Watchmen Arise!

                   Watchmen Arise

My beloved children, the people whom I have chosen, those who are called by My name, have dulled their senses. They are preoccupied with their daily cares. They seek their rest from the stresses of daily toil in worldly pleasures instead of in Me! I have promised in My Word

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

How I wish they will come to Me and receive the rest which only I can give.They are rooted firmly in social media instead of in My Son Jesus! Therefore their lives are being conformed to the patterns of this world. They are mindlessly following what everyone does. They are falling into the enemy's trap. They are perishing because of lack of knowledge; knowledge of what I have spoken in My Word, the Bible. I have warned them time and again but they refuse to read My Word.
Hosea 5:6 ESV ⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge,  I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Now because they are conformed to the patterns of this world and are sadly rooted in the entrapments of this world, they are unable to love as I love. They are deceived by the false promises of the world. Advertisements mesmerize them. They believe the lies of the enemy of their souls. Therefore they are unable to receive genuine joy and peace which only I can give. Oppression and depression is all that they receive from this world.  They have forgotten how to be patient in tribulation. Instead they seek instant gratification. Kindness, goodness and gentleness are only outwardly worn to gain self praise and recognition from others. Faithfulness is not in their vocabulary anymore. Instead of practising self-control, they seek to control others.

If only they will devour My Word day and night and seek to obey Me, if only they will abide in My Son Jesus, the vine, they will bear the fruit of the Spirit and be the light of this world and the salt of this earth and will lead all people unto Me.

Where are you My watchmen? Where are you? Come and stand in the gap and plead My mercy for My chosen ones who are lost and who are on the verge of being lost forever. Little children are perishing in hoardes. The very persons who are in charge of taking care of their souls, their parents are not leading them to Me. They themselves are lured by the attractions of the world and the wants of their flesh and are perishing.

My watchmen, where are you? What are you doing? Pray for them to forsake the world and turn their hearts back to Me. When all My chosen people unite to seek My face, the entire world will see that you are in Me and I AM in you and then they will seek Me.  My Son Jesus, suffered and died shedding His blood to save the entire world; not just a few. Don't let His suffering be in vain.

Watchmen, your responsibility is great and most vital. Do not for a moment be distracted. Continue to stand on the walls and pray for My people and the world. The time is near, near, near... If you don't stand in the gap, faithfully, many will continue to perish. The state of the world now is worst than in Noah's time and Lot's time.

My Watchmen, arise now! Put on the whole armour and stand in the gap!

Your Loving Father God.

Mary Augustine

Sunday 17th November 2019

Meditation on Giving

Meditation on Giving

Today's Passage
Luke 21:1-4 ESV
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, [2] and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. [3] And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. [4] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Just before Jesus looked up, he was actually warning His hearers about the pride, greed and false piety of the teachers of the law in Luke 20:45-47

As I was meditating on these verses I realised that there was in fact no break in between the incident in Luke 20 and 21. It was only much later that the chapters and verses were added and headings given for easy reference.

Jesus most of the time, taught in the synagogues and on the temple grounds. That's where, He saw the teachers of the law and observed how they behaved and warned the people not to be like them because those who behave in like manner will be punished most severely. That is when Jesus saw the poor widow, as He looked up.

What was Jesus trying to teach us? Before we come to that, let me tell you how some preachers interpret and teach it. 

Some preachers quote this to tell their congregation  to give to their churches all that they have, like the poor widow did. They tell them that God will give it back to them in abundance.  Some even tell them to give their monthly giving, using their credit cards.

They quote Luke 6:38 ESV,
"give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."... to support their claims.

This then will be combined with prosperity sermons. They will even testify how God blessed them with a huge car, mansion and a huge bank account just because they once gave all that they had in their wallets.

Then they will add the verse from Malachi 3:10 ESV
"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

They will compel people to give, even if they have debts and unpaid bills, saying, all their debts will be met if they give now. Instead of teaching them how to manage their finances well, these prosperity preachers prowl on the weak and poor so that they themselves can become rich. Eventually the poor ones, who don't know proper money management, will be taunted by loan sharks and they go into depression. 

Did Jesus mean what these preachers claim that He meant? What was His message to us?

I am viewing today's passage from three angles.

Angle 1

In Luke 6:38 Jesus did not specifically preach about giving only money. There are many ways to give what God has blessed us with. We can give money to bless our church, the missions and the poor. We can give food to the hungry and clothes and footwear to the poor and naked. We can give of our talents, time and energy, listening to and helping the lonely, the unloved, the marginalised and the outcasts in society etc.

In Luke 20:47, He tells about the teachers of the law and how they devour widows' houses (here houses could mean all that the widows ever owned). In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus looks up and specifically comments about the poor widow who caught His attention. This which happened right before their eyes was an actual proof to how they devour all that the poor widows owned. That is why Jesus could be mentioning about her, as a practical example.

The teachers of the law would have imposed their own stringent laws for giving. This would not have affected the rich who had much wealth. It surely did affect the poor and the widows who did not have much to live with, but were subconsciously coerced into giving.

Therefore in this passage, there is a warning for all preachers who use God's Word infused with their own laws and interpretations to manipulate and devour their poor just as the teachers of the law devoured widows houses. Read Luke 20:47 again.

Angle 2

Let us look closely at the passage again from another angle. The rich have been giving, out of their wealth. They could have been proud that they were able to give much. In contrast, the poor widow humbly, gave only two very small copper coins, out of her poverty. It must have been very obvious to the public, who the rich were and who the poor were, by the gifts they were putting into the treasury.  Here Jesus could be showing us the difference between the proud giver and the humble giver.

Angle 3

Now finally let us examine this passage from a third angle. Jesus Who is truly Man and truly God, knows our life's struggles. Therefore He was able to boldly state that the widow, put in all that she had to live on, out of her poverty. The rich after giving from their wealth still had more wealth to depend on and cling on to. But the poor widow who gave out of her poverty had nothing else to depend on and to cling on to. She only had God. She depended completely upon God. She put her wholehearted trust in God alone. Thus I believe Jesus used her as an example to teach us how to trust God completely, even when in want.

As we meditate on this passage let us remember that God knows our struggles and problems. He knows what we are going through daily. He only wants us to put our complete trust and dependence on Him.

God does not need our money. He owns it all. He declares in  Isaiah 66:1-2 ESV
Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? [2] All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

We can give all that we have but if our heart has pride in it God will reject our gifts. Alternatively even if we just put in a one dollar coin with humility in our hearts, God will be pleased with the gift.

Let us not give grudgingly but with a cheerful and thankful heart, trusting the Lord totally for our future . Let us bless others with what God has blessed us with.

Summary

Let no one deceive us into giving and expecting to become rich and successful in life. Do not borrow from someone else or a bank to give. God does not want us to be debtors. Never use our credit cards to pay our tithes. When we give, let us just give to bless. Let us not expect anything in return. If we do, that would mean that we are lending to God expecting an interest. Read Luke 6:32-35. We may or may not receive our reward on earth but we will surely receive what is due to us in heaven. We must give without counting the cost and give without expecting returns.

