Magnetic Power of a god called Television

Since the last few days, we do not have cable TV at home, because the service provider has stopped broadcasting to our building. They used our electricity for free for 20 years. Now when we are asking them to pay up, they cut off our cable TV connection. What peace rules our home these days!

Generally speaking, I only look at TV - others watch it :) But have you observed that the moment you turn on the television, all of a sudden, everyone's attention shifts to that magnetic box? People are glued to their seats and watch with rapt attention as if swami-ji (colloquial for a religious guru) is delivering an important spiritual discourse! I have even caught people (and myself too, I must confess) staring at the TV even when there is a blackout - an interruption in the broadcast - or when the channels are not loading and the screen is blue. Such is the magnetic power of television - if you give it power.

When that happens, it might just be that the TV has become your idol - your god that is not a god. TV is just one example. Some other things that could have become your god, are mobile phones, tabs, computers, cars, bikes, food, work (Oh yes), tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol, the ideal body figure or target weight... Here are some indicators to help you decide if something is on its way to becoming your idol/god:

• Do you look at it (e.g. a mobile screen) more than you look at your spouse, or baby's frolicking face?
• If a Bible were lying next to it, what would you pick up - that thing or the Bible?
• Do you feel compelled to use that thing more, even though you know you used it enough and any more is just a waste of time?
• Do you constantly think about it when not at work?
• Do you feel lukewarm towards the things of God?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, it is likely that you are giving the TV or whatever it is, the status of a god or idol. Television, food, gadgets...these are just tools. They are just a means to achieving an end, not an end in themselves. And they can benefit you only if consumed in line with the Word of God, not instead of the Word of God. Maybe I am preaching this to myself too as I write. Let us all recognize that the world as such has nothing to offer to us. Like an uncle of mine once said, "The world is bankrupt." Better to realize now and give it only so much attention as it deserves, and not a bit more. Let us give God the place He deserves in our lives and show tools the place they have in our lives.

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." 

- Matthew 6:24 (NASB)

God Saved Their Family, So God Will Save Yours

First read these verses:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9 (emphasis added)

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." - Acts 10:34,35 (emphasis added)

"For there is no respect of persons with God." - Romans 2:11

This is our third post in a series of posts on God's promises in the Bible to save your entire family. It may not be the last.

If you read those verses carefully, then I don't even need to write this blog post. But still I will - because I love to write!! But seriously, be comforted by this, that if God was merciful and kind enough to save those wretched, shameless sinners (like we were once!), He will surely save your family members. Because He does not discriminate between two unsaved human beings. He is the ultimate grace-giver. Grace means extra time to catch up - to get right with God. Even though man keeps sinning against God daily, God does not kill him - He lets man live some more so he can repent of his sins and accept God's plan of salvation. That is God's grace.

So if God gave grace to someone else's spouse or parents or siblings or children, He will do that for yours too - you have His Word on that!

What, then, is the breaker?

One of the things that make a difference is speaking the change. A preacher's daughter was sort of in love with an unsaved man. So she began to pray the usual prayers for his salvation: "God, please send someone into his path who will share the Gospel with him..." Then God spoke to her: "Speak the change." So she began speaking positive confessions about him being saved. Within a month or maybe a few months, he got born again. Now if speaking the change can work for her, it can work for you. If she could marry that guy because of her confessing the Word, so can you have Godly relationships with your people by doing the same thing - declaring, proclaiming the victory that Christ has given us. After all, did he not die to get us all saved!

As you begin your journey of speaking the change, I pray in Jesus' name, that may God's Word become flesh in the lives of you and your loved ones. Do keep me updated on your progress. God bless you and use you as a blessing!

Here is a sample Salvation Prayer to lead your loved ones when they want to accept Christ.

Easter Sunday: Wake Up! The Son Has Risen

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" 2 Corinthians 5:17, 18

When we wake up in the morning, we get to welcome a new day. It's the sun that makes this possible. The sun set the previous evening and rose this morning. And so we could welcome today with open arms. Well, the Son (of God) died on Good Friday, was buried and came back to life on the third day. So by the same token, it's the Son who makes it possible for us to put to death our old, sinful and wretched life, and put on the New Life that God has envisioned for us.

