A Life Well Lived in Christ Jesus. (In Memory of my dear aunt Beatrice John)

A Life Well Lived in Christ Jesus.
(In Memory of my dear aunt Beatrice John)

It has been a week and a half of sadness. We lost my Aunt Beatrice on 27th July 2016, whom we lovingly called Betty Chitti. 'Chitti' in Tamil means, 'mum's younger sister'. She has 5 sisters. All are in India except for my mum and aunt Betty. Now three are gone to be with the Lord. I have three aunts in India.

She married my dad's older brother. It was an arranged marriage and a match truly made in heaven. He was in Singapore and she in India. It was my parents who matched them up. They were the only siblings of my late parents, I had in Singapore. Now I only have my uncle John, whom I lovingly call 'Periappa' meaning 'dad's older brother' here with me. 

Looking back at her life, I praise and thank God that I was a part of it. She was a lady full of love and adored her husband and only son Anthony whom all know as AJ. She showered the same love on her daughter in law and her two grandsons Gerald and Justin.

In my early years when I was in secondary school, both my sister and I used to go over to her house for lunch twice a week during lunch break and she lovingly cooked for us and served us joyfully. I remember the dresses she used to sew for us and every Christmas she used to get my youngest brother Francis new shirts.  As her son grew, she occupied her time by giving tuition to many many many children, most of whom are all married and have their own children. She was an exceptionally dedicated tutor, going all out to buy them assessment books and teach them till they understood. She used to have parties in her house every children's day for her tutees whom she regarded as her own kids. Her dining area used to resemble a classroom. She was very resourceful and a true entrepreneur in many ways. Whatever she put her hands to, she did it with devotion and dedication. She cared for others and she prayed fervently daily. My holidays during my youth, were spent in her house. She was a fantastic cook. Even lately while her health began to deteriorate, she quickly taught her recipies to her domestic helper so that my uncle John will get to taste her delicious recepies daily, even after she was gone. 

Her only regret was that I did not visit her as frequently as I used to after I had kids of my own.
But I am glad that I spent the last couple of months with her as often as I could, telling her that I love her. She in turn will reply that she loves me. This was a daily thing we exchanged endearingly while she was in Yishun Community Hospital. I am glad that I spent her last precious moments with her, stroking her head and singing to her while she breathed her last, as her son and grandsons stood around. Two days before she passed on, she sang Alleluia, Alleluia,  Alleluia and when her son asked her why she was singing, she said that she was singing with the angels whom she saw singing up there. Tony my cousin has recorded that for memory. Without a doubt I know she is in heaven with Jesus. She will be rejoicing and singing eternal Alleluia's to God Almighty with all the angels and saints now. She has left a legacy of love, blessings and faithfulness to her loved ones.

As I reflect on her life, I reflect on my own. What legacy am I going to leave behind for my loved ones. Material goods will corrode and devaluate as time goes by. What do I want to leave behind? 

God's Word says, ...
Proverbs 20:7 NLT
The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.

Proverbs 11:21 NLT
Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free.

Psalm 37:25 NLT
Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.

Isaiah 54:13, 17 NLT
I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. [17] But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Yes I want to live a godly life and leave an inheritance of God's abundant blessings for all my children, descendants and loved ones. That is what will last.

God's promises are always, 'Yes' & 'Amen'. They are always fulfilled, in the lives of those well lived in Christ Jesus.

Mary Augustine.
7th August 2016

Why do people continue to sin?

There are 7 groups of people in this world.  All of us sin. No one is perfect. But 6 groups are those who continue to sin not considering sin's consequences and it's impact on their lives and the lives of others around them. Only one group repents as soon as one realises that one  has hurt a loving and compassionate God and does one's best  to avoid hurting Him in future.

Now let us see who the above mentioned 6 groups of people are.

1. The first group of people are those who do not believe in God or an eternal after life. Since they believe that they disintegrate into nothingness after they die, they seek to enjoy their lives to the max, while still alive. They seek to enjoy all forms of pleasures and acquire all wealth irregardless  of the methods used or people they hurt along the way. All they are concerned about is, themselves. 'Each man for himself!' is their motto.

2. This second group of people are those who believe in re-birth on earth. They are those who believe that they will be born as an animal or human depending on how they live now on earth. They come from many diverse religions. They pray to many gods.  They seek to enjoy all they can while still being a human being on earth.  "What if I am born as a goat or an ant in my next birth, I won't be able to enjoy this or that. Of course there are those who do not want to be born as an animal, bird, reptile or insect, but as a human being. So they try to do charitable works and many sacrifices like fasting etc to avoid punishment, for their sins which they commit now, in their next birth on earth.

3. This third group believes in a special place called purgatory where they will go after they die, provided they are Catholics. They believe all their sins will be purged in purgatory and then they will enter heaven spotlessly clean. Since this place gives them the guaranteed assurance of heaven, they don't worry about their sinful habits, as long as they are Catholics. They also believe that the prayers and sacrifices  of their loved ones on earth who are still living on earth will get them to heaven from purgatory faster. Long ago, prayers were sold by popes for money to help souls get to heaven in a much shorter period. These prayers were called indulgences. Then they also believe that when they ask the mother of Jesus and the saints to pray for them on their behalf, Jesus will answer their prayers immediately and that they will be saved in this manner although they continue in their habitual sins now.

4. This fourth group of people believe that once they accept Christ Jesus, their past, present and future sins are all forgiven and they are saved. So they continue in their sinful habits as they believe they are saved by God's grace. They believe that God already knows their future sins and Jesus died for all their future sins also. So if they commit adultery, God has already forgiven their sin 2000 years ago. So it is OK. They believe that no sin can separate them from Christ Jesus and that they need not as for forgiveness. They say that is being, 'Sin Conscious'.

5. The fifth group are also Christians but they believe that they are saved only by their works. So although they sin they are not greatly worried because they believe that the good works they do will wipe away their sins.

