What is the Unforgivable Sin!

God is our all forgiving and merciful Father Who is abounding in love and grace. To every one who repents and seeks forgiveness He is gracious to forgive. Then why would He not forgive the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?

Now to understand what the sin against the Holy Spirit is, we must first know and understand Who the Holy Spirit is. He is a Person.

His distinctive characteristics are:-

1) Knowledge - He Knows the secrets of God and reveals them to us.
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT
But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. [11] No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit.

2) Will - He Decides.
1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

3) Emotions - He Pleads for us.
Romans 8: 26 - 27NLT
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

4) Love - He helps us Love one another.
Romans 15:30 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.

5) Paraclete, Comforter, Encourager, Advocate - He will  never leave us unless we reject Him. He will be with us as our Comforter and Encourager and Guide and will teach us everything and remind us of the Words of Jesus.
John 14:16,26 NLT
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. [26] But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

6) Person of Authority:- He will instruct us what to do and where to go ( when we are close to Him and are listening to His still small voice)
Acts 16:6 NLT
Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

7) Person Who appoints people into office - He will appoint each one into the office of what Father God has destined us to do and be (when we are open to hear Him)
Acts 13:2 NLT
One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them."
Acts 20:28 NLT
"So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock-his church, purchased with his own blood-over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.

The Holy Spirit is a Person and not just a force or power. He is the 3rd Person of God. We cannot ask for more of the Holy Spirit so that we can use Him. He is not a force which we can use. He is not an 'it' but a 'He'! He is the divine Person of infinite majesty, glory, holiness and power, Who is ever willing to dwell in us and ready to use even us, to glorify the Father, if we allow Him. This is so humbling when we consider His greatness and our puny selves.

Now  in Matt 12:31-32 Jesus says that  every other sin will be forgiven but not the sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who said that He, Jesus drove away evil spirits because He had an unclean spirit in Him. Why is this sin unpardonable? Because the Pharisees who (practised meticulous adherence to their interpretation of the Torah as well as their eschatological views and applied Jewish law to mundane activities in order to sanctify the every-day world and believed in the resurrection after death) were learned in the law of Moses and had knowledge of the scriptures, yet insulted and rejected the Holy Spirit, in Jesus. They refused to acknowledge that the Spirit in Jesus was the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of God, the Majestic Spirit, Who comes to every person and gently convicts and prompts him or her to  accept Christ Jesus. Thw Holy Spirit in Acts was poured upon all the people who were listening to Peter speak. They were unbelievers at first but when they yielded their hearts to the Holy Spirit He was able to transform them (Acts 2:1-42). He is the Majestic One Who dwells within the believers of Christ, loves us and patiently waits for us to respond to His call, teaches us everything about Jesus and pleads for us to the Father. He convicts us of our sins again and again and waits patiently for us to change.

When we repeatedly reject the Holy Spirit, this Majestic Spirit, the Spirit Who comes from the Father to dwell within us who are mere sinful creatures,  and when we refuse to be convicted by Him, we actually slight and insult Him.  Continuous rejection of the Holy Spirit hardens our hearts. Our conscience becomes seared. When that happens, sin will no more seem like something wrong but will seem so normal and even 'right' in our eyes.  We then will miss all the opportunities given to us by God, to make all wrongs right. We then will be unable to repent, because we have rejected the Holy Spirit. There will be no conviction of sin without the Holy Spirit.

In summary,  to sin against the Holy Spirit is to reject the Holy Spirit and to live an unrepentant life (becoming the walking dead- spiritually dead although still alive) and die an unrepentant death. When one dies with a seared concience and an unrepentant, hardened heart, his end will be disastrous.  God cannot forgive the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. No repentance, no forgiveness.

Having said that, in conclusion, I would like to add this:-  No one can judge another to say whether he or she has sinned against the Holy Spirit. Only God knows each person's heart. Only God knows each person's motives. God can in His mercy change anyone, anytime and bring him or her to repentance. When we judge others, we are judged with that same measure. Therefore I would urge all believers to sincerely  pray for one another so that no one would be lost. Let us look at our own lives, examine our hearts daily, to see if we have offended the Holy Spirit, repent and change  and bear the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives. 

"Search me oh God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be some wicked way in me. Lead me in Thy way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23,24.
Help me always remain pliable in Your hands dear Father. Never let my heart grow cold. Holy Spirit come live in me and never let me go. Teach me Your way  so that I will bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control in my daily life and glorify the Father. Transform me into the likeness of Christ Jesus. I pray this in Jesus' most precious name. Amen!

Mary Augustine

(Special mention:- thanks to Br Vinay for helping to check for errors)

The Kingdom of God!

There have been countless debates with regards to the Kingdom of God. Many wonder what it is, where it is and what it will be like, living in there!

Some think that the Kingdom of God is in heaven and only in heaven. But Jesus said otherwise. Even John the Baptist was ushering in the Kingdom of God and when the promised Saviour came, He, Jesus said, "the Kingdom of God is within you!" Luke17:21

First of all let us see what a Kingdom is. It is a land or place ruled by a king. So obviously the Kingdom of God is where God rules. Therefore wherever God rules, whomever God rules, His Lordship, His Rulership, His Kingdom, His Government is established there.