Some people say Easter was apparently a pagan festival celebrated by people in some regions of the world. They worshipped a fertility goddess. So the Easter egg may have been a symbol of fertility. Some other people believe that the Easter egg is a symbol of the empty tomb of Jesus. What's the truth about Easter, then? Well, I think it does not matter. What matters is that you believe that Jesus Christ is God's answer to save mankind from sin and its effects, 

Image courtesy: http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/2mQla2hAQLCQIpnx8hhu_sunrise.jpg

which is eternal death in hell.
Read this blog post to find out how you can be a beneficiary of God's plan of salvation for mankind.

God Saves Households – Not Just Individuals

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." - Acts 16:31 (KJV)

Let's continue from the first part in this series on family salvation promises in the Bible. If you have not read that part yet, head over to Salvation of Loved Ones - Comfort in Times of Discouragement and then come back here.

God is good not just at shooting promises off His mouth. He backs up His Word too. He does not utter (write/promise) any word unless He is serious about bringing it to pass. It applies both ways - in matters of judgement and in matters of forgiveness (or salvation/deliverance/healing etc.) too. Read further, beyond verse 31 in Acts 16:

Verses 32, 33: "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway."

We see that the jailer's family too believed and all of them got baptized in water before daybreak. Take that as proof that God fulfills the promises He makes, provided we fulfill the part we need to. In this case, our part is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (believing that he is the Son of God who died for the forgiveness of our sin and who came back to life to give us everlasting life). So if you are born again, you have already fulfilled your part. So God fulfilled the first part of His promise - He saved you. Now He will also save your entire household.

"But my family members are not yet saved" you say. Yes. One of the factors preventing their salvation can be your doubting God's willingness and ability to save them NOW. If you doubt that God really wants to save them or that He really can save them, flip through the pages of history and you will find that in spite of maybe nobody to believe or pray for your salvation, He did save you, did he not? How much more then, would He want to save your folks - with you praying for them and standing on the promises of His Word (not yours). Read through a list of promises and prophecies in the Bible and their fulfillment. You will soon discover that you are dealing with and trusting on the God who has always delivered what He has promised. If anyone, it is He who is trustworthy. You can calmly and without being anxious, place your trust on our God Jehovah, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Rest assured, God will never let you down, because He will never let His Word down. He has promised an He shall fulfill.

Will continue this series. If any of your family members got saved in the meantime, do leave a comment and allow me to rejoice with you! Until then the peace of God Yahweh Shalom be with you.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." - Isaiah 26:3
Amen.

Salvation of Loved Ones – Comfort in Times of Discouragement

Today we begin a series on God’s promises in the Bible, to save not only individuals, but their entire households, through that individual’s activated faith. We will look at Bible verses and meditate (mentally dwell on) these promises.

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” – Psalm 12:6 (KJV)

Have you ever felt discouraged praying for the salvation of your loved ones and not seeing them receive Jesus? If you have, do not worry. Read the verse above again. 

God is true to His Word. His Word is a Gentleman's word. As goes the cliché, God says what He means and means what He says. He has said it and will perform it. “Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12 – ESV) In fact, He is eager to perform His Word speedily, if you go by the King James Version: “Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” (Emphasis added)

Do not just look at the present rejection of Jesus by your loved ones. Look ahead through the ages and see a picture of Heaven, with your future generations standing before the throne of God. Know that they will thank God for being able to stand before Him to worship Him, because one ancestor of theirs chose to stand his ground – you! You are the one because of whom thousands of your generations and their spouses will have eternal life on Earth and in Heaven. But you can stand only because there was one who humbled himself before God the Father. And his name is Jesus – God the Son.

So cheer up. Heaven is banking on you to be a sticky note on which are imprinted the promises of God. Satan’s fiery darts cannot rip off this sticky note, if you are grounded on the promises of salvation found in the Bible.