6. This sixth and last group of people who continue to sin are those who do not care two hoods about heaven or hell. They can be of any religion. They don't even follow their own religious practices properly. They just want to enjoy life while on earth. They believe that their conscience is their god and at times they subdue their conscience and continue to do what they like. If they get into trouble they try to justify their actions by killing their conscience.

The only group of people who do their best to avoid sinning further, are those who love their Saviour Jesus Who died a cruel death in their place and bought them salvation by shedding His blood. They are not afraid of God, but they are afraid that they will hurt Him. They are afraid to lose Him. These are the imperfect people, sinful people who repent and run into His arms when they do something wrong. They  tell Him they are sorry and they resolve never to hurt Him by sinning again. They live a well balanced life of good works and faith in Christ. The only thing which sets them apart from all the others is their immense love of Christ Jesus and fear of hurting God.

So again, Why Do People Continue To Sin? My answer is, They don't know Jesus, or they do not know Him well enough yet. They don't have an intimate relationship with Him. Then for the many who dabble with the dark forces, that are so afraid of God and they run away from Him.

~Mary Augustine~
        01/07/16

If you have it...just flaunt it!!! Do you agree?

"If you have it, just flaunt it" I heard someone say and the person who said it was a female and a Christian to my utter dismay!

'Our body is the temple of God...', the bible says in 1 Cor 6:19.  

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Shouldn't we then as Christians treat our bodies with holy reverence and keep it modestly covered?

In today's world we see men and women who are extremely liberal in their thinking and dressing. What is indecent for one person may be perfectly normal for another. Where then do we draw the line?

Where do we keep our cash in the wallet unexposed or outside exposed? If then we keep what is important to us hidden, shouldn't we keep the sacred parts of our bodies covered?

What was worn in the bathrooms and bedrooms are being worn publicly in the name of 'Summer Wear', 'Poolside Wear', etc. Even many office workers and teachers and even sadly those worshipping in church on stage seem to have the code of dressing blurred.

The term 'looking SEXY' was created by worldly men. Why do we need to dress sexily? Are we appealing to the lust in men? Why are we Christians following the evil patterns of this world? 

It is so heartbreaking to see the difference between a prostitute and a lady of morals being blurred by the modern way of dressing these days.

Many think that if you become a Christian, you can dress liberally. They associate Western body revealing dressing to becoming Christian. This is wrong thinking.

Sadly I see many Christian girls whom I know personally, exposing parts of their breasts, their tummy, their back, their thighs in the name of modern and liberal dressing, either exposing those parts or wearing tight, figure hugging clothes to expose those parts. They proudly take selfies and post their photos wearing revealing clothes on facebook and instagram for all the world to see. 

In the olden days girls did wear fashionable clothes but their dressing was modest. Now with modernism all hell is breaking lose in women's apparel. Should not Christian women be role models to all others instead of embracing the worldly way of dressing ? Will Jesus be happy with you flaunting what you have to the whole world? Please think carefully. 

I know many will not agree with me because you have been used to this kind of dressing all your life. You see, when you grow up wearing skimpy shorts and plunging neckline singlets at home it will seem OK to dress that way before others. Aborigines in the mountains and forests wore nothing and they were OK with it. But when they got educated they too covered up.

Even figure hugging skin tight clothes reveal your entire body shape and makes one wonder why you even bother to wear anything when only the colour is different but your body is exposed for all to see. 

I see mothers and their daughters walking with t-shirts barely covering their thighs and their shorts are hidden. It makes one wonder if they are even wearing shorts. I see mothers shamelessly walking with 'shorts' which actually resemble an inner garment (it is that short and figure hugging) walking with their teenage sons.

Don't get me wrong. I am not judging anyone. I am just appealing to you Christian ladies to dress modestly according to God's Word. Do not be a cause for someone to sin because of your dressing. Treat your body as God's holy temple. Let your beauty be revealed to all through the perfume of the Holy Spirit's fruit in you:- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self Control; not the way the world, the commercials and the media want you to reveal yourself. What I say will seem harsh to many and I know you may dislike me but I am not worried if you get angry with me. Just be right with God. Do not encounter His wrath. Jesus Himself has warned us in the verses below, "Woe to that person through whom they (temptations) come!"

Matthew 18:6-7 NIV

“If anyone causes one of these little ones---those who believe in me---to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. [7] Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

Do you know how beautiful you will look with your body appropriately covered? You will look stunning and God will be pleased with you.

The Word of God says, in Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." 

We need not go to extremes in covering ourselves. We should dress appropriately and modestly to avoid leading others into temptation by your dressing. 

Reveal what needs to be revealed to your husbands. Not to the whole world. 

What thrill do we get in exposing our bodies by wearing revealing, skimpy clothes or even figure hugging, tight clothes? Both are ugly and sinful in the eyes of Almighty God. Both lure men, women and children to sin. 

Therefore let us be aware of how we dress and ensure that God Almighty is glorified through us.

In countries with hot tropical climate we can still dress comfortably and cover our bodies  without revealing them and luring others into temptation. There are many cool and comfortable materials out there.

Let us Christian ladies always remember this:-

Proverbs 31:30 NIV

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

~ Mary Augustine ~

June 23rd 2016

Prayer for our Nation Singapore

Father God we surrender ourselves and every single family member and  everyone we are acquainted with and all whose names are in my book of life and prayer box, into Your hands. As we begin to pray for the variois districts in our nation Singapore, cover each one of us with the blood of Christ and place Your fire of protection around us. Send forth Your 12 legions of warrior angels to battle for us against the principalities, powers, wicked rulers, dominions and strongholds in the high places.

