The Reality of Common Christian Persecution & The Difference between Persecution and God's Conviction.

What is Christian Persecution? 

How should we react when that happens?

When one thinks of Christian persecution, the picture of Christians being tortured  for evangelization or for not rejecting Christ comes to mind. Grim pictures of men kneeling down with their heads covered and then either shot mercilessly or beheaded by terrorists seem to come before our eyes the very moment we think of Christian persecution. Or the pictures of pastors who do not agree to bless gay marriages or bakers who do not agree to bake wedding cakes for gay wedding parties and are thrown into jail come to our mind.

We seldom give thought to our daily lives and what we go through everyday. When we as born again believers live out our Christian life as commanded by Jesus, that is, when we bear the fruit of the spirit in our lives, the first thing most of us get is a sacarstic remark or an accusing comment. These usually come from those close to us, either our own family members or our co-workers. 

Here are a few examples:-

1. When one refrains from laughing at a coarse/sacarstic joke - "Oh there goes holy Joe!"

2. When one refrains from joining in coarse immoral joking sessions or gossip sessions - "Wah, she thinks she is so perfect lah!"

3. When one stands firm on the biblical principles and refuses to do business in an unethical way or refuses to be tolerant of sinful practices - "He is so useless. We cannot progress in our business dealings with him in our company. Let him go. OR  He is not tolerant at all. Thinks he is always right!"

4. When one happens to be using his mobile to spread God's Word on social meadia, to send prayers to someone urgently in need of prayers and encouragement  - "Look at him! I know he is wasting his time on his mobile!"

5. When one completes her office work and hands it in to her boss on time - "See she is trying to win the boss' favour."

6. When one is doing his usual one hour quiet time in the morning and his loved ones are not saved yet - "Why are you wasting so much time on your prayers? Doesn't God know what you want? Just pray for ten minutes and go and do something useful!"

7. When some misfortune/ailment befalls a person - "Oh he must have done something wrong. No wonder God is punishing him."

The list can go on and on. It is endless. It usually happens when others misunderstand our good intentions, they are jealous of us or they assume the worse about us and/or gossip about us. It can also happen, when the beliefs we stand for, as Christians and the beliefs of those around us are in conflict. 

These types of cutting, accusing, judgemental, sacarstic and untrue  remarks  will actually put us on the defensive. We will feel miserable. We will want to retort back and defend ourselves. When this happens, we must remember the following verses from God's Word.

 Isaiah 54:17 NIV

no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. 

Psalm 31:16-20 NIV

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. [17] Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. [18] Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. [19] How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. [20] In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues. 

( There are many other encouraging verses in the Bible which tell us that God will never let His children down but will come to their rescue. Do check them out.)

These type of remarks usually come at a time when we are doing something right. Not when we used to comply with the world and live like the people of this world.  This is because Satan uses others, especially those who are close to us, to discourage us from abiding in Jesus and bearing fruit. These are the kinds of persecution every Christian who wants to be firmly rooted in Christ usually goes through in their daily lives.

When any such discouraging situation arises, let us just pray, 

" Father God, You know the truth. I trust You to vindicate me. I surrender this situation into Your hands. Help me not to grow bitter towards the one persecuting me. Help me forgive her/him and love her/him with the love of Jesus.  Help this person to truly know Jesus."

Fear not, for God Himself will vindicate us when we abide in Christ Jesus and obey His Word.

Jesus was persecuted and crucified. He asked His Father to forgive His persecutors, from the cross. His apostles were persecuted. Everyone who follows Christ Jesus will be persecuted. We too will be. When that happens let us learn to rejoice and be glad and pray for our persecutors. Let us remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12 NIV

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. [12] Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

How to discern between persecution and the Holy Spirit's  conviction? What must we do?

Having mentioned about Christian persecution I must clarify that not every hurting, sacarstic or accusing remark is from the Satan, through our close ones. 

We must remember that even when we are truly reborn Christians, we are still imperfect human beings in need of sanctification. Sanctification is ongoing till we stop breathing on earth.

Therefore when someone makes a hurting remark,  we need to ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. He will help us to discern if the remark is from Satan, the accuser, to discourage and persecute us, or if it is from Him, the Holy Spirit, to convict us and to bring us to repentance. 

