Guilty OR Forgiven?

I was reading Luke 18:9-14 the other day and I asked myself this question,   "How do I see myself and how do I see others?"

Luke 18:9-14 (NASB) says this:-
And He (Jesus) also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: [10] "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' [13] But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' [14] I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Here we see a Pharisee, who is a faithful practitioner of the 'Laws', standing before God in prayer. We see him attesting to God that he did not rob anyone; did not do any evil in God's sight; did not commit adultery (that means he was faithful to his spouse and to God, which was a great thing in those days, because most men were known to have many adulterous relationships), did not even collect taxes like the tax collector who was then in front of him.

This Pharisee seems like, truly a good man doesn't he? After all, over and above living a good, worthy life in accordance to the 'Laws', he started his prayer by thanking God first. Doesn't the entire Old Testament speak about the 'Sacrifice of Thanksgiving'? Here is just a sample from
Psalm 116:17 (NASB)
To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD.

Giving thanks to God was and is still, first and foremost the best sacrificial offering to God and this Pharisee did just that, or did he?

Jesus said that he was not justified before God as the tax collector was. Why? What did the Pharisee miss out?

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving means, being able to thank God in the midst of chaotic and stormy situations. Being able to thank God, trusting that God  will make all situations calm and quieten down. It is not just to thank God during good times only. We must thank God both in good and in bad times.

Here, the Pharisee did thank God but was actually boasting of his accomplishments, was boasting about his ability to follow the laws.

Look at the tax collector, he beat his chest and cried for mercy before God, admitting that he was a sinner.

What was the difference between them both?

The Pharisee knew he adhered to all the laws of God. He compared himself with others who broke the laws. He felt good, high and mighty above them all. This made him look down on the rest of the 'sinnners'! His prayer became a thankful  boasting of his own merits instead of a humble acknowledgement of God's power working in and through him.

The tax collector on the other hand admitted that he was a sinner before God. He could not even look up because of his guilt. Yet he bravely came and stood before God pleading for mercy in humility, instead of hiding away, in guilt induced depression.

Psalm 51:17 says "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise."

God looks at our hearts; the motives of each one of our hearts are examined by Him. He hates a boastful heart and spirit.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NASB) says that,
"There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: [17] Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, [18] A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, [19] A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers."

The first in the list which God hates is haughty(proud) eyes.

Proverbs 16:5 (NASB) says,
"Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished."

Here from the above verses from God's Word, we see that God truly hates the proud.

No matter how good and pious one is, we will never meet God's 'Gold' standard. The very moment we think we are good, holy, pious etc we are immediately and automatically raised on a pedestal in our own eyes (not in the eyes of others). We immediately begin to look at others from our perspective, which is, below us.

By measuring ourselves against others, we are proclaiming that we are better than them, holier than them. In short, we are saying that we are saints and they are sinners!

Our biggest enemy is 'Self'! We want to look good and feel good at all times, even when we stand before God in prayer. So the first thing that comes to our mind is,  "I am not so sinful as that person! There are people worse off than me! I am better than them all!"

Of course there are people better in virtue or worse off in virtue than us. But when we stand praying before God, instead of measuring ourselves against human standards, we must look at the holy and righteous God and acknowledge our unworthiness before Him.

The observation we did in this parable was before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus has paid the penalty  for all of our sins. Therefore now, we need only confess our sins and acknowledge our unworthiness before the Father and believe in the saving power of the death and resurrection of Jesus and we will be justified by our faith in Christ through God's grace. Then God will hear the prayer of a 'righteous' man. We are made righteous by the blood of Christ Jesus.

Let me now go back to tell you what happened when I read the verse in Luke. God brought back to my mind the vision He showed me 6 years ago. It came back to mind crystal clear as if I was just seeing it now.

This is the vision:-
A group of five or six people, all clothed in white, flowing garments were kneeling with both their hands raised up and their heads raised high. They were praising God harmoniously. I noticed that one of them was not in a white garment. In fact that person was totally black, charcoal black, looked like an alien without facial features and was not clothed. The body was in the shape of a human but without form. Just total black. Charred, I would say. Covered in total darkness. Even that figure was praising God from a kneeling position, with hands raised up and head lifted high. I was curious. I asked the Lord, who or what that was. His answer not only shocked me but it shook me up! He said, "That is you!" 

"Me!" I gasped!  

