The Postman

Left out!

2009-12-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

Peculiar

Our skins are of different colours
And we speak a different tongue
Raised in different countries,
Brought up in different cultures
They see us and they wonder
Who are these people
What makes them one
A people so diverse, so different
Not reckoned among the nations
Yes indeed a peculiar nation
... redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

"Num 23:9-10 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! "

Knowing You Jesus!

2009-11-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Content

I thought of myself the chief of sinners
But it was pride that made me think
Far greater evil by men are done
Men far evil than I have ever been!

I thought I searched, I thought I thirst
But better men than I have lived
Better men who sought and did not find
Better men than I have ever been!

Mediocre at most
A failure even in failing
I just cannot explain
Nothing like I have ever heard or seen!

I thought Agape meant unconditional
Now I know it means more than that
Unfathomable, unimaginable, incomprehensible ...
Inexpressible .... you know what I mean!

To be called His child,
To be able to enter into His presence
To know that He Loves me,
Forgiven, washed by His blood of every sin clean!

O evil heart of mine
Is there anything more that you now seek?
Knowing that we can know Him
Cast our cares on Him, on Him lean!

Content in knowing that He reigns
Content in knowing that He loves
Content in knowing that He decides
Content in Him, even of things unseen.

2Pe 1:3-14 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

He does as He pleases in Love!

2009-11-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Act 9:10-18 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Sovereign

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel.
For He who who lit the lamp will put it on a lamp stand
It is He who opens the eyes of the thirsty to see
Opens it for babes and hides it from the wise
He who gives you favour and He who allows the chains
He who makes you a Pharaoh, He who let you be a slave
For if they knew Him not whom they crucified
Do not be alarmed if they do not see Him in you.

Even if it be to live and die without being noticed!
O Ananias! if you had but one line in the entire play!
Be assured that what He does in you
Is far greater than what He does through you;
For that which were spoken off by the prophets
Even through Judas could come to pass!
But Christ in you the hope of glory
Is a mystery that far surpass!!

For God is sovereign and worthy to be sovereign
To choose as He pleases,
To open the eyes of those He chooses
For they will know we are of Him
That we are His workmanship
The fruit of His hands, His children
Like Jesus, by the resurrection from the dead.

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Gen 45:8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

No coincidence ... I am done with luck!

2009-11-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

Planned

When things do not go as planned,
When people take time to understand,
When even repeated caution
seems to go unheeded,
We are often reminded to be patient,
Just as the Lord has been with us;
Patient of others blindness,
For once we too were blind,
Before Jesus opened our eyes;
Yes to show mercy,
Just as we were shown mercy.
Yes and so it is true!
But I have seen a deeper truth,
One that fills me with joy,
When things do not go as planned,
To know that He is in control
That even this, is in His plan.

Rom 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Amazed not surprised

2009-11-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

He continues ...

He continues to amaze us
With His Love and His Might
His Grace and His Power
He makes the impossible possible;
But it does not surprise me
As much as I used to be once
Because amazing He is
And all that He does
And nothing less can I expect
Than to be amazed in His presence!

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.

The truth you do not want to believe!?

2009-11-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hard to Believe!?
I have heard of kings
and gods made by men
Heard of valorous heroes
and great men of ancient lore
Stories so beautifully crafted
A fantasy make believe
Larger than life
He stands taller than all
He is the leader, the one who fights
He is seen by all, he is adored by all.

But the God who made this universe
So vast and incredible
Is far greater than our poetic eloquence
Far greater than our imagination
That when we hear of who He is
And what He has done
We find it hard to believe
We find Him hard to receive
Surely this cannot be true ...
We would rather believe a lie.

That God sent His only begotten Son
That whosoever believed in HIM
Shall not die, but have eternal life.
That God is real and not just a concept
and that we can know Him for who He is
through faith in His Son.

John 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

The Servant King

By HIS stripes we are healed!!

2009-07-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Jer 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

By HIS stripes - Cured!

Back sliding is ...
Loving the Lord less
than we have ever loved HIM yet,
Rejoicing in the Lord less
than we have ever rejoiced in HIM yet;
When we move from that place of complete dependence
When we are no longer unsure about ourselves;
When we slip away from that place where ...
in all things we need HIM to intervene,
in all things we see HIM intervene;
Backsliding is not when we have hit the bottom
Splattered on the floor,
Not when we lose sight of HIM;
But that momentary way ward glance,
The storms that assail,
The deafening thunder,
The thought that we made it,
That we stand;
Yes that fleeting moment,
For a moment we are walking on the water
And in an instance we are sinking;
But the gospel goes far beyond
the unfathomable depths of our frailty
Of our wretchedness,
The promise still holds
We have called out on HIS name
And surely we shall be saved;
It is HE who forgives
It is HE who justifies
It is HE who sanctifies;
Surely we shall be cured,
Cured of all our backsliding;
A finished work
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Completed on the cross at Calvary;
Dead indeed unto sin
But alive unto God;
So HE has said it,
And so it shall be;
For so it is!
Yes and Amen.

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hos 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/verse_by_verse.php?book=vbv_romans

Lord consume me completely ... help me see!

2009-07-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Help me see!

I cannot live this way I live,
I cannot let these moments go past,
Each day tumbling into another,
Where all I care
Is to cast my care;
Lord lift me up to that higher ground
Help me see, what I ought to see;
That sin, that so entangles
That double mindedness
and craving for the world
Has been crucified with You
Crucified on Calvary;
Help me see the glorious Hope
Of this Gospel written in blood
The inheritance that is mine
The free gift of salvation
Of adoption, of sonship;
Lord lift me up to that higher ground
Help me see, what I ought to see
That all my needs are met in thee
Freed from every care and want
Freed to live as You would want
Freed to receive all that is in You
Freed to pour out myself for You;
Lord lift me up to that higher ground
Help me see, what I ought to see
All the riches in eternity
Your approval eternal;
That these fleeting days while I am here
Others who are still to hear
Of this Gospel written in blood
My all in all, my everything
I will spend, for Thee my Lord.
Consume me O'Lord
Burn every bit of chaff
Let nothing remain
But the will You have willed for me
Burn me, consume me
Do with me as You will
Save me from this wretchedness
Lord lift me up to that higher ground
Help me see, what I ought to see
That my life has come to an end
And Yours in me has just begun.

Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Romans 1:14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

What to pray for and how to serve!?

2009-04-11T02:05:00.000-07:00

1Ti 2:1-4 First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Luk 10:2 Then He said to them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send forth laborers into His harvest.

Mat 9:36-38 But seeing the crowds, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were tired and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send out laborers into His harvest.

Naaman

I see the lust that rages within
The corruption of greed
The exploitation of power
The scorn of pride
That turns brother against brother
Sons against daughters
Against fathers, against mothers
Against each other
Against ourselves.

But its just a fleeting glance
A momentary pity brought about
By a secular documentary
Or a social sermon;
An emotional blackmail.

Back to business as usual
Back to daily commuting
Back to Sunday meetings
Grocery lists and bills payable;
Back to back insulated.

"Get out, go there
Do something",
The voice within
Seems to scream.
"Do not be a hypocrite."
The logic seems so true.

O foolish Galatians!
Are you justified by works!?
A scripture for scripture
What is faith without works!?

Then said they unto him,
"What shall we do
That we might work
The works of God!?"

Only believe.
Only believe?
Only believe!

And he saw lepers on his way back
And he couldn't but weep,
"Who am I O' lord
That You should have mercy on me?
If it be any goodness in me,
for nay, there be none,
Then better men still blinded be;
If it be mercy on sinners
Then more wretched men be
Than this wretched me."

I see the lust that rages within
The corruption of greed
The exploitation of power
The scorn of pride
That turns brother against brother;
And I turn to Thee
Turn to thee in gratitude
Remembering the purging of my sins
The price that was paid
Remembering who I once was
Before I had met Thee.

What will Thou have of me?

At Your beck and call I wait O lord
Each day faithful
In every thought, word and deed;
Not mine to think or do
Not mine to decide;
I am a man under authority
All that I am and all that I have
Surrendered to You.

Luk 4:25-27 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But Elijah was not sent to any of them, except to Zarephath, a city of Sidon, to a woman, a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

Luk 9:60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Follow or Forsake?

2009-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Mat 9:9 And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me! And he arose and followed Him.