When we are confronted or accused let us examine ourselves and check to see if we are bearing all the fruit of the Spirit in our character. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. If we are lacking in any area, then we will know that it is the Holy Spirit Who is calling us to repentance through someone. 

Conviction of the Holy Spirit comes either as a nudging voice in our heart or through someone else. This someone can be a pastor whose sermon convicts us, an author whose writing convicts us or someone whose remark pricks our hearts. It is these remarks which can be wrongly perceived as persecution if we are not careful. If we are abiding in Jesus we will be able to discern between both easily.

When this happens all we need to do is ask the Holy Spirit to produce that fruit in us, which we lack. Remember, He produces them. We only bear them. If we are lacking in self-control, we need only to ask Him to produce that in our character. He will do it. All we need to do is look out for opportunities to be self-controlled and be in control. 

If we fail we must repent and ask again. As we seriously and faithfully mature in Christ Jesus, bearing the fruit of  the Spirit will be easier for us. If we continuously fail then we may need Father God's firm discipline to bring us to abide in Jesus again. Let's not wait for that kind of discipline. Let us allow ourselves to be moulded and shaped for His glory and sanctified in this season of grace.

Be Blessed 

Mary Augustine

3rd July 2021

'Be Tolerant' says the World!What does being tolerant mean?

'Be Tolerant' says the World!
What does being tolerant mean?

There are times we can and should be tolerant, like when there is drilling noise in our neighborhood or when our neighbour is having some festival which is a little noisy, or when our neighbour's baby is crying, or when we are travelling in the train beside someone who smells of perspiration after a hard day's work, or when we are about to sit  on a seat in the bus after standing the whole day at work and suddenly someone rushes and sits on that seat, etc . All this is actually, patient endurance which in reality, is a virtue.

The word 'Tolerance' has a variety of meanings. These include:-
1. To be open/broad minded.
2. Willing to put up with beliefs opposed to one's convictions.
3. The allowance of something which although is not wholly/morally approved but is considered the right of the other person/party.

To be tolerant of non-sinful activities is totally alright. But to be tolerant of something which is against God, something which is sinful is actually 'Compromise' in disguise. In this case the world is telling us to "Shut Up & Be Silent," when so much sin is going on around us!

Let's see what sins, we as the nations  of the world, have been tolerant of, thus far:-
1. Abortion (murder of innocent children in the womb) - in the guise of Family Planning or Feminine Rights.
2. Divorces - saying it is the individual's right to be happy and leave the person who makes them feel miserable instead of learning how to love and live peacefully.
3. Questionable practices in Business:- If it works for them who are you to say no? Live and let live!
4. Cohabitation /Sex before marriage - It's their prerogative to see if their partner is the right one. Just don't interfere.
5. Marriage with a robot/hologram - It gives him/her happiness and satisfaction. It is his/her right to be happy with whatever he/she chooses to marry.
5. Immodest Dressing - People have the right to wear (or not wear 😉) anything, they wish. It is none of your business.
6. LGBTQ - Anyone can be what they want to be according to what and how they feel. A woman can be a man or a man can be a woman or a grown man can even claim to be an infant or a goat or even a kitten. It is their right. Don't hurt their feelings.

The above is only a sample of all that we tolerate in this world. Although many do not agree, we watch them do what they are doing with disbelief and amusement and most of the time with a 'Cannot Be Bothered' attitude.

When we encounter them, we are told to be tolerant of them. We are told to accommodate them; not to offend them; to include them  in all our programs, activities and religious celebrations without ostracizing them or without making them feel uncomfortable or unwelcome; because they are 'Individuals With Equal Rights'! 

Many states in US and some parts of the world, have even allowed them (LGBTQ'S) to influence little innocent children, in schools, through syllabuses, through story books and drag queen storytelling times and through the media.

It is heartbreaking to see many churches accommodating many of them and allowing them to practice what they are practising, in the name of 'God's love'. These churches are afraid to tell them the biblical truth because they are afraid of losing them ( as if they are already not lost). Telling them the Truth will only save them from hell fire. There is no Truth apart from the Bible! Yes Jesus ate with sinners but He did not sin. He called every one of those sinners to repentance.

So much has been said about Tolerance by this World!

Now let us see what Jesus says about this?

Jesus gives a message to the Christians in the church of Thyatira in - Revelation 2:19-20
“I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.”