"Yes, it is you before you made Me your Saviour. You were then not clothed with my righteousness. Without the cloak of My righteousness, everyone  looks the same to Me. The garments you see covering everyone here is My righteousness. Without My righteous covering all will look like that, charred and deformed, covered in darkness," said He. That's when I remembered this verse in Romans 3:23 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. Yes only the blood covering of Christ Jesus makes us white as snow.

After bringing this vision back to my mind, Father God asked me, "So all have sinned and fall short of My glory. When they seek My forgiveness and My mercy, how do I see them?"

"Covered by the blood of Christ Jesus," I said.

"Yes, but how do I see them?" He asked me again.

Then it dawned upon me! "Forgiven! You see them as 'Forgiven'. Totally clean and sinless and spotless," I said. 

"Then why do you see him as the same person he was, before he was washed by the blood of my Son? Why do you look down on him?" Asked Father God gently.

That question pierced my heart! I realised I was seeing my brother as someone who might never change. That is why, when he called me that evening, I spoke to him coldly and curtly and ended my conversation with him quickly.

I had been praying for my brother to change his habits but he never seemed to. He was trying, he said. He went to church weekly but was unable to give up some of the habits which were causing him to fall sick. He was struggling with his physical ailments which were partly brought about by his habits. I was sad and angry with him, but at the same time had been praying for his complete transformation. 

Getting in and out of the hospital every other week has been so normal to him. The hospital has become his second home. I wanted him to be healed and healthy and wanted him to be a role model for his children. All my advice seemed to fall on deaf ears. So I began to view him as incorrigible, although I kept praying daily for him. I began to form a disgust for his way of living and I realised that my heart had become calloused. That's why I ended the call quickly.

Once the Lord convicted me of the callousness of my heart, I repented immediately and called my brother, spoke to him lovingly and told him I am praying for his transformation.

I realised that by looking at my brother as 'Guilty':-
1. I allowed pride to enter my heart.
2. I placed myself on a pedestal.
3. I looked down on him.
4. I was judging my brother, not knowing his inner struggles and his conversation with God.
5. I undermined God's ability to change him.
6. I undermined God's ability to forgive him and that God saw him as forgiven and spotless.
7. I undermined the power of the blood of Christ.

When God forgives someone a million times and sees him as 'Forgiven' & 'Spotless', who am I to see him as guilty. That means I become ten or more times worse than him because of the pride in my heart. There is no difference between me and the Pharisee in the parable.

By my behavior towards my brother I had proved to be exactly like the Pharisee, haughty and proud. I had a high and mighty opinion about myself. I was like the 'some people' Jesus told the parable to. I was like them who trusted in themselves and thought that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt.

Pride is an abomination in God's eyes. I who am a sinner need more of God's mercy and grace, to help me look at others with His eyes. To constantly look at others as 'Forgiven'!

Prayer :-
Father give me a heart
That loves as You do!
Give me eyes,
To see everyone,
Just as You see them,
Clothed with Your righteousness!
To see everyone,
Free from sin and shame!
To see  everyone,
Constantly as 'Forgiven'!

Forgive me Father, cause
I am the 'Guilty' one
Who crucified Your Son
By being Haughty!
Wash me clean
With the blood of Your Son.
Never let my heart grow
calloused or cold.
Let my faults ever be
Before my eyes!
I truly am sorry
For hurting You Daddy!
Rend my heart
For what rends Yours!
Help me become more like Jesus
In thought, word & deed.
Help me be
Sincerely Humble
Tenderly Compassionate &
Love everyone unconditionally.

This I ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Mary Augustine
28/04/18

Prayers for our Children

Many a times I have prayed various prayers for my children. My prayers used to stem out of anxiety and fear and a desire to see them prosper in this life and the next, according to the Word of God . I wanted them to study well, have good friends, get good jobs, earn well, be well respected in society, be morally good, be God fearing, get God fearing Christian spouses and raise their children rooted in Christ Jesus. This is what all Christian parents would want, won't they?

I began praying for them even before each one of them was born. I dedicated each child to Father God, placing them in His hands, trusting Him to raise them up as God fearing children and good citizens, even as He formed them intricately in my womb.

As my children grew and got caught in the web of deceit and deception of this world, I began praying verses from the scriptures, praying binding and loosing prayers for the safety and protection of their body, soul and spirit. Where I could not go 24/7, I sent the Holy Spirit, Who did a pretty good job.

