YOU WILL BE A BLESSING

Being a young girl, she always dreamt about a beautiful family life. Time passed, this young girl grew up to become a fine lady. Her parents decided to give her hand in marriage. Proposals came and finally she got married. Her dream and thoughts about marriage were no longer just castles in the air.  Yes, she would live and find out!!

But life didn’t take a very favorable path in her marriage. Her marriage failed. She got married once again. This time too destiny took a wrong turn. She got married again and again. After her five marriages she no longer had faith in marriage. She just didn’t believe in the concept of a husband or in marriage anymore.

One day, as she was on her way to the well to fill a jar of water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” The woman answered, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan- so how can you ask me for a drink?” 

Jesus answered, “If only you knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life giving water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you haven’t got a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life giving water? It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his sons and his flocks all drank from it. You don’t claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?”

Jesus answered, “Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring which will provide him with life-giving water and give him eternal life.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “Give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come here to draw water.”

“Go and call your husband,” Jesus told her, “and come back.”

“I haven’t got a husband,” she answered.  Jesus replied, “You are right when you say you haven’t got a husband. You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth.” (John 4)

Later in the chapter if we read, we can understand that Jesus revealed Himself to her and made her a blessing for an entire town.

Even though the lady was leading an immoral life, what made Jesus to reveal Himself to her and make her a blessing to many?

Later in the bible we see the woman saying, “I know that the Messiah will come and when he comes, he will tell us everything.” This little hope that she carried in her heart all through the years of her life saved her. Even though she leads a immoral life, she had a hope that one day Messiah will come. When He comes she hoped that He will teach her about everything and will save her. Jesus saw the hope in her heart and revealed Himself to her, had forgiven all her sins and saved her. Not only that, Jesus turned her as a blessing to many people of that particular town. 

Sometime life takes an arduous path.  When life gets so tough, the little spark of hope, that God will save or I know He will come one day, or He will save me from this someday is all that you need.  Jesus is watching over you every step of the day. He knew your hearts desire and hope. Bible says in Proverbs 23:18(Amplified Version) “For surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward], and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off”

My dear young friend, today you may be going through a tough path in your life. You may have little hope in your heart that Jesus will enter into your life and save you. Do not worry, my dear friend. Surely your hope will not be cut off. You may live a sinful life right now. But don’t get dejected. Jesus will save you from the clutches of sin and make you a blessing for His glory. Keep trusting in Jesus and you will be saved.

HAVE YOU HAD HONEYMOON WITH GOD?

I know a guy who was asked by God to come and stay alone in His presence for some days. With so much expectation in his heart, the young guy went to God’s presence in 21 days of fasting and prayer. As he was wondering why God inspired him to go for this much of days of staying alone and fasting, Holy Spirit to him very clearly saying:”My dear son, this days are given to you to have a closer relationship with God by knowing Him very intimately. These days to you are a honeymoon with God.” Hearing this, the guy felt so happy that he had a chance to have honeymoon with God.

My dear young friends, as we know, honeymoon is a precious period between a groom and his bride to know each other and to get closer.In Ephesians5:22-33 as Paul talks about husbands and wives, he co-relate Jesus Christ and the Church. If we read I Corinthians 3:17 we can understand that we are God’s temple. That means we are the bride and Jesus Christ is the groom. Being the bride of Jesus, have you ever had honeymoon with Him?

If not my dear young friends, stay alone in His presence, get to know His heart and get closer to Him so that you shall be a blessing for many and you will shine for His glory. As you walk in the Christian faith, do what God expects you to do. To know God’s expectations, go and stay closer to Him. Have a honeymoon with God and know God more. May God bless you richly through His abundant Grace.

BOOK REVIEW-4 WHERE HAVE YOU GONE GOD-JENNIFER REES LARCOMBE (By Ms. Dolly)

Every Christian goes through a period at some time in their life when their relationship with God becomes dull or painful. For some, it happens at times of great success; others find that difficulties with health, relationships or career cause them to feel that God has abandoned them. Many cannot find an appropriate reason for their state.

 “When we believe God answers prayer miraculously, it makes tragedies of life harder to accept,” says Jennifer, who describes her own experience of chronic illness in her bestselling book, Beyond Healing. Before writing, ‘Where Have You Gone, God?’ She contacted over a thousand people who, at some time in their Christian lives, felt far from God. Their experience, and the wisdom of Christians down the ages, combines to make a book of comfort and hope. ‘There are no easy answers. Spiritual deserts are terrible, but they pass and through them, our love for God is so often strengthened enormously’.