I pray over ___ districts.
May our home and every home, neighbourhoods, churches, educational, medical and  community institutions, homes for the aged, entertainment centres, shopping malls,  government buildings, offices, all islands belonging to Singapore and our country be protected at all times from the schemes of evil people and manipulative spirits, destructive spirits, oppressive spirits, spirits of depression,  from deadly sicknesses, violence, gangsterism, drug dealings and terrorism and may there be no cry of distress, in our home, our neighbourhood, our churches, every district I pray for and our land, Singapore.
I decree and declare that all pubs, immoral and harmful places of acivities, all places, buildings where satanic and occultic activities are carried out be shut down immediately. May the atmosphere over all these places be cleansed and purified and may every bondage over these places be broken in Jesus name. Tear down and destroy all strongholds over all the districts and our homes. May all these places and everyone who lives there and all who go to visit these places  be covered with the precious blood of Christ Jesus and filled with God's holy presence always.

I pray for the children, teens and youth that they will have the right Christian mentor to guide them in the way of Christ. May the children and youth grow up firmly founded in Christ Jesus. May they honour, respect and obey their parents and authorities. May they be protected from the filth from social media. 

I pray for the elderly, the lonely and the sick. Heal, strengthen and comfort them.

Father. I pray for married couples and  marriages. Help every married couple be pure and faithful to their spouses. Restore unstable and broken marriages.

Protect all pastors, leaders  and members of the churches in these districts  from deception, compromise and sin.

Restore a passion to follow Christ Jesus in all backslidden believers. Lord renew the passion in them to pray, read the bible, worship You Father corporately and privately, to walk in Your way and to win lost souls. Give them an unquenchable thirst for You so that they will never ever backslide again.

Help every false teacher to repent and turn back to Jesus. Holy Spirit my dearest Friend hover over all these areas and our homes and breathe the new life of Christ into every dry bone there.

We pray for all foreigners who come here to work and make Singapore their first or second home. Bless them and their families. Help them work faithfully and hard and help to contribute to the peace, joy, harmony of Singapore and  help to increase Singapore's economy. Help them live harmoniously with us Singaporeans and respect our values and our Asian culture. Help no Singaporean to lose a place in the higher educational institutions or lose a job because of the foreigners.

We pray for the import and export trade industries and pray for protection of our harbours, airport terminals, customs checkpoints on land and sea. Place You Cherubims with flaming swords to guard these places Father.

May we Your children be productive in our strategic job scopes, suffering no mishaps, jealousy of others, accusations or failure in bearing and may our businesses suffer no losses.

Blessed are we to whom such blessings fall. Blessed are we whose God is the Lord!

We make our prayer in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

New Song:-Jesus, Your Presence is all I need!

New Song- Jesus, Your Presence is all I need

Let me lay my head on Your chest Lord
Wanna hear every tiny heartbeat of Yours
Every precious whisper of Your heart Lord
Will reveal each desire 'n longing of Yours

Never wanna leave Your side Lord
Just wanna be in Your sweet embrace
Where fear will flee 'n gloom turned to glee
To be secure 'n calm in Your tender embrace

Chorus
Jesus, Your Presence  is all I need
It's Your Presence Lord that I seek
In Your Presence Lord I'll n'er be weak
I want to hear Your every heartbeat.

Never wanna hurt You my Love
Never will grieve You Spirit of God
Wanna keep Your temple clean
Want You to be my Lord and King

Sweet Jesus hold me tight
Let me not wander from Your sight
Speak oh Lord 'n I will hear
Command me 'n I'll go far  'n near

Pour Your living water, refresh me
Give me strength so mightily
To be all You want me to be
Lord I come, use me for Your glory

Wanna do what Your heart desires
Wanna tell the lost of Your undying love
Wanna bring the lonely to Your side
Wanna mend broken hearts 'n lives

Lyrics by Mary Augustine
Music by Lawrence Vimal Augustine

A Letter to my Spiritual Children

My child, fear not. We are placed on earth for a purpose. We have to run our race victoriously inspite of the trials we face.

In your walk of life you will meet many kinds of people. Understanding people is a skill. No one or nothing can pull us out of God's hands when we understand people.

 
Yes, my child, people are people whether they are pastors or church leaders or just family or friends.  Whether they are your employers or employees, educated or not educated. Everyone has a heart and a mind and a free will. It is how they use it, that will determine their course of life.

To get along with others whomever they may be, you need Christ in you. To work alongside with them, you need Christ in you. To manage their temperaments, you need Christ in you. 

Many people think that they can make it on their own. The Babylonians thought just that, when they built the tower of Babel. Time and again it has been proven that man can't make it on his own. He needs God. People who climbed to the top without Christ in their lives have had a terrible fall; worst than Humpty Dumpty's.

Now, many will say all gods are the same, but only have different names. But we know, don't we? Only Christ came as a man and died for our sins and resurrected and is now seated on the right hand of the Father, interceeding for us. Only Christ Jesus said, "I Am The Way, The Truth & The Life! No one comes to the Father, except through Me!"

No one else suffered and died for us, no one else died and came back to life and no one else in history said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me!"

Either, Jesus is telling the truth or He is a liar. Either, we believe Him or we don't. 

Heaven and hell are real. Where we go when we die, to be there for ever and ever and ever and ever, for all eternity, depends on our decision now.

When we stand before God when we die, we will be standing alone. No one will be beside us. No father, no mother, no brother, no sister, no friend. Alone we shall stand, to give Him an account of every second of our earthly life. How are we going to feel then? As one who has completed his earthly race successfully? Or as one who failed miserably? As one who has conducted his life well? Or as a loser who has handed over God's gifts which were lavished upon us to the devil? Are we going to experience joy when we meet our Creator God? Or are we going to be fearful and hide in shame because of our spiritual nakedness? We must decide. Decide NOW!

Next, my child, we must surround ourselves with people who have the same passion to run the race with the Holy Spirit. Only then will they help us if we fall or fail. People of the same mind will think alike. When we are too long with people who are not interested about Jesus and what He taught, if we are too long with people who are only interested in this life and it's affairs, we will soon begin to be saturated with their thinking. We will begin to think and act like them.