Now my children are all grown and one is married and the other two are just embarking on their life's journey.

How long more can I pray or need to pray for them? As long as there is breath in my lungs. Yes, as their mother, I will neither rest nor slumber till I breathe my last.

Now through years of experience, I don't pray with fear any longer. I pray with a quiet confidence in the Lord Jesus. When I pray for them there is a peace which settles in my heart. I know my God will see them through, no matter what. I place my children, their spouses, my grandchildren and all my future descendants into the hands of my Big God. Whatever may come, my Big God is way Bigger than anything that may come their way.

If I were to begin as a young mother all over again would I do anything differently? Yes, I will. I will still use scripture verses to pray over them cause the Word of God is a double edged sword. I will still do the binding and losing prayers, because all the powers of the enemy are under our feet because we are seated in Christ with God the Father in the heavenly realms. But now, I will pray confidently without fear or anxiety, because fear and worry open up the gates of our hearts and mind to demonic activities in our lives and our children's lives. This robs us of peace, joy and health. Our fear and anxiety get projected into the natural world and pave a way for our children to do what we don't want them to do, and be what we don't want them to be. What we fear begins to happen and we begin to fear more. We will save ourselves a lot of trouble and heartaches if we just have unshakable faith in Jesus and pray a prayer of thanksgiving for our children instead.

Remember the prayer of the Canaanite woman with a demon-possessed daughter, who longed for her child to be set free. One day she heard that Jesus was nearby, and although she was a Gentile, she went to Him and pleaded for His mercy and help. (Matthew15:22) but in spite of what Jesus told her the woman continued to plead with Him until she received His gracious commendation, “Woman, you have great faith!”(verse 28). In fact, she not only received His commendation, but also the answer to her prayers.

I did learn a lot from this woman of great faith, how to plead with unshakable faith till I receive mercy and grace and the answers to my every prayer, from Father God. This Canaanite woman pleaded with unshakable faith and I am adding thanksgiving with it in my prayer. Jesus in Luke 17:17-18 asks the leper who came to thank Him for his healing, "Where are the others?" I not only want to have unshakable faith in Christ Jesus but also want to be the one who thanks Him for all that He has done for me and all that He is going to do for me.  

Now, my prayer for my children and their spouses and my grandchildren and all our descendants is as follows:- ( You may adapt it and place your children's names in the brackets)

Father God, I plead the blood of Christ on my children (     ), their spouses and children and our grandchildren and all our descendants till the very last one on this earth. I surrender them into Your hands Father.

Father God, I thank You for placing Your hedge of protection around each one of them.

Thank You Father for setting their hearts on fire for Christ Jesus. 

Thank You for permeating them and saturating them with Your Spirit and making them sold out for Jesus.

Thank You for giving them no rest  till they desire Jesus more than their breath.

Thank You for giving them the Spirit of Wisdom & Revelation that they may know You and Jesus and the Holy Spirit intimately.

Thank You Father for enlightening
the eyes of their hearts so that they will know the hope to which You have called them for.

Thank You Father that Your Spirit breathes His breath of life into them and raises up their inner man to be faithful to You and Jesus till their very last breath.

Thank You for opening the ears of their hearts to hear Your still small voice saying, "This is the way, walk in it!"

Thank You for making
them the head and not 
the tail.

Thank You for putting 
Your favour on them so 
that they have Your 
favour with all people and all authorities.

Thank You for blessing 
the work of their hands.

Thank You that they are  healthy and strong  physically, mentally,    emotionally and    spiritually.

Thank You that their 
finances and resources never deplete but keep increasing for the 
expansion of Your 
kingdom on earth.

Thank You that Your Holy Spirit has transformed them into the likeness of Christ Jesus.

Thank You that their zeal for Christ Jesus is so powerful that they lead many to Him through their thoughts, speech and actions and their holy zeal. 

Thank You that they are deeply rooted in Christ Jesus that their faith in Him is unshakable ever.    

Thank You Father that they are living in harmony and unity with one another.  

Thank You Father that my children know their position in Christ Jesus. They know that they are seated in Him with You in the heavenly realms and that all the powers, authorities and dominions of the air and of the earth and under the earth are under the feet of Christ and under their feet in submission to Christ and them. I thank you that they are abiding  in Christ Jesus always and are using their positional authority in Christ Jesus for Your greater honour and glory.

Thank You Father that my children are never walking away and will never walk away from under Your umbrella of protection.