What can we give? First and foremost let us give God thanks with a greatful heart for all that He has blessed us with. Let's give what God impresses upon our hearts, to support our churches and our ministers because this is the right thing to do according to Galatian 6:6-10. Let us give our money and whatever we can give to support the missions and to help the poor. Let us give of our time, energy and talents to help those in need. Let us do whatever we can do, in secret, because then God who sees us in secret will reward us publicly. Let's not boast about our giving.  God is pleased with a humble giver; not a proud one. Let's just place our confidence solely on God.

Contrast between the 'Fallen Man' and the 'Born again' Man

The Fallen Man
The innate nature of the fallen man is to take. 

He lusts after what he can get for himself. He takes under the pretext of giving. The sad part is that, he himself is unaware of his natural inclination to take instead of to give.

Let us see how the fallen man's  'Taking' is camouflaged as 'Giving'.

A). He gives of his time and energy working sleeplessly for days and nights, for himself and his family, expecting his family to appreciate him; expecting his children to do well in life and uphold his name and honour; expecting to earn much and live well in comfort; expecting to get a raise and a promotion at work; expecting to earn in order to go on long, expensive and relaxing holidays twice yearly.

B). He gives of his hard earned money and whatever energy he has left to
physical instructors, nutritional consultants and beautitians, by going to the gym daily and getting expensive nutritious meals and products and getting beauty products. He gives to these causes expecting to live a long and healthier life. He gives expecting to look younger than he is. He gives expecting to look good.

C). He gives of his hard earned money, his remaining time and the little energy he has left to help the poor, those in the missionfield and he visits the sick and the prisoners. He then publicises his giving by telling everyone what he has done and by posting pictures of himself doing all this on social media while constantly checking on how many likes he gets. By giving, he expects to earn a name and some praise for himself.

D). He gives of his time and energy visiting and helping the sick among those who are rich and powerful, well to do and are prominent in society, expecting to earn their favour and their help one day, when he needs it.

E). He gives to his church every month. If he is wealthy, he writes his name and the amount he gives in bold on the envelope to  ensure that his pastors know that he is giving a big amount. He walks with his nose in the air expecting the church to treat him better because he gives more than the poor man next to him. Then he anxiously waits, expecting God to multiply his assets a thousandfold just as his pastors claimed he would.

The fallen man gives, expecting a return of some kind. If he does not get what he expects, he will get disappointed and all hell will break loose. This is not true giving.

The Born again' Man
In contrast, let us look at the giving of the 'Born-again' man. He loves God and others as himself, therefore he gives selflessly without expectations.

A). He gives of his time and energy working sleeplessly but cheerfully, for days and nights just trusting God to take care of him and his family. He expects no return from his family. He only wants to raise up god fearing children who would be good citizens of heaven. He knows that God will reward him in His own time and way. He praises God for giving him the time, the strength and energy to work and earn. He sings the praises of God from early morning till he lays down to sleep.

B) He gives of whatever time and energy he has left, to keep himself healthy for his dependants and himself by exercising daily without spending much money. He eats moderately and eats a healthy diet not spending much on it. He blesses and thanks God for giving him the time and energy to exercise and keep healthy.

C). He gives of his hard earned money, his remaining time and the little energy he has left, to help the poor, those in the missionfields and visits the sick and the prisoners. He does it out of joy, praising God for enabling him to be of use in His kingdom to help all who are in need. He gives without pomp or publicity. Even his right hand does not know what his left hand does. He gives to glorify God and to make the name of Jesus known,  without expecting any returns for himself.

D). He gives of his money, time and energy visiting the sick, praying for them and helping the poor and outcasts who cannot afford to return his favour.  He sees Christ Jesus in every person he helps. He gives without expecting anything.

E). He gives to his church faithfully every month, as soon as he gets his salary, the amount which God impresses upon his heart. It can be 10% or more, he gives cheerfully, willingly and without complaining. He manages his money well with godly wisdom and does not borrow to give. He looks for opportunities to serve in church. He does it humbly and gives of his money, time and energy  without counting the cost.

This is true giving. Giving is God's nature and the born-again man, when he gives willingly, puts on the nature of God Himself.

Conclusion
Let us give joyfully to bless others with what God has blessed us with. If our giving does not cause a pinch in our wallets; if our giving does not cost us our precious time; if our giving does not cost us some form of sapping of our energy, then, we are giving out of our wealth and not out of our poverty. Only when we give out of our poverty, then we are giving our all back to God Who is our Giver. Let us give with humility and thanksgiving in our hearts and tremble at God's Word (be afraid of displeasing God). Let us give in secret. Then let us hold on to Jesus our Saviour and put our total trust and dependence upon Him, because He holds our future in His hands. Let us also remember that when we give willingly and cheerfully, we have nothing to be proud of,  because it is the Holy Spirit Who stirs our hearts to give. Let us practice humility at all times.

This my dear friends, is my humble meditation on the above scripture. You meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in your heart regarding it. He will.

Shall we pray now?

Prayer.
Father God, all that I have, money, possessions, time, energy, talents and knowledge comes from You. Give me a generous heart so that I will give cheerfully, without complaining and without counting the cost. Help me give as David did. I now aak You Father as David did:- 1 Chronicles 29:18 ESV paraphrased:-
"O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts (to give willingly and cheerfully) in my heart, and direct my heart toward you."
I want to have Your heart of compassion and unconditional love to bless others with what You Father, have blessed me with. Hide me in Your heart so that I will never ever displease You in anyway. Hide me and let only Christ Jesus be seen through me and in me. I want to have a closer walk with You. I pray this in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Mary Augustine
19th August 2019

Needing God vs Wanting God! Some Hard Truths!

Needing God vs Wanting God.

"We all seek God" - Do we really?

We need to be honest in answering this because our eternity depends on it.

1.Do we really seek God?
2.Why do we seek God? 
3.How and when must we seek God?
4.Will we find God when we seek Him? 

Do we really seek God?

In these times it is a growing trend among many to disbelieve the existence of God. They think everything existed by chance. They think that they have the power to do what they want and that God is a mythical figure. Therefore such people will not seek God but seek that which will give them satisfaction and pleasure and give them what they need and want.

Some others seek God sometimes, some others seek Him most of the time and few seek Him all the time. 

This brings us to the next question, "Why do we seek God?"

Why do we seek God?

Now let us look at why those who seek God, do so.  We have commonly heard people tell the story of a monk and his disciple. If you have not heard it, it goes like this:-

There was once a disciple who went to his master and asked him how to find God. The master was taking a bath in the river at that time. He then asked his disciple to step into the river. The disciple thought that his master called him to step in because he was going to whisper the answer into his ear. He stepped into the river and went near his master. The master immediately pushed his head into the river and held him there for what seemed like a long time. The disciple began to gasp for air. He could not stay submerged for more than 3 minutes. He forced himself up gasping desperately for air. Then the master told his disciple, "When you need God this much, desperately, you will find Him."