Emmaus

He told me forsake all,
And I looked at them and that
Them and that I had to leave,
And it pained my heart
And wrecked my nerves,
In my head I knew it all
A fool I was to hold on,
That which I could not keep;
Even the camel seemed to find
The eye of the needle broad and wide.

"O this yoke too hard to bear?
Weak and heavy-laden?
Come, learn from Me
Stop your striving
My yoke is easy."
His voice I heard.

Yes, His voice I hear,
His love I see,
He who is risen
Is the One who calls thee;
It is He who says
"Follow me".

And I set my eyes on HIM
And I followed HIM
Set my eyes on HIM
His steady pace
His gentle gaze
His sweet words
My heart set ablaze.

And I turned to see
Them and that
Which pained my heart
And wrecked my nerves
And made a fool of me,
But I saw none
Nobody, nothing.

"Yes My yoke is easy
And My burden light;
You left them standing
As you followed Me."

Heb 12:1-3 Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint in your minds.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

2009-03-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Luk 14:33 So then, everyone of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple.
Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Absolute abandonment

All what I had I gave to HIM
What I am and what I had
What He had made
And what He had given
All to HIM, I gave it all.

And then He gave it back
What I had given to HIM
Gave it back
What was on the altar laid.

Gave me back my family,
Children, wife and parents,
Relatives, kith and kin,
Colleagues, friends and neighbours,
The brethren, God's own.

Gave me back a roof above,
Gave me back a bed to sleep,
Gave me food to eat,
And a job to pay my bills.

Gave me back every gift
Every talent and skill
Gave me back my name
Gave me back a life to live.

Gave me back everything
More than what I had given
Gave me back in Christ
Every Spiritual blessing.

And by His grace
I saw through the test
"Nay my lord, nay", I said
"These hands at Your feet emptied
These hands on the plough I have laid
These hands I will not take back
Take back what was on the altar laid."

"Am I your Master?
Your Lord and Saviour?
Am I the One you will question?
Am I not your Redeemer?
The One who bought you with a price,
Not of corruptible things?
Am I not the King of kings?
The Lord of lords?
The One who holds the keys?
The One who measures the universe
With the span of His fingers?
Who holds the waters
In the hollow of His palm?
Speak and be not silent ...
Am I not the Alpha and the Omega?"

"My Lord and Master
You are all these and more
Whatever You give I will gladly receive
For only good things come from Thee;
My Redeemer and King
Whatever You want You can ask of me
You have bought me and I am not my own;
My God and My Creator
For Your good pleasure
Do with me as You please
For I am Yours and You are mine.

And then my eyes were opened
Then in complete abandonment I saw
He had set me free
The Son has set me free.
Lord whatever You give, I will receive
You are my Master
And I Your steward be,
I Your steward be.

2Ti 1:12 For this cause I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard My deposit unto that Day.
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he was afterward going to receive for an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he went.
Heb 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac your Seed shall be called, concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from where he even received him, in a figure.

In Him ... from within

2009-03-02T04:02:00.000-08:00

Eph 1:7-14 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding; having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, for an administration of the fullness of times, to head up all things in Christ, both the things in Heaven, and the things on earth, even in Him, in whom also we have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will, for us to be to the praise of His glory, who previously had trusted in Christ; in whom also you, hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of our salvation, in whom also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance, to the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

From within

When attacked by a besetting sin,
By His all sufficient grace,
When I resist, when I overcome,
I see a joy flooding my heart
And am quick to realize
That whole of heaven rejoices with me
And what I feel is the same joy
The joy that fills heaven
Rushing forth from within me.

Yes when in my hour of need
When I cry out to the Lord
True to His word
He saves me by His grace
True to His word
He answers my prayers
That my joy be made complete
The joy that fills His heart
Overflowing from within me.

Yes I remember that day
When I was lost in my sins
Abounding in transgressions
Hopeless as can be
I had met His unconditional love
As I saw Him bear my guilt and shame
Saw Him die for me
And as the burden was lifted
There came great peace and joy
Bubbling out from within me.

O' the Joy that I have
O' the peace that I have
I thought it was mine own,
When Jesus had come along;
But I see it is not so,
It is His Joy, His peace
His Kingdom within
Like rivers of living water
Flowing out from within me.

Joh 15:11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 17:13 And now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they might have My joy fulfilled in them.

Mat 23:25-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and excess. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also appear righteous to men outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

In these times - Father glorify Your name

2009-03-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Mat 6: 24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Father glorify Your Name

They came back
as if from a trance,
they had seen
their immediate future
their present realities
and both didn't measure up.
In logical speculation
and acute reasoning
in all practicality
to move on was suicide.
But yet one on one
they seemed to be so full of faith
so full of hope and courage
they nodded in unison
that God is in control
that God loves us
that we need have no worry
we who seek His kingdom
the righteousness that is from Him;
but let us be practical,
and they shelved God to their minds
while other things occupied their heart.

But there were a few
Who thought otherwise
Who had found a yardstick
Hidden in the scriptures,
All they had to do was
Measure their thoughts
Anxieties clothed as 'concerns'
With the heathen world around
And if they too are bothered by the same
Then hear the Master's voice say
"these things the heathen worry about."
These were those who had found the secret
Not in accurate doctrinal logic
But in practical reality
Of walking with God daily.
Yes they have found Him
of whom it was written
Emmanuel - God with us.

Yes these few
Are weak and frail
They want to but cannot
Weak and heavy laden
At the end of their striving
They come to their Lord and Saviour
In honest confession
They say, "all things are possible with You,
Help us Lord we pray
Teach us how to rejoice continually
Teach us to pray without ceasing
Teach us to live this life
As You have told us,
To be at rest as You were,
Teach us to walk
As You had walked."

And lo behold I see
A salvation supernatural
Not in the grasp of men
A salvation impossible
Being wrought in me
That all who see are bound to ask
"Is this possible, to live like this."
"Yes, yes it is
This is the good news we preach,
We can live in utter abandonment
In the shadow of the Almighty,
For He who is in us
Is greater than who is in the world,
Nothing is allowed
unless my Father allows it,
My Father loves me
And all He allows is for my very best;
Shall I say no, shall I say take this away,
O' yes, every cell in me wants to say so!
But this salvation
Christ in me the hope of glory
This is the good news
The life He lived, He came to give
This is eternal life, His life
His life in me to live,
That with great rejoicing
By God working in me
both to will and to do
I too can say, as Jesus said
Nay, nay, Father glorify Your name."

1 Pet 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Num 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it. For we are well able to overcome it.

Confess Gods promises - it will come to pass.

2009-02-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.

Filled and brought low

I see this mountain before me
This sin, this addiction
The one that so easily besets me
O' where will my help come from?
These giants so big
And I like grasshoppers be
Who will take me into the Promised Land?
Who will give me victory?
Who will help me overcome?
From the depths I cry out
No help seems near
Neither from the east nor the west
From the north or the south
In desperation nowhere to turn around
In the valley darkness surrounds
And I turn my head upwards
And I think I sense a gentle breeze
As if all of heaven sigh – “at last”
At last heaven rejoices
And I think I hear a gentle voice
And I speak it out loud,
what is being written in my heart;
"I lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth."
At last I believe
At last I confess
At last I take Him at His word,
No feelings or thoughts
No dark clouds of doubts
Disguised in the garb of reality
Can hide this simple fact,
He has said it
And so it will be,
I have called on His name
And so I will be saved,
From this besetting sin;
At last the seed that was sown
Has died to give life,
The grain of wheat
The mustard seed
Has surrendered itself,
"For the law of the Spirit of life
In Christ Jesus has set me free
From the law of sin and death."

Mar 9:23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.

Rom 10:8-10 But what does it say? "The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim; Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony. And they did not love their soul until death.

http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/new_year_video_message.php

In HIS image - To be like Jesus

2009-02-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

Gen 1:27 And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.

Mould

Through one man
Through one mould
Through one command
broken
Sin entered
and found its foothold
Chained
slaves begat slaves.

Now there arose up
A new king
A new government
A new circumstance
Which knew not ...
But God who forgets not
But God who neither sleeps
nor slumbers
God who knows it all
God who hears each sigh
God who sees each tear form
God who feels each pain
God who breaks not a bruised reed
He who quenches not a smoking wick
He had planned it all
To bring forth judgement unto truth.

Yes God ...
God was not to let it go
No work of His has bit the dust
But marvellous are His works
and marvellous still His ways
Who from dust has made us
and from the earth brings forth
from the dust He feeds us.