Let us examine what Jesus said about God's Kingdom.:-

In John 3:3-7, Jesus said,
"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again"
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."

Therefore to get a glimpse of  God's Kingdom and to enter in and experience it, one must be born again of the water and the Spirit of God. Therefore only baptised believers, who are born again of the Spirit of God, can enter God's Kingdom.

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."

God's kingdom has been forcefully advancing through John the Baptist who shouted, "Repent and be baptised!" ;  Through the Son of God who forcefully gave up His life for us and later through the apostles and disciples who forcefully preached the Word. We too are called to advance His Kingdom. We can only do it if we are violent enough and grab it. That means we must know what it is and work wholeheartedly and selflessly in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and establishing God's Kingdom every where we go, despite our circumstances and the danger we go through. We must go and pray for people, get them healed, tell people about Jesus, teach them about His ways and get them baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit, in order for God's Kingdom to be established in their hearts and around them.

Now the question is can we experience it on earth? Yes we can! That is why Jesus came. He wants us to live under His rulership and experience the joys of the Kingdom of God even while here on earth. Then finally when our journey on earth ends, we will be forever united with Jesus in His Kingdom in heaven.

How then can we experience God's Kingdom while on earth? Well, if a king is a tyrant then his subjects will be suffering under his tyranny. But we know that our God is abounding in mercy, kindness and love. Therefore in His Kingdom, wherever God rules and reigns, be it your family or your heart or your workplace, there will be peace, love and joy unending there.

How can one continually live in peace, love and joy when there is so much of chaos, sickness, turmoil  and war on earth, you may ask! Let us see what Jesus said about this. In John 16:33 Jesus told His apostles, " These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus also said in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."

Jesus also said one more important thing about God's kingdom, in Luke 18:17 (NASB)

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

First we must be child-like. What are the qualities of a child? Innocence, a trusting heart, humility and faith in Christ. Yes these are the qualities we need, to receive the kingdom of God. The most important of all is the free gift of faith from God. All other gifts flow through faith, which acts as a channel. Then, when we receive God's kingdom with child-like faith, we can enter into it. 

Conclusion:- In God's Kingdom there will be unending peace, love and joy. In this world you can't find that. To enjoy the benefits of God's Kingdom, we must be a baptised Christian, one who is born again and fired up by the Holy Spirit and one who has faith in Jesus and abides in Him at all times. In this world we may face sickness, problems, lack, but when we have Christ in us, we will be living in unending peace, joy and love.

That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name. Let Your Kingdom come and let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

When we begin living under the Lordship of our Father in the Kingdom of God, we can safely proclaim with Paul, "We give you thanks Father, You Who have qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For You have delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of Your Beloved Son!" (Col 1:12-13)

Mary Augustine

Who Do You Say I Am?

Who do others say I am? Kind, loving, caring, patient helpful, artistic, hardworking, pious,etc?

How is that going to help me when I stand before my Creator God?  Can I carry the praises of people with me when I die? Or, are the angry words of those who misunderstand me send me to hell? Do I live for the praises of people or do I live to hear my Lord tell me, "Well done my faithful daughter! Welcome home!"

Now what I am concerned about is not what or who others think I am, but what Jesus thinks of me!  Ultimately, only what Jesus thinks of me will matter!

In Mark 8:29 NLT
Jesus asked his disciples, "But who do you say I am?"

But here I am asking, the same question in reverse.
"Jesus my Lord, who do You say, I am?"

Only He knows the real motives of my heart. My inner thoughts are made bare before Him. When I stand before Him all my works which are not of pure motive will be burnt to ashes like straw.  I can pretend before men, but not before my Jesus!

So Jesus, please tell me, who am I to You?  I want to be Your child. I want to be Your friend. I want to be one worthy of Your suffering and death on the cross. I want to be wholly Yours!

Am I obedient to Your commands? Am I faithful to You? Have I borne the fruit of the Spirit in my life? Have I remained in You Lord?

Help me always be conscious of my position before You my Saviour!

I want to be, who You want me to be Jesus!

Mary Augustine

The Gospel Without Compromise

It is 2017 soon going on to 2018. Christianity has spread like wildfire throughout the world. Many unreached nations have been reached with the Gospel of Christ Jesus. We have seen the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the time after the ascension of Jesus and during the Azusa street revival and the birth of the Charismatic movement. But we also see how fast the world is decaying in moral filth.

Come on, if Christianity has spread throughout the world why have the Christians not been able to change the world? After all Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth right? What went wrong? 

There is an influx of preachers today and many so called preachers preach thus, " In John 25:7, Jesus said, "You may ask anything you want, and it will be granted!" So ask Him whatever you want. He will give it to you. Claim His promise. Do not doubt. God wants you to be the head and not the tail. He has promised you anything you ask for. Don't be a beggar and ask for little. Ask for much more. Don't ask for a small car, ask for a big one. Don't ask for a three room flat, ask for a condominium or a bungalow. You are a child of the Father, not a beggar who is satisfied with a morsel of bread. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given unto you!" So ask. He will open the storehouses of heaven and pour it upon you."