Although this story seems to be addressing the third question, 'How and When must we seek God', I have illustrated it here to explain question two, "Why most people seek God?"

Most people, even wise monks think that when they seek God like the disciple who sought air to breathe desperately, they will find Him. I beg to differ. Most of the time people seek God because of desperation.

When we have something of value with us all the time, we seldom realise its presence or appreciate its value. We normally take it for granted. We start looking for it when we lose it or begin to seek in desperation when we need it the most.

The same  goes for God. God our Creator and Provider, the Supreme Being, is waiting, watching and calling out to us. It is we who are ignoring Him. God is the One providing us with all that we need. Yet we do not appreciate Him. We take Him for granted. We mostly look for Him because we simply want our prayers answered.

This can be seen in people who have access to, and no access to, medical help. Those who have no access to medical help will cry out to God for help. If the same people have succour via medicine then their reliance on God will wane. They will seek Him again when medicine cannot help them anymore.

As long as we have all or most or even some of our basic and relationship needs met, we won't seek God. Suddenly when disaster strikes and we or our loved ones lose our health or we are on the verge of bankruptcy we cry out to God, to that  Supreme and Sovereign Divine Power to save us. Until then most of us would not have given God a serious thought. It is during times such as these that we realise that we need a Higher Power to provide us with our needs, to protect and to save us from perils.

Conclusion:- Therefore most human beings, seek God or start believing in His existence after they have exhausted their own strength, all means and methods of trying and finally when they need a Power higher than them to rescue them. 

(On a serious note:- Many sadly seek the dark forces to help them, like fortune-tellers, black magic, witches and sorcerers to help them get what they want. These sadly will perish in the end, at the hands of the dark forces unless they turn to God in repentance. They don't know now but will know it when it is too late.)

Why Do We Need God?

We need Him because only He can fill that void; that emptiness within us.

As created beings we need our Creator God, Who is the Maker of this Universe and the many Galaxies, the One without beginning and end. We need Him every moment of our lives. Whether we realise it or not, it is He Who is sustaining us throughout our lives. Without Him no one or nothing could ever exist.

Let's explore 'Wanting God' .

There is a vast difference between seeking God out of desperation, that is, when we need Him most and seeking God consumed by love for Him, that is when we want Him most.

When we want something, like a hot chocolate fudge or more money to build our dream house or go travelling around the world, we get consumed with the thoughts of that which we want most. We will not rest until we get what we want although it may not be what we need.

A little child will want to be beside his mother. He will cling to her because he wants her. A young couple would want to spend much time together because they want to be in the presence of each other. When they are apart their minds will be consumed by the thoughts of each other.

That is how we must seek after God, because we want to be with Him and not because we need our prayers to be answered. We must be consumed by thoughts about Him, love for Him day and night.

One may say, "Going after worldly things with determination and perseverance will ultimately make a man resilient and successful!" Even then, eventually it will make that man a greedy and a selfish person, if he does not seek God . Seeking after God, because we want Him, will make us 'People after God's own heart'.

Who is God and How do we mostly treat Him as?

God is our Creator. He is the Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient Ruler of all. Yet we do not give Him the respect due to Him. Instead we use Him. We treat God, as a vending machine which quenches our thirst or an ATM which dispenses money when we need cash or a specialist doctor who treats our diseases and cures us. We treat Him as such, for our instant gratification.

We sing, "God, You are a Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, A Light Who shines in our darkest moments!" It is good to know all this and cry out to Him for our needs. It is good that we turn to God for help instead of the dark evil forces.

Don't get me wrong. It is not a sin to need God. In fact, it is good. The first response of a desperate human being in need will be to cry out, "Oh God, help me!"

It is a God given wisdom to realise that we all need God.  What I am saying is don't stop at that. Build a relationship with Him.

Imagine a daughter who goes to her dad only for money and talks to her mum only when she needs food or some urgent help from her. Imagine the married children who visit their elderly parents only when they need help from them and don't bother to even call and ask them how they are and if they need any help.  They are preoccupied with their own work, friends and interests all the  time. They do not bother to find  out about her parents interests or desires. When their parents are unable to help them, they stop visiting them giving various excuses. What kind of relationship is that? Many treat God in similar ways.

Unlike that,  we must  want God all the time and not only during specific times when we can't handle things. When we pray for healing and are not healed or pray for some financial need and don't get it, we must not be like those who shun God and say, "There is no God!"  Instead we must quietly abide in Jesus and seek Him Who provides our needs in His time, in quietness and trust. After all whether we are healed or not, whether our financial needs are provided for or not, our ultimate health and wealth is in God and God alone. In Him we are made whole.

As human beings we don't have anything in ourselves to do anything. No capabilities, no power, no strength, nothing. All our ability comes from God. He is the very breath in our lungs. When we realise this, we will stop seeking Him for what He can give us and seek Him because we only want Him.

Why must we 'Want' God?

We must 'want' God so that we can have an intimate relationship with Him.

We cannot form intimate relationship with things.

We can only form close relationships with most people, but not an intimate one. We don't form an intimate relationship with our doctors and hairstylists, just a friendly one.  We do form a very close bonding relationship with our parents, siblings and children but not in the way we are with our spouses. We form intimate relationship only with our spouses, with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives with and share everything we are and have, with. We are unashamed when we are with our spouses and do not want anyone to intrude in our private time together.

That's the kind of an intimate relationship we must build with God. In fact not even our spouses know what we think or feel, but the One Who created us knows our every thought and every intention of our hearts. We can bare our secrets to Him and He is the only One Who can and will understand us.

We will only be able to forge an intimate relationship with God when we want Him for Who He is, instead of just needing Him for what He can give. As long as we treat God as something or someone from whom we can get what we want, when we want it, we will never find Him in a way where we will have intimacy with Him.

Only when we seek Him to know Him as He is, only when we want to be surrounded by His presence and be filled with His Spirit, only when we want to bare our hearts before Him and enjoy His presence, only when we want Him more than anything else in this world, only then we will find Him.

Why do we need to form an intimate relationship with God?

When we build an intimate relationship with God:-

1) We will desire what He desires. We will see others as He does. 

2) We will hear the heart cries of others just as He does. 

3) Our motives and desires will be selfless and pure and will be aligned with His. 

4) We will be holy people, better people and will be blessed people. 

5) We will also be able to bless others in many ways in which those who do not have an intimate relationship with God, can't.

6) Finally, we will be able to fulfill the destiny He has for us. Why do I say that?  Only the person consistently looking at (seeking) the face of God will be able to know what God wants him/her to do with his/her life.

Who will teach us how to seek God and find Him?

Many sages have come and gone seeking God, but sadly all have failed to find Him. It is Jesus, the Son of God, Who was born as a feeble child, Who walked among men teaching them how to live the way God wants us to live, Who, taking the sins of humanity upon Himself suffered and died a cruel death on the cross, Who victoriously resurrected on the third day and walked among men teaching and giving further instructions for 40 days, Who ascended into heaven after 40 days in the sight of His disciples and Who is now seated at the right hand of God our Father, Who taught us how to seek God and find Him and form an intimate relationship with Him. It is all written in God's Word, which is the Bible. It teaches us how to truly seek Him and surely find Him.