And again Jesus says in - Matthew 18:6 NIV
“If anyone causes one of these little ones---those who believe in me---to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

My dear fellow Christians! There is an urgent and crucial need to 'Speak the Truth in Love', to bring about Repentance, Reconciliation & Forgiveness within the Christian community today. First the body of Christ has to be cleansed!

Please Do Not Be Silent! We  must speak up and speak out against sin. Especially when we encounter a Christian brother or sister living in sin. But before that we must ensure that we ourselves are not doing any of it. 

We as Christians, the body of Christ, Cannot be silent and Must Not be silent! We need to speak out against SIN! We Cannot and Must Not be Tolerant of SIN! If we do, we will be judged severely! By being silent we Christians cannot escape God's judgement! 

Only when the Church of Christ Jesus stands united in Truth and in His Love, can we shine the Light of Christ to all around us and lead others to Him.

Some Helpful Pointers:-

🔸Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you to them. 

🔸Speak the truth lovingly with conviction. God will do what is needed to change their hearts. 🔸All you need to do is obey God's Word by warning someone who is living in sin. He will do the rest. 

Bible verses to take note of:-

James 5:19-20 NIV

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, [20] remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 NIV

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: [2] Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage---with great patience and careful instruction. [3] For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. [5] But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Let us pray for the boldness of the Holy Spirit to come upon the Church, its Pastors and its members to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Speak Out The Truth with Boldness of Heart and bring back the lost sheep to Jesus!

Thank You Father God!
In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Mary Augustine
June 30th 2021

Special Edition:- 2 blogposts in 1. Have you made your final Will? & Suffering reveals Who your God is!

Special Edition:-2 blogposts in 1.

1. Have you made your  final Will? 

2. Suffering reveals Who your God is! 

Have you made your Will?

Have you made your Will?

If you have not it is time you seriously consider now.

I am not talking about an earthly will. Something you leave behind for your loved ones to enjoy after you.

I am talking about making a Will for your soul and spirit. Your Spiritual Will, a purchase of a location where you will live for all eternity after you die. Well you need not purchase it with money because someone has paid for it with His blood. You only need to accept it. That's all.

Have you decided where you want to live forever and ever and ever after your life on earth ends. 

You may not think much about it now when you are young or healthy and strong.

These thoughts will assail you when you are facing a life threatening illness or are on your death bed. Those who have not made their 'Spiritual Will' yet, get a chance to make theirs at the last minute before they die. For others who keep putting it off, the chance may never come because they  may die suddenly, without notice.

Therefore it is always  wise to make your Spiritual Will as soon as possible, now. Do not put it off.

Need to know how to make that Will or accept that Will? 

All you need to do is get to know Jesus; repent of all your sins; make Jesus the Lord of your life. Yes it is that simple.

You will then become the child of God. He will then give you the strength to live a life pleasing to God. He will empower you to do good works which when done by your own strength or ambitious power become just filth but when done by His prompting and empowerment become pleasing to God our Father.

So what are you waiting for? Accept that ready made Will purchased by the Blood of Jesus and become a child of God now.

If you decide not to accept that Will then by default you will be given the only other location, which is hell as you property to live in after you die. 

Make your Choice Now!  

Suffering reveals Who your God is!

Suffering  and Death escape no man. 

Is there a man, woman or child in this world who has never ever suffered or who has never ever died on earth?

We all know that no one on earth ever escapes suffering and death.

Suffering always reveals our true heart's condition towards God. 

Who is God to you?

Person 1

To the one who believes, there is no God:-

He believes that suffering and death exist because there is no God. He also believes that man has to deal with it by himself! Thus he is his own 'god'!

Person 2

To the one who does not care if God exists and to the one who goes to God only when he needs something :-

Suffering and death exist because God does not care; God is selfish; God is cruel. 

Person 3

To the one who believes in many deities and many gods and who believes that all gods are the same:-

Suffering and death may be sadly acceptable, but only after exhausting all methods of making sacrifices to all the known deities and gods. Yet this person will be disillusioned into thinking that he or she will be born again as someone else or as a creature because of his 'karma'. Only pain, confusion and a struggle will remain when breathing his or her last, not knowing the truth.

Person 4

To the one who walks faithfully with God our Creator daily and who has an intimate relationship with His Son Jesus:-

Suffering and death are unavoidable yet he will have God's peace in him. 