We must make a conscious effort to surround ourselves with friends who are passionate about winning souls for Christ in the marketplace. I am not saying all Christian friends have a passion for Christ and for winning souls. Not all Christians are following Christ. Not all Christians are disciples of Christ Jesus. There are many Christians who have backslided and are in need of help.  And what about non-Christian friends? Although they may be of excellent character, kind, compassionate, honest, patient and good, they will not have a passion for winning souls for Christ because they do not know Him themselves. 

I am not saying that we must not have friends of other faiths. What I am saying is that we must be soaked in Christ so that we can be influencers instead of being influenced by them.  We must first of all have a living, ongoing and intimate relationship with Christ. Our thoughts, our speech, our actions must reflect Christ, in order for them to be transformed and for us to resist temptations to sin.

We must have friends, but keep work friends at work. Do not meet up with them too often. All other friends, keep at arms length, but pray for them. Remember it is not a coincidence that God places people in your circle of influence, be it work or outside. We are responsible for their souls and need to pray for them. Pray and with the Holy Spirit's leading share the Good News of Christ with them. But first of all be an exemplary follower of Christ because they will follow what you do and say and their coming to Christ greatly depends on your modeling after Him.

Next, keep selected friends who are good Christians, who are passionate about going to heaven and about winning souls for Christ, only those who are disciples of Christ. Meet up with such friends at least 2 to 3 times weekly. Read God's Word together with them. Check one another's Christian walk and correct one another's speech and actions to help one another walk in the narrow path, to walk in morality, in Christ's path to reach heaven. Select your Christian friends carefully.

Then also be very careful when selecting a life partner. Do not fall for anyone who talks sweetly or entices you with her/his looks, words, money or rich lifestyle. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to send you the right person. Your partner must be one who loves Jesus more than you and must be one who has a passion to save souls from perishing into hell. Take time to select, because a wrong choice will bring countless miseries into your life and please do not blame anyone for your choice.

The right life partner is vital. If you marry an unbeliever how is he/she going to help you raise your kids in the way Christ taught us to? There will surely ensue a struggle between you both and this will be a cause of dissension and marital problems. Then seeing that, the kids will either grow up hating God or following your partner's religion, if he/she is successful in teaching then his/her ways. Oh, for them to grow up knowing and loving Christ intimately, and walking in His footsteps, you must work a trillion times harder than, if you marry a believer who loves Jesus and knows Him intimately. (You dad and I are believers and we love Jesus and strive to walk in His ways. And...I am still travailing in prayer for you my children) 

When will be the best time to decide to tie a knot? When you yourself are well settled, when you are able to work and are able to earn well to support a family on your own instead of depending on your spouse or parents. When you have earned, saved and have taken care of your parents (who brought you forth into this world and made numerous sacrifices for you) for several years, before you are joined in matrimony with your partner. What we do now, we will reap in our future. So do not neglect your aging parents.

Again pray daily, select your army of friends carefully and let God select a partner for you.

Pray not only for yourself but also for your parents, brothers, sisters, friends and all whom Christ has put in your life. Pray not only for their health and material needs but pray also for their spiritual needs; that they will know, love and serve Christ and be in heaven for all eternity. We have a responsibility towards our family members and all whom Christ has put in our lives. Jesus said the punishment of those who lead others astray will be great. So we must lead them to Christ through our thoughts, words and actions and not away from Him.

Many things we go through in our lives now are the consequences of our past actions and decisions. Whether we did them knowingly or unknowingly, purposely or playfully or ignorantly or because of others. Outsiders will not suffer the immediate consequences for our actions and decisions but we and our family members will. So think before you decide on anything; choice of enjoyment, choice of the type of relaxation, choice of friends, choice of education, choice of job, choice of a life partner etc. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Include Him in your planning. He is our best friend and guide.

We are made of body, soul and spirit. Physical death is sad but not frightening. Spiritual death is extremely frightening, it means separation from God for all eternity. For our spirit to be alive in God we must have an ongoing relationship with Christ Jesus, we must be filled with the very Life of God, Who is the Holy Spirit. He lives within us. We are His temples. Let us keep God's temples (body,  soul, spirit) free from smelly filth  and keep them clean so that the Holy Spirit can reside in a perfumed and clean temple. Having a perfumed body but smelly soul will sadden God's Spirit Who is in us.

We who have known Christ Jesus, know the truth. So therefore let us continue to worship, praise and thank  God day and night for everything in our lives. Let daily dig deep into God's Word to feed our starved souls and let us constantly communicate with, talk to our best Friend, the Holy Spirit Who is the Only One Who has the Power to Save us. Please, let us not let anyone stop us from running our race faithfully, to go to heaven. Remember! It is our race, not theirs. So run it well with  the Holy Spirit in Jesus' Name!

If you think you have walked far away from Christ Jesus, run back to Him. When we realise our faults and run back to Father God in Jesus name,  although we may have stopped thinking about Him, talking to Him, worshipping Him or stopped reading God's Word, or even done somethings which He will not approve of, when we go back to Him and tell Him we are sorry, He will run towards us, welcome us with open arms and make all the wrongs in our lives right. Run back to Him my child and then, all your affairs, job, education, life partner etc will be ordered and secured by Him. You will be protected from the evil one and its temptations.

I pray the following and believe and receive it for you in Jesus name my child.

God's  hedge of protection will be around you always. You will be the head and not the tail. You will succeed in every good thing you do. The work of your hands will be blessed abundantly. You will be a leader in your field and will lead countless people into God's kingdom. You will obey and respect authority. You will honour your parents. You will be successful, prosperous and healthy all your life. You will be a blessing to all those around you. Heaven's storehouses will always be open above you and your family and loved ones and you will have no lack in your life. No weapon formed against you will ever prosper. Every word that is spoken against you, you will refute it in Christ Jesus. Every accusation about you and every negative word and curse hurled at you will be null and void in Jesus' Name. When your enemy rises up against you, he will stumble and fall. When fear tries to tell you lies about who you are and who you are not, it will fall on deaf ears. When sickness and disease try to attack your body, it will flee from you seven ways. When doubt tries to confuse you, it will meet the faith in your spirit and break every assignment waging war against you. I declare this in Jesus name! Amen!