God's Word teaches us, how to seek God.

Who else teaches us now on a daily basis?

The Holy Spirit Who resides in us. 

Yes, other than the Word of God, the Holy Spirit Himself guides us and teaches us how to seek Him and live a life pleasing to God. He not only guides and teaches us but also empowers us who abide in Jesus, to bear much fruit. 

In Jeremiah 29:13 , God promises, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

Yes, seeking God 'with all our heart', is the key here. Just as a lover longs to be with his bride, just as how his  heart and his whole being are all encompassed by the thoughts of his bride and just as he yearns to be with her every moment of his life, we must yearn for God and His presence. We must want Him that much.

What are the dangers of just seeking God when we need Him instead of seeking God wholeheartedly because we want an intimate relationship with Him; because of Who He is?

1. If we just seek God when we need Him, we will become lukewarm in our relationship with Him. There will be no real relationship with God as I already  mentioned earlier.

2.  We will seek anything else that will satisfy our needs and 'worldly wants'; anything that will give us instant gratification.

3. We will be selfish individuals, always complaining and never satisfied. 

4. Without the right relationship with God we will not bear much fruit and will not have God's abiding peace in any and every situation.

5. Finally we will easily fall away. We will either seek after other 'gods' or begin to believe the lie, that 'there is no God'!

Blessings for those who seek God with all their heart.

God promises many things to those who seek Him. Here is one of those numerous promises in the Bible:-

In Ps 34:10 , God promises,
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

What makes them lack no good thing? Is it magic? No! Those who seek God because they want Him will delight in His commands and obey Him. Just as a lover will want to do what his/her bride/groom desires and will not want to displease her/him in any way, those who want God with all their hearts and souls will think of what God wants them to do and obey Him because they never want to displease Him in any way. Therefore because they are abiding in Him, are rooted in Him Who is the nutrient Provider, they will lack no good thing.

The above truth is clearly explained in the following Psalm...

In Psalm 1, God promises this:-
1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Blessings assured! & Some hard truths!

Remember, every believer of Jesus Christ has all his sins washed away by the blood of Christ. We are filled with God's Holy Spirit and empowered by Him to walk in the righteousness of Jesus. After Salvation comes Sanctification. We are not left as orphans but we become God's own children and are set apart from those of the world. We have One Who lives within us to constantly help us in our righteous walk with God. This is the Holy Spirit of God Who convicts us of our wrong doings when we sin after our salvation and prompts us to repent and live a changed righteous life in Christ Jesus. We must continue to live sanctified lives ( a life set apart) with the help of God's Spirit.

God's Word says this :-
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  Titus 2:11-14

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 4:10-11

But if he/she chooses on his/her own accord to reject the 'Way' of Christ Jesus and displease God then this is what God's Word says about him/her:-

Hebrews 6:4-8 NIV
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age [6] and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. [7] Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. [8] But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Hebrews 10:26-31 NIV
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, [27] but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. [28] Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. [29] How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [31] It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Therefore every believer who loves God and wants to please only Him, will seek God because he/she wants God, and not just because he/she needs Him only for what He can give.

These believers who love God and want only to please Him, will do the following:-

*will dig deep into God's Word the Bible and read it everyday and mediate on it.

*will meditate on God's laws day and night. 

*will always be thinking of how to please God and do what God requires of them.

*will honour their bodies as God's holy temple; will dress modestly; will eat the right food and in moderation; their speech and thoughts will be holy and uplifting.

*will be very wise in what they listen to, watch or play on their mobiles, computers or the social media.

*will obey, honour and respect parents and authorities.

*will respect all people big or small and treat animals with care.

*will keep their physical boundaries with others especially those of the opposite sex.

*will always speak the truth and be honest in all affairs.

*will have God fearing people who abide in Jesus, as their inner circle of friends.

*will choose God above the Good of this world.

*will abide in Jesus the Vine, Who is the Author of life itself.

*will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in every area of their lives.

Therefore God says that they will not be troubled or become depressed by what happens around them. Why? Because they will be rooted in God and therefore will be refreshed by Him. 

Such a man will have God's abiding peace within him. He will prosper in whatever he does. He will be respected by all. He will lack no good thing and and will be blessed in every way.

Jesus Himself promised in John 14:21,23-24 NIV
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” [23] Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. [24] Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Are there any more blessings?

Yes there are numerous blessings for those who seek God with all their hearts. The Bible is full of them. We need to read the Bible from cover to cover to discover all of them.

Yes, for those of us who have been lured by our fleshly desires, and displeased God by our sins, God promises this in 1 John 1:5-6,9 NIV

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

All of us have sinned. I too have sinned and displeased God in many ways, before I tasted His love, goodness and mercy. I was a namesake Christian then. I did not read His Word and meditate on it as much as I do now. God revealed His heart to me when I sought Him.  It was then that I truly repented and He washed away every sin of mine. He broke the chains which bound me and set me free. I am still not perfect. I still struggle to do things His way. When I fall, I repent and He picks me up. I am weak. Only in Jesus I am strong. It is His strength which helps me walk with Him each day.

Every sin is exactly the same in God's eyes. The sin of disobedience is the same as adultery, speaking vulgarities and committing murder. It is man who divides sins into minor and major sins. God looks at it all in the same way; as SIN. Only the sin against the Holy Spirit is considered grevious and unpardonable. All other sins He will pardon if we truly repent.

When we repent and truly seek God with all our heart He promises to bring us back from captivity. 

In Jeremiah 29:13-14 NIV God promises that,
13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [14] 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. ..."

God promises to bring us back into intimate fellowship with Him, delivering us from all that has captivated our hearts. He promises to deliver us from the worldly desires and the pleasures of sin. The pleasure of sin may look tempting and glamorous but believe me, it steals, kills and destroys. It brings sickness and poverty into our lives subtly, and drains away all our energy and life, slowly but surely. Before we realise it, we will be suffering its consequenses big time. God promises to deliver us from its bondage. We just have to repent and call out to Jesus.

As we can see, God's promises are conditional. Every time we see an 'if' or 'when' we know there is a condition attached to that promise. Therefore we must fulfill the conditions attached to those promises. But do not worry. He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us to fulfill them.

Will God keep His Promises?

Oh yes! You bet He will.
When God promises He sees it through fruition. He delivers every promise of His. He is a faithful God.

In  Numbers 23:19 NIV, we learn that,
"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

In 2 Timothy 2:13 NIV, we have this assurance,
"if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

The best promise is this.
In Isaiah 55:11 God promises this,
"so will my Word be that goes out of my mouth— it won't return to me empty. Instead, it will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Then again if we seek God just for His promises we will fall in the category of those who seek Him when they need Him.

Therefore let us seek God because we want Him. Let us always be conscious of His presence. Let us meditate on His Word day and night. His Word will transform us. It will cause an aversion for sin and an ardent desire to please God, in us.