So He came down
In our midst
In our pains
In our circumstances
He came as one
Like you and me
A flesh like our very own
Tempted in all things
As you are
And as I am
Yet without sin
Crucified died
He rose again
Death defeated
Sin conquered
He made all things new.

A new and living way
A new birth
A new covenant
A new mould
Perfect in all His ways
With a resounding promise
An inheritance
for all who believe in HIM
To be children of God
To overcome
To receive His very Spirit
To walk as He walked
To become like HIM.

Yes deep calls out to the deep
The Spirit to my own
To be broken
And not to break

Break not His heart
But be broken
As He was for you.
For in the broken
contrite heart
He will dwell
For evermore.

Break not His heart
Live not this life
In your own strength
But receive ye
Receive ye the riches
that be in Christ
Die not a pauper.

Break not His heart
Each living day;
That when you meet Him
Like the songs we sing
"No sorrow, no regret
Joy for evermore
Each passing breath
By Your Grace
I lived for you
Sought only you
In all I did
I glorified You"
Be true of you
Be true of me.

Through the clutter of this mayhem
This world, my flesh and the tempters guile
I know not how
But I hear, I hear
I hear Your voice soft
Calling on to me
"Come, come
Come unto Me you who thirst
Come drink
He that believeth on Me,
As the scripture hath said,
Out of his belly shall flow
Rivers of living water."

Lord I come
Lord I believe
Lord You know all things.

Rom 5:12-21 Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned: for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is the type of Him who was to come; but the free gift shall not be also like the offense. For if by the offense of the one many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace; which is of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the free gift shall not be as by one having sinned; (for indeed the judgment was of one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses to justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by one offense sentence came on all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came to all men to justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. But the Law entered so that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, so that as sin has reigned to death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Fear not brethren, He cometh soon ... riding with the clouds.

2009-02-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

Rev 1:7 Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him will see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Mat 24:13 But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe.
1Co 1:8 He shall also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heb 3:6 But Christ was faithful as a Son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
Heb 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same eagerness to the full assurance of hope to the end, that you be not slothful, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Rev 2:26 And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations.

Joh 13:1 And before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come when He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own in the world, He loved them to the end.
Joh 17:23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Joh 12:26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there also My servant shall be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where do You go? Jesus answered him, Where I go you cannot now follow Me, but you shall follow Me afterward.

Col 1:21-23 And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish, and without charge in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven ...
1Jn 3:1-3 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

Head to heart

Uncertain times
Unnerving lives
Preparing for the worst
Hoping for the best
Even godless men
Can live this way
"Teach me Lord to trust in you
Not in thoughts
That bring fleeting calm."

From head to heart
Bring down this single fact
That when You from heaven
Came down as man
You came to say,
"Fear not, I am in command."

"Do you love me Lord?"
I had asked
"Yes I do
More than My own life"
Not empty words
Of youthful love
When on the cross
You proved it true.

From head to heart
Bring down this single fact
That when You from heaven
Came down as man
You came to show,
How much You love.

O these words
Too strong for me
Striving exhausted
Impossible for man
Yet You have called
The weak and heavy laden
"Teach me Lord
To learn from Thee"

From head to heart
Bring down this single fact
That when You from heaven
Came down as man
You came to show,
I too can walk
As You had walked.

Now when I faint
Revive me Lord
When distracted
Bring me be back
Loudly help me remind
Myself and all who hear
The things we see
Is passing by
Only them and that
In Christ is found
Will remain, will stand.

From head to heart
Bring down this single fact
That when You from heaven
Came down as man
Died and rose again
To ascend into heaven
Help me Lord to clearly hear
Your words loud and clear
As if from blaring trumpets near
"Fear not, I come again
Fear not, I send the Helper
Fear not, till the end
Fear not, firmly stand"

Rev 1:1-8 A Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to declare to His servants things which must shortly come to pass. And He signified it by sending His angel to His servant John, who bore record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all the things that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads and hears the Words of this prophecy, and the ones keeping the things written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne; even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and those who pierced Him will see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth will wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

God who created the heavens and the earth

2009-02-17T00:47:00.000-08:00

Luk 5:1 And it happened that the crowd pressed on Him to hear the Word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret. Luk 5:2 And He saw two boats standing by the lake. But the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Luk 5:3 And He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people out of the boat. Luk 5:4 And as He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let your nets down for a haul. Luk 5:5 And answering, Simon said to Him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Yet at Your word I will let down the net. Luk 5:6 And doing this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish. And their net was being torn. Luk 5:7 And they signaled the partners, those in the other boat, to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking. Luk 5:8 And seeing, Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord. Luk 5:9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the haul of fish which they had taken, Luk 5:10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not fear, from now on you will be taking men alive. Luk 5:11 And bringing their boats onto land, forsaking all things, they followed Him.

The knife

I saw a poor man
Glorify God
Prove to the world
That He is in charge
That he who bends his knee
And to Him makes known
All that weighs his heart
Has no need to bend his head
Or stretch his hand
To another man like him

I saw a poor man
Curse and groan
Repenting the folly of his ways
His unrighteous living
Laziness and procrastination
Self inflicted wounds
He has become an anecdote
That wise men try to impress
On young minds
"Beware, be not like him"

O' the paradox
This treacherous knife
In ones hand
The surgeons scalpel
That brings forth life
Glorifying the creator
In similar hands
A murderous dagger
That takes forth life
Bringing death
Condemnation and regret.

I see a knife being placed
In these very hands
I see abundance bestowed
An inheritance undeserved
"Depart from me, O Lord
For I am a sinful man"
But He reached out
And touched my heavy heart
"From henceforth, fear not
Thou shalt catch men."

Psalm 121
1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

O' for grace to rejoice in the valley. To testify to God's goodness in the valley, to glorify His name. In weakness He gives us grace to do the impossible, what frail human nature cannot.

All things!! - 1Co 10:31 Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

2009-02-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered to Me by My Father.
Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked on them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
Mat 28:19-20 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.
Mar 4:34 But he did not speak to them without a parable. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Mar 7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.
Mar 9:23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.
Mar 13:23 But take heed; behold, I have told you all things beforehand.
Mar 14:36 And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to You. Take away this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.Luk 18:31 And He took the Twelve and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.
Joh 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
Joh 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.
Joh 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and will announce it to you.
Joh 17:7 Now they have known that all things, whatever You have given Me, are from You.
2Pe 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

All things

All my sins are forgiven
All my past is washed clean
On the cross when He died
His love I have seen;
Nothing He held back
Nothing got in between
All things, even His life
For me and for you;
All things made new
All things I can do
By the gift of His Spirit
Lord I can truly live for You;
Nothing held back
Nothing that stops
His love constrains me
I am nothing no more;
All things that are
All things by Him
Worthy is the Lamb
All things for Him;
All that I have
All that I am
Thou hast given
All things that is;
Like You to be
Like You to give
Like You to love
Like You to live
Like You in all things;
Teach me Lord I pray
Just as You gave all things
For a wretch like me
Teach me Lord to give
Body, Soul and Spirit
Teach me Lord to live
All things for Your glory
All things, always.

Luk 5:11 And bringing their boats onto land, forsaking all things, they followed Him.
Mat 7:12 Therefore all things, whatever you desire that men should do to you, do even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Luk 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Luk 24:25 And He said to them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all things that the prophets spoke!
Joh 16:30 Now we know that You know all things and do not need that anyone should ask You. By this we believe that You have come forth from God.
Joh 21:17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him a third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.
Act 2:44 And all who believed were together and had all things common.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Rev 21:5 And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

Jesus holds the reins

I don’t know what will happen
What trial or what test
But I know He plans it all
All for my very best

I have no need for worry
In Him is only rest
In Christ He has given us ALL
ALL THINGS, to work for our very best

So bring out your tambourines
Your flute and violin
With grateful hearts let us sing
‘cos Jesus holds the reins

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

‘cos Jesus holds the reins
Jesus holds the reins

http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=%22All%20things%22&version1=9&searchtype=all&limit=none&wholewordsonly=no

(Song) Help me count the cost.

2009-02-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Luke 14: 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Help me count the cost

Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung;
What this world has in store,
The riches and the fame;
Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung;
To trade my pennies,
For wealth untold;
Of heavenly riches,
To take a hold;
Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung.