Thank You Father that 
none of them are lost, 
but will rejoice with me, 
my husband and Jesus in  the company of the 
angels and saints, 
praising You forevermore, for all eternity in heaven.

With the authority given to me as their mother, I forbid Satan from having any hold over their lives, ever. 

I bind every spirit hindering their walk with God and every spirit trying to rob them of their days, their health, their finances, their  peace  and joy, and all that Father God has  given them, and I cast these spirits out in Jesus mighty name. 

In Jesus name, I command these spirits never to return to them or near them ever again.                 

I release God's protection, health peace, love and joy into their lives forevermore and always in Jesus mighty name.                        

I decree and declare this for my sons, their spouses, grandchildren and descendants, till the very last one on earth, in Jesus mighty name. Amen!

Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB
Now to You Father Who are able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (*I know and believe that You Father are able to and will answer every prayer I make and every prayer not mentioned and every need of ours that we know not of, every desire of our hearts which is in accordance with Your holy will,  in abundant and supernatural ways)[21] to You be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25  NASB
Now to You Father, Who are able to keep us from stumbling, and to make us stand in the presence of Your glory blameless with great joy, [25] to You the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Mary Augustine
10/04/18

Is there re-birth?

To the question, "Is there re-birth?" The answer is "No!"

What is re-birth? Let us look at what Wikipedia says

Rebirth can refer to a number of different concepts within spirituality, depending on the school of thought. Hinduism and Buddhism, which both share roots with yogic philosophy, teach about rebirth.

In Hinduism, rebirth, or reincarnation, is a central tenet of the religious teachings. It refers to the idea that the spirit can begin a new life after the death of its physical body, in another body. This may be a human or an animal body.

In Buddhism, rebirth is the idea that when a being dies, this event is the catalyst for the creation of a new aggregation of consciousness. The new being is neither identical nor completely dissimilar to the previous life, but rather they form a continuous stream of consciousness.

The rebirth doctrine in Buddhism, sometimes referred to as reincarnation or metempsychosis, asserts that rebirth does not necessarily take place as another human being, but as an existence in one of the six Gati (realms) called Bhavachakra.[4] The six realms of rebirth include Deva (heavenly), Asura (demigod), Manusya (human), Tiryak (animals), Preta (ghosts), and Naraka (resident of hell)

(The above was retrieved from Wikipedia)

Now let us look at what the Son of God, Jesus says in Mark 12:26-27 NASB
"But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? [27] He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken."

Here Jesus was talking to some Sadducees who came to ask Him a question.

From what Jesus said, we know clearly that a person who dies will not be born again as a god, nor another human with another name(whether same identity and consciousness or not) nor as an animal, nor as a demon nor as a ghost or a resident of hell (believing in all this might lead them to hell). He or she will remain as the same person, with their souls and identities intact; Abraham as Abraham, Isaac as Isaac, Jacob as Jacob, Moses as Moses, You as You and Me as Me!

The body perishes but the soul lives on in eternity. Depending on how we live now on earth and on Whom we place our faith on(the object of our faith), we will live forever either in heaven or in hell. There is no rebirth at all.

You might ask, "Why does Jesus talk about being born again in the Bible?" The classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1-21. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night with some questions.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3-7).

The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4,18). 
John 1:12, 13  indicates that being "born again" also carries the idea of "becoming children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.

The question logically comes, "Why does a person need to be born again?" The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, "And He made alive, you, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (NKJV). To the Romans he wrote, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). All of us are sinners even at birth. We carry the original sin of Adam and Eve. Sinners are spiritually “dead” people. We have no access to, an all righteous, God unless our sins are completely wiped off. Only the blood of Christ can wash away our sins.  When we sinners receive spiritual life through faith in Christ, the Bible likens it to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does that come to be? We receive grace from God. ( Grace is a chance to accept the price Jesus paid for us on the cross in exchange for our sins. Grace is a chance to repent and live a changed life again when we fall into sin.) Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

When one accepts Christ Jesus and the price He paid for us on the cross, he is saved, then he/she is born again, spiritually cleansed and is now a child of God by right of new birth.

Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is the means to be "born again." "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Every person who accepts Christ Jesus is given the Holy Spirit of God. That means God Himself comes to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit will guide us to live a life pleasing to God. He will prompt us to seek forgiveness when we do something wrong and help us to live changed lives. He will help us to discipline our free will and surrender it to God. 