Now those who are poor, after hearing this sermon will feel so unworthy. They will think that they lack faith. They will now, faithfully keep asking for riches but will be disappointed.

Then the pastors will say, "Give if you want to be blessed. Remember the poor widow in Mk12:41-44, who gave all that she had? Give without counting tbe cost like her. Then ask for what you want. Have faith. Only then God will pour out riches upon you."

The poor and sick and needy will give what they have in their wallets that day and keep asking, and asking and asking, waiting for that day when the promise will be fulfilled. Meanwhile these ravenous wolves dressed as preachers will continue to fleece the sheep and become filthy prosperous.

Did Jesus really mean that? Did He mean that whatever you ask will be given to you?

Yes Jesus did say, "Ask and it shall be given unto you," in Matt 7:7 .

He also said, "Matthew 7:9-11 NLT
"You parents-if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10] Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

What did Jesus mean when He said all that? What gifts was He talking about? A Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar? A mansion? A thousand dollar suit? A million dollar bank account? A twice yearly luxurious holiday? A private jet? Shopping at all the most expensive stores? Gold watches and jewellery? The most fashionable and expensive boutique?

Let us look at the following verses.
Mark 11:20-24 NLT
The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. [21] Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!" [22] Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. [23] I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. [24] I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. ..."

Now if we take the words of Jesus out of context, does it not seem that Jesus was teaching His disciples to curse anything and anyone with faith?

To make sure we don't take it out of context Jesus added, in Mk 11:25
[25] But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."

So that rules out cursing anyone. But again did He mean that when we ask anything He will give it to us? What mountain was He talking about?

Let us look at the words of Jesus in John 15:7 NLT
"But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!"

This is what Jesus really meant. "When you remain in Me, and my words(I) remain in you, you will bear much fruit (you will think like me and will talk like me and behave like me, and have the Father's heart of compassion and mercy in you). Then you will ask according to the Father's heart. You will ask what is really needed for your salvation and the salvation of others. You will have my mind when you remain in me and I in you. You will not ask for the things of this world which gives fleeting but never lasting pleasures. You will ask for what is most important; you will ask for the Holy Spirit and will I ever refuse you? What parent will refuse his/her child what is good? More so, my Father will never refuse to give you the Holy Spirit if you ask. Also when you ask according to the will of my Father, what you ask for will be pleasing in His sight. You will not ask for what seems good in the eyes of the world. You will ask for that which is good in my Father's eyes. So ask anything, when you remain in me and I in you and whatever  you ask, from that position and from that mindset, will be given to you."

Read the words of Jesus in the following verses.
Luke 11:5-13 NLT
Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, [6] 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' [7] And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' [8] But I tell you this-though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. [9] "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] "You fathers-if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? [12] Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! [13] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

Therefore when the words of Jesus are taken out of context and preached, it produces shallow believers, people who become greedy (wanting to accumulate more and more), selfish (not willing to share), manipulative (using others for their own gain, become cheaters and liars), proud (being too proud of themselves and their strength and accolades and think of themselves as invincible), lustful (lusting after money and whatever they cast their eyes upon), lazy (procrastinating, just sitting down and asking without doing any good works or bearing fruit in their lives) and finally angry (angry when they don't get what they asked for).

Let us look at one more point. The point about selfless giving which is often brought up by these preachers.
Jesus did talk to his disciples about the widow who gave all she had in Mk 12:41-44, but what point was he driving to them. To know that you must read from versus 38-40.
Mark 12:38-40 NLT
Jesus also taught: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. [39] And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. [40] Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished."
Jesus was warning them of the manipulative and proud Pharisees, the modern day prosperity preachers who shamelessly rob the unassuming believers of their money. He was comparing them with the humble widow.

Sadly many good preachers who started out with God's anointing and the right intentions have turned around 180°, lured by the riches of the world and become really good and convincing fleecers.

Although churches are filled every Sunday, although souls are being added in the hundreds weekly in these mega churches and even small churches, although thousands take part in worship in church on Sundays and weekday prayer meetings, although many believers do mission and charity work, the lives of most believers are not changed. There is no visible difference in the lives of these Christians compared to the lives of unbelievers. Why?

Because the true message of Christ is not preached. We are not preaching the Gospel without compromise.

We do not need churches to be filled because we want to collect money from the faithful givers.

Instead we want churches to be filled so that believers will know how to remain in Christ to bear fruit and how to ask with the heart of the Father and mind of Christ Jesus. Then they will ask for things that last and not perish. They will receive wisdom as to how they can be thrifty and how to give their money, time and service to the poor and needy. They will know how to eat right, exercise and be healthy, to be a fit soldier in the Father's army. They will know how to pray away the mountain of afflictions and poverty from their lives.

We want to change lives so that we can send these believers out as salt and light into the world to snatch all those standing on the brink of hell and bring them to the Father through Jesus Christ.

Church, we need to repent. Let those who can hear the Father's call arise. Let us stand in the gap and repent for those who mislead the sheep. Let us give our eyes no rest till we cry out to the Father for each soul which is being lost daily. Let us go forth to proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus, exactly as it is, without taking it out of context and without compromise. Let us see lives changed to become the light of the world and salt of the earth. Let us help one another to bear fruit and remain in Christ Jesus.