Let us not run to Him as the last resort. He is waiting patiently for us to acknowledge Him. Let us form an intimate relationship with Him, be refreshed in His presence and delight to do what pleases Him. Then let us look forward to living a victorious and  blessed life now and having an intimate communion with Him throughout eternity.

Jesus calls us now...let us run to Him

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

A Special Note To The Reader.

The main intention of this article is :-

1. To create an awareness of God's unconditional love, mercy and grace which is available to all and the immense blessings wrought, by being rooted in Jesus.

 
2. To create an awareness of the peace and joy received in the midst of various life's affliction when we seek Him because we want Him.

3. Finally to make known the dangers of seeking God only when we need Him.

What I have experienced, I want you to experience too. As I mentioned earlier, I am not perfect. I still stumble and fall, but my God holds me and corrects me and sets me on the right path.

Let us pray!
Father God, You revealed Yourself in Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I know that I desperately need You. I cannot live for a moment without You. You are my very breath and my very heartbeat. Yet Father, I now run to You because I want You more than anything else. I want You more than anything You provide. I want You more than my life itself because Father I know that in You is Eternal Life. I pray in Jesus mighty name that my loved ones and I, be never ever separated from Your love and Your presence. I rest in Your love knowing that You are holding us in Your hands and have promised us that no one will ever separate us from You. Love You my Abba!

Mary Augustine
6th August 2019

Are you depressed or disillusioned?

Moses a child of a Hebrew slave was put in a basket and on the River Nile by his mother Jochebed and sister Miriam. They wanted to protect his life from the hedious command of the Pharoah to kill all Hebrew male babies. He was found by Pharoah's daughter who was childless. She brought baby Moses up as her  adopted son. He grew up in Pharoah's palace as one of the royal family members . He was trained in all art forms and to be a warrior as skilled as any Egyptian and even more. He had the best teachers and had the highest form of education just as everyone in the royal family. He did not lack anything. All that Pharoah had, Moses enjoyed. He was given much power by Pharoah. Albeit, Moses was aware of his Hebraic roots. His heart was tender towards his own people.

At the age of 40, things took a sudden turn. Moses killed an Egyptian slavemaster who smote a Hebrew slave cruelly. Then Moses, fearing for his life had to flee Egypt, leaving all he had behind. His entire life, all that he achieved, all that he earned, all that was his, power, prestige, wealth, everything had to be left behind when he fled across the Red Sea to Midian.

In Midian which was a mountainous and desert area Moses the Egyptian prince, became a shepherd for Jethro, a Midianite priest whose daughter Zipporah he later married. He religiously tended sheep for the next 40 years till he was 80yrs of age.

How would Moses have felt? How would you have felt if you were Moses? Someone who was up there, someone who had everything in life,  power, pride, prestige and everything life could ever offer,  now was a nobody, down under with nothing he can call his own, humbly tending sheep for a Midian priest. All his education was wasted. All the arts he learned, horse riding, sword fighting, archery, chariot racing, etc was of no use here.

Would Moses have thought, "Why did I have to study so hard and spend time learning all those skills? Was it all for this; sheep tending?  Where is God? Why is this happening to me? I really messed things up by killing the Egyptian slave driver. Now I am an outlaw in the eyes of my adopted family and a murderer in the eyes of my own people. Why was I even born?"

If it was me or you, we may have asked such questions. We may even have sunk deep into depression crying over our 'wasted life'!

Wait a second! Was the life of Moses wasted? Was all that he learned for the first 40yrs in Egypt wasted? No it was not. God was preparing Moses big time for a gigantic responsibility He was going to hand over to him. For the first 40 years, God was moulding Moses' physique and mind thus preparing Moses to be strong and fearless, to have self worth, to be educated and gain all the knowledge he would ever need to be able to become an efficient leader. The next 40 years, God was dealing with the heart of Moses. He was teaching Moses humility, preparing him to be a servant leader in the heat of the desert.

Once the full preparation was completed,
God Himself came to Moses in the form of fire in a bush. He told Moses the plan He had for him and God's people who were slaves in Egypt. God wanted Moses to rescue the Israelites from the Egyptian slavery. That was the gigantic responsibility God was preparing Moses for.

By this time Moses was  80 yrs old and had lost all his youthful vigour and zest but he was humble in heart and that was what God was looking for. A person humble enough to trust God and obey Him. The rest, youthfulness and strength God could renew anytime, because He is God.

Moses did not believe that he was the right person for this job. He did not believe in himself.  But God believed in what Moses could do, not with his own strength but with His, God's strength. So God offered His own presence to be with Moses and His own Words to be in the mouth of Moses.

Exodus 3:12 ESV
He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

Exodus 4:12 ESV
Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

The rest is history. God renewed Moses' strength, was with Him throughout the Egyptian rescue operation performing amazing and extraordinary miracles, in the wilderness making a way in the Red Sea and till Moses went to be with God.

The rescue operation was a success because God was with Moses and because Moses learned to trust God and allowed himself to be used by God.

Child of God, are you disillusioned? Do you feel that your life has been wasted? Have you messed things up? Do you wonder where God is and why He is allowing all this in your life? Fret not. Remember that you are in God's plan and God has been moulding and shaping you through it all. You who believe in Jesus, know that He suffered and died for your sins and sickness and shame and rose again victoriously in 3 days defeating every battle that you are facing now. He knows what you are going through. Trust Him and obey Him. He will lead you safely to victory if you will walk with Him in His presence. He will renew your strength and restore all that you have lost.

Moses who was supposed to have been a nobody, a Hebrew slave's boy, was picked up by God and transformed into the greatest hero of the Bible who was involved in changing the history of God's people, the Israelites.

God will transform you too if you will only trust Him and let Him mould you through life's experiences whatever they maybe.

Moses was in God's presence before he went to  deliver the Israelites. When he went he refused to go if God was not with him. He was always in God's presence.

Therefore spend time alone daily worshipping God. Spend time in His Word which will nourish and strengthen you. Whatever you do acknowledge God's presence and consult Him in everything. Then you will be in God's plan for your life.

Be blessed as you venture forth.

Mary Augustine
17th June 2019

Fruit of the Spirit!

Fruit of the Spirit.

What is it?

Paul writes about it in
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self- control.

To bear the fruit of the spirit is to have the spirit of Godly excellence in us. That is, to be a cut above everyone else. To be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This does not call for pride and snobbishness but in all humility, to bear the following characteristics in our daily living, to glorify Father God.

It behooves us to dare to be different from the people of the world. To show them the right way to live so as to please God.

It behooves us, to not bother about what others think of us, but to be good and holy in God's eyes.

It behooves us to walk through the narrow door which Jesus mentioned in Luke 13:24.

The entire Fruit can only be produced in us by the Holy Spirit when we remain connected to Jesus through His Word and prayer. By ourselves we can never produce each one of these characteristics of this fruit.

Let us therefore abide in Jesus the Vine and stay rooted in Him at all times. Let us check and correct ourselves daily to see if we are bearing these characteristics in our daily living with others.