Christ my saviour lives,
Seated on the right,
Right hand of God,
All dominion is HIS,
In heaven and on earth,
And Satan has been crushed,
Holy Spirit led,
What have I to fear!?
My Lord is so near!

Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung;
What this world has in store,
The riches and the fame;
Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung;
To trade my pennies,
For wealth untold;
Of heavenly riches,
To take a hold;
Help me Lord, to count it all,
To count it all as dung.

Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Philippians 3: 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Walking in the truth

2009-01-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

Psa 25:14 The secret of Jehovah is with those who fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.

Minority

When God shows you some truth,
Hidden deep in His word,
That invites a ridicule,
Criticism so strong,
That you are called a heretic,
When none you know,
Seem to see it as you do,
You doubt that truth,
Think "Maybe I am wrong,
They cant all be wrong!"

You may not be the only one,
But you might be in the only few;
In the remnant,
Who followed the lamb,
Wherever He went.

Truths lost to the majority,
Covered in the traditions of men,
In religious habits;
They know the name,
But do not know HIM.
Loving not the truth,
Seeking this world,
Proud and arrogant,
Deceived by God Himself!

But you press on dear brother,
And God will show you,
Not new truths,
But lost truths,
Truths hidden,
Truths that will set you free,
Truths that lead to heavenly riches,
Truths that glorify Jesus;
Yes press on dear brother,
And God will show you,
Show you, who love the Truth,
Truth about yourself,
Truth that leads to repentance.
Truth that helps you judge yourself;
Yes press on dear brother,
Press on,
Walking with Jesus,
Walking in the Truth.

1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, 2Th 2:12 so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned.

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/word_for_the_week.php?display=08_05&year=08

Thy will be done

2009-01-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

Luk 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

Thy Will Be Done

We have no social cause,
But the cause of Christ;
We have no agenda,
But what He reveals to us;
We are not here to change the world,
Bring freedom and world peace,
We are here to do HIS will;
Though it might as well change the world.

In Jerusalem,
Were many lepers,
Cripple, dumb, deaf and blind,
Men by evil possessed,
Yes my heart went out to them;
What should I do,
What should I say,
What should I pray,
For them,
Who shepherdless perish?
But yet it was not for this that I was born;
And in sleepless, prayerful nights,
I heard HIS voice clear,
Then I said,
Lo, I come
(in the volume of the Book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.

Heb 10:5 Therefore when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have had no pleasure. Heb 10:7 Then I said, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God." Heb 10:8 Above, when He said, "Sacrifice and offering, and burnt offerings and offering for sin You did not desire, neither did You have pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the Law), Heb 10:9 then He said, "Lo, I come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first so that He may establish the second.

No longer free

2009-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all, then all died;

No longer free

A christian is no free man,
And neither is his tongue;
He has been bought,
Paid in Full,
By the priceless blood of Christ.
He is HIS bond slave,
The good steward,
At the beck and call of His Master;
To be used as HE pleases.
Men may have opinions by the dozens,
But he is not at liberty;
Circumstances can differ,
But his is not the choice.
He strains his ears and prays,
Teach me Lord to hear Your voice,
Teach me Lord to walk in Your will,
Teach me Lord to be fully Yours,
Teach my Lord I pray;
That I am not my own,
That I have been crucified,
That it is no longer I,
Teach me Lord to see;
No longer I, but Christ in me.

1Pe 3:10 For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

In HIS presence

2009-01-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

In HIS presence

Alone, I turned to the Lord,
In the sweetness of His fellowship
I wondered why I had not done this before,
Wondered why I had let go
Of such glimpses in the past!

And there I should remain
In prayerful decisiveness,
Day by day
In brokenness,
In the shadow of the almighty;
There I will be led
Into the centre of HIS will!

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Heb 11:38 The world was not worthy of them.

2009-01-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it also shall be in the days of the Son of Man.

Noah

I knew of a man long ago,
A righteous upright man;
He tolerated not the sin around,
But condemned it to death.

Now how is it that you might ask,
That he alone such lived?
How is it he swam against,
The tide of people's thoughts?

He spent time with the godly men,
With the wise men so few he found;
Heard from his father's father,
Of his father who walked with God.

So an upright life he decided,
To live righteously before God;
Though all men may ridicule him,
He will still walk the narrow road.

So when all men less than half his age,
Married and with children;
He still had no offspring,
And sure they ridiculed him no end.

And then the triplets came,
Hearty congratulations all around;
Parental and financial advices,
Responsibilities galore abound.

O what peace he had,
What rest in his heart!
A life of contentment and of rest,
Back in Eden from the start.

Surely it is blessed,
To live upright before God;
But the prosperity gospel,
Was not what God had in mind!

Get up and build for Me,
O righteous man of God;
Use your time and your money
Thus saith the Lord.

Reasons innumerable,
Rushed in a single thought;
The grip seemed to loosen,
The one that was on the plough.

But God is so merciful,
He who loves without end;
Showed him sin and righteousness,
And of the judgement to come.

Once again the resolve came,
All double mindedness purged;
Once again the eyes were opened,
As the glorious truth sunk in.

One man who stood for God
One man against the multitude;
One man by faith in God
One man who condemned the world.

One man heaven seeks,
One man who will stand steady;
One man who will join them,
For whom the world was not worthy.

I am weak and foolish my Lord,
Too scared to even voice my thoughts;
But if you will have me and make me,
I will be that man! I will be that man!

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, having been warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

He will bring it to pass, what He has promised.

2009-01-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"--Luke 11:11-13.

The Author and Finisher

They told me I had to weep
They told me I had to seek
They told me I had to mourn
Wrestle to get what I want
From God...
I heard their words and thought
If I could squeeze a tear or two
It would move my Lords heart;
But it was not to be.

What He sought was the desire within
A seeking that comes from inside
Not an external white wash
Not the loud crying and modest clothes
For it was not a tear that would move Him
He who is moved by love
Love that seeks nothing in return
For when I scorned and ridiculed HIM
It was even then that He loved me
Even then He took my place
Took the wrath of God and died.

So I know not how
But after I had met Him
It was easier to tell the truth
So I told Him as it was,
“I have no thirst
No desire deep within
I do not mourn or weep
Or do anything, as I should.
But I want to!”

And as I prayed I began to weep
Mourning overtook me
A desire to do His utmost will
A cry and a seeking that I have never seen
I walked up through paths
I had not trod before;
And surely I was comforted
Surely I found
Surely I was broken
From within.

And then what was written
Became true in my life;
They that seek would find,
And I found!
They that mourn would me comforted,
And I was comforted!
They that weep shall be heard,
And I was heard !
They that wrestle shall be broken,
And I was broken!

I was tempted to think ...
… that it was my tear
… that it was my mourning
… that it was my seeking
… that it was my wrestling
… that it was my striving
But nay it was not
It was God …
Nay, not just...
… it was God my Father.

"If God is much more ready and willing to give his children good things than you are to give to yours, then surely it must be easy and not difficult to get spiritual blessings, even to the utmost extent of our wants." - Charles G. Finney

http://www.inthebeginning.com/articles/prayingholy.htm

http://www.cfcindia.com/web/mainpages/new_year_video_message.php

Come ... I have a song to teach you!!

2008-12-26T03:19:00.000-08:00

The song I sing

"O' what a sorry crowd it was,
Publicans and harlots,
Weak, foolish philosophers
And men of the worst kind,
Sinners not worth mentioning,
The scum of the world.

But yet in them I saw a joy,
That I had never seen before;
A peace that I could not understand;
What their past was,
Was not what was today;
Sinners they were,
But repented and reformed,
Miraculously changed!

I wondered, how could it be?
How could this have happened?
Not one of them had a moral backbone,
Not one who wanted to,
Enticed and addicted,
There was neither strength nor will,
Nothing in them,
To have brought about this change;
Though they had the same names,
Looked the same,
They were different,
A new creation, of sorts.

And I enquired,
And it seemed they were but waiting,
To sing out their story,
One by one they retold,
How the old was gone,
And the new had come;
But one single thread,
Seemed to connect them all,
Like the branches of a single vine,
One man, who had touched them all;
One God, who had made us all;
One truth, one way, one light.