My child, I want to be with you in heaven singing praises to our God & King, our Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Love you lots & lots.
Your Mum in Christ Jesus.

Words Shift Destinies!

Abracadabra! Open Sesame! ' ...the cave entrance opens!
'Abracadabra! Close Sesame!' ...the cave entrance closes!
"Wow! Those are magic words," we say  when we read the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

Well, we do not realise that every word that escapes our lips is a magic word which can alter the events in our lives and shift our destinies.

I have written about the effects of spoken words on our lives in my previous blog four years ago and about why we must make positive confessions, two years ago. This article is somewhat similar but I will explore why every word which leaves our lips matter, in a scientific and biblical perspective.

First let me give you the scientific perspective. An article which I read in the following website
https://www.le.ac.uk
Says thus:- 'Quote...'
1. Sound travels in air approximately 332 metres per second.
2. Sound travels faster and more effectively in liquids than in air and travels more effectively in solids than in liquids.
3. Sound travels 6000 metres per second in some solids and a quarter of this speed in water, because the molecules in solids are more tightly packed together than in liquids and those in liquids are more tightly packed than in gases.
4. Vibrating effects are more easily passed on from one molecule to the next when they are in close proximity. 'Unquote...'

Now if sound travels this fast in solids, then how much impact would it have on us, human beings?

Well I read an interesting article in the following website:-

http://www.practicalspirituality.info/bodys-symphony-of-sound-and-vibration.html

It says:- 'Quote...'From "The Body's Symphony of Sound and Vibration"

"Beyond the intricate meanderings of physicists, why should we care about string theory or vibration? Does the idea of vibrating energy have anything to do with our everyday life? More and more researchers, health care practitioners and futurists are answering with a resounding yes.

If it’s true that all matter is composed of vibrating strands of energy, so are we. In this scenario, the body itself is literally a symphony of strings. Our cells, organs and tissues vibrate. Billions upon billions of frequencies interact with each other and resonate within us. Just as importantly, those vibrations constantly interact with what's happening in our environment.

In short, in a world where vibration reigns supreme, the sounds and vibrations that fill the world outside of us can influence and change the vibrations inside of us, affecting our health and well being for better or for worse. The converse would also be true—the vibrations emanating from inside of us affect and change what takes place in the environment outside of us.  "Unquote...'

Scientists are coming up with newer theories each day as to how the universe was formed and what holds it together and what affects the creation of events in our lives and they have discovered the string theory which is the theory of vibration. 

Now, hear this... Scientists have just theorized that the world, our universe and the galaxies are created through sound energy, that is vibration energy. But, hey! Don't we know this already?  Does not the Bible give us a clear perspective of this?

Let's look at Genesis chapter1  which says, God said let there be light and there was light.

Then in Psalm 33 vs 6 and vs 9 God's word says,
"6 By The Word of Lord Jehovah the Heavens were made, and all his hosts by The Breath of his mouth."

9 Because he spoke and they existed; he commanded and it was established. (Aramaic bible)

Again in Hebrews chapter 11 vs  3, God's word says:-
"For by faith we understand that the worlds were fashioned by the word of God, and these things that are seen came into being out of those things which are unseen."(Aramaic bible)

God literally spoke everything into existence. We, human beings, who are created in the image of God have the power to affect the destiny of ourselves and others through the words we speak. 

If ordinary man has that much power, can you imagine the atomic power we believers in Christ have? We who are regenerated (re- GENE-rated) when we were born again, have the same DNA of Christ Jesus Who IS God's Word, to speak and create someting into existence and recreate what we want to change. Wow!

Let me come back to the vibration theory. If the vibrations from our words affect the tightly packed molecules in solids, what about the negative words we hurl at our children and loved ones? Have we stopped to think how badly they will he affected? Even if the vibration theory or the string theory is not proven absolute, God's Word has a lot to say about the words which we speak. 

Let us see what the Word of God has to say about spoken words.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 18:21 NIV
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Paul tells the Ephesians thus:-
Ephesians 4:29 NIV
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

James talks about the power of the tongue. How it does the most damage when used negatively. 
James 3:5-6, 8 NIV
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. [6] The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Thus the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me," is completely untrue.

James also reminds us about  the oaths we make.                                                               James 5:12 Aramaic Bible in Plain English

"But above all things, my brethren, do not be swearing vows, neither by Heaven, neither by The Earth, neither by any other oath; let your word be, 'Yes, yes' and 'No, no', lest you be condemned under the judgment."

Finally let us see what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has to say about words in :-

Matthew 5:37 Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But your statement shall be, “Yes, yes” and, “No, no”; anything more than these is from The Evil One.

And again in...
Matthew 12:36-37 Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Jesus says,
36 "For I say to you that every idle word that people will speak, they will give an answer for it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."

Is that not scary?  Being judged and condemned for every idle word we speak?

Now we see why God forbade the Israelites to speak while walking around the Jericho walls. In Joshua chapter 6 God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout. Then the walls came crumbling down. It was through faith and obedience that the Israelites won. If they had not believed they would have doubted God's instruction and considered it foolish. If they had not obeyed but spoken instead of being silent, they would have complained, grumbled and spoken negatively about what they were doing that it was foolish to walk around like that. Then they would have never captured their promised land. Their divine destiny would have been negatively altered.

We also see why the angel which appeared to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist in Luke chapter 1, mutes him until John is born. When the angel announced the birth of John, Zechariah doubts God's promise of a son in his old age. I believe he was muted so that he would not talk negatively and negate what God had destined in his life.

Let us not be careless to speak. Let us not negate the good things God has in store for us by speaking negatively. Even jokes must have its boundaries. Let us not put others down with our sarcastic jokes or create a filthy atmosphere with our vulgar jokes.  Let us be wary and think very carefully before we utter a word.

