Is Famine approaching soon?

Dear family and friends,

Let's examine these Words of God for a moment.:-

Psalm 33:18-19 ESV

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, [19] that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.

God looks favourably upon those who fear Him, those who obey Him and walk in His precepts, on those who hope in His unfailing love.

He delivers their soul from death. What kind of death is this? Not physical death of course, because everyone born on earth must die one day. God delivers the faithful from spiritual death and gives them eternal life, to live with Him forever. 

He keeps them alive in famine. This famine does not refer to a shortage of food. It is a shortage of hearing God's Word. Man is not interested in obeying God and walking faithfully in His narrow way. Instead man seeks after worldly pleasure and God's Word is not spoken or welcomed. Therefore God said in...

Amos 8:11 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

That is the famine He will save His faithful children from. 

Therefore dear family and friends, do not tarry. The time of spiritual famine is just round the corner. If you want your soul to be saved from it, then do the following asap:-

1. Repent of your sins daily. 

2. Believe in and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.

4. Read the Bible as you would read a treasure map. Dig deep and discover all the treasures within.

5. Meditate on it day and night.

6. Teach them to your children. 

7. Obey what His Word says without compromise.

8. Allow the Holy Spirit to transform you into the image of Jesus. 

9. Bear the fruit of the spirit (in your character) produced by the Holy Spirit in you.

10. Be the light of Christ Jesus and the Salt of the earth, and lead others to Him. 

Do the above 10steps constantly and consistently and God will reward your faithfulness mightily.

Do You Love Surprises?

Do You Love Surprises? 

Some are pleasant - things like surprise parties, the unanticipated arrival of loved ones, or unexpected blessings in the midst of suffering. Other times, surprises catch us off guard and are not so pleasant - a sudden job loss or unexpected medical diagnosis.

Jesus prepared His people, through parables and instructions, to expect what most others would not anticipate - His return to earth as Judge.

Jesus came as a humble servant to die on the cross and bring deliverance from sin for all who believe in Him.

He promised that He will come a second time as The Judge of all the people of the earth and establish His Kingdom.

(the above taken from 'The Unexpected King' Matthew's account of Jesus,  bsf lesson 25 Notes)

The first coming of Jesus was prophesied by the prophets of old. Yet people did not anticipate or understand Jesus' first mission to earth. Most still do not understand the truth although it is crystal clear in recorded history. Their eyes are blinded.

Jesus' second coming was announced by Him, by the prophets of old and also in the final book of the Bible. The specifics of what will happen in the final days before Jesus' second coming is spelt out clearly by Jesus Himself in Matthew Chapter 24 and in the book of Revelation, by the Risen Lord Jesus Himself, though the exact timing is not known. Yet the majority of humanity will still be blinded to the truth and be caught by surprise when He returns as the King and Judge of the entire human race. It is not going to be a pleasant surprise for the Christians who are not prepared and for those who do not believe till the end. 

Jesus told Thomas in the Gospel of John 20:29, 

'Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ' 

This was after Jesus rose from the grave and appeared to His disciples in His resurrected body. 

My dear fellow Christians

We who believe in Jesus are called to anticipate and prepare for His return. 

Let us be prepared for His second coming and not be caught by an unpleasant surprise.

It is not enough to say that you have believed in Jesus, accepted Him as the Lord and Saviour of your life and just continue to live in sin and not repent and change. That means you are not sincere. No one who keeps sinning without any remorse and repentance has truly  known or accepted Jesus. 

Having said that, if you have truly repented of your sins and accepted Jesus, He will forgive you. Jesus forgives all who are repentant but He sends us forth with this command, "I forgive you. Go and don't sin anymore." Jesus does not say, "I forgive you because you have accepted Me. My blood has washed your sins away. So now, you are My righteousness and whatever sins you do from now on will not be counted because I have washed your sins away on the cross." No not at all! He said, "Go and Sin No More!" So my dear brother and sister, each one of us must walk in humble repentance and obedience to His Word every moment of our lives. The Holy Spirit Who dwells in you will convict you of your sins and help you to repent and walk humbly and in obedience to God's Word. He Who called you is faithful and He Himself will sanctify you.