And I asked them,
Who is this man, this God?
What is His name?
And in unison,
I heard the sound of many voices,
Immanuel
God with us
Lion of Judah
Lamb of God
Prince of peace
King of kings
Lord of Lords
Son of man
Son of God
Only begotten
Never born, never created
From the beginning
One with the Father.
But the name we love the most
The name that brought us salvation
"Jesus friend of sinners
Loved me 'ere I knew Him"."

This is what you had told me
Of the day we had met
This is the song I had taught you
The day we had met
This is the song we will ever sing
From dawn till sunset
"Jesus friend of sinners
Loved me 'ere I knew Him".

1Ti 1:15 Faithful is the Word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

(Below is the song that has recently become even more real to me. Not sure who the author is.)
His Forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
Loved me ’ere I knew Him
Drew me with His cords of love
Tightly bound me to Him
’Round my heart still closely twined
The ties that none can sever
For I am His and He is mine
Forever and forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
A crown of thorns You wore for me
Bruised for my transgressions
Pierced for my iniquities
The wrath of God that I deserved
Was poured out on the Innocent
He took my place, my soul to save
Now I am His forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
I love to tell the story
Redeeming love has been my theme
And will be when in glory
Not death nor life nor anything
Can ever separate me
O love that will not let me go
Yes, I am His forever

(SONG) Today

2008-12-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Neh 1:3 And they said to me, The remnant left of the captivity there in the province is in great affliction and shame. And the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire. Neh 1:4 And it happened when I heard these words, I sat down and wept. And I mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven. Neh 1:5 And I said, I pray You, O Jehovah, the God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and mercy for those who love Him and keep His commandments; Neh 1:6 let Your ear now be open, and Your eyes open, so that You may hear the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You now, day and night, for the sons of Israel Your servants, and confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned. Neh 1:7 We have acted very wickedly against You, and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgments which You commanded Your servant Moses. Neh 1:8 I pray You, remember the Word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations, Neh 1:9 but if you turn to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though you were cast out to the outermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather you from there and will bring you to the place that I have chosen to set My name there. Neh 1:10 And these are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. Neh 1:11 O Jehovah, I pray You, let now Your ear be open to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name. And I pray You, bless Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. (For I was the king's cupbearer.)

Today

Today is the day of salvation
Today says the Lord
Today is the day I'll repent
Today I'll turn to the Lord
Today the work will start
Today, says the Lord
Today no matter what
Reasons, feelings, thoughts
Today is the day of salvation
Today, says the Lord.

The walls are all fallen
The life in ruins be
But today the work has started
Today, when I turned to Thee.

Today, today, today
No matter what I think or say
Today, today, today
Today, says the Lord.

Today because You 've said it so
I know how my end will be
Today by faith I clearly see
Today You 've set me free.

Today, today, today
No matter what you think or say
Today, today, today
Today, says the Lord.

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice, Heb 3:8 do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, Heb 3:9 when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.
Heb 4:7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."

Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,

From within ... rivers of living water!!

2008-12-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

Mat 19:25 When His disciples heard, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked on them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

His Promise - This my prayer and hope
"Look at me
Can any man live,
Live as I now do?
Neither can I!
But it is the Grace of God,
For it is no longer I
But Christ in me
The hope of Glory;
For the Life I live
I no longer live
But Christ in me;
Making possible
The impossible.”

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

Witness

O’ of what salvation do you boast
One that any man can work out!
You flee from youthful lust,
And yes you should,
You also fight those thoughts,
The ones that shame you most,
But can you dig deep within,
And though you do not sin,
Can you bring purity within?

All works of man,
Like white washed tombs,
Lively as it might seem,
Just lifeless bones within!
The way I talk, the way I walk
I can polish my outside,
But who can tear the flesh apart
And bring purity inside?

I can hide the thoughts I have
By actions that seem so righteous;
The grinding of my teeth
To be mistaken for a smile;
I can clench my fist in anger
But cross my hands behind;
I can seem so much better
Than one whose anger killed a man;
But on that great and terrible day,
When all the dead shall rise,
I will need to answer for my anger,
No more any place to hide,
With the killed and the killer,
Standing side by side.

You who sing of an empty grave
To prove your saviour lives,
I who once was an empty sepulchre
Decked up and called a wonder,
I who was a wretched sinner,
Till by grace I did surrender,
This life I live, my greatest proof
My saviour once dead, now lives.

1Ti 1:16 But for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, as a pattern to those being about to believe on Him to life everlasting.

Our salvation is not a life which we could have lived by ourselves, but something which was impossible for us, but is becoming a reality by God's grace working in us.
That the LIFE of JESUS may be manifested in each and every aspect of our walking, talking, thinking and doing. My life should be the proof that Jesus lives.

Him who is able to keep you from falling ...

2008-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Joh 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing

Nothing of my own

I no longer walk sure footed,
I dare not trust my own,
My decision and my will power
My passion and love for the Lord;
And least of all,
These eloquent words that I speak;
Fooling all including me.

There was a time I boldly spoke,
Looked down on feeble hearts,
Ready to even die,
And count it all as dung.
Yes there was a time like this
A time long gone,
A time I bared my chest
And made a great boast,
"Let everyone else fall
But Lord, nay, not I."
Yes there was a time like this
Before I truly died.

I had been a failure all my life,
Till the Lord had picked me up;
He had healed the wounds
And lifted my head up;
Made a new man out of spittle,
Something out of nothing,
By the touch of His hands.
And O' what joy was mine!
Nothing could bring me down;
And l loved to tell that story,
Of what I was and what I am,
And how He had done it all.

But I spoke to foolish men
Men who couldn't see;
And though they cheered,
And thought they encouraged,
Thought they did a good thing,
When they praised me for my zeal.
A bigger fool that I was,
I took them at their word;
Thought the zeal now I had,
Where once there was none,
Thought I had a part to play;
Though He had done it all.

Reliving the past,
An experience I once had;
The story slowly lost its charm,
As dead words were spoken,
By a dead man, deprived of life;
And as the darkness enveloped,
Everything became a dream;
Till the story was forgotten,
As if it had never happened;
Memories faded,
And names forgotten,
Clinging on to something,
Not quite sure,
All muddled ....

Many cocks have crowed from then,
Many days of blind comfort,
Many days of empty words,
Foolish thoughts and evil intentions;
Many days in the pen,
Till crushed by circumstances,
Reason returned to me,
And in the blinding light I saw,
The evil life now being lived by me.

Once again the old story came back,
O' where I was and what I had become!
And where I saw no glimmer of hope,
No reason for mercy,
Like the morning dawn,
Which breaks forth,
From the darkest hour,
I saw love unexplainable,
Mercy unfathomable,
Reaching out to me!
And as I cried out for help,
As I cried out in shame,
As I cried out in pain,
All my empty boast came back to me.

Nothing left to bargain,
If You can?
If You would?
Take me as I am!
There is no promise I can make,
That I can keep;
My words are all empty,
And even if I say it so,
I can no longer believe,
No longer believe me.

And then I saw in a new light,
Of what it meant when it said,
When I hated HIM,
He came and died for me;
That He had come to save,
Those who couldn't save themselves;
That He has chosen,
The weak and the foolish;
That I could do nothing of my own,
And all I need to do is
Go to Him and rest.

I have been a failure
And I know I will always be
But Christ in me the hope of glory
By His Grace, like Him I can be,
Like Him obedient
Like Him faithful
Like Him hate sin
Like Him love all
Like Him humble and meek
Like Him glorify the Father
Like Him in all things
That when at last I will see Him
And He will say,
"Well done good and faithful steward
Here is your reward."
It will be no false humility
When I place the crown He offers
Place it at His feet
"For if at all I have been faithful
It is Your grace in me
For In my failure You came
Both to will and do in me
Both in and through me."

And if in this there is a truth
A truth for you to learn
You are free to take it
Freely I got, freely I give.

Mat 11:28 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:29 Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. Mat 11:30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Php 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,
Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.

Jud 1:24 Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy;
Jud 1:25 to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and might and authority, even now and forever. Amen.

Cut off for me and you

2008-12-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Joh 15:1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.
Joh 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
Joh 15:5 I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.

Cut off

The one thing He did
The one that surpasses all
When He died for me
From the Father, He was cut off;
A fellowship from eternity past
And one that remains for eternity ever
On that single moment
Cut off for you and me.
It was of this that He spoke
When He had prayed
"Father is there any other way!?
Yet not My will but Thine."
There when He bore my sin
There before a righteous and Holy God,
There the righteousness of God met
And the wrath of God satisfied
There on that gory spot
Where sin and death was dealt with
Even love and mercy unsurpassed met
There when He was cut off
Pierced for my sin
There my salvation flowed out
There I was grafted in.