Thus says he:-

When I suffer I know that, 

My God loves me and He cares for me.

He knows my pain & He knows my name!

He gives me grace and strength even in my suffering.

I will emerge stronger with His counsel and His strength.

The following Bible verses bring comfort to me.

Isaiah 43:1 NIV

But now, this is what the Lord says---he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But my God said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This person No 4 continues to say:-

When I face death, I know that, I will walk into my heavenly home with my Saviour, Lord and King Jesus, because I am now walking hand in hand with Him every moment. Death is a joyful home coming for me.

Reflect:-

Are you person 1,2, 3 or 4?

Who are you and Who is the God in your life?

Whoever you are, just know that all will undergo suffering of one kind or another; all will die one day and all will either go to heaven or hell. There is no in between. There is no rebirth. There is no such thing as being born again as an animal or creature. There is no such thing as 'Karma'. There is no such thing as disappearing into nothingness, because your soul which leaves your body will be attached to your spirit when you die, and you will hear, be able to communicate and feel all the joy or pain wherever you go to. 

Do not deceive yourself or be deceived by anyone else. All who have died in the past are either joyfully blissful in God's presence in heaven or pathetically in perpetual pain, of having lost a loving God, mourning in Satan's stronghold in hell. 

Jesus, God's only Son, came to the world as a Man to suffer and die for our sins and to win victory over eternal damnation for everyone on earth, past present and future. He rose from the dead in three days and is now seated in heaven's throne at Father God's right hand, mediating for us, who repent of our sins and accept Him as  our Lord and Saviour. 

It is only One Person in the entire history of mankind Who said, "I Am The Way, I Am The Truth and I Am The Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 NIV. That Person is none other than Jesus Christ the Saviour of all mankind, of all who willingly repent and make Him their Lord and Saviour.  Can you name just one other person who claimed that? If you can, you win. 

Many are deceived into thinking that Jesus came to save only the Jews.

Many others are deceived into thinking that Jesus is a Western God only for Westerners.

Still many others believe the lie that Jesus did not die but was replaced by someone else on the cross.

Whichever lie you believe, please ask God your Creator to enlighten you and reveal the Truth to you. He will, if you ask sincerely with an intention to know and with an intention to escape hell.

There are many in betweens. Those who think they can play their cards well and appease all their deities and gods including Jesus. They are those who hope that one of them will save them if they are nice enough to pray and offer sacrifices to all  of them.

No, no, no! It does not work that way. This too is a lie from the pit of hell.

My dear family and friends! Only, Jesus came to seek us and save us who are lost in this world. 

Will you get to know Him and surrender your life to Him while there is still time?

You may not have time or this opportunity to repent and accept Jesus again. 

Please consider I plead you. 

I love you and care for you therefore am doing my best by writing blogposts and by praying for each one of you, to not miss the golden opportunity God gives you in your lives to know Jesus and become a child of God.

If you are in doubt just get a copy of the Bible and read it from cover to cover. Pray before you read it. Ask God your Creator to help you understand it. He will. If you don't understand what you read, read it again, asking Him to bring His Word in the Bible come alive to you and make you understand. He will. The God Who formed you intricately in your mother's womb knows how to save you if you will only sincerely ask. God is a gentleman. He gives you the opportunity and waits for you to ask. He will never force you. 

When you grab this opportunity and make Jesus your Lord, you will find joy and peace in your suffering and in loneliness. Depression will flee from you. You will be filled with the Peace of God which only comes from knowing and abiding in Jesus. 

Do not wait till the last minute, because there is no use of regretting after you die. This may be your last and only chance! 

Love you and am 

praying for you reader.

God bless you.

Mary Augustine

24th May 2021

Choose Your King Today!

Choose your King today!

Dear family and friends, let me ask you a question. "Who is your king? Whose kingdom are you living in now?"

When one rejects God he is saying, one of these 3 things :-

1. I don't believe there is a God and I don't care.

2. I don't need God. 

3. I do not believe that God sent His Son Jesus to save us from the kingdom of hell(darkness) and bring us into the kingdom of heaven(light).

Everyone  on earth belongs to a kingdom ruled by a King. 

When we profess any one of the above 3 statements, then that reveals the pride in our hearts.

The Bible says that the king who rules the proud is Leviathan the dragon which breathes fire from its nostrils. Leviathan is the king who rules the proud of heart.