Come on church, let us march forward with renewed zeal and a firm resolution not to sleep while the world is decaying, not to rest till all are saved.

Behold the time of the Bridegroom's return is near. Arise, let us fill our lamps with oil and keep constant watch and preach the 'Gospel Without Compromise'.

Mary Augustine
10th October 2017

NOISE & MIND CONTROL!

'Noise' what is it?

When we think of noise we think of some loud sound irritating, or hurting our eardrums. Yes it is rightly so and more.

There is noise everywhere. In the air, in photography and paintings and also in our minds.

Let's look at the following noise:-
[In digital photographs, “noise” is the commonly-used term to describe visual distortion. It looks similar to grain found in film photographs, but can also look like splotches of discoloration when it’s really bad, and can ruin a photograph. Noise tends to get worse when you’re shooting in low light.]

The above paragraph is taken from the link below.
https://www.adorama.com/alc/0012955/article/FAQ-What-is-Noise-in-a-Digital-Photograph

Yes there is noise in photographs and only a skilled photographer will be able to discover and rectify the distortion which destroys it.

The noise in the air which reaches our ears as sound is  regulated by humans if it is of human origin or if it is of machine origin and which can be controlled by man. Noise from all other sources for example creatures and nature, we accept it as it comes. 

We can't change  noise that is not within our control. Yet we can choose whether we want to stay within the vicinity of that noise which hurts our ears, or leave.

There is noise on TV and the media. Here again we can't change it but we can modulate the noise that reaches our ears from the TV, mobile or computer or we can shut it down completely. That is within our control.

Now what about the noise in our minds? Yes, there is noise produced as millions of thoughts race through our minds daily, every second. Thoughts that make us glad, thoughts that make us sad and thoughts that make us mad. Anxious thoughts, hurtful thoughts, depressing thoughts, discouraging thoughts, revengeful thoughts, bitter thoughts, fearful thoughts and lustful, sinful thoughts.

There is no end to thinking. Our minds are always occupied and when it is empty we are either under general anaesthesia or dead, because when we sleep our subconscious mind takes over and fills it with thoughts. Just as we have no control over where the wind blows, we have no control over the thoughts that get blown or thrown into our minds. Yet again we have control over what we want to do with those thoughts. We have the ability to choose, not to entertain negative and sinful thoughts but think only about thoughts that build us up and give us peace.

The external noise does not shape us nor destroy us. It is actually the distorted noise in our minds that destroys us. Our thoughts shape our minds and us. Positive thoughts build us up and negative thoughts break us down.

Can our minds be devoid of noise? Yes it can be, but it cannot be devoid of thoughts.
When thoughts become distorted (negative) in our minds it becomes noise. So we need to quieten our minds and control the thoughts.

How do we quieten our minds?
By meditating one may say. You can meditate but you can and must never leave your minds empty while soothing music is being played as some practise in their meditation exercises. These exercises help to relax us but thoughts will still be blown into our minds and we need to learn how to deal with all the noisy thoughts.

The world uses various 'Mind Control' techniques to quieten the mind, for example hypnotism, transcendental meditation, yoga  and others. The ways of the world is not God's Way and these are destructive.

No matter how we try, we will never be able to quieten our minds except by filling it with God's Word. Try all we want, nothing else will bring peace into our minds, our souls and spirits.

We need to occupy our minds with calm and peaceful thoughts as we meditate, so as to quieten it.

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place :- says Lao Tzu. But only the Bible teaches us how to do it.

What better way to quieten the noise in our minds and correcting it than filling it with God's Word?

God's Word teaches us how to quieten the noise in our minds in Philippians 4:8 NLT
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

We need to allow God to transform our minds. God's Word says in Romans 12:2 NLT
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think, that is, by changing your mind. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

When the noise in our minds is eliminated we will begin to think clearly, just as when the noise in a photograph is corrected the photograph becomes clearer to the eye. When our minds are quietened and transformed by God then He promises us this in Hebrews 8:10
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Then we will know the plans He has for us and we will walk in His ways and be able to live lives pleasing to God.

Therefore let us eliminate the NOISE (distortion of thoughts)from our minds and fill it up with God's Word.

God bless you.
Mary Augustine

Abide in Jesus the Ark!

Genesis 7:17-23
The waters rose high but the ark rose higher than the waters and floated on it. The waters rose so high that it covered the highest mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep  and all that had breath of life were wiped out except Noah and his family who abided in the ark.

All those who depend on their strength, success, stability, wealth, abilities, which seem as strong and mighty and high as the highest mountains will be sorely disappointed when disaster strikes. Sudden disaster will drown  and wipe out everything.

Only those who abide in Christ Jesus the Ark, those who trust Him and depend only on His strength, will survive.

Storms of Life

Are you pepared to face the Storms of Life?

Yes every human being will face various storms in life.

1. Sudden unemployment!
2. Sudden illness!
3. Sudden loss of life!
4. Sudden shame!

How will you face these without Jesus?

1. With your intellect?
2. With help from friends/family?
3. With your own strength?

What if all worldly help is exhausted?

What if no one can help?

Money? How long will it last? In terms of loss of life, will money be of help?