 

Do read the Bible daily. It is our treasure map for righteous living. Let the Holy Spirit transform you into a humble and an obedient child of God. Be a good role model to all. Live a life pleasing to God. Then go and tell everyone the Good News.

If we truly love our family and friends:-

🔺 we will want no bad thing to happen to them.

🔺 we will not want them to live without knowing their Saviour.

🔺 we will want them to be in heaven with us and God for all Eternity.

🔺 we will tell them the Good News, that Jesus died and resurrected to save all who believe in Him, from Eternal Death and is waiting to give them Eternal Life, Life after physical death.

🔺 we will invite them to come and know Jesus.

We love our parents, our spouse, our siblings, our children and our friends. We do all we can to make them happy on earth. We are even willing to go through severe hardship to ensure that they are well protected and taken care of in this life which is short and fleeting.

We eat with them, we laugh with them and we enjoy pleasant times with them. Yet, when it comes to giving them a loving warning of what the enemy, Satan is planning for humanity, and telling them of their Eternal Security in Christ Jesus, fear grips us. What are we afraid of?

My dear brother in Christ, my dear sister in Christ, 

📢 Will you be afraid to tell them about an oncoming truck which will hit them if they do not move in time?

📢 Will you be afraid to tell them of leaking gas in their kitchen, which if left unattended will blow up and burn their house down?

📢 Will you be afraid to tell them about the hidden deep sinkhole before them, that if they walk a little further the sinkhole will swallow them alive?

Then why are you afraid to tell them about Jesus Who died to save those who believe in Him from Eternal Hell Fire?

Are you afraid that they will :-

⁉🔸 ridicule you? 

⁉🔸stop befriending you? 

⁉🔸consider you mad?

⁉🔸 think that you are not respecting their beliefs?

Nevermind what they think. Believe me, on that day when they meet Jesus face to face, they will thank you for telling them the Good News. This is the command of Jesus to us, to tell everyone till the end of the world, the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to tell them and invite them to join in the celebration of Eternal  Life with us.

I am not saying that you must force them to believe in Jesus. No, you must not do that. You must respect them and give them time to understand. Gently and lovingly tell them the Good News and about what Jesus has in store for them, when they believe in Him. Then it is up to them to choose. Tell them the Good News with a heart overflowing with love for them. Tell them that because Jesus loves them He has sent you to tell them the Good News. 

If you have been offered unlimited access to a king's treasury where there is unlimited gold and have been asked to tell all your loved ones about it, that they can go and receive it free of charge, won't you go and tell this good news to everyone?  If you keep silent and think only of yourself won't they consider you selfish when they come to know about it?

If you tell them that you have access to unlimited gold, then you must prove it to them by your rich lifestyle. If you are in torn and tattered clothes and have no food to eat and no house to live in, will they believe you? 

Likewise you must live a humble life of obedience to God so that they will know that Jesus has transformed you and can transform them too. Your life must be a testimony of God's love, and a living reality of the promise of Jesus, to them.

When you are living a sinful life, gossiping, grumbling, taking things and credit which are not yours; a life of sexual promiscuity, alcoholism, slothfulness, ingratitude, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, arrogance, disrespect to authority, dishonouring parents, showing off to people your 'good deeds', doing good to receive praises from  others, etc, how can you tell others that Jesus has transformed you? You are not allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify you. You need to repent and allow the Holy Spirit to prune you and shape you. The process of sanctification is very painful. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

If you rebel at any point and refuse to let God sanctify you, then you would be disrespecting the Spirit of God Who dwells in you. If you keep pushing Him away and continue to sin and do not repent till your last breath, you will be grieving Him. Submit to him and allow Him to sanctify you.

Do take note of this, especially verse 29:- 

God's Word says in Hebrews 10:26-29 ESV

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, [27] but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. [28] Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [29] How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

If you have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus, but have trampled underfoot the Son of God and profaned the blood of the covenant and outraged the Holy Spirit Who was gracious to you, by your deliberate sinning, then what do you think you deserve? Read the above verses again and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and help you repent and change. I am not judging you. I wish you heaven.

If you are like Simon the sorcerer who wanted the gift of the Holy Spirit which Peter and John had, but want to use it for your own gains and popularity, then do think hard about your salvation. 