Nevermind the past. Let us repent and seek forgiveness and let us begin to shift back our destinies and the destinies of our loved ones and our world  to the way God intended it to be. Let us do it with wise, loving, caring and positive words, and with fear and trembling, lest we be condemned for our every idle word on judgement day.

Remember:- We alter every event and shift destinies, in our lives and the lives of our loved ones and the world around us with our WORDS!

The Bible says that the Word of the Lord is a double edged sword. Why don't we speak, decree and declare the promises of God over our situations, ourselves, our loved ones and our world? By doing just that we are in real fact prophesying into our future and recreating our destines according to God's Word.

Let us speak God's Word and live!

Mary Augustine
20th March 2016

Am I another 'Jack the Ripper'?

Give God the glory due to Him!

Psalm 29:1-2 NIV
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. [2] Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Here God's Word addresses us as heavenly beings and we are rightly so. God through the psalmist is speaking to our spirits...

These verses command us to give God all the glory due to Him. The glory of our every accomplishment does not belong to us. It belongs to God Almighty and Him alone.  It is when we take the credit for the accomplishments upon ourselves that we lose our right standing before God. We displease Him. We sadden Him. We take God's glory upon ourselves as if it is by our own strength we did it and we begin to puff up with pride and believe me, that will mark the beginning of our downfall.

That is what happened to Lucifer before he fell off from God's throne room in heaven. Whoa! This is so scary because every time someone congratulates me, or praises me I have to remain humble and ascribe all glory to  God.

What I do externally does not matter. What matters is the condition of my heart. God judges me by the motive of my heart. I can just tell them, "All glory to God! I am just His servant. Just doing what I have to do," But in my heart if I puff up, get so happy and prideful when I am praised and do further good things just to get attention or praise from others, then again I am secretly stealing God's glory. I must examine my heart and my motives every moment to be in right  standing before God.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:1-4 NIV
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. [2] “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. [3] But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Whether we give money to the needy or physically help someone in anyway or even support someone emotionally and even when we lead someone to Christ, we must constantly examine our motives. We must ask ourselves the following questions:-
1. Why am I doing this?( if for recognition, fame or material or worldly gain then I better stop)
2. What do I gain from doing this? ( if the answer is material or worldly gain, then again if I am doing it just for the material or worldly gain, I lose all my credits before God. I receive my reward in full on earth and none in heaven.)
3. How can I be of help to this person to get closer to God through Christ Jesus?
4. How can I share this testimony without being boastful and without ripping God of His glory?
5. What do I do after sharing  this testimony?( ask God to keep me from pride and keep thanking Him for using a useless me for His Glory)

We shall glorify God through our every thought, word and action. We shall not be another, 'Jack the Ripper!'

Mary Augustine
17th March 2016

Now you can Smile when you face your Giant.

We all face little adversities, small problems in life every now and then. Most of the time we know how to handle them through years of experience or by heeding the advice of someone and by tapping on the expertise of those surrounding us or by using the resources around us. But little do we realise that we use these as our crutches to stand strong in our moments of trouble.

I realised it only when my crutches were knocked down and I felt myself drowning, when an unexpected problem, which was not created by me, occurred. At that time I had no previous experience on how to solve it, nor did I know of anyone I could fall back on. That is when I realised how shallow my faith in God was. That is when I began to read God's Word faithfully, write down His promises and claim every promise of His by standing firm on God's Word.

As I poured my heart into God's Word, I realised one thing...every great man and woman of God in the bible did fail at a point or two, but because of their confidence and unshakable faith in the Living God, they were able to accomplish great things; Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David...to name a few. 

I was enamoured by the confidence a mere shepherd boy, David, had in the God of Israel, when I read 1Samuel 17:37-51.

The Israelites were facing the Philistine giant, Goliath, who threatened to wipe out Israel. It was David the shephard boy who appeared at the scene...

Saul dissuades David from going against Goliath saying that he was of small stature and was no match to the giant. But David recollects and narrates his past experiences when he killed a lion and a bear  which came to attack his sheep. What amazed me is what David said next in verse 37...

1 Samuel 17:37 NIV
The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

Instead of boasting about his own strength, David ascribes the past victories to God and puts his confidence in Him. When Saul sees how much David relies on God, he gives his blessing to David and asks him to go, saying,  "and the Lord be with you.”

Next in verse 38 Saul clothes David in his own tunic. He put on David his armour and helmet, then David tried putting on the sword and walked around. But as David was not used to it and had not tested the items, he took them off. He went on to pick five smooth stones from the stream, put them in his pouch and went with his usual staff and sling to meet the giant.

This taught me to be always careful and walk on tested waters.

Next in verses 45-47, when David meets the giant, the giant ridicules him. But David proclaims his trust in God saying that the battle belongs to God.

1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. [47] All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Whoa! What a bold proclamation from one who did not carry a sword or spear but only a shepherd's staff, a sling and five smooth stones.

Yes, just as David proclaimed, all those who were gathered there saw with their own eyes, that when God is involved in a battle, He does not need what we need. They saw with their own eyes that God saves supernaturaly without sword or spear.

Thus David defeated the Philistines by killing Goliath with his sling and only one smooth stone and then he went on to cut the dead Goliath's head with Goliath's own sword. How amazing is  our God!

When David could put so much of confidence in a God whom he had not seen but only heard, why can't I put my trust in God Who sent His only Son Jesus to bleed and die on the cross for us, taking our sin and shame upon Himself and saving us from eternal hell fire?

I began to ask Father God to help me be faithful in standing on His promises and I began to exercise my faith in Him. I am not there in faith yet. I run back into His arms to receive my free gift of faith from Him whenever I find it depleting.

Thus when adversities strike unannounced, I am prepared to hand them over to my God and proclaim, "Lord it is all yours!" And I boldly and confidently say, " My God will win the battle for me!"

Now with confidence in my God, I am able to face any giant and smile at him. All I need is a mustard seed sized faith. All glory and praise to Him who made the gift of faith freely available to all who ask.