If you lose a loved one, a family member who has not accepted Christ, what assurance do you have that you will see him/her in heaven?

Think!
Cancer, heart attack, sudden accidents and illnesses, sudden job loss, sudden death, these do not tell anyone, "I am coming!" They come suddenly when you are unaware.

To face a storm and conquer it, you must be prepared and all those in the boat with you must be equipped with the right tools and be of the same mind and desire and must be facing the same direction. You may be unaware, but you must be always prepared and equipped. 

In the same way when you face stormy situations in your life you will only be victorious if you are firmly rooted in Christ Jesus.

In a marriage both the partners must have the mind of Christ to win the battle. 

If both are unbelievers, they will solve the situation in a worldly manner which will not be the way of Christ Jesus. 

If one partner is a believer and the other is not, then tension will arise and the Christian partner when he or she is not rooted in Christ, will eventually end up compromising with his/her unbelieving spouse.

If you are not married please do not be attracted to an unbeliever or a Christian who does not have a relationship with Christ.

If your future spouse is an unbeliever, what will his/her values be shaped by? By God's Word or popular, conformistic, worldly views? Now LBGT is widely accepted but God's Word prohibits it. God created Male and Female and not 'Inbetweens'! If your future spouse shows acceptance to the LGBT views, how are you going to respond if your child says he/she wants to be a transgender? If your spouse agrees to it, are you going to compromise with it against God's Word? Or if your spouse says all religions lead to God and he/she allows your children to choose their faith, how are you going to respond?

How are you, as a believer going to raise up children who are rooted firmly in Christ Jesus,  if your spouse is an unbeliever? When the child is conceived, will your unbelieving spouse start laying hands and praying for the child in the womb from day 1? Will the unbelieving spouse run the race to raise up children who are God chasers instead of world chasers? 

A person 's mind will be shaped by only one of the 2 things:-

1) shaped by worldly views if he/she is an unbeliever or a believer who does not walk with Christ Jesus.

2) shaped by God's Word if he/she is a believer who is firmly rooted in Christ?

God's Word warns us not to be yolked with unbelievers in 2Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

The world is changing fast. Ungodly, antichristian views are seeping into the world as fast as lightning speed. If you don't hold on firmly to Christ Jesus, you will sink miserably without any help!

When a stormy situation arises how will you handle it without the only God Who came to take your sin and sicknesses upon the cross for you? Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father, except through Me!" A believing spouse will either end up compromising with his/her unbelieving spouse for the sake of peace ( which is against God's Word) or will end up in a religious struggle and be miserable.

Therefore, when you select a spouse, ensure that he/she is a believer, who loves Jesus more than he/she loves you. Remember, not everyone who professes to be a Christian is firmly rooted in Christ. Many are backslidden or lax Christians. 

First pray and ask God to mould and shape you to be a person pleasing to God in all ways. You must be firmly rooted in Christ first.

Then pray for a partner who will be a God chaser and a God pleaser and who will run the Christian race with you till the end. Our Father will bless you with your heart's desire if you are sincere in following Christ and are faithful to Him. 

For you who are already married to unbelivers, pray and model a life which bears the fruit of the Spirit.  Pray for your spouse's conversion. If your spouse or children are unbelievers or lax Christians, talk to them about the wonders of Christ in your life. How can you be selfish in not telling your loved ones (if you sincerely love them), about Jesus? Are you not responsible for them, going to hell? 

What are you afraid of?
Losing your loved ones on earth or not seeing them forever in Heaven?

Jesus said in Matt 19:29
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Are you rooted deeply in Christ Jesus to be able to surrender to Him, everyone and everything? 

Whatever you surrender to Him will never be lost. He will make all things new and give them back to you a hundredfold if you surrender all to Him now. 

Don't worry if the conversion of your loved ones is not immediate. You be faithful in praying for them and living your life in a manner which pleases God and which bears the fruit of the Spirit. Their conversion will happen in God's time. The Holy Spirit is the Convictor and the Convertor of souls. God will commend you for your faithfulness to Him.

Then you together with your loved ones will receive Eternal Life in Jesus. You will live in His Kingdom with your loved ones forever and ever happily.

Also the TRUTH can only be found in God's WORD and no where else. Even after reading my article, you must check if what I have written is biblically correct. Therefore I humbly urge you to read this article carefully and check it against God's Word, the Bible.

Never ever give up Christ Jesus Who died such a cruel death on the cross to redeem you from Satan 's grip, for the power, beauty, wealth and pleasures of this world!

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the Only One Who can shield you from all storms and give you Eternal Life!

Therefore be firmly rooted in Christ Jesus and face every storm in your life victoriously with Him!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Mary Augustine.

**************************

Are we participants in the Abomination of Desolation?

What is the Abomination of Desolation?

(Reference article below)
The phrase “abomination of desolation” refers to Matthew 24:15 (KJV): “So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand.” This is referring to Daniel 9:27, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” In 167 B.C. a Greek ruler by the name of Antiochus Epiphanies set up an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offerings in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He also sacrificed a pig on the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is known as the abomination of desolation.