Acts 8:18-20 ESV

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, [19] saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." [20] But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

When you receive Jesus your heart will change. You will become a new person. You will repent because the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins. You will submit to the Holy Spirit. You can be in church serving all your life, but if you do not deliberately repent, continue in your hidden sins and do not have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your character, that is an evidence that you have not made Jesus your Lord and Saviour.

You can only be an effective witness of Jesus by living a sanctified life in Christ. How can an adulterer, a drunkard, a gambler and a self-centered, prideful person say, "Believe in Jesus, He will change you as He has transformed me and give you external life!" Is that not a mockery of Jesus? The evidence of your salvation is the ongoing maturity of the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness faithfulness and self control) in your character.

Please think carefully about this:- Jesus shed His blood as a living sacrifice for my sins and yours and rose victoriously to save us from Eternal Hell Fire. He has commanded us to, "Go And Tell Everyone!" about it, that those who believe in Him will receive Salvation at no cost.

This is The Great Commission of Jesus

Matthew 28:16-20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

You may say, "Well I will just live a good reformed life and let people witness it and by my life they will come to know Jesus. "

I say, that is the easiest way to copout from telling people the Good News of Jesus Christ.

You don't just show kids how to solve mathematical questions by writing sums on the board. You need to explain to them the concepts. You need to open your mouth, use your vocal cords. The Holy Spirit will take over from there if you just obey. It is His work to convict them and bring them to accept Jesus, not yours. You are only commanded to "Go And Tell The World The Good News About Jesus!" ...And Jesus promised to be with you till the end of the age.

Please tell everyone about this. Pray! Ask the Holy Spirit for boldness to speak and to give you the right words. He will help you if you sincerely ask Him. After witnessing to them, pray for them day and night, until they believe or until your last breath, whichever is first. Do not force them. God will honour your humble and faithful obedience and open their minds and hearts to receive Jesus, in His time. Be patient but pray non stop for them. 

Remember that by keeping silent and not telling others  about Jesus, you and I are being selfish and that already is a sin of omission. 

Jesus is coming back on the clouds with His angels and the whole world will see it and bow their knees before Him. Stay prepared always and get your loved ones to be prepared too. 

If your are prepared always, and if you happen to breathe your last before the second coming of Jesus, at least you would be prepared like the 5 wise virgins and will not have an unpleasant surprise when you meet Him face to face. 

My dear loved ones of other beliefs, this next portion is for you!

If you have not known Jesus personally I sincerely urge you to ask God Almighty to help you know and understand the truth. Ask for faith. Faith is a free gift from God. Do read the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke in the Bible. You can get it online. Ask a dear Christian friend or family member, who is walking faithfully with Jesus to tell you about Jesus.  Be open to hear them explain. 

You will not lose anything by hearing them out. Pray and ask God's Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth to you. The Truth will set you free. 

You can speak to me and ask me about Jesus anytime. Do not be afraid. I will be only too pleased to explain to you. I will not force you. I will not love you any less if you do not believe or do not accept this free offer of Jesus my Lord and Saviour. In fact I will still continue to love you unconditionally and will pray for you till my final breath. I love you and want you to be with me and Jesus in heaven for all eternity.

You may ask, "Why can't I be just as I am and be good, do good and live a moral life. Won't I receive Eternal Life?"

My dear, only Jesus Who redeemed humanity from it's curse has the authority to give anyone Eternal Life. No one else has that authority. 

In the Gospel of John 14:6 Jesus said "I Am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No one can go to the Father except through Me!" 

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and is also called 'The Son of Man' in the Bible. 

In the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-32 ESV Jesus said,

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

This above is regarding His second coming as the Judge of the world. There are numerous verses in the Bible stating the fact that Jesus is definitely coming back to judge the nations, all people who are dead and alive, as the King of the earth, at the end. Only the time of His return is not known to us.

All prophesies that were predicted about a Saviour coming to save the world and the events that would lead to it have been fulfilled in Jesus. Now all the other prophesies foretelling His second coming and the events of this world happening just before it are being fulfilled one after the other, just as it has been predicted in the Bible. On that appointed day He will come suddenly, on the clouds with His angels as The King and The Judge to judge all humanity.