Isa 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?
Isa 53:2 For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was stricken.
Isa 53:9 And He put His grave with the wicked, and with a rich one in His death; although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to crush Him; to grieve Him; that He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering. He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide to Him with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death; and He was counted among the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors.

written through Isaiah at about 760 to 713 b.c

Yes He will ... yes he will ...

2008-11-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

Metamorphosis
We played in a field full of trees
Me and my brothers, we were three
The youngest one, on our shoulders we carried
And when we sat, he was on our knee.

But little by little as days went by
He could crawl, was trying to walk
But try all he could, he would fall
And cry aloud, too young to talk.

So I made sure he would never fall
For I carried him always in my hand
And soon I saw others his age
Running and jumping across the sand.

My bigger brother came up to me
He said of things that one cannot learn
Places that one cannot reach
Unless he falls, fails or takes a wrong turn.

So now I stand in the shadow of a tree
Watching and praying, hoping today it would be
Ready to rush, console and wipe away tears
Or to say, "I knew you could walk. See!!"

1Jn 5:16 If anyone sees his brother sin a sin not to death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for those that do not sin to death. There is a sin to death, I do not say that he shall pray for it.
Joh 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

A simple truth can set you free ...

2008-11-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

A simple truth
I can make giants of windmills
Imagine clouds to be castles
Believe so blindly, imagining
That faith could make it real.
But all I do is fool myself
Believing a lie of my own making.
But I have seen bigger fools than me
Believing what is, to be not
Walking into walls
They diligently believe are not.

I have seen gods being made
Dime a dozen
All shapes and sizes
You pick and choose, you believe!!
I was once such a fool
Didn’t want to take a chance
Took them all in my arms
One of them should work
I told myself
But they were all just concepts
Neatly arranged in my head
A god of convenience
Lifeless and powerless
Just a showpiece
A cultural phrase that I utter!!!

But there is a God in Heaven
Who reveals secrets and makes known all things
He changes the times and the seasons
He removes kings and sets up kings
To the wise, it is He who gives wisdom
Those who have understanding, owe it to Him
He is not a concept that I have imagined
But it is I whom HE has brought into existence.

What then are the sorrows that this world can offer?
Where then is the anxiety of this life?
What fear does death impose on me?
What then will happen of my loved ones?
What surety can I have for my children's character?
O' I have a hundred questions
That I know the practical mind would ask
But in all practicality, all this truly fades away
When I know in assured reality
That the God in Heaven is my Father
Who has explicitly confirmed
The vastness of His love for me
When His only Son He gave for me
That with Him, all things are mine
All things, He would take care;
All I need to do is believe, that He is
O' how wonderful and simple this truth.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name,
Joh 1:13 who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Come to the meeting of the saints!

2008-11-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised), and let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

How easily the legitimate reason comes to us to neglect the gathering of the saints; and on the other extreme, we can get into condemnation when there are legitimate reasons for missing the gathering of saints.
How easily even a legitimate reason can be considered neglect if we have not laid it before the Lord. How often we have a compelling reality that stops us from attending a meeting, just because we did not ask the Lord to intervene.

Why then should I go ...
because the Lord said He would be there
because there is a word that He has given you my sister and brother that is for me,
the one little word that would deliver me?
because there is a word that I have been given for you my brother and sister, and if I give it not and hold back the much needed deliverance, what hope have I?
Haven't I failed HIM so many times?
Haven't I been forgiven much?
Didn't I say I would love Him and serve HIM and HIS!?
Haven't I floundered away so many of my years!?
Will I miss this opportunity too?
Come, I hear the call...
Here I am Lord,
Speak! your servant obeys.

In eternity with the Lord and the saints. Is that truly what I hope for!!!
... every trial ...... for eternity!!
Come let us rehearse ...... :-)

When God leads me ... to HIMSELF!!

2008-11-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

When God leads me ...

Truly HE holds everything in HIS mighty hands.
I was thinking of King Baasha. An evil king whose family, God said, will be destroyed and be no more. Yet when he repented in sack and ash cloth, not that there was a complete repentance and forsaking of evil, God decided not to do these things in his life time. Imagine ... God's mercy on such a man ...
Imagine ... how vast and deep is God's mercy.
How much more will He not help us whom He has redeemed by HIS own Son?
Wont He not give us all things?
We need God's grace to see it in this light. Else it will be just another verse that we have become so familiar with.

Yes we need to truly see God as our Father. it is for this that Jesus came, it is for this that He gave His life, so that through the new birth that is in HIM, we can call God our Father and Jesus our elder brother.
But how we loose this in the clutter of our own thoughts.
Like the child who wants his father to teach him how to swim. But he is scared, "what if I get it wrong, what if I slip up? my father may allow me to drown." How absurd and ridiculous we would say ....
God the Father gave HIS only Son to save us from our sins, to make us able to live a life that will bring HIM joy. Won't He with Jesus give us all things ...
... but ... but ... what if I get it wrong or slip up? ....
Father I do not want to slip up or get it wrong. Please help me.

Psa 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great.
Psa 73:23 But I am always with You; You have held me by my right hand.
Psa 94:18 When I said, My foot slips; Your mercy, O Jehovah, held me up.

Yes when He leads me
He leads me by HIS hand,
Not like cattle to be slaughtered
Or as a prey being lured, being hunted,
But as a Father leads His son;
As a Loving Father His son.
He leads me not to the edge of a cliff,
Nor does He lead me to a very deep pit,
He leads me to Himself,
En route maybe a cliff or a pit.
Yes truly He leads me,
Up ahead, I follow the very steps He tread,
To a place to die and be broken,
Yes there is a cross ahead,
But that is not where He leads me,
He leads me to Himself;
Through my own empty tomb
To the resurrection of the dead.
Yes when He leads me on,
By HIS nail pierced hand
Pierced for myself,
He leads me to Himself.

God and all HIS goodness reamins in the place of brokenness

2008-10-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

Joh 13:35 By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another.

Yes, by love, but how do we get such a love that will separate us from all the counterfeit in the world.
is it by deciding to love?

We know the theory, but where is the reality?

This love is the Love the Holy Spirit pours into our heart. it is the love that starts with Gratitude to our Saviour and our God. It is the new thing that God needs to do in our life.
And unless we are humbled and broken and go to HIM we cannot receive anything.
But God wants to do this in our life's much much more than we want to. So we can boldly go and ask HIM.

Rom 5:5 And hope does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. Rom 5:6 For we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom 5:7 For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one. Rom 5:8 But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Rom 5:10 For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.

In the Valley of the River

The day, I the forgiven sinner came
Washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb
The day the eyes were opened,
In repentant tears,
Never to be the same;
Knowing my unworthiness,
Small in my own eyes,
I wanted nothing more,
But to just faithfully abide.
"Lord you have done more
Much more than what I deserve",
Was my humble cry;
"Nothing more do I want
Nothing more do I ask
But to redeem the rest of my days
By a faithful obedient heart."
And Grace from high
Flowed down in torrents
Down to the valley of despair
Washing away the filth of defeat;
Shame and sorrow washed away
Bringing joy unspeakable;
And today the river still flows
And the watered plains abound
Life seems so natural
And the past seems a distant dream.
But I fear the water would stop,
Up above in the holy mountain
Where sandals have to be untied,
Like the dam the beaver builds
By the labour of his own hands,
By the filth from a heart full of pride.
O may I remain in the Valley
On the path of the downward stream
Never forgetting even once
If not for that crystal stream,
From my saviours pierced side,
All the green that you now see,
On which was once a desolate land,
Once again barren it would be.

1Co 4:6 And these things, brothers, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, so that no one of you may be puffed up against one another. 1Co 4:7 For who makes you to differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Whom and what do we believe!?

2008-10-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

We get forwards of moving stories. Recently I got a mail which spoke of one who gave his everything for his son and another who gave everything for his country. But it so happened that part of the first story was more of a fabrication. But before I had tested it for myself, I had unwittingly forwarded it.
But I want to share some tested true stories ...
Crazy as it sounds there are stories of ordinary men and women who loved and gave everything for their enemies, let alone friends and country. (Try getting "In the Face of Surrender" by Richard Wumbrand. It has over 200 short stories.)
Stories unheard of in the history of mankind till about 2000 years back and from then on, in every generation, there have been a few who followed HIM.
But this story alas is clothed in the garb of those who live a lie and preach a different Christ.