Job 41:34

Leviathan looks down on all that are haughty; it is king over all that are proud."

But when we humbly acknowledge and believe that Jesus is God's Son, Who died for our sins and rose victoriously and that He lives to mediate for each one of us, then we belong to the Kingdom of heaven where God rules. Jesus is crowned as the King of the Kingdom of heaven.

Choose this day which kingdom you want to belong to. If you do not know, if are confused, ask God for enlightenment and reveal the truth to you. When you choose rightly, you will never be the same again. You will be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light in an instant. You will be transformed into a child of God and live in the  light with Him as your King, Ruler, God, Guide and best Friend.

The Bible explains clearly the meaning of living in the kingdom of light and tells us how we will live if we are indeed living in it. 

To know more read Colossians Chapter 1 in the New Testament of the Bible. 

Let me give you an excerpt from it;  

Colossians 1:13-14 NIV

For He(God the Father ) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness (the moment we believe in Jesus) and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves(Jesus), [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

*(the words in brackets and italics are mine. I have included them for your understanding.)

Dear reader, as you read this, know that I have prayed for you and have asked God my Father to enlighten you and lead you. Now, go ahead and ask Him for yourself and receive  His light and truth. 

Choose your King today!

God bless you.

Mary Augustine

22nd May 2021

PEACE which only Jesus can give:- What is it?

Hey, friends and family!

You may be wondering what is this peace that only Jesus can give? 

First let me explain to you about the peace the world gives.

I am sure you have encountered situations where you felt anxious, were fearful, were in agonizing pain or experienced a terrible loss and were hoping for the absence of those circumstances and for peace to return. 

Yes, this is the peace which the world gives and which everyone in the world experiences. It is the peace and serenity of heart and mind in the absence of anxiety, fear, pain and loss. It is the peace you experience when all is calm and good.

We all know that as human beings, suffering, pain and illness is inevitable and unavoidable. We suffer or fall ill either by our own choice (disobedience to civil laws and/or natural laws) or because of the choice made by someone else. Some of us may even suffer silently because of the atrocities done to us by evil people. Some of us may suffer neglect and suffer because we are lonely. During these times we lose sleep over it, worrying, assuming the worst about situations or people, having misunderstandings and being fearful or suffer in pain because we are sick or suffer heartaches because our loved ones are sick. Thus we lose peace of mind and peace of heart and if it prolongs for more than usual, we may even experience depression and  other illnesses ourselves. In worst scenarios people have contemplated suicide and even committed suicide because of lack of peace.

We only get back this peace when things get better or circumstances change for the better.

But...the peace that Jesus talks about is something totally different. 

In the Gospel of John 14:27 Jesus assures His followers, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

The Peace of Christ Jesus

This peace which Jesus gives is a peace we receive regardless of the pain, suffering, heartaches or illnesses we go through. We can have this peace as our gift both in good times and bad times.  We receive this peace when we believe in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. We receive this peace when we surrender our lives to Him, obey His commands and trust Him to work through our situations. 

Why can't anyone else give us this Peace?

It is because, Jesus is the Son of God Who created this universe and you and me. Only Jesus has this authority to give this kind of peace amidst trials and turmoils. 

No one who has not experienced this peace, can vouch for it. Only those who have truly experienced or are experiencing this gift of undisturbed peace can safely say, "Yes! This kind of liberating, undisturbed peace, given my situation, can only be from Jesus, the Prince of Peace!"

Take it from me, my dear friends and family, I am experiencing this undisturbed, liberating and joyful peace right now, even in my present turbulent health condition. 

I may not know what tomorrow holds for me and my loved ones, but I know that our future is safe and secure in the hands of my Lord, Saviour and Faithful Friend, Jesus Christ. 

I have the Peace of Christ Jesus in my heart and mind and my spirit. You can too! Just call upon the beautiful name of Jesus, today!

Praying for you reader, to hear God's still small voice and to submit your life to Him and receive His peace. 

Love you much.

God bless you.

Mary Augustine

18th May 2021

Discipled by Jesus my Best Friend.

Discipled by Jesus my Best Friend.

Have you given your life to Jesus? 

Have you believed in His cruel death on the cross for us human beings, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven and His rightful position at Father God's right hand on the throne?  

Have you believed that Jesus is mediating for everyone who believes in Him, to the Father?  