Jesus is not a conman, a madman or a liar. He has proven it by His death and victorious resurrection. You know what! Jesus is merciful and gives us grace. He has given the Spirit of God Himself, to those who believe in Him. God's Spirit Whom we call, the Holy Spirit, comes and resides in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Our sins are washed supernaturally by the blood of Jesus and The Holy Spirit Who lives in us helps us to live a holy and pleasing life to God. Without the Spirit of God helping us to live transformed lives, no one can live the way God wants us to live. We can't do it by our own strength because our human nature is to sin. Only by the Power and Strength of God's Holy Spirit we can be transformed fully.

I am a sinner who has been washed clean by the blood of Jesus. As I pursue my life's journey, at times in my human weakness I do things which hurt and displease God and my fellowmen. At those times  the Holy Spirit Who lives in me convicts me of my sins and helps me to repent and change my behavior and character. Then He helps me not to do it again. He empowers me to walk in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Without the Spirit of God Himself helping me, I will be an unrepentant sinner. I will be striving to be good on my own. Then, end up doing hidden sins repeatedly without repenting of them. Eventually I would end up in hell where there is 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' as stated in the Bible. 

The Bible says, in Romans 3:23-24

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

My Life Journey

I was born in a 'Christian' family but I did not know Christ Jesus as I know Him now, until I was 21yrs of age. From the age of 21, God kept pursuing me a sinner and was slowly transforming me. It was a long and slow process because I was still too engaged in the things of the world. He was very patient with me and never let me go till I gave my life completely to Jesus. It was from the age of 45, I began to pursue Jesus seriously. Before that, I used to read the Bible, pray and teach my children the ways of God, but I was too pressurised by the daily work that pursuing Jesus totally was not my first priority. Only at the age of 45 I was truly born again. From the age of 21 through to 45, the Holy Spirit has been working in me, peeling off all that God dislikes in me, layer by layer.  It is the sanctification process which the Spirit of God does in every believer. From the age of 45 the sanctificstion process became very intense. It is very painful most of the time, to let go of my own desires and obey God, but it is worth it. Am still being sanctified and I am loving it now. In Jesus, I receive abiding peace in tumultuous situations. For example, in times of failure, in times of great losses, in times of life threatening illnesses Jesus has always been with me, holding my hands and promising me that He will never leave me. Only Jesus can fill us with abiding peace in the midst of stormy situations. No one else can. I never look back or regret the day I made Jesus the Lord, Saviour and King of my life. 

                      🤗

Without the washing away of our sins by the blood of Jesus which was shed for all humanity, (not only the nation of Israel, not only Christians, but all people of all nations) , the Holy Spirit of God will not reside in the sinful human soul and make it His dwelling place because He is a Holy God. Without Him Who is the 'Promise of God' for all believers, we cannot enter heaven.  When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive Eternal Life with God here and now and for all eternity. 

God is holy and hates sin. Every sin, big or small is looked upon as obnoxious filth by God. His wrath will be poured upon all who sin, small or big sins, alike and upon those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit. To  attribute the work of God's Holy Spirit to Satan is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that, this sin of blasphemy against God's Spirit is unforgivable. 

For someone who has received the knowledge of the truth, that is, the truth of Who Jesus is and what He can do, then rejects Jesus, this person does not  receive the Holy Spirit. By not receiving the Holy Spirit he loses the 'security bond', to receive Eternal Life. He is rejecting the blood sacrifice of Jesus which is the very thing that washes our sins away. For he who tramples on the blood of Jesus, there is no salvation. 

God is gracious. He will continue to send someone or some situation in your life to remove the veil from your eyes. Do not reject Jesus when you come to know the truth.

The blood sacrifice and victorious resurrection of Jesus saves us from God's wrath. But we must accept this free invitation of God through Jesus, receive God's Spirit within us and remain steadfastly obedient to Him. God will not interfere with our free will. 

Without believing in Jesus and accepting Him we cannot receive the Holy Spirit. If we do not have Him in us we cannot enter heaven. That is why Jesus said that He is The Way. There is no other way to God except through Jesus.

(The explanation above and the picture below will help you understand what I am trying to tell you.) 

I sincerely pray that God will lead you to read this entire article and do what needs to be done, in Jesus' precious name.