If only you would believe, you would go to the living Christ and get all the doubts sorted out once and for all.

Like the story I heard recently ...

God is Not a Liar

Two young bothers
Saw the setting sun
Told the older to the younger
"The sun has moved along."
"But daddy said",
Replied the younger one
"That the sun stands still
While the earth moves on."
"I will have nothing of that",
was the elder's retort,
"I believe what I see
And doubt every other thought."
"As for me", the younger said,
"I will stick with daddy's word,
Though I cannot understand,
Though I do not see,
I know I can trust my Father,
I know He will not lie to me."

So my dear friends
You may not a murderer be
Nor a wretched criminal
Marching to the gallows tree;
But this will surely be asked of you
This you will have to answer
"Every time I spoke to you
Send someone to help
Every time I tried to reason
You only hardened your heart
The sin that condemns you the most
The one that truly grieves
Is not when you deliberately erred
Or the ones within,
... hidden by your deeds
But when you called Me a liar
When you did not believe."

1Co 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. 1Co 15:14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is also worthless. 1Co 15:15 And we are also found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Christ; whom He did not raise if the dead are not raised. 1Co 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ is not raised. 1Co 15:17 And if Christ is not raised, your faith is foolish; you are yet in your sins. 1Co 15:18 Then also those that fell asleep in Christ were lost. 1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 1Co 15:20 But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruit of those who slept.

If only you would believe, you would go to the living Christ and get all the doubts sorted out once and for all.

No longer I ...

2008-09-25T00:41:00.000-07:00

2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am powerful.

My limbs are still the same
Crippled, weak and lame
For when HE said, HIS Grace is all I need
And planted in me that tiny little seed
Not my crippled hands made strong
But HIS strong hands all along.

whatever the situation ....
Php 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

(SONG) Nicodemus

2008-09-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

Nicodemus

He sat on the porch as the sun slid down
Stroking his greying beard.
It had been hectic the weeks gone by
The children and theirs and the temple chores
The feast was over and all was calm
Just he and his slave on the day of the Lord
And as they sat, he heard him speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things

Rabbi they called him all the men
He knew the scriptures, knew them well
Rabbi they called him, but he could tell
All his works yet in sin he fell
His days were numbered and death was near
No peace was there, but only fear
And as he thought, he heard him speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things

Way past Sabbath late that night
Head covered he went for a walk
He had to find out he had to see
Find this man and have a talk
All his good deeds no hope it gave
He knew for sure it could not save
And as he walked, he heard him speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things

There He sat and twelve with Him
He smiled at me as I walked right in
Then and there I felt peace within
Forgiven I of all my sin
I knew not what or how to say
I had no words, knew not to pray
And as we sat, He heard me speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things

Unless you are born, born again
The Kingdom of heaven you cannot see
Unless you seek you cannot find
Your love of sin has made you blind
For God so loved the world He made
That He gave His only Son to save
And as we sit, to you I speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things

With myrrh and aloes now I stand
Crucified and then HE died
What means He, Born Again
Three days later rose again
Not of flesh, or of blood
But of Spirit, but of God
And as we sit, to you I speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things
He is from God
And now He lives

I am the way, the truth and the light
He comes to the Father but thru' I
Jesus said that and not I
Call it truth or say He lied
But when you stand, stand on high
You stand before Him who for you died
So as we sit, now I speak
Rabbi tell me what you think
The lame can walk
and the blind can see
the sick are healed
and the slaves are free
Rabbi tell me what you think
Is He from God
Who does such things
Rabbi tell me what you think
He is from God
Who does such things
He is from God
And now He lives

25/12/2006

2008-09-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!?

They rejoice
On Christmas day
To celebrate
HIS birthday
By HIS word
Who made all
Him who died
To save all
Who rose again
And now lives
All good things
Him who gives.

They rejoice
On Christmas day
To celebrate
HIS birthday
With a dead tree
And electric lightings
Gift that perish
And empty greetings
Vacation time
The family's gathering
All are here
Just Jesus' missing.

"John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Let HIM in ...

2008-09-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

Let Him Through!

A strange and peculiar place
I chanced upon my way
Like an archaeologist
Who stumbled on an ancient truth
While hurrying to be some place else
I too, was just passing through.

A blind man who could see!
The deaf who woke at the drop of a pin!
The cripple who danced for joy!
A mad man whose advice they all sought!
Were among those whom I met;
Stories etched in my mind
Entwined in my own story
The one I was living through.

"Once upon a time",
The mad man started first,
"I ran naked within the woods
And lived within the caves";
I listened in amazement
And turned to the one who sat by me;
But he could tell me nothing
For he had not seen it happen
You see, he was still blind then
Blind through and through.

But all changed in an instance
Like spring which northward moved
The darkness receded
And light shown forth from midst the gloom
As the snow melted and winter retreated
All things became new
When the bearer of glad tidings
On the way to Jerusalem
Had marched right through.

He went straight to Jerusalem
Straight to the cross to die
Death defeated, seated on high
He invites all, even you and I
O' hear Him all, hear Him now
Hear Him as He whispers loud
"Come all ye who are weak and heavy laden
Come to Me and find rest
Come while yet there is time
Follow Me, as I am passing through."

He turned the tables upside down
Set the captive free
The blind could see
The lame could walk
And this your story it could be
If you did, what was did by me
When all my sins were washed away
And the old was gone and all made new
When the strong willed doors of life
Open and let Him through.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.

Lord I need help ...

2008-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Mark of Love

Comes the morning
Clouded and dark,
In these Northern skies
It bears the winters mark.
But the sun still shines on
Ever bright, ever strong
As we stagger between
Our rights and wrong;
Clutching on to thoughts of comfort
We try to ease the pain,
For a moment we thing we got it
For a moment it seems so plain.
We have got all the colours right
But that is just one side,
Time turns the Rubik's cube
To show the mess we tried to hide.
There is only one way
And we know it in our heart,
If ever we need a healing
From 'me' it has to start.
"I and I alone",
When the broken heart will cry,
The heavens will be opened
Showering joy and peace from high.
Comes the morning
Clouded and dark,
But love rules this heart
It has seen the nails mark.

Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard, He said to them, They who are strong have no need of a physician, but the ones who have illness. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luk 18:9 And He spoke this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed within himself in this way: God, I thank You that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice on the Sabbath, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And standing afar off, the tax-collector would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but struck on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.

With HIM on the throne ....

2008-09-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Heb 12:1 Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb 12:2 looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God. Heb 12:3 For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be weary and faint in your minds.

Endure

As the storm raged
Frightened I sank
I cried for help
And His hand on mine
He pulled me up
And we walked hand in hand
As the storm raged
My hand gripped His
A little more tighter than before
And as we walked
I got accustomed to the storm
For I knew
As long as I held His hand
Though fearsome it might seem
I could walk midst the storm
And it would not touch me
But though I knew
I still winced when I saw
The raging sea
And the powerful winds
And then He said
In simple words
"Do not fear
Just look at Me".

And now I hear
That the storm still rages on
Frightens men and sinks their ships
Blinds their eyes and deafens their ears
But my hand in His
And my eyes on HIM
I can only hear
His gentle words
"Do not fear
I am near
Endure".

The friends God has given us

2008-09-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

... pondering ..,
surely it has crossed your mind
just as it had mine
that a day comes
a day of wrath and judgement
not for us who
by blood redeemed
purchased by love
saved by faith
a day of great joy
and terrible sorrow
when the ones we called friends
damned eternally
surely it has crossed your mind
just as it had mine
what should I be doing?
what should I be saying?
(how should I be living?)
what it means to love?
the ones I call my friends
surely it has crossed your mind
just as it had mine
that the Master spoke of us
when He said
No greater love than this
than a man lay down his life
his life for his friends
surely it has crossed your mind
just as it had mine.

Joh 15:13 No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
In HIS footsteps let us follow. He took ridicule, shame, suffering, ..... even to the death on the cross for me, the one who did the same to Him.
O Lord give us grace.

Rom 5:8 But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Rom 5:10 For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
2Co 5:15 and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to themselves, but to Him who died for them and having been raised.

HE has made it possible. AMEN.

On things that ensnare us ...

