In Luke 7:37-50. A Pharisee says to himself in his heart that the woman, who washed Jesus feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet and anointed them with ointment was a sinner. What did Jesus, who knew the entire life history of the woman, do?

Jesus testified her love before the accuser and
Jesus forgave all her sins.

My dear beloved, you might have been cast out by humans, you might have been surrounded by the accusers who put you down for your sins and who want to stone you to death. People might have stopped talking to you and you might have been hated by your very own loved ones. But trouble not, for Jesus loves you. He will never condemn you. He will save you from your accusers. He will talk to you and He will reveal Himself to you even when you have been cast out by the whole world. Yes my dear child, Jesus will never cast you away.

DO BETTER NOW MY CHILD (Paraphrase by Ryan Clodfelter of Kathleen Wheeler)

He came to my desk with a quivering lip
The lesson was done
Have you a new sheet for me dear teacher?
I’ve spoiled this one

I took his sheet all soiled and blotted
Gave him a new one all unspotted
And into his tired heart I cried
Do better now my child

Praise to Jesus Christ

I went to the throne with a trembling heart
The day was done
Have you a new day for me dear Master
I’ve spoiled this one

He took my day all soiled and blotted
Gave me a new one all unspotted
And into my tired heart He cried
Do better now my child

IT IS NOT WRITTEN

Many a times in our life, we feel so bad about our past sins even though we have already confessed those to God and left those sins. Devil brings guilty feelings to destroy the peace that was given by God once when He washes us through His blood. Devil tries to put us down by constantly making us to remember the past sins. He never allows us to grow in Christ bringing those guilty feelings. You may also be wondering whether really God has forgiven all your sins. My dear young people, God says to you today “Your sin is not written in my book”

Kathryn Kuhlman, one of the servants of Powerful God did God’s ministry with a mighty gift that so many people got blessed through her ministry. But one day she fell in love with a person who is already married, by disobeying God’s will. Once she got married with him, she lost all her inner peace which was provided by God. Nearly two years gone and one day God spoke to her that she should return back to Him. She obeyed God’s voice, left him and came back to God. Again God used her more mightily than before. Many wonders and healings began to happen through her ministry and people were greatly blessed. But yet often, devil brought some guilty feelings inside her heart about her past. She worried a lot about this.

One day, God spoke to her and asked, “My dear daughter, do you really think that I have forgiven your sins?” She replied to God as yes. God continued saying, “My dear daughter, not only I have forgiven your sins. But I also forgot your sins. In my book of rememberance it is not written that you have done a sin against me. Why are you remembering the things which I have forgotten?” After hearing this from God, a divine peace filled her heart and she continued doing God’s ministry with clear mind and peaceful heart.

My dear young people, don’t think about your past. God has not only forgiven your sins, He has also forgotten it. Jesus Christ has washed your sins with His blood. Your sins were not written in the book of rememberance. So wipe away your tears and be filled with God’s peace. God will bless you and use you mightily for His glory. Remember, It is not written….. In His book.

GOD's INEXPLICABLE LOVE

Once I was in God's arms
Safe and sound, healthy and wealthy.

In His bosom, I found rest and peace
In His lap, I found comfort and joy.

One day I decided to stand on my will
Got down from His lap even though He stopped.

First time stood on my own feet
Felt so proud without knowing I am insecure.

God was in tears pleading with me to return
I stepped forward having ignored His pleading.

Thought I made a best decision
Lost in my worldly desires far away from my savior.

Never realized I was in enemies zone
Until I got a hit on my head.

Bleeding profusely, on the journey to death
Friends had vanished no one to rescue.

Alas! I saw dimly a tearful face
This looked at me with much pain and love.

He carefully washed my wounds
With much care lifted me from the ground.

When I regained my conscious
I felt I was back in the secure zone.

I looked up as I lay on a lap
Oh I found the face which had helped me.

A face which shows love and care
Where from comfort and joy flows.

It was the face of  My Savior Jesus Christ!
Looking at me with the assurance of forgiveness.

Oh what a love my savior has!
A love which is inexplicable.

LOVE FAILURE?