At some point, you have to decide and settle the fact in your heart and mind – that God's Word is in your favour, it is sure and it is unchanging. When He promises it, He fulfills it. So just believe that God is good and He wants to save your folks, and that He does not lie. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” The point here is not that man says lies – whether or not you are born again, you should not lie. The point is that man has the capacity to lie, but God does not have that capacity. Satan the devil is the father of lies. God is the opposite of Satan – so He cannot say lies. Also, the meaning of the word 'repent' is 'change'. God does not change His mind. God has decreed salvation for your household and it shall come to pass. You are the only breaker - the one who can lean on and trust God's Word and watch God's salvation come to pass. Or the one who can doubt God's intention, willingness and ability.

So choose to be the former. Trust in Him, as per Psalm 118:8…

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”

Stay tuned for more in this series!

If your loved ones' hearts are convicted and they want to receive Jesus, then head over to Good News Friday and have them pray the Sinner's Prayer. God and I bless you and your loved ones!

God is Generous and Unconditionally Loving

God knew that there will be some people who will reject Jesus and therefore Him. He knew that because of this wrong choice, they will not benefit from the blood that Jesus shed for them on the Cross. Yet He chose to make healing available.to even them (through Jesus being whipped before being crucified) – this, despite knowing that He will never hear “Father!” from their lips, to address their Creator. Oh – how generous and good God the Father is! Truly worthy to be believed in - and worthy of praise from all of His Creation.

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Blood of Jesus Vs. Poison of Serpent...and Jesus Wins!

3 Keys to Express Evangelism

"to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1

On the judgment day, God would be justified if he adds the words "by you" before the '?' I once heard a preacher rightly say that the Church is notorious for being slow. There are probably tens of thousands of humans dying every day and about 80-90% of them are being consigned to hell because they have died as sinners. Even if no one ever preached the Gospel to them, they are accountable before God (as per Romans 1:20), because if they were really sincere about seeking God and wanting to know Him - their Creator - they could have called out to Him in the privacy of their bedroom or slum or forest/cave and God would have definitely revealed Himself to them. 

But that notwithstanding, we believers in Jesus have been commissioned by God by default, to preach the Gospel...to evangelize. 'By default' here means that since we have believed in Jesus as the Saviour and repented of our sins, we are automatically supposed to fulfill the Great Commision (or G.C., if you will!), even though the G.C. was given 2,000 years ago.

I work in an NGO where we are developing a surgical simulator to train ophthalmologists to perform cataract surgeries using a low cost technique. Someone in my office once said:

"There are 3 major reasons for slow progress: skepticism, lack of communication, and the burden of proof. These factors have contributed to the delayed acceptance of medical simulation.”

I thought about it. The same applies to Christianity. The message of salvation as a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ, has not been proclaimed as well and as speedily as it should have been, due to skepticism, and communication issues. Let's look at each of the 3 points mentioned by my colleague:

1. Skepticism

The Gospel is not being received universally because there are many skeptics. Skeptics owe it to at least themselves and God, to conduct an objective, unbiased research and find out the Truth. Anyway, Romans 1:20 applies to them: "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." We can overcome their skepticism by overcoming our...

2. Communication Problems

I once heard a preacher or apologist say, that a survey revealed that about 80% of Christians never win even one soul to Christ. Sounds like Jesus gave the Great Commission only to 20% of us! If you start getting comfortable in your church seat, maybe it's time to get un-comfortable! If you shared the Gospel but the hearer did not believe, then it's fine. At least you tried. But before preaching, do pray that they receive the Gospel message or tract willingly and that they pray the sinner's prayer with a true repentant heart. Every Gospel tract should have a salvation call, with a model sinner's prayer, in case the person wants to articulate their receiving Jesus. The conversion of heart might already have taken place between the time they hear the Gospel and pray the salvation prayer. But to be certain, it helps to have the prayer included in the tract or as a part of your sharing the message.

Another way of evangelism is to pray for those who are sick. You can tell them that Jesus has paid the price for their healing. Lay hands on them and pray (command healing to manifest in Jesus' name). Once you have done this, you can say, "Just as Jesus paid the price for your healing, he also bore the penalty for your sins and paid the price for your forgiveness." Then go ahead and share with them the good news of salvation through Jesus. In case you do not believe that bodily healing is in the atonement, then right now read the blog post titled Is Healing in the Atonement? 