2008-09-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Throw him out!?

I threw him out, this stranger
Threw him out when I knew
The harm he does and the vice he holds.
Words that seem so harmless
From a spirit that doesn't know God
His tact and cunning ways
Stay on he says
I will not say the things
That you do not like
But he lies
But the fool I am, I fall
For his weak apologies
He shows me things of awe and wonder
Doesn't show me God who made it all
He shows me the courage of man
But not God, His love and mercy
He builds around me a world
A world that deceives
Shows me little truths magnified
And bigger lies hidden behind
But now my eyes are open
I have seen his evil guile
I have thrown him out
Thrown him out of my house
But he lingers on in my neighbourhood
And often I meet him as I stroll
Often he comes up to talk
Often I stay on and chat
Time flies and the emptiness returns
Still trapped
I need help O Lord
Only you can dear Jesus
Help me throw him out
Throw him out of my heart.

Yes what we need is the wrenching from within our heart. All our efforts are so temporal and superficial and external. We need the wrenching that only God can do within us. Also the balance that only the Holy Spirit can help us walk in.
And the discernement which helps us not to impose things on others which are probably areas of obedience very specific to us.
It is not the empty pockets that save me from the love of money, but that heart fully surrendered to God. A heart emptied of all but Christ.

This is our message ...
Jesus only, Jesus always ...

(in reply to: The Stranger has been living in your house and mine for some time now folks. All you do is listen to him for he wont give you a chance to talk. He shows you almost anything and he says almost anything too. Know his name? T.V.)

The Day Unforgettable

2008-09-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

On the cross roads of eternity - a day I should never forget

That blessed day
Which the past raced to meet
And the future turned back to see
Where time crossed paths
On a little hill outside
On a cross crucified
Where blood flowed across time
Where a wave of forgiveness
Swept me off my feet
I knelt and wept
For the mess I was
I knelt and wept
For all my sins
There I knelt
And even now
No longer I
But Christ in me.

2Pe 1:9 For he in whom these things are not present is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his sins in the past.

Col 1:27 For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,
Col 1:28 whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

(SONG) Outside Must I Go

2008-09-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
The Master of Heaven
And earth and skies
O see Him die

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
Like a common thief
With all their lies
The sins of you and I

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
No walls surrounding
And open skies
Room for all who cry

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
High up to see
For all the eyes
Lift Him up high

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
Outside must we go
Outside go I
Outside to die

Outside the city
On a mount they nailed Him
O see Him die
For the sins of you and I
Room for all who cry
Lift Him up high
Outside go I
Outside to die

Heb 13:11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the Holy of Holies by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.
Heb 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, so that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Heb 13:13 Therefore let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

(SONG) One thing

2008-09-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Two eyes to see Your Glory
Two ears to hear You Speak
Two hands to do Your Bidding
Two legs to follow You
But one thing my only worry
One thing is all I say
Just one life to live for you
Just One tongue to sing your praise
So I pray that you give me grace
So I pray as I run this race
To shout with all of my heart
Of Your wonderful mercies
To live each of my moments
For the Glory of Jesus
More than all the tongues
More than all the lives
More than I can ever be
More, as You would want me to be. - 3

Psa 27:4 One thing I have desired from Jehovah, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to pray in His temple.

(SONG) The written and unwritten books

2008-09-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

The Father, Our Father
The lines read
In this book
In the Bible I held.
He shines the sun
On the good and the bad
I read these words
What the Master had said

And my eyes with tears it filled
To hide, my head upward it tilled
And across the skies
All over the lands
And deep in the seas i saw
It was written
It was written
By an unseen hand
Of the glory of God
Revealed in His son
Of the glory of God
The Kingdom to come
Of the glory of God
On the Cross what was done - 3

Rom 1:20 For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

With whom shall I stand, when divided they stand ...

2008-09-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

Who am I, O Lord Jehovah?
And what is my house,
that You have brought me here?
- David Ben Jesse
O' who am I?

O' that I would see
As the Lord would see
The beam in mine
And not the speck.
Like the prophets of old
Who bared their neck
As they saw HIS glory;
No pros and con,
No explanations
Just HIM alone.
O' who am I?

Who is Paul and who is Apollos
Aren't they just saints like all
Or Moses,
Was there a man like him HE writes.
"Who is on Jehovah's side",
He had asked,
Who cared not for his own,
As the inheritance was auctioned;
No one saw, no one heard
God was all in all
For God had done it all.
O' who am I?

I have heard HIS voice
I have counted the cost
And though the clouds may blind
Yet believe I will
Neither bless nor curse
Humbled by what I am
As a deer that pants for water
I lay it all at the altar
My reasoning and my emotions
What I am and what I have
And what I want
Count it all but loss, just dung.
O' who am I?

For I am Korah's son.

--O to remain in my boundary. For who am I to judge the Lords anointed. Give me Grace O Lord to remain faithful to the light that you are giving me, to never forget the purging of my sin. To remain in that place of brokenness where YOU might be found. In that place there is safety, in the shadow of the almighty.--

Can it be!? (Future)

2008-09-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

How can he look back in despair
When hope is all he sees ahead?
How can the dread full past
Bloom to this beautiful future
How can a rose come forth
From a cow dung heap
How can it be
When today this sinner weep
Tomorrow a saint he be
How can it be
When on the cross He died
Died He for you and me
How can it be,
Such things, impossible
With man it be
But for God
Nothing, said He.

Mat 19:21 Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me.
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you that a rich man will with great difficulty enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25 When His disciples heard, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked on them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Remember THIS day !? (Present)

2008-09-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Yes a day is soon coming
Be reminded it says
A day of remembrance
A day the trumpet sounds
A day when all tears are wiped
A day of never ending cries
A day of joy everlasting
A day of gnashing teeth
A day like never before
And never will be;
How so, you might say
Pray how so;
Remember I would say
Remember the price that was paid
By the life that was laid;
Remember the scoffing
Intellectual sceptism
Of truth rejected
And secular isms
Remember how you laughed
And moved on
When a face you cannot find
In the clutter that is your mind
"In sincerity seek"
That voice seemed to speak
"Remember today
Remember to pray"

Isa 55:6 Seek Jehovah while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

Remember that day ...(Past)

2008-09-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

How good it is to remember
Even when you are not;
The fleeting instances of life
So easily forgotten;
That when a face you cannot place
Mentions a scene you cannot trace;
A question seems to pop up
A truth seems to arise
That the ones that you cherished
And the things that you sought
Often bear a witness
Of what you actually are worth.
Alas now it seems so late
This life seems to be in vain
As the missing memories,
I begin to count in pain
And I remember
The days I could have lived
The man I could have been
If I had but remembered
To value the friends that I had made.

It is not late...it only seems .... :-)
Heb 4:7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."

Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the plowman and the reaper shall draw near, the treader of grapes, and he who draws along the seed. And the mountains will drip must, and all the hills will be dissolved.
Amo 9:14 And I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the cities which are desolate, and they shall live in them. And they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall also make gardens and eat their fruit.
Amo 9:15 And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says Jehovah your God.

Have your eyes fixed on eternity..

2008-09-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

These days on earth
Will fleeting go
These days like smoke
That the wind does blow
Before soon
We will stand
Before God and HIS
Nail pierced hand
On that day
On that glorious day
Let me rejoice
On how I lived today.

Luk 12:41 And Peter said to Him, Lord, do You speak this parable to us or also to all?
Luk 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall set over his houseservants, to give them their portion of food in season?
Luk 12:43 Blessed is that servant when his lord comes and finds him so doing.
Luk 12:44 Truly I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions.
Luk 12:45 But if that servant says in his heart, My lord delays his coming, and shall begin to beat the male servants and women servants, and to eat and drink and to be drunk,
Luk 12:46 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and at an hour when he does not know. And he will cut him apart, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47 And that servant who knew his lord's will and did not prepare, nor did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he not knowing, and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

What is in a name?

2008-09-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Joe ... let me tell you something... yes you ...
Who me!? I am not Joe!
Whatever.....!!! hey stop ....
Sorry Sam, Joe (you) ain't listening ...

So if you want me to take notice
To respond or speak back
Let me tell you a little secret
A simple simple fact
It may all seem quite same
After all what is in a name
"I'll call him what I will
Doesnt matter to me"
Go ahead and imagine
Imagine it is me
You know its not the same
Unless you call me by my name.

Act 4:12 And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.