MASTER'S VESSEL - AUTHOR UNKNOWN (INSPIRATIONAL POEM)

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;
On the shelf there were many - which one would He choose?

Take me, cried the gold one, I'm shiny and bright,
I'm of great value and I do things just right.
My beauty and lustre will outshine the rest
And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!

The Master passed on with no word at all;
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;

I'll serve You, dear Master, I'll pour out Your wine
And I'll be at Your table whenever You dine,
My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,
And my silver will always compliment You.

Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass,
It was widemouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.

Here! Here! cried the vessel, I know I will do,
Place me on Your table for all men to view.
Look at me, called the goblet of crystal so clear,
My transparency shows my contents so dear,
Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride,
And I'm sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide.

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.
You may use me, dear Master, the wooden bowl said,
But I'd rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.
Empty and broken it helplessly lay.
No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

Ah! This is the vessel I've been hoping to find,
I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.
I need not the vessel with pride of its self;
Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;

Nor the one who is bigmouthed and shallow and loud;
Nor one who displays his contents so proud;
Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right;
But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.
Spoke to it kindly. There's work you must do,
Just pour out to others as I pour into you.

THE WALL - 12

JESUS CHRIST WILL DEFEND AND SAVE YOU

“For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake…..” – Isaiah 37:35

You might be going through a toughest path in your life. Your family might be going through problems and tribulations. You might think to run away somewhere because of the situations you are facing. You might think of putting an end to your life.

There is a hope for you my dear friend. Jesus Christ says to you today: “I will defend you and protect you for My own sake.” God’s hand will come upon your life and He will protect you.

Some one might have come against you in your work place and you might be having a fear that you will lose the job. Fear not. God will protect your job.

Your family life might have come to an end but yet you don’t want to end it. Tremble not. God will protect your family life and He will bring peace into it.

You might be worrying about your exams and studies. Do not worry. God will protect your studies and will raise you.

You might be going through a relationship failure and you might be feeling bad because of it. Do not be discouraged. God will save you and will lift you from that pit of depression.

Whatever the situation you might be going through, God’s hand will come upon your life and He will defend and save you.

There was a man from India who started a company which produced anti-virus software. He made Japan as his main center and begun to produce anti virus software. He was a converted Christian. His business flourished all through the world. But one day he faced certain problems in his business and he could not solve the problem. Pressure begun to rise up inside his mind and he could not tolerate the pressure of fear. So one day he decided to sell his entire business.

Another company agreed to buy his company for 170 crore rupees. As he was deciding to sell the company, suddenly he had a thought to pray to God and ask His counsel. So he began to pray earnestly for God’s counsel.

Jesus Christ spoke to him one day through His prophet saying: “My son, do not sell your business to anyone. I will come into your life and will defend you and will protect your business. Surely I will raise you to heights.”

Even though he had a desire to sell it, he decided to obey God’s counsel. Jesus Christ began to bless his business. In the year before his decision to sell the profit turn-over of his business in India was 7 crore. Immediately after the year in which God spoke, the turn-over was 70 crore. He was so surprised to see the blessings of God in his life. This year he is so blessed that he is on the verge of buying two American companies.

There was a day in his life he thought of selling his own company. But Jesus Christ intervened in his life and protected his business and now he is going to buy someone’s company.

My dear young friend, our God is an awesome God. He will change the situation of your life in spur of the moment. He will never leave you helpless. He will come into your life and protect you. Not only He protects you but He will also protect your studies, job, family life, business and everything that belongs to you.

So do not worry for anything. In the coming days you will see Jesus Christ protecting you and blessing you abundantly. He will surely fulfill His promise in your life.

GOD'S PROMISE FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH'13

IT IS POSSIBLE WITH JESUS CHRIST

I have two elder brothers. My eldest brother is six years older than me and he is currently working as a Quality Engineer in an IT firm. My elder brother is five years old than me and he is working as a lab assistant in a government college. Also my elder brother is currently pursuing his degree (full time) through a government scheme which gives an opportunity to study along with your work.

Few days back when I was going back from my workplace to home, I got a call from my elder brother. As I attended his call, I understood that he was in a happiest mood. With much happiness he told me that his exam results were out and he got 2^nd rank in the University level. I felt so happy when I heard that but really I could not believe that at all. 

I could not believe that my elder brother got a university rank because I remember the tears he had shed exactly 18 years back. At that time he has completed his secondary schooling and he got a very low total. My dad ran everywhere to get him admitted in first group in a higher secondary school but no one gave him admission. Finally he got admission in first group in a school which was considered as a worst government school in the entire city. 