3. Burden of Proof

The Bible says that God is watching over His Word to perform it. "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)  God has given us plenty of resources to prove to people that He is who the Bible claims He is - a blesser...always good...His mercy endures forever. Check out site like AllAboutGod.com, AnswersinGenesis.org, etc. If we go out and preach the Gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out demons, God will back up His word with an amazing work. He has promised in Exodus 34:10 even to Old Testament saints:

"And he said, "Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you."

God has already proven His Word. Now it's up to the skeptics to dig out the truth - and up to us believers to help them in this endeavour.

Liked this post? Then read this one too: How Not to Fulfill the Great Commission

(Excuse my grammar - it should actually have read: How to Not Fulfill...!)

Is This the Last Christmas Before the Rapture?

"For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." - 1 Thessalonians 5:2

The Bible says that the day is coming when Jesus Christ will come down (but not step on Earth) and resurrect the bodies of those followers of his who are already dead at that time. These bodies will be given to their respective persons (who are now in heaven) and the bodies will be incorruptible (indestructible). Immediately after that, he will also supernaturally lift up those followers of his, who are alive at that time on Earth. The bodies of these followers will supernaturally be translated into incorruptible bodies. No matter which group we are in, we will be united with the Lord Jesus Christ forever. This event, as you might know, is called the Rapture. 

And after that, the 7-year Great Tribulation will begin. Those who have not repented of their sins and accepted God's Free Gift of Salvation by then, will be left behind. The Antichrist will appear on the scene and woo the hearts of as many people he can deceive. All this will reach a climax with a war at Armageddon, when Jesus and his forces will defeat the Antichrist and his forces.

Some scholars say that Jesus saying in the Bible that a generation shall not pass since Israel will be re-formed, that the Rapture will occur. They say a Biblical generation is 70-80 years. Israel was re-formed in 1948. This means Jesus could come for the Rapture anytime from 2018-2028. Others say the 4 Blood Moons that will occur from April 2014-October 2015 will likely bring this event. 

Some other people believe not in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but a Mid- or Post-Tribulation Rapture. They say the first 3.5 years of the Antichrist's wooing the world's people will pass and then the event will occur. So when is it really going to happen? Or is it even important for you if you are a born-again child of God? Well, here is my take on it, with helpful insights from a Christian friend...

Scenario 1: Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Well, this is what most Christians would want, wouldn't we! Supernaturally airlifted out of the danger zone before the zone turns dangerous like it never has in history. But there is another side to it... 

This also means you and I have less time to preach the Gospel and do the other works that destroy the works of the devil. So if your loved ones or friends are unsaved, maybe you need to develop a plan soon, to witness to them. 

Mark 16 says that believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. It also says that the disciples went about obeying the commands of Jesus and preached the Gospel everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. So if you think you only need to preach the Gospel but not lay hands on the sick or cast out devils or raise the dead, better re-read Mark 16 again a few times. If the Lord needed to confirm the message with signs, and he is the same yesterday and today and forever, he needs us to yield to him so he can confirm the word with signs following today as well. So make yourself available to the Holy Spirit. If the Pre-Trib Rapture is what it's going to be, then you might just have 3.5 years less to get your loved ones into the Kingdom.

"The day you realize that who you lay your hands on will live and who you do not lay your hands on could die...from that day, you will start looking at your hands differently." - Curry Blake, General Overseer, John G. Lake Ministries

Let your hands and feet be the hands and feet of Jesus. Allow him to continue his ministry today...this time through you!

We will look at the Scenario 2: Post-Tribulation Rapture in the next blog post. Till then, keep witnessing and demonstrating the Kingdom!

How Not to Fulfill the Great Commission

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8,9

That sounds really spiritual, doesn't it? Maybe that applies to you if you are a Jew - but certainly not if you are a Christian. Because if you are a Christian, then the Bible says that you have the mind of Christ:

"For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 2:16

Do you really think you can fulfill the Great Commission if your thoughts are lower than God's thoughts and your ways are lower than His ways? If that were possible, then why would the Bible say that we have the mind of Christ? Why would we even need the mind of Christ? Praying and reinforcing the idea that God's thoughts are higher than ours and His ways are higher than ours is a good way to try hard not to fulfill all that God has called you to do, as a Christian. Because God's heart is for salvation, deliverance and healing for every human. So if He conceived that plan, only His thoughts and ways can achieve the fulfillment of these goals. If you don't share His vision, think His thoughts and deploy His methods, there is no way to achieve these goals.