In short if we do not accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we cannot have God's Spirit living in us. We then, will only have the law that guides us but not God's grace.

The Holy Spirit is poured upon all flesh (Joel 2:28/ Acts 2:17). He prompts us to seek the truth and accept Christ. But He will only live in you when you accept Jesus.

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ today?  When you do you will rightfully become a child of Father God. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer.

Please remember, just saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only when you really believe that Christ Jesus died on your behalf to save you from sin, you will be saved. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation through Christ Jesus.

Pray the following prayer when you are ready.

Prayer of Acceptance of God's Gift:-
"God, I know that I have sinned against You and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the 'Gift of Eternal Life' through Jesus Christ! Amen!"

For all who are still unsure, please listen carefully.

All other religions do not promise a good life after death. The life after death, for those in other religions, depends upon the good works done by each individual, and it is known as 'Karma'. Only in Christianity can you accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior and be saved without any hassle. Salvation does not depend on our good works but on our faith in Christ Jesus.

No other religion teaches you to forgive your enemy and do good to those who hate you, only Christianity does. 

No one else claimed to BE the Way, Truth and Life. Only Jesus did.

No one in all the other religions died for the sins of humanity to save us from God's righteous anger. Only Jesus did.

No religious leader has died and resurrected and lives even now. Only Jesus does.

Jesus says in John 14:6 NASB
Jesus said to Thomas, "I AM The Way, and The Truth, and The Life; No one comes to the Father BUT through Me."

What does He mean by that? Do you know that every religion teaches to offer sacrifices to God for their sins? What do they do? In ancient days they used to sacrifice babies to their gods. Now, they sacrifice animals, they offer money or other things to the temple priests, they say long prayers, they do charitable works, they try their best to keep all the laws rigidly (yet fail) etc. None of these acts can appease God's righteous anger.

Jesus says, "I Am The Way":- meaning 'The Ultimate Sacrifice'. " I Am The Truth" :- 'The True Sacrifice'. "I Am The Life":- 'The True Life - Through Me My Father's anger will be appeased'. We cannot stand before a righteous God without being punished unless we stand covered by the atoning blood of Christ Jesus. 

If Jesus, Who is the Christ(Messiah) of the world says all that, it either makes Him the Lord or a liar. If He is a liar He would not have died such a cruel death and risen on the third day; He would not have given His life for you and me so that when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, all our sins get wiped away and we are made clean and ready to enter heaven.

Please consider accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Just call upon Him and be saved.

If you my dear, who believe in many gods, if you are still confused and not sure whether you are doing the right thing by accepting Jesus, just be assured that you don't lose anything by calling upon Jesus now. Just call out His name aloud, and say this, " Jesus, You say that You are the only Way to God. I am confused. I don't know what to believe. I have tried to lead a good life. Now, I want to be sure that I am in heaven with God when I die (is that not what you desire?) I do not want to be born again and again as an animal or ghost etc as I have believed. Please Father God, send me Your Holy Spirit and enlighten me. Speak to me. Help me be open to Your voice and help me believe in the TRUTH! Father God I pray this in Jesus name. Amen."

Please just say the above prayer daily till God reveals the truth to you. Then when you are ready, there is a 'Prayer of Acceptance of God's Gift' above; Just say it.

Not that you have accepted Christ, what do you do? Look up a Christian church in your neighborhood and pay a visit and talk to the pastor or elders of the Church. They will guide you. You need a church community to motivate you to grow in your relationship with God.

Next you must read the Bible. It is God's Word. Although the authors are many it was the  Holy Spirit Who inspired them to write it. 

Just as you have read other books, I implore you to take the Bible and start reading it from the New Testament. Read the 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and proceed to read Acts of the Apostles and then all the letters of Paul who previously was a persecutor of Christians, begining with Romans,  letters of other apostles and finally Revelation. If you read 2 to 4 chapters a day you will finish reading within a couple of months. God will speak to you through His Word in the Bible.

God bless you abundantly.
Praying for you always
Your loving
Maria

Mary Augustine

11/04/18

'Faith without Gratitude'!

It must have been the time of day when not many people were walking around. Therefore these ten came out and stood outside to get some fresh air. They were the outcasts of the society. Actually they were considered the scum of the earth, the untouchables. They were lepers. That's why they stole themselves out when not many were around.