We cannot live alone, away from our communities and desire to bear this fruit. It does not work that way. Just as iron sharpens iron, we will bear fruit only by interacting with others.

When the members of our family or extended family or colleagues are irritating or annoying us, that calls for the practice of love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. If we do not learn how to practice these virtues in these circumstances and instead avoid such people or move to another place, then they will remain unchanged and we will receive other unwelcome opportunities to practice those virtues elsewhere. Better learn them where we are planted, the first time.

Only by the fruit we bear, can we let the light of Christ Jesus shine through us and only then the world around us will become a better place. We can't do it any other way.

A hermit who sits alone in the forest meditating cannot claim to have practised the virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit. How can he when he has no one to help sharpen him?

If we have not produced the whole fruit, let us repent. Let us through the daily practise of praising and worshipping God, reading God's Word, doing what it says and through unceasing prayer and intercession, allow the Holy Spirit to produce the whole fruit which God requires, in us. Always remember that a dusty Bible leads to a messy life.

The following are what the Word of God terms as 'The Fruit of the Spirit.'

1. Love - This is God's sacrificial and unconditional love. It is
Agape Love.
To love unconditionally and pray for others, even when they do wrong to us or hate, accuse, misunderstand or persecute us.
To love is to do good and pray and intercede for the needs of others especially for those whom you think, do not deserve it. To love is to love and pray for the lost, those who practice sinful acts and the backslidden, for them to know Christ Jesus' love and to walk in His way.

2. Joy -   Heavenly joy which gives strength in any situation. 
To be joyful even in the midst of persecution, trouble, pain and suffering.

3. Peace - Which only God can give. To be filled with God's peace and loving assurance that He holds our future in His hands, that He will be with us through it all, even in the midst of a stormy situation.

4. Patience -Forbearance. Bearing with one another's faults even when we are persecuted, provoked or insulted, with a smile and a forgiving heart. This does not give license to condone or approve of someone's sinful behaviour. It is also to patiently wait upon the Lord for His perfect timing in every area of our lives.

5. Kindness - To be sympathetic, compassionate and to show tenderness to others even when they are unkind to us or do evil to us. To put the needs of others above ourselves.

6. Goodness - To be good at all times. Avoid doing anything bad or evil. To do good to those who hate us or who do evil to us.

7. Faithfulness - To have unshakable faith in God and in Jesus His Son and to be faithful to God and
others, even when others are unfaithful. Do not take advantage of or manipulate others.

8. Gentleness - To be meek, mild and humble in nature, to be courteous and also to be calm in all situations, even when angered, provoked, accused unjustly or bullied.  If someone needs correction, to avoid gossiping about, belittling and criticizing that person but instead, to correct him/her with gentle, grace-filled words to help build him/her up and help him/her see her faults in the light of God's Word and repent and change.

9. Self-Control - To be self disciplined.
To practice restraint in consumption of food, drinks and accumulating material goods and also in speaking. Never speak unnecessary and useless words.
To avoid compromises with worldly living.
To turn away from:-
sin, from temptations,
from fleshly desires and also from what seems good and pleasing to the senses, in exchange for the Eternal Good that God gives to those who wait upon Him, who seek Him first in all things and all affairs.

10. Generosity - To care for, share with and give to those who are in need, what God has graciously given to us. This can be in the form of physical help, ideas to build the other up, money, things or even the talents God has imbued us with.

11. Chastity - To be morally pure in thought, speech and behaviour.
To avoid sexual impurity.

12. Modesty - To refrain from attracting attention to ourselves through extravagant, showy, provocative and/or
immodest dressing and through boasting about our achievements.
It is also being moderate in eating and drinking.
To avoid extravagance and showiness lest we tempt others to fall into the sin of jealousy and lust. To live a simple and unassuming, unpretencious life.

Let the above be a daily checklist for our spiritual growth in Christ Jesus.

Let us strive to bear the whole fruit (not just parts of it) and to always walk in the narrow way, till we are called home to rest in the Lord for all eternity.

Mary Augustine
09/02/2019
                             

Why must I, Shine?

Jesus my Saviour wants me to shine. Why? He wants me to be an Effective Marketplace Evangelist, that's why!

He commands me in
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Did He ask me to shine so that others who look at my good deeds, praise me? No, He asked me to shine so that others may see my good deeds and glorify my Father in heaven.

How do I shine?
This is how I must shine:-
1. where God has placed me.
2. with the gifts God has given me.
3. putting in my best efforts.
4. with a positive attitude.
5. with humility.
6. to accept changes with a willing and sincere heart.
7. with discernment.
8. with an obedient heart.

I must shine for the Father's glory. Only then will those who see me, give glory to God our Father.

I can pretend to serve God before men. I can fool them into thinking I am doing something noble. But I cannot pretend before or fool Father God, Who sees the intent of my heart.

Jesus also tells me to follow Him. What does it mean to follow Him? He explains in
Luke 13:22-30 NIV
'Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. [23] Someone asked Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, [24] “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. [25] Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' “But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' [26] “Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' [27] “But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' [28] “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. [29] People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. [30] Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”'

I must, with every ounce of effort, enter through the narrow way. I cannot try, because trying will not let me enter. If I just try, I will be forever trying but not entering.

That is very scary! If I don't enter the narrow way I will be thrown out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!

How then do I enter the narrow way? With the help of the Holy Spirit of course. All I have to do is be rooted firmly in Jesus, the Vine, and obey Him. Then the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit which pleases Father God, in us.

How will I know if I am walking in the narrow way Jesus spoke about? By the fruit I am bearing in every circumstance of my life.

When I am falsely accused, cheated, saddened, angered, belittled, snubbed at, ignored or even shunned, how do I respond? Do I talk back, argue, get back at that person who did that to me? Do I respond with a similar or worse response or do I surrender my feelings to God and pray for that person. Am I bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness faithfulness and self-control in my character or am I behaving just the opposite? Am I modest in my attire?  Am I moderate in my eating and drinking? Do I boast about my achievements instead of giving God the praise. Am I obedient to authority, humble, practicing integrity and praising God in every situation? Or do I complain and grumble and talk negatively at all times? When I remember past events, does tbe memory of those events prompt me to see God's blessings and the guiding hand of God's protection or does it bring back past hurts and bitterness and cause me to grumble and talk bitterly about those who hurt me in a judgemental and condemning way?  Do I build people up with my words or do I pull them down and tear them apart with my words and my silent treatment? Do I correct others in a criticizing and judgemental way or with gentleness and grace? Have I forgiven all those who have hurt or wronged me or do I still harbour anger, hurt, grudges, bitterness and hatered against them in my heart? Am I obsessed with the riches of this world and the comforts of this life? Do I seek God only for success and promotions and money? Can I praise Him even in poverty? Do I prefer comfort and ease of life to being obedient to the words of Christ Jesus in the Bible? Am I compromising my Christian walk with my fleshly desires and am I moving boundaries for my own agenda? Do I go about assuming things about others and judging them by what I see and think I know?