Maybe I'm preaching this to myself too, but if you want to fulfill the Great Commission, then the starting point is this:

1. Learn to think (believe) like Jesus did; and
2. Learn to walk (act) the way Jesus walked (acted).

That's because the Old Testament saints - the Jews - did not have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. So they could not think or act like Jesus. But since we have the mind of Christ, and Jesus Christ and God the Father are one, our thoughts and ways are positionally the same as God's. So the only thing we need to do is enforce that position in our lives. Once we get to doing that on a regular basis, we will be taking big strides to fulfilling God's plan for our lives!

Are you on fire for the Gospel? Good, because you should be! Then here's a blog post you might like and find useful: How to Spiritually Capture a City: Download MP3

What's Common Between Gilbert Hill and Christians?

The picture above is that of Gilbert Hill, Mumbai, India. According to Wikipedia, Gilbert Hill is a 200 ft (61 m) monolith column of black basalt rock at Andheri, in Mumbai (my hometown). The rock has a sheer vertical face and was formed when molten lava was squeezed out of the Earth's clefts during the Mesozoic Era about 65 million years ago. If you are a practicing Christian, you might know that the Earth is not that old, but probably only about 6000-7000 years old. Scientists seem to have proven that all it takes for the Earth to cool down is a fraction of a second (Refer to Josh McDowell's free ebook Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity: http://www.josh.org/resources/free-book-downloads/).
Gilbert Hill is a national level prehistoric heritage site. Many people the world over might be thrilled to learn that the town they live in is home to a prehistoric site like this. I too was, until the Holy Spirit told me that every square inch of ground I walked on is a prehistoric site. It has always been existing since He created Earth! What's more, He showed me another important fact – guess what it was – that I am a prehistoric site myself, being born again! And how? Of course, because as per the Bible, my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and the spirit of Jesus Christ lives in me. The Ancient of Days (God the Father – Jehovah) lives in me through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So is not my body a prehistoric site? Yours too is, if you are a born again child of God through faith in His Son Jesus. Yet what a joyful irony, the Bible says that when you turn your life over to Jesus, old things pass away and all things become new and all things are of God!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…" – 2 Corinthians 5:17,18

If you want to become a prehistoric site (yet recreated through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God), read this blog post.

Faith Confessions: When a Child of God Speaks...

Romans 8:14:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post. So here it is...

In the Divine Healing Technician Training seminar conducted by Curry Blake of John G. Lake Ministries, Blake says a few landmark things. Open a notepad or Word document and save this:

"When a child of God speaks, Heaven hears and agrees, and hell hears and obeys."

Read that once more. Let it sink-in.

Here's another one:

"An anointed teacher makes the complicated simple. An annoying teacher makes the simple complicated."

And another one:

If you're a Christian (saved, born again), then say this:

"I am God's son, the devil's master, and Man's servant." Read each part of that statement carefully and let it sink-in. Then repeat.

I suggest you memorize all the 3 statements given above.

If you want to learn more about their ministry, visit www.jglm.org. God bless you!

How to Spiritually Capture a City: Download MP3

"Practice what you preach."

Here's a great teaching from John G. Lake Ministries, titled "How to Spiritually Capture a City."

Click the link below to download the teaching as an MP3 file:

http://www.inspiration-room.net/content/how-spiritually-capture-city

Curry Blake - General Overseer of JGLM says in that teaching that they have actually practiced what he teaches and it's worked. If it worked for them, it should surely work for any other church and for any born again child of God. 
Caution: Jesus sent disciples two-by-two. So I suggest you go out in groups to evangelize the way they recommend. And if there is hostility in the area you live or plan to evangelize, I suggest you speak to your pastor first, because the pastor is responsible for your spiritual well-being and life before God. If all is fine, then try it out and leave your comments here. If I do try out the method, I too will update. Till then, forever, God bless you and use you more mightily as a blessing, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Hidden Story of Christmas Revealed