Sometimes we feel so hard to continue on, when we feel so distant from God, we doubt, we question, but do we do the same thing when the sun doesn’t shine??? As you read the book, you will understand that God does everything for a purpose and by every step He draws you more closer to Him. You will agree with Naomi as she says,

I believe in the sun, even when it’s not shining

I believe in love even when I cannot feel it

I believe in God even when He is silent.

BOOK REVIEW-3 WEAK PEOPLE MIGHTY GOD-Terry Virgo (By Ms. Dolly)

Everyone has their own limitations, no one is perfect, but to some this is so much they can take. People around always overlook, or you yourself say that you are not clever or bright and virtually have no qualifications. But there is god news: In this book, “Weak People Mighty God” Terry Virgo tells that God is not interested in people who are talented or strong, but God looks for people who are weak and uses them by His power. If you feel like you’re a fool, take heart, for the Lord says,

 “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;”

                                                                                                                        I Corinthians 1:27

Terry Virgo leads a ministry called New Frontiers International, a ministry dedicated to building up the lives of Christian men and woman in many lands. In this book he chooses three people from the bible and shows how God can use us in our weakness. David, Elijah and Jonah were three ordinary people. They did not set out to be heroes of the faith. Nor were they always ready to let God move in their lives. But He did, and as a result they were transformed.

If you are conscious of your own limitations, your fallibility, you have a choice. You can give up and resign yourself to a lifetime of ineffectiveness- or you can learn from people like David, Elijah and Jonah, who discovered that it is the weak in whom God chooses to display his strength and reveal his glory.

This book is an invitation to respond to the grace of a God who will never fail you or forsake you.

WILL YOU INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

Seek God's counsel in everything you do so that you can inherit the eternal life given by God

TRY JESUS FOR HE LOVES YOU

God's Love is far more greater than the love of any human. Try Jesus and You will be Blessed

WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH (TAKEN FROM INTERNET)

I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70's, with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him.

He was a well-respected, honest man with so many characteristics a Christian should have, but he had never put on Christ, nor entered the doors of the church. "Have you ever been to a church service in your life?" I had asked him a few years ago. We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking.

He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile he told me of his childhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of many children in a large impoverished family. His parents had struggled to provide food, with little left for housing and clothing. When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him to worship with them. The Sunday school class had been very exciting! He had never heard such songs and stories before! He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! 

After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said, "Son, please don't come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God's house."

He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at his dirty bare feet, he answered softly, "No, ma'am, I won't ever." "And I never did," he said, abruptly ending our conversation. 

There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, but this experience formed a significant part of the bitterness in his heart. I'm sure that Sunday school teacher meant well. But did she really understand the love of Christ? Had she studied and accepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James?

What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged little boy and said, "Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus."

I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastor or a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How far reaching her influence was! I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of a child's heart, and that I might never fail to see beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilities within. 

Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday. As I looked at that immaculately dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy of long ago. I could almost hear him say, "No, ma'am, I won't ever." And I wept.

DON'T CRY, MY CHILD

Once in a small town of Nain, there lived a beautiful young girl who had been engaged to a handsome guy. The girl started to live everyday with dreams in her eyes about her future, wanting to explore the true meaning of love, care, and affection, waiting eagerly to spend about the rest of her life with her love, counting the number of days for her marriage. At last the most awaiting day came, which she will never forget in her life. She got married to the guy whom she started to love so much. Her marriage life was great. Everything she wished and desired for has been satisfied by her husband. Nothing she lacked. She lived a very peaceful, joyful life with him, which everyone would envy to have. Such a blessed life she had. Her dreams and hopes became very true and real when she held her boy baby in her hands. Her life was more than she dreamt and asked for. She thought that there will be no more tears and sufferings. That her life will be very smooth, pleasant and will go in the way she desired. She thought that there will be no need for her to worry about anything and her future is firm and secured.

            But from nowhere came the shock of her life. Her husband passed away all of a sudden, leaving her and their only child all alone to suffer. She felt like all her dreams have been shattered. She didn’t find any reason for her survival. The days which were once sweet to her became bitter and sorrowful. The death of her beloved, took all her joy, happiness and cheer along with it just leaving her with emptiness, loneliness and hopelessness, sucking the entire life out of her. When she was about to end her life thinking that there is no meaning for her to still go on, she heard the cry of her child. That broke her heart and the moment she saw her child’s face, she was reminded of her good old days she spent with her husband. So she decided to live for her only child and started to relive her memories, patiently watching and enjoying the different stages of life her child goes through. Her heart leapt with joy and pride on seeing her kid standing in front of her as a young fine gentleman.