Mary Augustine
17th March 2016

A Youth's Conversation with God!

A youth speaks to God!

Dear God,

I am not an Aethist,
I believe in You,
I know You exist,
I know You do!

Now that I am a youth,
I have things to do.
I can't be talking,
The whole day to You!

I have projects, tests &
Classes to attend.
I need time to exercise &
My diet, I have to plan.

I have work to complete,
Matters to attend!
Friends to meet,
Personal needs to tend!

I can't be just sitting, waiting
& be staring into space,
And be talking to You God
I think it is a waste!

Do You know God,
That time is money!
The world is in a rush God,
Without $ I can't get a Honey!

I am no more a child God,
Have responsibilities to see to!
I am now a youth God,
Have important things to do!

Do not get me wrong,
I know You're in every place!
I believe You are strong,
You cover me with Your Grace!

I know You care for me
Don't think I need to repent
No time to bend my knee
I know You'll receive me in the end!

Your loving son/ daughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God's response to that youth ...

A poem well written dude! Great to know that you are all grown up. But sad to say, you have been blinded by the ruler of this world Satan himself, into thinking that since you are grown up, you don't need to spend time  with Me and that you can go about your work, do what you want to do and don't have to repent.  Well you really think you don't need Me now, do you? And why would you not tell Me sorry after hurting Me? Do you think My Grace covers all your unrepentant sins? You are terribly wrong My child. My Grace gives you the courage to repent, My Grace covers your shame and it helps you to walk in My Way again. Never does My Grace allow you to walk proudly with an unrepentant heart.

Can you remember the time when you were still a child in faith? You used to read My Word and delight in it!  You used to spend your waking hours with Me, consulting Me in every matter! You delighted in Me and I delighted in your childlike trust.

Now you are all grown and big and you don't have time for Me??? Do you think you can succeed on your own dude? Are your friends going to stand by you till the end?  Are they even leading you to Me? Are you leading them to Me?  You need Me more than I need you! Yes you do! Don't you get it? 

My Son kept reminding you in Matthew 18:3 NIV...
And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Yes, become like a child again,  My child. Have a child like faith in Me. Run to Me with child like simplicity and humility. If not you will find it difficult  to enter into My heavenly abode! Simply knowing that I am there for you, does not mean that you have a child like faith in Me. Having a child like faith is in trusting Me with your first waking hour, trusting Me with your busyness, your work and all your projects, planning, management and finances, even with your life's choices of activities, friends and a life partner. Whatever you put into My hands, I will shake them and multiply them for you beyond measure. Trust Me like a child again.

Remember what My Son said in Luke 6:38 NIV
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
This has often been used only to refer to the giving of your finances. But try Me, My child, just try Me! Whatever you give Me, your time, your energy, your sleep, your finances, your rest, will be multiplied for you. It is My heavenly law and it is irreversible.

The rest of it, your heavy load at work, your heartaches, failures in life, your problems, etc will be greatly reduced and will be done with when you come to Me. Bring your sins to Me, ask Me to forgive you, with a repentant heart. I will wash them away with the blood of My Son Jesus. Didn't my Son tell you in Matthew 11:28 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Just trust Me and try Me, My child.

Spend time reading your life"s guidance manual, the Bible, instead of spending your time on useless movies, games and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc . All you need to know on how to succeed in every area of your life is spelt explicitly in My Word .Take time to read it, meditate upon it and understand it with the help of My Spirit, the Holy Spirit. In times of need and trouble, He, My Spirit, will bring My Word to your mind and lead you gently out of trouble.

My Son Jesus kept telling you to remain in Him in  John 15:4 NIV
"Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me." Yes my child you will never bear fruit and never ever succeed if you remain outside of Me. This IS THE TRUTH. There is no way around it. When My Words abide in you, My Words will transform you back into My own image and likeness. Then success will come automatically.

Dude listen carefully, you are My child irregardless of whatever age you are. You can never succeed without Me. You need Me in every fibre of your being. I Am the One, Who holds you together. I Am the breath, in your lungs. I Am your heartbeat. I Am your very energy. If you remove Me you will cease to exist.

Come to Me as soon as you awake. Put your entire day into My hands. Then talk to Me as you do your duties throughout the day. It is easy when you develop a habit of recognising My presence and cultivate a close walk and an intimate relationship with Me.
I long for that intimate relationship with you My child. The more time you spend in My presence, more will be given to you supernaturally. You will still have time to do what you have planned to do and you will have balance time to relax. Remember that time is in My hands. I can and will stretch it supernaturaly just for you when You abide in Me!

Come abide in Me and I will abide in you my child. As you spend quiet time with Me, you will begin to see what I see and feel what I feel towards mankind and you will know My heartbeat. You will cry for what I cry and rejoice for what I rejoice. It is then, when you will truly begin to save people from going to hell.

Become a child again my beloved and run into My arms, your Papa's waiting arms My baby! 

I Am waiting for you with My arms open wide!.

From your loving 

Dad in heaven (Who longs to abide in you)!

                                     (Mary Augustine)

A Special Tribute to My Angels.

A Special Tribute to My Angels.

Recently I suffered from a bout of gastrointestinal disorder. I was throwing up whatever I ate and drank and at the exact same time I was passing watery stools at my rear end. I was glued to the toilet seat throwing up on the bathroom floor. Believe me, it was like hell on earth. I was continuously doing this for about 4 to 5 times, when my husband had to literally drag me to the A&E at KTPH at 3.15am. Every time the vomitting stopped I kept telling him that I would be alright and that I had to go to school to conduct formative assessments. My concerned husband was so concerned about my health that what I told  him fell on deaf ears. Once at the emergency section of the hospital I was given two jabs and sent home with 3 days medical leave to rest. The doctor wanted me to rest for five days but I insisted on only three. He wrote out a three day medical leave chit shaking his head.