The above are some ways to examine myself to see if I am walking in the narrow way. I must train myself like an athlete trains himself for the Olympics. It is not easy. It is difficult, but I can take comfort in the fact that Jesus has promised that He will be with me till the end. Jesus promised me that, in Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
'Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”'

Jesus also wants me to be perfect!

In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus commands us thus:-
“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. [46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? [47] And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus wants me to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect! How can I do that? Again, only by being rooted in Christ Jesus and bearing the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit can I go near that standard. I may never achieve it but I have my Saviour Who achieved it for me by dying in the cross for me. He is now standing as a mediator between me and my Father in heaven to plead my cause and my case.

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus commands me to shine our light, that is, to let our good works be seen by all in a way that will prompt them to glorify Father God instead of turning their attention to us. In the same chapter He commands us to love and pray for our enemies and those who persecute us. Then in chapter 28 before ascending into heaven to be seated at the right hand of Father God, He commands us to go and 1)make disciples of all nations, 2)to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and 3)to teach them to obey everything that He, Jesus has taught us.

In view of this how am I to fulfill the 3 commands which Jesus makes in Matthew chapter 28 without fulfilling the commands in  Matthew chapter 5 and Luke chapter 13 and all the other commands of His?

Can a sluggard tell someone else to work hard? Can a drunkard tell someone else to stop drinking? Can a gossiper tell someone else not to talk bad about others? Can one who harbours bitterness and unforgiveness in his heart against his neighbour, tell someone else to forgive his brother? Can one who cheats his boss by putting in less hours and by giving him sloppy work and using office time to do his own stuff, tell someone else not to cheat others? Can someone who seeks God just for money, the comforts and successes of this world tell someone else to seek God faithfully? Can someone who keeps boasting about himself and his achievements tell someone else to be humble? Can someone who gives up following Christ Jesus, for the pleasures of this world and for his own interests tell someone else to be good and to follow Jesus? Can one who disobeys and dishonours his parents and authorities tell his employees to obey him and tell his children to honour him? Can someone who retaliates when he is corrected tell someone else to change for the better? No, definitely he cannot! Why? Because he is not a good testimony. His life does not glorify Father God. He himself needs to change.
One who is walking in darkness cannot lead another one who is also walking in darkness. When he realises his faults and repents and seeks the Holy Spirit's help to walk in the narrow way, then using his past experiences he can guide others not to fall in the same pit as him.

We who are believers in Christ Jesus, are all called to be marketplace evangelists. To be effective evangelists we must obey Christ Jesus in every tiny aspect. Obeying some commands and disobeying some others does not prevent a judge on earth from punishing the perpetrator. What more an all Holy and Perfect God Who will judge us when we close our earthly eyes forever?

The Bible is packed with promises for all those who obey. It is also packed with warnings of eternal punishment for those who disobey. There are also numerous solutions for life's problems in it. It is in fact a 'Treasure Map', which if read carefully and faithfully and obeyed religiously, will mark out the 'Narrow Way' for us and will lead us to the Promised Land.

Therefore as I examine myself I must repent for the times I have fallen and failed and begin again to walk into the 'Narrow Way'. It is never too late to repent and change with the help of the Holy Spirit Who is waiting for me to ask Him. He will help me by reminding me of the Words of Christ Jesus in the Bible.

As I end, I again remind myself of this:-

To be a faithful follower of Christ Jesus and to be an effective marketplace evangelist, I must first and foremost review my life and my walk with Jesus, daily. I must work on shining the light of Christ by dying to myself daily. Then, I must shine where God has placed me, with the gifts God has given me, putting in my best efforts, with a positive attitude and a sincere, humble, willing, discerning and obedient heart. Only then will those who see me, give glory to God our Father.

The most important characteristics to be an effective witness for Christ are
H - Humility
O - Obedience
W - Willingness

I must remember that I cannot do it alone. I must work with like-minded fellow believers, seeking the help of the Holy Spirit.

Oh, when I breathe my last and close my earthly eyes,  how joyful will it be when I hear my Beloved say, "Welcome home my good and faithful servant!"

Father God, I pray that You keep me grounded and humble always. Help me be obedient and willing to do what You command me to do and go where You lead me. Help me put others before myself. Help me never rely on my own strength and abilities. Help me never want success for my glory and well-being but to want success to win souls for Your Kingdom. Help me enter through the Narrow Way and walk in it at all times. If I fail Father, I know You are there to help me. Your Spirit will guide and protect me. Help me always walk in Your holy presence and be conscious of what I think, what I say and how I behave at every moment of my life. I thank You and Praise You for Your numerous blessings and for Christ Jesus Your Son and my Saviour. I thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I thank You for all Your provisions and Your tender mercies. I thank You for my husband and children. I thank you for my extended family and friends. I thank you for my church family, leaders and pastors. I thank You for the good health and for peace and stability in our country.

Oh Father there are so many, many things I want to thank you for. Words are insufficient to praise and thank You. I offer myself, I offer all that I think, do and say today as a thanksgiving offering to You Father. Accept me as I am and lead me along the Narrow Way and help me shine Your glory for all to see You and to praise and glorify You.

Protect me from selfish ambitions.  I am weak Lord. I need Your strength.
I pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Mary Augustine
03/02/2019

'Born Again'? What is that???

What does it mean to  'Be Born Again'?

In the first place, why must we be born again? Who said so?

Next, how can one be born again?

Let's turn to John Chapter 3 and read...

John 3:1-15 NLT
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. [2] After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. "Rabbi," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you." [3] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." [4] "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" [5] Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." [9] "How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. [10] Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? [11] I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. [12] But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? [13] No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. [14] And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, [15] so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

Answer to question 1, who said that we must be born again,? Jesus Himself said so.

We cannot go back into our mother's womb to be born again as Nicodemus exclaimed.

Being born again does not mean that we will die and be born again in another form or be reincarnated as most religions believe. 

Jesus explains in explicit terms. "You need to be born of water and the spirit. If not, you CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD!" Fullstop! This second birth is the birth of our spirit man into God's own family.

To be born again you need to:-
1. Accept the free gift of faith which is available to all and believe in Jesus.
2. Be baptised in water professing your faith in Christ alone. Water baptism is an outward act of an inward repentance of one's sins and it is an acceptance of Christ Jesus as one's Lord and Saviour.
(At this point God in His mercy will send  the Holy Spirit to reside in you and will baptise you with His Holy Spirit's anointing fire and empower you to walk in the righteousness of Christ Jesus.)

Listen to what Peter says in Acts 2:38 NLT
Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

That's when and how you are born again.
You may ask, "That's it? That's all it takes?"

Yes that's all it takes to be born again.
But if we remain there at that infant stage, we will die a natural spiritual death.

Remember, just as a baby, when he is born  needs his mother and father to nurture him, one who is born again of the Holy Spirit, in his spirit needs the constant nurturing of the Holy Spirit to help him grow spiritually.

Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

We often see people strutting around boasting that they are born again and we see them scorning those who do not accept Christ Jesus. They lack maturity.  They are still baby believers.