Isolated from family and friends, they were lonely, with only fellow lepers to share their woes with and talk to. They had given up all hope of recovering or being united with their loved ones again. They were left there in the lepers colony to die a slow and painful death. They could never go back to their camps.(Leviticus 13:45-46)

As they stood there to take in a quick breather before anyone came around, they spotted a group of men walking along  the border between Galilee and Samaria. This group entered their village. The ten, hurriedly prepared to turn back to their colony before they were shooed off.

Then they spotted Him leading the group. Their hearts missed a beat. Isn't He the One everyone was talking about? Isn't He the One Who healed the sick, made the cripple walk,  raised the dead, made the blind see and the deaf hear? Isn't He the same Jesus, the son of the carpenter Joseph, from Nazareth? They looked at each other with renewed hope. (Luke 17:11-19 NLT)

They had heard so much about Him and His amazing miracles. They had longed to meet Him, but in their condition they could not travel out. They were confined to their miserable dingy colonies. Now there was a golden opportunity knocking at their door. They were not going to miss it for anything.

Their hearts soared with hope. They could picture themselves healed completely, returning back to their families and loved ones. They could picture themselves being welcomed back by their parents, wives and children in a jubilant procession. At that moment, they did not care who saw them or who heard them. All that mattered to them was, their ultimate healing.
Not wanting to miss another moment, they mustered all their strength and shouted aloud in unison, "Jesus!... Master!... Have pity on us!..."

The ten lepers recognized Him as the Master. Master over all sickness and diseases, Master over everyone and all situations! They had complete faith in Him. They believed; they just knew in their innermost beings that when they call out to Him, He will answer. They knew without a slightest doubt that they will be healed totally. They knew that they will be reunited with their families soon. They will be free from social stigma forevermore!

Their pitiful, anguished but determined cries pierced the Master's ears. He stopped and looked at them. How could He refuse such bold and unwavering, faith filled cries for healing? He answered them.

Yes, He answered their cries. He told them to, "Go show yourselves to the priests". It was a requirement according to Leviticus 14:1-32. Those who had been healed from severe skin diseases must show themselves to the priests and get themselves ceremoniously cleansed before they can be reunited with their families. It would take about eight days; a long and tedious process.

The ten lepers knew that when Jesus, the Master says a word, it will happen. So they went in faith, pure unadulterated faith, although they were not healed visibly yet. If it was you or I, we would have stood there and refused to budge without being totally healed. We would have argued, "But I am not healed yet! How could I possibly show myself to the priests in this state. They will think I am crazy. They won't even let me go near the camp, what more near them! Heal me first!" But these simple folks just obeyed the Master with such unshakable faith. Faith embedded on that Rock of all Ages, Jesus!

The Bible says, 'and as they went, they were healed!' Their faith in Jesus prompted them to obey, without questioning, even when there was no evidence. Faith is believing for the things hoped for even before seeing the evidence. But it must be placed on Jesus, which they certaintly did.

Now while they were hurrying to show themselves to the priests, they noticed that they were healed completely. They began leaping for joy, looking with awe at their once deformed hands and feet, running even faster to show themselves to the priests and to share about the miracle that just happened. All ran, except one.

This one was a Samaritan and not a Jew. He turned back to thank the Master who healed him. He could not contain the joy which overflowed from his heart. He ran praising God loudly and threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him profusely.

Jesus looked at him and asked, "I healed ten and where are the other nine? Only this foreigner came back to give praise to God?" Then He told him, "Now rise and go; Your faith has healed you!"

All ten had unshakable faith in Jesus, they were healed because they had faith in Him, but only one came back to thank Him. Why didn't the others come? They could not wait to get back to their families to share the good news. How many years had they anguished in pain and isolation! Now it would take at least eight days before they could go back into their camps, after the rituals. The cleansing rituals were eight days long, moreover offerings had to be made. They could not afford to lose a single moment. That's why they hurried along without turning back. Can we fault them? No! What they did was right in their eyes and the eyes of the world. They obeyed Jesus. He told them to go and they went. They did not disbelieve Him. They did not argue with Him.They had firm faith in Him, coupled with obedience. Yet, what was missing in them was a heart of gratitude.

Like the Samaritan, who came back to thank Jesus, many a times it is the unbelievers who turn back to thank Him bringing with them offerings and gifts. How many times have we believers failed to thank the Lord for all the graces He has poured into our lives?