He could not accept the truth and he stood in the middle of the road and cried very badly along with my father. Finally they somehow put him in another government higher secondary school. He tried so much to get good marks in higher secondary exams. He studied day and night for his exams but finally when the results came, again he got low marks. 

My parents didn’t know what to do and everyone stood helpless. He cried so much but we could not help him at all. Finally my parents decided to make him study from home itself and asked him to go for improvement exams which were permitted on those days. He sat in home the next year and prepared for his improvement exams but again he could not get high marks. 

We started to pray for his life for we thought he will not get any diploma at all. But God opened a way for him and he got admitted in D.Pharm course in a government college. There he studied for three years and somehow by God’s abundant grace he finished his diploma.

There were so many days he cried thinking about his future. My eldest brother was a B.Tech degree holder and I hold a M.E degree. All my relatives made fun about the knowledge level of my elder brother. He himself thought that he was of no use and all. He cried day and night thinking about his failures in studies and about his future. 

I remember a day when an aunty from our church came to my mom and asked her like this: “How your middle son was so different in knowledge level and study level compared to your other sons?”

Hearing that my mom felt so bad and she went and cried to Jesus Christ in prayer. My elder brother also felt so bad hearing that. Jesus Christ answered my mom prayer and promised her that He will raise him for His glory.

As Jesus Christ promised, He gave him a government job and then He gave him the admission in a degree (B.Pharm) course and now a university rank.

He told me days before that this is the first time in his life he is scoring 80% plus marks. How could a guy who has no knowledge in his studies; who got low marks in all his previous exams; who got failures after failures in his life, can get a university rank? 

The only answer I got through Holy Spirit was: “….With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

All the students of my brother’s class was around 22 years old and they were very active in studies but my elder brother is 33 years old and he got a 10 year gap between his diploma and his degree studies. 

My elder brother might be weak but Jesus Christ is stronger in his life. He gave him the strength through which today he stands as a university rank holder.

If Jesus Christ can do this in my brother’s life, He can do it in your life too. You might be going through failures in your studies, job or family life. Do not get discouraged. Jesus Christ promises you today:

“A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation, I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.” – Isaiah 60:22

Hold on to this promise and keep praying. Surely Jesus Christ will raise you in His time. 

My dear young friend, you will not be put to shame. Today you might be in a state where people might laugh at you. In front of their eyes, God will raise you and you will stand high for His glory. You are His child and He will not let you go down. 

To you it might be impossible but to Jesus Christ IT IS POSSIBLE. God bless you.

PRAY FOR INDIA & AMERICA

Recent statistics of America states that the divorce rates are getting decreased in recent days. You might say that we should be happy about it. But the reason behind the decrease of divorce rate is that people are living in ‘get together’ relationship as they lost belief in marriage. We should understand that the marriage relationship is ordained by God. If we have some relationship outside marriage, it will bring God’s wrath in our lives. So we should pray that people should not listen to devil’s lie and they should look to God for counsel. Also divorce should not happen in those people lives that were already married. If we turn back to God from our sinful ways, He will listen to our cries and will bless America.

Jesus Christ says in Mark 10:6-9, “But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

When we divorce and marriage another person, we have to know we are committing adultery. Pray that the people should not commit the sin of adultery.  

Recent news from India states that nearly 30 million people had participated in the kumbhmela festival. People who participate in this festival believe that their sins will be forgiven if they dip themselves in the river of Ganges. And every year many people are dying due to stampade and accidents that happen during their pilgrimage. Imagine what will happen to their souls once they die? In one festival nearly 3 crore people are going behind a wrong belief thinking idols will save their life. We can never blame them for what they are doing. Their intention is to get forgiveness from their sins but they are choosing a wrong way. It’s our duty to pray for these souls so that they will know Jesus Christ, the Savior who can save them from their sins and can give eternal life.

Bible says like this:

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” – Exodus 20:3-5

WHO WILL PRAY FOR THESE UNSAVED SOULS?

Being a Christian, are you proclaiming Gospel to the people who had never known Christ in their lives? As you start praying for the souls who run behind idols, take a decision to proclaim Gospel to your neighbors who were worshiping idols.

As I thought of writing this article, Holy Spirit reminded me about one biblical verse.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” –Exodus 20:7

In these modern days, we tend to use the name of God so casually. I heard that the Hollywood movies use the name of Jesus Christ in a meaningless way. If we continue to do so, it will not bring blessings in our lives. His Name is the Holiest name. Let’s pray that our people should not use the name of Jesus Christ without reverence.