Being born again is not enough. Our spirit man must grow. It must be strengthened and become mature. We need to be transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus in our spirit man. Otherwise we will stumble those who want to believe in Jesus, but are confused and put off by the way we live.

Can we do it by ourselves? Absolutely not. We need the help of God's Spirit.

Let me explain further:-

In the letter to Titus, Titus 3:5 (ESV) tbe Holy Spirit through Paul says,

5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans.

Spiritually speaking, the Holy Spirit renews and restores our spirit and helps our spirit man to grow more like Christ Jesus. He puts in us an alarm system when confronted by sin and temptations and constantly empowers us to flee sin and stay rooted in Jesus. This is spiritual regeneration. We are constantly reminded not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind to become like Christ Jesus. We can only be renewed and transformed when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) the Holy Spirit through Paul says,
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So when we say we are born again, we should not behave, should not talk, should not think, the same way we used to, when we did not know and surrender ourselves to Jesus. The Holy Spirit now resides in us  to help our spirit grow. Therefore we must cooperate with Him. He is a gentleman. He will not violate our free will.  We need to allow Him to shape us into the likeness of Jesus.

In case we become proud and think that we are born again by our own initiative let us read what the Holy Spirit tells us through Peter in
1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

It is because of God's great mercy that we are born again.  We are now born again to a living hope that one day we too will be resurrected just as Christ Jesus was and live with Him for all eternity. Faith is a gift. If God in His mercy did not give us this free gift called faith, we will still be in the dark, unable to believe in Jesus. So we have to be humble and thank God for giving us His Spirit and helping us to be born again.

How do we know if we are born again? To this the Holy Spirit through the apostle John answers in
1 John 2:29 (ESV)

29 If you know that He (Jesus) is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

Everyone who practices righteousness is born again?  Can we practice righteousness on our own? No, we can only practice righteousness with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is He Who produces the fruit of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-Control, in us when we abide in Christ Jesus the Vine.

Therefore by the fruit that we bear (not produce...it is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in us) everyone will know whether we are  born again or not.

He continues to say,  in 1 John 3:9 (ESV) that...

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

When the Holy Spirit is in us we cannot go on sinning because He will keep on pricking our conscience. We will not have the peace and the joy of Christ when we sin. Thus we will be prompted to repent and amend our ways and walk back in the narrow path. Thus daily, renewal, regeneration and transformation takes place in our spirit and this in turn will be manifested in our behavior, thinking and speaking.

Next He exorts us through John in
1 John 4:7 (ESV) to do this...

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

OK! He says, whoever loves, has been born of God and knows God. Now, can we say that our friends who refuse to accept Jesus do not love one another? They too love. Does that mean that they are born again?

The Love which is spoken about here is not the love which we practice in our flesh and with our own strength.  The people of this world practice that with their own flesh and thinking. They practice Phileo love which is brotherly love, they practice, Stergein love which is love for family and spouse, they practice Eros love which is the passionate physical love between a husband and wife.  But this Love which is spoken about here, needs someone greater than us to work it out in and through us. It is the Agape Love which originates only in God and is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5

The Holy Spirit explains this Love through Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud [5] or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. [6] It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. [7] Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Can those who do not believe in Jesus, love others with the Agape Love? Absolutely not. Let me give you a few examples...
When the murderer of your dear child or sibling stands before you, it takes the love of God, Agape love to forgive him. When a spouse who is unfaithful confesses his/her guilt it takes God's Agape love to forgive and accept him/her back. When your intentions are misconstrued and you are persecuted at work, it takes God's Agape love to smile, forgive that person, pray for the persecutor and go on to continue doing what is right. Only Agape love patiently waits for someone to give their heart to Jesus and meanwhile perseveres in praying till he/she accepts Christ.  The world will laugh at you saying that you are a coward and that you don't have a backbone.  The world is only interested in self glorification, self gratification and self promotion. It's ambitions are selfish and not sacrificial. The world will never ever understand how Agape love operates.
Only God and you who have this love poured into your heart will.  No one else teaches us to love our enemies and do good to those who hurt us. Only Jesus, Who died in our place, taking our sin upon Himself, does. To the world this is madness. But to us, it is the righteousness of Christ Jesus.

In verse 11 Paul writes,
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

We too must be able to say, likewise... When we were not born of the Spirit we were unable to show Agape Love and were unable to produce fruit but now that we are born again and  as we continue to grow and mature in the Spirit, we consciously put away our former selves and put on Christ Jesus.

Paul ends by saying in verse  [13] Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love.

So as I end, let us recap what it means to
be born again and put faith, hope and love in this context to get a clearer picture.

Step 1. Faith -
A.Through the free gift of Faith we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

B. We profess our faith by the outward sign which is, water baptism and we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

C. Next we cooperate with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to begin His work of regeneration in us.

Step 2. Hope - Now that we believe in Christ Jesus we  are promised Eternal Life  by Jesus Himself. That is our Hope, to live forever with Christ Jesus, Father God and our best friend the Holy Spirit for all eternity in heaven. So we carry on our life here on earth being  transformed daily in our Christian walk, with that Hope in mind. That Hope will produce joy in us and something to look forward to at the end of our life's journey. We know that just as Christ was resurrected, we too will be resurrected and live with Him for all eternity. We know we will not disintegrate into nothingness neither will we be born as an animal on this earth.

Step 3:- After being born again how to stay spiritually alive?
By allowing God's Agape Love to invade our hearts and to love through us. This Love, Agape love must be our highest goal. Let us abide in Christ Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us. The first of the fruit is Agape Love and when we are able to love with God's love, the rest of the fruit will automatically be produced in us. How? Because this love Agape love which is a sacrificial love will enable us to die to our selfish nature daily and endure all trials and persevere in every and even adverse situations. 

Remember that once a person is born again it does not mean he/she is perfect already.  Just as it takes a baby many years to grow, it takes a born again believer many years and even until his deathbed to be completely transformed and perfected in Christ Jesus.  It depends on how willingly we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

No one is perfect. Only God is. We are works in progress. Having said that, let's not remain in the infant stage but make every effort to grow and mature in Christ Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.

If you do not remember anything else, just remember these 3...Faith, Hope and Agape Love.  

To be born again we must accept the free gift of Faith and believe in Christ Jesus and be born of water and the spirit.

When we are born again in our spirit we begin to look forward with Hope, to our Eternal life with God, as promised us by Jesus. But we cannot afford to sit and wait. Our spirit must grow in the likeness of Christ Jesus.

Finally, as born again believers, we must let the light of Christ shine through us. We must be mirror images of Christ Jesus to the world. For that to happen, we must allow God's Spirit to transform us. We become mature born again believers by practicing Agape Love at every possible  moment in our lives.

We who are born again, may be in different stages of spiritual growth. Let us bear with one another. Instead of criticizing, quarreling or feeling high and mighty, let us humbly pray for one another and continue to be torch bearers for those who are yet to come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.

God bless you in your walk with Jesus.
Mary Augustine.
25/01/2019