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus was speaking some 200 years after the abomination of desolation described above had already occurred. So, Jesus must have been prophesying that some time in the future another abomination of desolation would occur in a Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Most Bible prophecy interpreters believe that Jesus was referring to the Antichrist who will do something very similar to what Antiochus Epiphanies did. This is confirmed by the fact that some of what Daniel prophesied in Daniel 9:27 did not occur in 167 B.C. with Antiochus Epiphanies. Antiochus did not confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years. It is the Antichrist who, in the end times, will establish a covenant with Israel for seven years and then break it by doing something similar to the abomination of desolation in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Whatever the future abomination of desolation is, it will leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that the one perpetrating it is the person known as the Antichrist. Revelation 13:14 describes him making some kind of image which all are forced to worship. Turning the temple of the living God into a place of worship for the Antichrist is truly an “abomination.”

(The above refeence article was extracted from
https://www.gotquestions.org/abomination-desolation.html)

From the time the temple of God was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanies till now the real temple of God has been violated and desecrated millions and zillions of times over. "How?" You may ask. Let me explain...

The above reference article says,
"Revelation 13:14 describes him(Antichrist) making some kind of image which all are forced to worship. Turning the temple of the living God into a place of worship for the Antichrist is truly an “abomination.”..."

Now what has Antichrist subtly created for all to worship? Look around the world. What are people spending most of their waking hours on, thinking about, doing...etc? Children, teenagers, youth, parents, even grandparents, leaders, pastors... Main culprit is the Social Media and computer games which come in countless forms.

What does God command in the 10 Commandments?
Let me give you the first three here.
*I am the LORD thy God.
*No other gods before me.
*No graven images or likenesses.

Antichrist which has already begun working subtly through his counterparts has deceived us into violating the first 3 commandments by engaging most of our waking hours even upon waking up, in Social Media and/or other distractions (however important or good they may be or seem)

God's Word says in 1Cor 6:19
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;"

That means if we put anything or anyone else in God's place inside the temple of God (our body)and spend the waking hour (first fruit)of our mornings and most of our time,on it, then we have placed the Abomination of Desolation in God's holy temple and desecrated His temple.

The final Abomination of Desolation will happen in a grand scale as predicted in the Bible. But before that, Antichrist numbs people's minds and prepares them to worship him wholeheartedly and willingly very easily, by getting them to daily violate the first three and eventually all the commandments.

Let us wake up. Do not be deceived. Let us not be participants of this plot to desecrate God's Holy Temple which is our own Body. Worship God and Him alone.

Let us spend our waking hour praising and thanking Him. Throughout our day, let us converse with Him as with our husband, wife, child or friend, about our daily matters. He is closer to us than our own breath. Let us spend time alone with Him everyday. Before sleeping, let us examine our conscience and ask the Father's forgiveness for the wrong things we did and the good we failed to do. Let us thank the Holy Spirit for guiding and protecting us throughout the day. Then let us sleep with loving thoughts of Jesus and awake in the morning welcoming the Holy Spirit to guide us.

God bless you
Mary Augustine

Use The Key! Unlock your Miracles!

It was a hot weekday afternoon. I was relaxing in my balcony with a book in hand after lunch. After awhile, my eyes fell upon the crevice below the window grilles. There was dust there. Being a dust freak, I put my book down and took a cloth to wipe it. Then I saw more dust in the grooves of the window grilles, window panes and the 5cm ledge outside the window. Thus began my cleaning spree and with it I was taught an important lesson by the Holy Spirit.

Being without a domestic helper for the past one year, our window grilles especially our balcony window grilles have not been wiped regularly, although we just wipe it when we are able.  There was dust collected in between the grooves which made the windows a little hard to maneuver. Given our current position (Sons in the midst of final exams and me recuperating from an operation and my hubby juggling  work and taking care of me), I had not given it much thought. As long as the inside of my house was neat, clean and dust free, I was satisfied.

Now I had a sudden urge to clean the balcony window grilles and grooves. The window grilles were locked. I did not try to open them. Instead I just used a cloth to wipe the dust. The grooves were still dirty. Then I took the water spray, sprayed water into the grooves and started cleaning the moistened dust with the cloth. "This is great," I thought to myself. The accumulated dust started coming off in rolls. Still the edges had stubborn stains. So I had to spray a detergent and use a brush to scrub it then wipe it clean. But what about the dirt stuck in parts I can't reach? It was then, that I heard a still small voice within me saying, " Go get the key. Use it!" 

So I decided to use the key to open the grilles. Only when I used the key to unlock the grilles, a thorough cleaning process began & that is precisely when the Holy Spirit began teaching  me a beautiful lesson from the natural into the supernatural.

He was showing me that trying to clean the window grilles and grooves, is akin to praying for someone or a dire situation.

In this instance, where a year of dirt had been accumulated, it needed water and detergent and a brush to clean it. Yet it could not be cleaned thoroughly without using the key to unlock the grilles.

When we pray for someone to turn to the Lord, someone who is sick or when we pray to be delivered from a certain tumultuous situation, we intercede and we petition. We can do it all day long for ages yet see little results.

To receive the answers to our prayers we need to use The KEY! Yes it is the Authority which has been given to us by Jesus. He said in Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority that you may tread on snakes and scorpions and all the power of the enemy and nothing will harm you.”