            All of a sudden when everything was going well and fine, she got the greatest blow in her life which left her paralysed. Her only son for whom she has held her breadth thus far has died. Nobody was able to comfort her because greater was her grief. She couldn’t understand why all this has to happen to her. She was crying her life out when the crowd from the town carried the dead body of her son. Till now she was just living for the sake of her son. Through her tears, she saw his happiness. But the very hope for her living has been shattered in front of her eyes. She thought that there is no use for her to press on, to hope that things will reverse and her life will become alright once again like it used to be. She was broken hearted and thought that her life has come to an end. It is then something happened which changed the entire meaning of her life. It is at this time, Jesus of Nazareth met her. That made the difference in her monotonous, painful life. When Jesus saw her, He was moved with compassion and His heart went out for her. He said “Don’t cry”. He touched the coffin and brought the young man back to life and gave him to his mother.

            When Jesus says “Don’t cry”, He is not simply saying in order to comfort us like others do but rather He walks right into the situation which makes us to cry, which pains our heart and will change it upside down just for us to be happy. People may just give empty promises telling “don’t cry, I am with you” but God alone experiences what we go through by walking along with us. The world can only feel pity on our situations but it is God who will change the entire scenario which is troubling us, in favor for us. Similarly my friend you may be going through a hopeless situation thinking that there is no reason for you to press on in life. Do not lose heart. There is a God for you. He is Jesus Christ. He will interfere with your hopeless situations. He will walk right into the situation and will turn your sorrow into gladness. You will surely live.

NOT HOME YET (TAKEN FROM INTERNET)

An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and was returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions. No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong.Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us." 

"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way," his wife said. "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right." When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly." 

His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?""The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!"

GOD WILL HEAR YOUR CRY

This time I would like to share with you my precious readers a true story that took place awhile ago. Once there lived a pious' person named Ethan who had a very good status in his community. He was claimed to be a God fearing person by everyone who knew him. He actively participated in all the spiritual activities of his church. One day Ethan heard the news that one of the most powerful evangelists is visiting the plains nearby his place. Ethan somehow wanted to bring him to his place and make him pray for his people and get his blessings. So, Ethan put tremendous efforts in bringing the speaker to his place. When the evangelist came to the village Ethan made him stay in his newly bought house. Though the house was newly bought it had horrible cracks on the walls making it seem worthless and quite dangerous to live in, because of the fear of walls falling apart. So he requested the evangelist to pray for that house that's ruined badly without any cause. That night the evangelist prayed for that house and GOD revealed him the reason behind the mishap; and this is the story behind the house:“The house was originally owned by a Christian family consisting of a man, his wife and their little baby. In an unfortunate road accident the lady lost her husband. The man had borrowed some money from Ethan for which he was paying him back the interest. Now after the demise of the husband, the lady was abandoned and didn't have any resources to payback to Ethan. So, Ethan suggested the lady to hand him over the house and that he'd pay her some money after settling their debt. The fact was that Ethan had an eye on that very house since it was newly built, spacious and a gorgeous one too.

The lady cried to Ethan that it was their only shelter and they would have no other place to rest their heads if he had taken their house. She pleaded him to have mercy on them since they were in a hopeless situation and had no one to help. But Ethan had no mercy on them. He took the house and gave them back a very little amount of money in return, which was an injustice against the poor helpless lady and her baby.

When this afflicted lady was dragged to the streets, she looked back at the house, with  tears rolling down her eyes and holding her baby in one hand she cried to Lord saying ' Isn't there anyone to do justice? Not even a single soul would stand for my cause? Lord will you not hear me!'. The voice of that helpless widow reached the realms of heaven and Lord's wrath poured on that house." Lord then told the evangelist to tell Ethan that he has to pay back that widow ten fold and to treat her justly.

So, are you in a hopeless situation as that of the poor widow? Do you think your cry for help is unheard? Are you thinking that your thoughts are unvoiced? And that God is stone-hearted and He is not listening to your prayers??? Are you weary searching for explanations to all mishaps in your life?
Let me tell you wonderful people, that God is so concerned about you. He loves you so much that He is very much sensitive to your voice. He hears each and every word from your mouth; even the unspoken thoughts He knows. The scripture tells us that 'Those who hope in the lord will renew their strength like eagles'. The lord tells us today in Jeremiah 29:12-13 "When you call upon me and pray to me, I will hear you. And when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me."