That day was my youngest son's birthday and we had planned to have a celebration at a restaurant. All our plans were thwarted by my sudden ill health. Furthermore that very day I was to have conducted a formative assessment in school and now in my condition I could not even think about it. But it was amazing how God was with me through it all in the form of angels and brought me out of the nightmare I was going through.

Here are the angels I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart.

Firstly I would like to thank my dear husband who insisted I go to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning and brought me there, patiently waited with me and brought me back and ensured that I was OK before he went to a fitful sleep for only two hours and then went to work. Thank you darling. I don't know what I would ever do without you. I need you by my side every single day of my life.

Next I would like to thank my two younger sons who were  with me ensuring I was OK and getting me what I needed and doing the chores around the house helping their dad who was juggling between work and home, and at the same time managing their own work schedules and studies. Thank you dearest Chimmy and Lawrence for being such loving and caring children. I am proud of you both for taking up responsibilities.

Then I would like to thank my dearest colleagues Sasikala and Nirmala for taking over my work and ensuring that my pupils did not miss out on anything important. They held the fort for the three days I was away despite drowning in their own tight schedules. It is very rare you get such precious gems as colleagues and I am truly blessed. Thank you dearest Sasi and Nimms, you both are very special to me. I am truly blessed to be working alongside with you.

Next and most importantly I would like to thank my dearest sister in Christ, Sujatha Sajan for doing only what a mother would do and I want to thank  her dear daughter who is also my daughter in Christ. When sis Sujatha heard that I was sick, she called her helper from her office and told her to prepare a special cumin porridge for me and did not stop at that, she got her helper to cook a special rasam and a  sumptuous feast for my family as we could not go out to celebrate our youngest son's birthday that evening. She asked her daughter Victoriya Priya who was preparing for her diploma exams to personally deliver the food to our home. In awhile sweet Victoriya Priya was knocking at our door with all the food and porridge and the special rasam. Thank you sister Sujatha and dear Priya you both have examplified the meaning of, 'A friend in need is a friend in deed' so aptly.

When I went to class on Thursday morning at 7.15am and I was greeted by my colleague Mdm Syahidah  and 36 concerned pupils  who had made a huge big 'Get Well' card for me.  It showed their appreciation and love for me. I was so touched by their love and was glad to be back in school. Thank you Mdm Syahidah and my dear Primary 5Compassion angels.

How God works through His earthly angels whom He has placed all around us! It is so amazing and exhilarating to bask  in our Lord's presence, His goodness and His loving grace!

I pray God's abundant blessings of awesome health of mind, emotions, body and spirit upon each one who allowed God to work through them.

My dearest angels, you who were amazing blessings to me, I love you all with the love of Christ Jesus!

Mrs Mary Augustine
20th Feb 2016

How To Win Spiritual Battles Effectively

My Thoughts on  Exodus17 : 8-16 &
Exodus 18:13-24

Strategies to be learnt, to win spiritual battles.

Exo 17-Vs 9
*stand on top of the hill - refers to going to a quiet place to meet with God.

*with the staff of God in my hands- here, the staff or rod represents God's power.

Exodus 17:11 NIV
As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. (Coincidentally the Amalekites are the descendants of Esau, the eldest sonnof Isaac and Rebecca & the Israelites are the descendants of Jacob the second son of Isaac and Rebecca)

*As long as he prevailed in prayer, as long as he lifted up his hands in surrender to God, God defeated the enemies and the Israelites were winning but when he was overcome by tiredness and frailty and could not pray, the enemies were winning.

How does one prevail in prayer? How do we win the constant spiritual battles in our lives? As human beings we too face times when we can't pray because we are too troubled and overwhelmed with sorrows. What do we do then? Here is where the role of the prayer partners cone in. Let us see what happens in the Exodus scenario...

Exodus 17:12-13 NIV
When Moses' hands grew tired, they (Aaron and Hur)took a stone (rock)and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up---one on one side, one on the other---so that his hands remained steady till sunset. [13] So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

* took a stone (rock)and put it under him and he sat on it- here the stone or rock represents Jesus our Rock and Cornerstone. Moses sits on it...we should rest our heartaches, sorrows, anxieties and worries on Jesus and wait upon Him Who is our Rock, Foundation and Cornerstone.

* Aaron and Hur held his hands up---one on one side, one on the other---so that his hands remained steady till sunset. [13] So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

*just as Aaron and Hur helped Moses hands to be up steady till sunset, we too must help one another in intercessory prayer and encourage our prayer partners to stand steady till the results are seen and the victory is won.

What if we are like Moses bearing the troubles of everyone and are weighed down heavily by them? Regarding this we hear a very sound and Godly advice from an elderly man of great experiences, Moses' father in law Jethro.

Jethro advises Moses on how to handle people and situations wisely to be effectively win every battle we face in life.

Let us read further in
Exodus 18:13-24 KJV
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: (here Moses was facing the people) and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. [14] And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? [15] And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: [16] When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. [17] And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. [18] Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. [19] Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: [20] And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. [21] Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: [22] And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. [23] If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so , then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. [24] So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

*Here Jethro says thus, " Be thou for the people to God-ward, (that means, for the sake of those you are praying, stand toward God, stand facing God instead of the people, instead of being engrossed in their problems and being weighed down by those problems) that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:( bring their problems to God, tell God everything and seek His counsel)  [20] And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do ( thus you will be able to advise them and guide them to do the right thing to solve their problems through the Wisdom of God.

In summary, we as prayer warriors must employ the following strategies to win spiritual battles effectively:-

1) Go to a quiet place to seek God's face.
2) Rest your burdens on our Lord Jesus our Rock.
3) Surrender everything to God our Father.
4) Praise and worship Him as if nothing else matters, just knowing that He will fight the battle for us while we praise Him. 
5) When the battle is heavy, alert prayer partners to pray alongside with you.
6) Never give up till the battle is won.
7) Continue to stand before God for every detail in your life and seek His Counsel.

If we do this everyday we can rejoice in the Lord at all times.

Mary Augustine
17th Feb 2016