All we need to do is take up our authority in Christ Jesus, over every situation we are facing or take up authority over the situation the person we are praying for is facing and command it to change. It is as easy as that.

To do this we need faith. We need the Unshakable and Shameless Faith of the Syrophoenician Woman in Mark 7:24-29 and the Confident Faith of the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13. That is when Peace will settle in our hearts even in the midst of trials. We will know that what we have been praying for has been taken care of.

One who has not been given authority cannot do certain operations. For example a doctor cannot stop a speeding vehicle. Even if he tries no one will stop. Only a traffic policeman wearing the uniform has the authority to stop vehicles.

If a traffic policeman does not know he has the authority to stop speeding vehicles, then how is he going to do his duty? How will traffic offenders be corrected? He must exercise his authority without doubt, with confidence to execute his orders and obtain sure results.

Likewise we must know who we are in Christ Jesus. We are God's own children through baptism and we have been given the Authority by our big Brother Jesus to do all that He did while He walked on earth.

First we must petition and intercede with Unshakable & Shameless Faith. Then we must with Confident Faith put on our uniform which is the Whole Armour  Ephesians 6:10-18 and use the KEY, the Authority invested upon us by Christ to command each situation to be made right in Jesus' name. Then we can go away whistling happily(Praising and Thanking God) because we know, 'It Is Finished!'

Therefore let us go forth and use our Kingdom Authority to defeat the unseen enemies of our souls and begin the rescue operation!

Use the Key & Unlock your Miracles today!

Whoa! What a beautiful lesson He taught me. Thank You Holy Spirit!

Mary Augustine

Accuser or Intercessor?

We eat delicious and nutritious food by mouth relishing every morsel with our tongue. Do we then eat waste products and rotten, mouldy food with that same mouth and tongue?

Then why do we praise God and speak bad about our neighbour, with the same mouth and tongue?

God's Word speaks volumes about the dangers of ill use of the tongue and the benefits of the proper use of the tongue:-

James 3:8 - But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

Proverbs 10:19 - In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips [is] wise.

Proverbs 15:28 - The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

James 3:6 - And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

We learn from God's Word that when we speak iniquity, our tongue defiles our whole body with the fire from hell. Then why do we choose to speak ill of people?

We as human beings are too quick to form an opinion of others. We form opinions about our bosses, our coworkers, our pastors, fellow church members, our leaders, our friends and even our family members. In our minds we think we are better than them. This leads to personal judgement and criticism. We criticise almost everyone almost all the time in our minds except ourselves. Then what we think spills out from our mouths when we are with others.

Let us close our eyes and think of the following people:-
1. Billy Graham
2. Madonna
3. Mother Theresa
4. Obama
5. Lady Gaga
6. Michael Jackson
7. Martin Luther

Now stop and examine each thought and opinion which our mind forms when we hear each name. We praise some and we despise some because of the opinions we form in our minds about them, based on right and wrong. 

Do we have the heart and mind of God our Father? If we have, then we will look at people like how He sees them and love them with compassion and do all we can to save them from hell fire. We will pray for them instead of using the precious time to accuse them and criticise them.

We judge and criticise others because we conclude that they are doing something wrong or doing something out of the norm. If we really care about what they do so much, why don't we turn our criticisms to intercessions? Why don't we pray for them to change and become better persons?

Now go back to the list of names again. This time as you think of each person, try this:- For every person whom you think is a praise worthy person, stop to thank God for that person's life and bless that person. For every person whom you think is not walking right with God, pray for them asking the Holy Spirit to give life to the dead bones and to birth the new life of Christ in them.(imagine all of them to be still living even though some have died for this is only an exercise) How do you feel now?

We can choose to put on Christ's nature or the nature of the devil .

The Bible says in Rom 8:34 that, Jesus sits at God's right hand interceding for us and the bible also says in Rev 12:10 ... For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, he who accuses them day and night before our God. In other words the accuser is accusing us day and night before God and he will be destroyed at the end of times.

So, do we want to put on Christ's nature and use our tongue to intercede for people whom we want to judge and criticise or put on the devil's nature and criticise them and be an accuser of them before God.

Our choice will determine our final destination. When we intercede for others we will be seated with Christ in heaven for all eternity. But when we choose to join forces with the Accuser who is Satan himself, then we will be thrown down into hell with it and it's cohorts on the final day of judgement.

Therefore let us use our tongue wisely and let us intercede for everyone especially those we want to judge and criticise. Let us populate heaven with our intercessions instead of becoming an inhabitant of hell for all eternity. 

Oh, if we can save just one sinner from hell fire, how heaven will rejoice! How happy our Father will be!

Mary Augustine

Walking with an Undivided Heart with our First Love!

How do we walk with an undivided heart, intimately with Jesus daily? The best way I know of is to read and meditate on the Word of God and to talk with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus and the Father throughout the day reexamining and reflecting on our ways.

The Old Testament and the New Testament are seamless. "The Old Testament is in the New Testment revealed and the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed," said Chuck Missler. Jesus often quoted the Old Testament to reveal Who He really IS, but the one track minded Pharisees and the priests did not recognise Him. Do we recognise Jesus in God's Word and in our lives? Do we know Who He really is? Jesus asked His disciples, " Who do you say I AM?" He asks each one of us the same question! Who is Jesus to us?