We all love Santa Claus, don't we? Especially if he gives gifts to us or our kids! But did you know that while this fun tradition is good in a sense, it has also concealed the truth behind Christmas to an extent. Christmas is not about Santa. It's about Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. While the gifts that Santa gives to kids are perishable, the gift of salvation that God gives through Jesus is everlasting. Here are some interesting facts about Jesus and the Bible:

1. There are 332 prophecies in the Bible about Jesus Christ.
2. These include his virgin birth, his birthplace, how he was wrapped as a baby (in a white cloth meant to wrap dead bodies - 'Kafan' in Urdu - because he came to die for us), his sinless life, the exact day of his entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey, his death on the Cross, burial in a rich man's tomb, resurrection, ascension to Heaven and even his return for the battle at Armageddon.
3. All of these have come true so far. His return is expected too, as all other prophecies till the present time have been fulfilled.
4. The Bible contains 8,000 promises.
5. 27% of the Bible is prophetic - meaning, that 27% (8,352) of all (31,124) its verses give a total of 1,817 prophecies, all of which have come true so far.
6. The Bible predicted thousands of years ago that the nation of Israel would be re-established exactly on 14th May, 1948 and also that it would regain Jerusalem precisely in 1967.
7. The principle of quarantine to prevent the spread of contagious diseases was discovered from the Bible.
8. The Bible mentioned thousands of years ago, that the Earth is suspended in outer space - long before Columbus discovered this and Copernicus "formulated a heliocentric model of the universe which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center"!*
9. The Bible mentioned thousands of years ago, that the stars in space are innumerable, even though this was discovered by Galileo only a few centuries ago. Until then, people used to believe that there were only a thousand odd stars in the universe!
10. This same Bible says that all humans have sinned and fall short of God's glory. But as we ourselves sinned, we cannot pay the price required for the forgiveness of our sins. If we die in our sins, God would have no option but to send us to hell for eternity, because he is a just God (perfect judge). So if we were to get to Heaven where God lives, someone had to pay the price on our behalf. As no one else was worthy, God sent His only begotten Son Jesus as a human being, letting him die on the Cross to pay our penalty and then God raised him from the dead back to life, 3 days later. He has not died since then - he is alive and in Heaven right now. He ascended to Heaven 40 days after his resurrection from the dead.
11. God worked out this plan for our salvation because He is a just God, yet a loving God. He had to punish sin while leaving the way open for the sinner to be set free. And that salvation plan is found in Jesus.
12. Jesus is the only person in history so far who has met all the criteria required for a sacrificial Saviour: first-born male, without sin or defect, sacrificed on the Jewish 'Passover' festival day (Good Friday)...
13. The Bible also says that if you confess that you too have sinned, that you cannot save yourself and ask Jesus to save you, he will really save you (your spirit - atma - rooh). His blood will wash away your sin. All you need to do is pray a simple prayer for salvation with a true repentant heart, accepting him as your only Saviour and Lord. Click here to see what that prayer is.

* Source: Wikipedia

If you are to trust your family's future into the hands of an insurance company, which one would you choose - one that does not have any record of honouring any claim, or one which has honoured a claim in the past - just as it had promised? Of course, the latter! Now if you are to trust your eternal destiny into the hands of someone, then into whose hands would you trust it? Someone who has never come as a human being and understood your pain? Someone who died and you have never heard of them after that? Or into the hands of someone who died, rose again from the dead and has not died again - and thereby fulfilled hundreds of prophecies and promises? Again, of course the latter! 

Well, my friend, the only real historical person who fits in that category is Jesus Christ. I am not trying to convert your religion. Christianity is not a religion. Jesus' biggest enemies were the religious leaders of his day. It's not a question of "my god is bigger than your god" - it's a question of where you want to spend eternity. I urge you that you study the material I am linking to below, and thoughtfully consider praying the salvation prayer - knowing that you will be accountable before God for praying or not praying it. Jesus asked his followers only to preach the Gospel (Good News of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God in Heaven - all for free!). He did not ask us to convert anybody.

So remember, God has given you a free volition. He has not given you the right to make the wrong choice, but He has given you the power to make the wrong choice or the correct choice. Just like how we have the power to abide by the law of the land or to break it, but we do not have the right to break it. So, then…

If you have doubts, rush to www.allaboutgod.com.