We pray in faith. We obey His precepts. We think that when we obey all that God has commanded, we have become righteous. Then we expect our prayers to be answered immediately.  When we are healed, we become puffed up with pride and go around telling everyone that because of our faith we were healed. We even testify that God healed us publicly yet forget to thank Him intimately in our hearts. We take all that He has given us for granted, as if we are truly entitled to all of them. When we are not healed or when our prayers are not answered we grumble and ask, "Why?"

Some of us are like the nine who ran to show themselves to the priests. When we are healed we joyously go about our duties, our unfinished work, which we could not do formerly because of our illness or our situations. We feel we can't waste anymore time now that we are able. We know we are accountable to God for the time given. All that is good, but we sadly forget to thank our Master from whom we receive all good gifts.

Jesus is neither looking for gifts nor offerings. He is obviously not looking for someone who treats Him as an ATM or someone who turns to Him only when they need Him like a blanket in winter. He is not pleased with people who go about thinking they are more righteous than others. He hates the proud and those with religious spirits. (James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5) He is looking for humble and grateful hearts. (Psalm 50:23-But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me)

So let us answer my question in the title of this article. Does 'Faith without Gratitude' work? From the above incident in the bible we learn that it surely does. James 2:19 says that even the demons also believe that there is one God. In Matthew 5:29, the demons shouted, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Anyone can have faith, but you can't please God without gratitude. What is the use of gaining the whole world in faith when you don't honour God with your praise and thanksgiving?

Therefore,  let us today, repent and build our relationship with Jesus. Let us develop an attitude of gratitude and thank Him daily, for everything in our lives, great or small. Let us praise and thank Him ceaselessly because that is what pleases and honours Him.

Mary Augustine
3/4/18

Misplaced Faith is Useless!

What is 'Faith'? 
Faith according to the dictionary is :- 
1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
2. strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

Faith according to God's Word is:-
Hebrews 11:1 NLT
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

We often hear people telling one another, "Have faith! You can do it! Just believe in yourself and your abilities! Have faith in me! I will never let you down! Have faith in God! He can make all things possible! Etc."

When do we need faith? Is it when things are bleak and situations are stormy; when someone is sick or dying; when we seem to have exhausted all avenues to resolve a situation? It is true in a way. During tough times is when our hearts will yearn for someone or something greater than us, with greater knowledge and capabilities to make things right again.

Yet, we see people of all ages and races and religions going about with simple, blind faith every day. We sleep every night trusting the sun to rise in the morning. We put our feet in our shoes hurriedly without checking for cockroaches or lizards which may be hiding inside, because we trust that there will be none there. We eat out at a hawkers stall trusting that the food which was cooked by the vendor was not sneezed into. We take a recommended vitamin trusting that it will strengthen us. We take a certain medicine given by the doctor trusting that it will cure our sickness. I can go on and on about how we put our simple blind trust and faith on things and people daily.

A soldier once woke up when he heard a siren and quickly put his feet into the boots to prepare for standby. Sadly he was bitten by a snake which was curled in one of  his boots and he died shortly.  An insurance agent was meeting with his client at a roadside restaurant, when a car driven by a drunk driver swerved into the restaurant and crashed into him. He was crippled for the rest of his life. Neither the soldier nor the insurance agent would have thought that there was danger lurking around the corner. They had simple, blind faith and trust that everything will be alright.

So where do we draw the line? On what or whom must we place our faith? Is just having faith enough? What does Jesus tell us about faith?

In Mark 6 Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith in the people of His hometown. He was amazed that they did not trust Him enough.
Mark 6:5-6 NLT
And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. [6] And he was amazed at their unbelief. ...

In Luke 17:5 the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus replied that it need not be increased; that faith, the size of a mustard seed will do the explosive work!
Luke 17:5-6 NLT
The apostles said to the Lord, "Show us how to increase our faith." [6] The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you!

In Matthew 17 the apostles ask Jesus why they were not able to cast out the demon from the boy. Look at the reply of Jesus below:
Matthew 17:19-20 NLT
Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, "Why couldn't we cast out that demon?" [20] "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."

A mulberry tree's trunk is approximately 45 feet wide. It has deep set roots. To move it would be a humongous task even for several people put together. To move a mountain is not only impossible but it is also unthinkable.  Yet Jesus says both feats are possible if we have faith as small as a mustard seed.