Yes, the Bible says, "Jesus is the only Way, Truth and Life! He is the door to the Father. No one goes to the Father except through Him. He is The Word of God. He is the Son of God. He is our Saviour. He is our Healer. He is our Provider. He is our Redeemer. He is our Salvation and our Hope. He is...He is...He is...BUT...Who is Jesus to ME? How real and how personal is He to me?  These are the questions we must ask ourselves. If we don't check ourselves daily, our hearts will easily become divided and eventually turn cold.

In our zeal to follow Christ, we look up to pastors and church leaders and at times, our own parents for spiritual guidance. Many times we are bewildered by their preaching, teaching and way of living which do not match. Who or what then do we follow?

In Matthew 23:2,3,12
Jesus said to the crowd and his disciples: 2 " The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.......12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

In Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and in
Deuteronomy 18:18-22,  God warns His people about the false prophets.(Go and read it)

   Yes just as in the old and the new even now there are those who operate in their giftings but they in their humanity start expecting something, other than Jesus and the eternal life, in this life. That is why they use it for the wrong purposes. They abuse their gifts. Prophets prophecy in two ways. In the supernatural and the natural. In the supernatural, when they get a revelation from God. But they sometimes use this same  prophecy in the natural when they use it for their gain. Pastors and leaders start off on the right foot but along the way , when their hearts become divided, they draw people to themselves instead of the Lord Jesus. They get drawn into the prosperity gospel which causes disillusionment to the sheep.

Now, everything boils down to our motives. No one knows our secret thoughts. Only God. In Matthew chapter 24:36 to  chapter 25: 1-46, Jesus talks explicitly about how we will be judged and who will be sent to their eternal damnation. So we must be very careful in speaking, doing and even thinking... Why am I doing this? Why am I saying this? Why am I thinking these thoughts? How do I benefit spiritually? How can I help those around me and those under my charge spiritually? Would this put me in the right standing with God? How would this benefit my soul and spirit? Am I pleasing God through this? Am I leading others who see and hear me, to Christ? Am I feeding spiritually nourishing food to those under my charge? Am I a prayerful watchman who is fully prepared and equipped with God's anointing? Do I pray for those around me and under my charge and do I keep a prayerful watch at all times? Am I fully utilizing my talents, however little they may be to win souls for God's kingdom? Because God has given me talents according to my ability. Am I keeping short accounts with God? Am I seeing Christ in each one I serve? Do I help and serve Christ in others whomever they may be, whatever rank they may come from, without expecting gains or returns of any kind?
This is what we will be judged on when we meet Jesus.

Judas was greedy for money and was thinking of gains even as he was with Jesus. His heart was divided. Although he was in the inner circle of Jesus with the other 11 apostles, he was shrewed in worldly ways and had his heart leaning towards monetary gains.  His spiritual eyes and ears were blinded by his desire for worldly gains. Therefore he conveniently did not hear or did not remember all that Jesus told them about what would happen after his death on the cross...about his coming back in three days! Peter denied Christ but when he realised his sin, he wept bitterly but did not despair. Whereas Judas despaired and took his own life. If only Judas was really living in the Presence of Jesus at every moment he was with Him, hearing Him and internalising His Words, he would have known that Jesus would rise again, he would have repented and waited for Jesus and would have fallen at His feet.

Jesus told Judas, in
Matthew 26:24 NLT For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!"
That means the way Jesus was going to be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver was already predicted in Zechariah 11:12,13.
Jesus knew that He would be betrayed, but He also knew how Judas would die after that, taking his own life in despair and remorse. That is why He mentioned that it would have been better if he had never been born.

People, prophets, leaders, pastors, parents...in the old testament, in the new testament and even now, want to walk in the right path. Some know how. Some are still seeking and growing. Mature Christians must show the way. We may fail but we must keep re-examining ourselves and our walk with God daily and at every moment and set our bearings right. We learn right and wrong from the fall and rise of others especially from the Bible characters, our parents  and the leaders in our spheres of circle. We must pray for wisdom and discernment as we examine their lives and instead of judging them especially our pastors, leaders and parents, we must pray for them and we must keep reexamining our lives and guard our hearts to avoid falling into similar or worst pitfalls. In order to do that we must devour the Word of God like real food daily and walk in God's presence, communing with Him at every moment.

Judas was a man of divided heart. The enemy uses people with divided hearts even today. That is why guarding our hearts from placing one foot here and the other foot there, is very important. The disciples who abandoned Jesus and ran away when He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and Peter who denied knowing Jesus, ran away and denied Him out of fear, but in their hearts, Jesus was still their first love. But for Judas it was not the same. Jesus was not his first love, money and material gain was.

All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God but  instead of being like Judas, despairing in remorse, let us weep bitterly and repent like Peter and cling on to Jesus, our first Love, Who is The Only Way to God our Father. Let us welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives daily and ask Him to teach and guide us because He was sent to us, for this very purpose by the Father at the request of Jesus our Saviour.

Let us walk reflectively and intimately with our First Love, Jesus, with an Undivided Heart, daily!