To learn more about the Bible, click here.

To pray the salvation prayer, click here.

God bless you…and have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Inscribed on the Palm of God's Hands

Go to one of the tourist locations around the world and you might spot enterprising folks offering to inscribe or write your name on a grain of rice. Those who have never read (or those who have forgotten) the verse above, might be excited to have their names printed on a grain of rice by a stranger - and pay for it. Even if it is really of no consequence at all!

"See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;" - Isaiah 49:16

God is in love with every one of us. In Hindu and Islamic marriages, a bride gets her hands and feet decorated with floral and other designs using henna. Somewhere within the design or pattern, she asks for the name of the person she loves so much to be drawn - her bridegroom's. Well, God loves us so much, that He has inscribed us on the palm of His own hands - the very hands of the Creator of the entire Universe! And not just on one hand, but on His hands - meaning both of them! O what a privilege to have our refuge in the hands of our Creator!

Dear Reader, if you don't know what I am talking about, then probably you have not read the Bible. Read the Bible - it is the inspired Word of God. It tells you how much God loves you and that He has a plan for your life much more than simply living for weekends, occasional getaways and children's convocations and marriages. Draw near to Him - after all it's He who is your first relative. He conceived your beautiful baby face in His heart before your parents saw your face in the labour room, or even conceived you! He was with you always and now He wants you to be with Him forever into eternity, starting with your life here on Earth.

Road to Eternal Life...

Don't turn right…neither turn left…but head straight for this page by clicking the link:

Good News Friday

God bless you! And now go click the link above!!

Blood of Jesus Vs. Poison of Serpent...and Jesus Wins!

"…and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

A European in Australia had immuned himself against the deadly Australian Tiger Snake's poison. He thought he was immune to all types of snake venoms. One day a snake with another type of poison bit him and he died the following day. Such is the tragedy of many people. Even when it comes to sin, they think they are immune from its wages (consequences). But the Word of God shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). They who sin shall surely die…unless they cleanse themselves with the antidote to the poison - the Blood of Jesus. The life of the flesh is in the blood. And the life given by the Spirit is because of the Blood…of Jesus Christ!

Just as snake venom can change human blood so that it is no longer life-sustaining; the blood of Jesus changes a sinner to a completely new creation through the working of the Holy Spirit. It gives eternal life to the one who accepts God's plan for their salvation. Learn how

Download Teachings on Biblical Healing

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

Need healing for yourself or a loved one? Here are some good resources from Curry Blake, General Overseer of John G Lake Ministries...

(Scroll down on the page linked below, for instructions on how to get that material from Dropbox or Google Drive for free.)

http://2centseach.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/curry-blakes-teachings-available-to-download/

Give me your feedback. God bless you!

How to Give up - How to Quit - Read on...

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." - John 8:36

They say "Never quit." "Never give up." In some cases, that's not true. It depends on what you want to or need to quit or give up. If you are a slave to smoking or drinking, then you need to quit - give up - that. You need to be set free. Many people who live in democracies are in bondage - to sin. Or they are captives of disease, depression etc. Are they really free? No...! They need to be set free. Here's how...

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." - John 8:36

The best way to be set free from sin is to repent of it before the true living God and ask Him to forgive you and restore you to what He wants you to be. Jesus Christ - the Son of God - wants to set you free today...now. All you need to do is ask him to forgive you and help you overcome your weaknesses. In saying this I assume that you are already a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. If you are not, then you need to become one. Click here to learn how to get born again. Once (or if already) you are a born-again believer, use the suggestion given earlier in this paragraph, exercise your authority in Jesus' name and choose to receive the freedom that is yours in Christ Jesus! Amen.

Click here to learn more about freedom from sickness

Does God allow sickness for His glory?

What is Good Friday?

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." - Luke 23:34

Today is Good Friday. Many people feel that it is a day of mourning. Actually, it is a day of rejoicing. It is the reason why Jesus Christ came into this world - to pay the penalty for every human being's sins by dying on a wooden Cross. And as he had predicted, he rose back to life on the 3rd day - or after 3 days. Anyone who believes in this, repents of their sins and turns their life over into Jesus' hands will be saved. That is a promise from God - one of the nearly 8,000 promises in the Bible.