Mustard seed is a common spice used in every household in Jesus' time. People were very familiar with its size. Therefore He used it as an example. On the lighter side, I wonder why He did not use 'a grain of sand' as an example! 😉 Anyway according to Jesus, faith that small, is sufficient to heal and restore.

Where or on what or whom do we place our faith? On our own natural abilities? No we are frail human begins and we can't do anything on our own. On doctors, engineers, lawyers, prayer warriors who pray over us or pastors? No, because they too are human beings. On machines and modern technologies? No they are man made and will surely fail us at one time or another.

Where then do we place our faith? Let us look at what Jesus says again;-
Mark 11:22-24 NLT
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.

Jesus gave us the answer here. We must place our faith in God. Not on anything or anyone else. Only God has the awesome power to uproot a mulberry tree or a mountain and throw it into the sea. Only God has the awesome power to heal cancer, to make the blind see and the deaf hear, to raise the dead, to heal emotions, to change a person's character and to give you the job you have never imagined you will get.

Remember that the people in the hometown of Jesus did not trust Him. Let us not make the same mistake as them. There is no other name greater than the name of Jesus in heaven or on earth or under the earth. Whatever we ask in His name without doubting, we will receive.
John 14:13 NLT
You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.

In John 15, Jesus explains further.
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!"
Whatever we ask will be granted only when we remain in Jesus. When we abide in Him, we won't ask for worldly riches which perish. We will only ask for what is necessary to live each day to do His will and glorify Him. He will give us what we ask, as long as it is according to God's will for our lives. Just know that a parent won't give his three year old a knife even if he begs for it. Our God is a better parent than any other human parent.

Jesus also warns those praying in faith for others in the following verses: Luke 17:10 NLT "In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"

When we pray for others and they get healed or their problems get solved, we cannot and must not take the credit. We were obedient in carrying out the Lord's work and we must be humble and give Him the credit. 

Now let me give you one last word of hope. There are many if not most who place their faith on past experiences. If someone has the habit of breaking promises, the next time he or she makes a promise, we might not trust them. We get frustrated and even discouraged by their behaviour. When many people die of cancer even with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, when we get cancer, we will be afraid that we will die despite all treatments. When a child does not do well in school again and again, he is branded as a failure and people stop believing that he will make it in life. If you are the parent then you get worried and anxious cause you want your child to do well in life. When someone you love backslides we feel that all is lost and ask ourselves what we did wrong. When someone meets failure after failure and does not see a breakthrough, does not get a promotion, does not get a job, he or she will experience discouragement based on his or her past experiences. It is only human tendency to be anxious based on past experiences. This is where Hebrews 11:1 speaks to us. Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Let me encourage you if you are one who places your faith in past experiences, like I used to do. Make a decision now, to stop believing whatever evidence you see before your eyes. If you are praying for yourself or someone, your spouse, your child, your sibling, your parents or even your friends, look past what you see daily before your eyes. Form a vision of what you want to see in that person. Form a vision of how you want that person to be. Then thank God, Who is able to do and answer far more exceedingly and abundantly more than what we can ever ask for. Keep thanking Him for healing you completely even if you lay dying on the bed, keep thanking Him for changing the character of your sibling even if he is still a drug addict, keep thanking Him for giving you that breakthrough you are seeking for, although you see no results now. He will make all things you pray for in the name of Jesus, believing, come true. But first He will have to mould each person and let you go through a process. Only when He brings us through this process, we will be able to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self control. He has His reasons for answering immediately, delaying or rejecting. But we will be wise if we look to Him and Him alone in faith.

Remember there will always be 'Faith Dampers' around, who will try to dampen your faith. They will say things like, "See there is no change in him or her or in you! What is the use of believing or even praying. Just tell him or her off. He or She will never change," or "No use lah! You will never improve or you will never get a job!" When you hear things like this, do not react; do not receive it into your spirit. Just keep focusing and believing in Jesus and His promises. He WILL bring about a change and an answer to your prayer.

We must place our tiny little faith without doubting on our BIG God. Then we will see supernatural miracles unfold before our eyes. It is God Who works through people, medicine and technologies. God is also able to act independently. So let us put our faith only on God and ask in the name of Jesus.  Misplaced faith will not get us anywhere!

P.S. I have seen extraordinary and supernatural miracles happen in my life because I shifted my faith from past experiences to our Saviour Jesus. My desire is for you to encounter the Lord Jesus just as I did.

Mary Augustine
30/03/18