Once upon a time in my life some people whom I loved a lot, rejected my love and went away from my life. I was filled with so much pain that I could not able to bear their separation and the failure of my love. One day as I was walking on the road to a Christian assembly, I was thinking myself that how Jesus can understand the love failure without experiencing it. Then very soon, Jesus spoke in my heart saying “I can understand your pain because I know the pain of love failure when you started loving the world. My dear son, your love upon the world started with the love failure of mine upon you only. I know the pain of yours because I have experienced it”. When Jesus told me this, I really broke down and understood His love.

My dear young friends, when God’s people start loving the world or the things of the world, they have to know that their love starts with a love failure. They fail God’s love and starts loving the world. So it starts with the love failure with God. Even you may be in a situation where a girl or boy dejected your love and went away. Don’t worry. Return back to God’s love which you have failed once. He will comfort you and not leave you for Jesus knows the pain of love failure.

CODE OF CONDUCT WRITTEN BY JOHN WESLEY (TAKEN FROM THE BOOK GOD’S GENERALS: THE REVIVALISTS)

Below are some excerpts from the twelve rules of conduct written by John Wesley that every preacher was expected to use to govern his behavior :

1. Be diligent. Never unemployed a minute.

2. Be serious. Avoid all lightness and jesting.

3. Converse sparingly with women, particularly young women.

4. Believe evil of no one.

5. Speak evil of no one.

6. Tell everyone what you think wrong in him, “and that plainly, as soon as may be; else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.”

7. Do not put on airs.

8. Be ashamed of nothing but sin.

9. Be punctual. Do everything exactly on time.

10. It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society, but to save as many souls as you can.

11. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel.

12. Take no step toward marriage without first consulting with the brethren(Elders).

LETHARGIC AND CAREFREE ATTITUDE

Bible Portion: Matthew 22:1-14

1.      Invited people dint attend the wedding

If you clearly read those passage, you can understand why they dint attend. Bible says in 5^th verse that they made light of the calling. Even today most of the Christians are like that only. We were so lethargic in our calling thinking if we don’t go the heaven will not be filled. We are called to inherit the heaven. That’s true. But if we are so lethargic and carefree about our calling, we won’t inherit heaven.

2.      Destroying the invited

The called ones treated the servants of the king shamefully. Many a times we do the same with Godly servants. We treat them shamefully by not heeding to the Godly word that comes through them. Verse 7 says that the king destroys those murderers and burned up their city. The king doesn’t even want the remaining of anything that belongs to those murderers. That’s the only reason he burned up their city after destroying them. God will do the same to you if you doesn’t heed to His word. Even you are an invited one; God will not spare you if you disobey His calling.

3.      Others are invited

As the called ones became unworthy, the king invites others who were once not at all worthy to attend the marriage. Verse 10 says that the wedding was filled with guests. Heaven will be full even without you. Heaven is more important for you than you to Heaven. God will fulfil His work through others when you reject the same work.

4.      Man who is lethargic

As the king came in to see the guests, he saw everyone with wedding garments except one. That particular man was also lethargic about God’s calling and that’s why he is not perfect. His lethargic attitude got a place for him in outer darkness where weeping and gnashing of teeth never ceases. If you are so lethargic in God’s calling that was given to you, you will miss Heaven and you will end up in reaching Hell.

Be serious about God’s calling. Fulfill it through God’s grace in God’s time. You will be a blessing to many and you will also be blessed by God.

A LETTER FROM SATAN (TAKEN FROM INTERNET)

Dear Fool,

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals or pray before going to bed last night. You are so unthankful. I like that about you!

I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living. Fool, you are mine. Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don't love you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to get even with God.

He kicked me out of heaven and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay Him back. You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me and I'm going to make your life a living hell. That way we'll be together twice. This will really hurt God, thanks to you. I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life. With all of the good times we've had...We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people out, partying, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, back-stabbing people, disrespecting old people and those in leadership positions. NO respect for the church, bad attitudes...

Surely, you don't want to give all of this up. Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us. This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life.

You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, you give in. HA, HA, HA! You make me sick. Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 yrs. older. I need new blood, so go head and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, over indulge in alcoholic beverages, drugs, lie, cheat , gamble, gossip, fornicate, be prideful (remember that's why God kicked me out of heaven). Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it, too. Kids are like that.

Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of  seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you...It's just that you'd make a better fool for Christ.

Your partner in crime,
SATAN