Learn how you can be saved from going to hell

10 Amazing Bible Facts You Must Know

There is a God…and God’s not there – he’s here!

I love to play with words. But only so long as it does not hinder in presenting the Truth.

In one of the earlier posts, (I think) I had mentioned that there are 100 billion galaxies in the Universe and that each galaxy has, on an average, 200 million stars. I guess I had read somewhere that if you count 2 stars in 1 second, it would take you 95,000 years to count all of them! But God doesn't need to count them - He created them all. Can you see your own heart? (God can!) You still believe that it exists and beats, don't you? You believe. If you can believe that, then you are certainly capable of believing that God exists and that He keeps everything beating (running) in all of Creation.

So you see there is a God – God does exist. And He’s not there, but here! He is near…at hand. God speaks through the prophet Isaiah in 41:10 in the Bible…

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

If God promises to uphold you with His hand, you can be sure that He is near. So if you are a Christian, this is enough assurance to bring you through any trial. But if you are not a Christian, let me comfort you by announcing that God our Creator deeply loves you and wants to draw you near to Him. He longs for you to know Him, just as you long for your child to call you Daddy or Mummy. You can change your life for the better forever now…read the post Good News Friday to do so.

Led by the Spirit of God

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." - Hebrews 13:7
I remember those who led me to the Lord Jesus Christ. I got saved through a website www.demonbuster.com. Although I do not agree with some of their teachings on spiritual warfare, God used that website to plant the seed of His Word in me. I was hungry so I ate up that seed and by His grace and through the power of His Spirit, the seed is bearing fruit.
There have been several others who have led me along the Way. Heb 13:7 exhorts us to imitate their faith. Praise God for the solid faith of that uncle (I will keep all the names anonymous) who had lost an eye and has been on dialysis for the last few years. The devil has not succeeded in shaking his faith in God, despite the afflictions. Recently, this uncle's doctor asked him to give a speech to about 60-70 people in the hospital where he regularly goes for dialysis. Uncle got up and shared the Gospel with them. Looks like he has decided to glorify the LORD come what may! By all means, physical fitness is necessary and you should aim for it/preserve it; but what good is it if you are not fit enough to preach the Gospel? This uncle truly gives God a 'Sacrifice of Praise'.
There is another brother who has interceded for me quite a lot. He has seen countless miracles as a result of his faith in the Living God. His church's managing committee once asked him whether he had a first class pass to commute in Mumbai's suburban trains. He said he didn't. They asked him to get one, but he refused. He said "the money that pays for my pass is the blood of the saints - they work hard and live out the Word of God. I cannot squander their hard-earned money to commute in comfort." He often goes on house visitations in various parts of Mumbai. Mumbai is one of the largest and most populous cities in the world with a reasonably good but grossly inadequate mass transport system. A local train that is supposed to carry only 1,200 commuters carries 5,000! And to travel this way in 35 degrees Celsius with 80% relative humidity - not an easy task. But this soldier of God chooses the narrow, thorny road as Jesus his Master and Leader is with him wherever he goes (Joshua 1:9). He lives out the verse “I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
My local pastor graduated from Bible College at Baltimore, Maryland. He prayed about God's call on his life and felt the Spirit tell him He wanted him to come back to India - God had a job for him here. He confirmed this with his pastor who prayed about it and felt the same. My pastor has now completed almost 20 years of ministry in India. It's not easy – he's been put in prison once for preaching the Gospel (though Christian evangelism is perfectly legal in India) - in the same Indian state where an Australian missionary was martyred many years ago. He's had a tough job. Life would probably have been much less challenging had he stayed in the comforts of the US. But thanks be to God that he brought him back to India, as our church now has almost two dozen branches all over India and about seven in Nepal!
Why do you think some people seem to be able to overcome all odds? It's not only because they have faith in Jesus. It's because they have the faith OF Jesus!
I thank God for exhorting me to imitate the faith of those who have led me spiritually in one way or another. My real Leader is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who leads me and guides me into all Truth. (John 16:13) Amen.