Have you repented of your sins and resolved not to sin again with the help from God's Holy Spirit? 

Have you believed that the blood of Jesus washes away your sins when you repent and confess and resolve never to sin again?

Congratulations, if you have done all that,  then  you are saved. 

Albeit, you are not there yet.

The next step is to be discipled so that you know Jesus intimately, walk faithfully with Him and be transformed into His image while on earth.  Believe me, it takes a whole lifetime.

You need someone who is mature in the faith to disciple you. Someone who will walk you through and help you in your walk with Jesus and who will teach you the full gospel without compromising with the lies of this world. Someone who himself or herself is a good role model and who is walking daily, faithfully, with Jesus. You may find such a person but again that person cannot be with you for 24hrs and teach you when you are awake and when you are asleep. 

When I was searching for one such person to disciple me at the age of 21, God showed me the Perfect Person.

He was none other than Jesus Christ Himself. In  Luke 24:13-15 NIV we read,

"Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. [14] They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. [15] As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;"

Just as Jesus walked with the two disciples and taught them all that Scripture taught about Him, Jesus, He taught me and discipled me, from His Word, the Bible, begining from Genesis to the last book, Revelation. 

There is no better book to  learn about Father God's love for us and about Jesus than the Bible and no better teacher than Jesus Himself, Who eagerly awaits for us to ask .  He is the best and only One who can disciple us and transform us into His image, if we allow Him. 

So pick up the Bible today and sit at the feet of Jesus.  Learn about Him from Him. He will teach you patiently and transform you gradually. Do not short change this for any other course or activity. Sit at His feet daily for at least two hours faithfully. Be eager to learn and you will see His marvelous works, done for you, in you and through you by His Holy Spirit.

I who am sharing this with you, am not perfect at all. In His mercy and grace God has  chosen me. By His grace through faith in Christ Jesus, He has saved me, a wretched sinner from eternal damnation. I am ever so greatful to Him for that. 

There are times when I fail Him along the way but I repent and run into His arms resolving never to hurt Him again. I consciously avoid hurting Him by my sins. I can only do this with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. By myself I will fail Him miserably. I have no power over sin. But Jesus has. He has won victory over sin and eternal death for me. Now, I only live, move and breathe by His power and strength each moment.

Jesus is continuing to chisel, shape and mould me, through the daily situations and circumstances in my life, teaching me through His Word and guiding me by His Spirit. When I make mistakes He corrects me. When I fall He lifts me up and guides me. He disciplines me when I am stubborn and puts me on the narrow path beside Him. My life has never been the same ever since I made Jesus the Lord and Saviour of my life and my Best Friend. Everyday is new and exciting for me.

With His strength, I will walk with Him until I die and then, I will walk with Him straight into heaven. I have found a faithful Friend and Guide and Councillor in Jesus. He is my Lord and Saviour.

Dear reader, won't you make Jesus your friend too? Your life can be exciting just as mine.You will never regret it. 

Love you my reader.

God's blessings be upon you as you read and make Jesus your friend, Lord and Saviour. Am praying for you as I write and post this.

God be with you.

Mary Augustine

12th May 2021

What every born again Christian must know.

What every born again Christian must know.

Matthew 16:26

"What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

I may be the CEO of a company, a doctor or a scientist,

I may own fortunes equivalent to or more than 10 billionaires,

I may be a great philanthropist,

I may be powerful, successful and self sufficient,

Yet if I know not Christ Jesus, then I would have lost my soul.

All that I have gained and achieved and owned and done will go to a complete waste.

I can't take anything with me into my afterlife. 

What I will be able to bring along are only the good works done, birthed by faith in Christ Jesus.

All other good works birthed by my flesh and mind will be burned away like straw, by God's refining fire on judgment day.

1 Corinthians 3:13 NKJV

Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV

 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 NKJV 

14. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

So help us Father to seek after Jesus with all our heart, know Him with our mind and to obey Him and walk with a humble repentant heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to birth good works through us.

Help us to shine the light of Christ by our lives so that all will glorify You Father God.

Help us be the salt of the earth. Just as one of the properties of salt is to make the consumer thirsty, help all who come to us, all who encounter us, thirst for Christ Jesus. 

So help us Father God, never to lose our souls and the souls You have entrusted to our care, we pray, in Jesus mighty name. Amen!