I pray that when your time comes to leave this earth and meet our Creator God, God of this Universe, Jesus Christ, be it at your physical death or at the second coming of Christ Jesus, you will have a pleasant surprise and not an unpleasant one.

With genuine love 💖

Praying ceaselessly for you,

Mary Augustine  ✍

The 'How to' & 'Necessity Of' Daily Time Alone with God!

Shut the noise around you! Be quiet, be still, listen to the Lord, and put your focus on God.

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Philippians 4:7 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:6 

For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

Isaiah 26:3 

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Take the time to praise our Lord. “God I came just to say thank you.” Praise and Thanksgiving will chase the enemies of your soul away. Satan will not be able to come near you as long as you are truly praising and thanking God for everything in your life. Also, God will turn around what was meant for evil, to your advantage, for your good. Trust me on this.

Psalm 150:1-2 

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Psalm 117:1-2 

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 22:3

Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

Genesis 50:20

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Talk to God about everything at home, at work or at school, while driving, in the shower, while cooking, while exercising, even while studying and playing, etc. He’s a great listener, great helper, and more than a best friend.

Psalm 62:8 

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. 

1 Chronicles 16:11 

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Colossians 4:2 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Ephesians 6:18 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Spend time with the Lord by getting to know God intimately in His Word. 

Joshua 1:8 

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Psalm 119:147-148 

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Consciously spending time in His presence every moment of your life, leads to knowing God's will and plan for your life.

Proverbs 16:3 

Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.

Matthew 6:33 

But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

The dangers of never reading God's Word now and never making time for the Lord:-

One day you will seek God's Word but you will not be able to find it. 

Amos 8:11

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

When it is too late, God will say, “I never knew you. Although you went around thinking you did my bidding but it was never my will for you. You never spent time with Me. You were never in My presence. I never really got to know you. The Day of Judgement is here and it’s too late to get to know Me now, depart from Me.”

Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' [23] And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

So please spend quality time getting to know Jesus and seeking God's will, through God's Word now.

Adapted from the following link:-

https://biblereasons.com/spending-time-with-god/

Blessings in the name of Jesus!

Mary Augustine✍

22nd September 

1. Are we prepared enough? 2. Is our trust rightly placed?

Hey Family & Friends! 👋

Here are 2 questions to think through for today:-

1. Are we prepared enough?

2. Is our trust rightly placed?

We are living in unpredictable times now. There is a world wide pandemic which never seems to end and there are wars, natural  disasters, economic upheaval, terrorist attacks on the innocents, etc happening all around. Those living in most places of this world, never know if we will come home in one piece if we step out of our homes. Anything can rob us of our lives, Covid-19, vaccinations, accidents, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, anything!

In Singapore we are naturally care free and feel safe always because we know we live in a safe zone. Our government takes care of us by putting laws in place to ensure our health and safety. Therefore we trust our system to protect us. Ladies even dare to go out alone at night and reach home safely without fear of any attacks. 

Yet, just today we received a warning of a possible terror attack in crowded places from the Japanese Foreign Ministry to its citizens living in Southeast Asia, including Singapore! 

(The following news is from ST Singapore, published just today on 15th September 2021 at 12.06pm. I have extracted the main relevant points and presented them here.)

With regards to (Quote)'advisory recently issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry to its citizens in South-east Asia, including Singapore, warning of a possible terror attack in crowded places', (Unquote) :-

(Quote) 'The Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Tuesday (Sept 14) it has seen no specific nor credible intelligence of imminent terrorist threat to Singapore.

But the department urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly call the ISD counter-terrorism hotline on 1800-2626-473, or report via the SGSecure app, when they come across suspicious persons or activities.' (Unquote).

Although the ISD said that there is no imminent threat, it has urged the public to be vigilant, nevertheless. 

Are we prepared in case something like that, unfortunately, happens? Are we prepared in case this Covid pandemic gets worse as our government has predicted? How prepared are we? 

How prepared can we be, when most of us are so busy immersed in our own thoughts or glued to our hand phones while travelling or even at home and at work?

In case some unfortunate threat does happen, then, we who might be caught in the midst, will most probably perish. If we succumb to the Covid virus or succumb to the side effects of the vaccinations we will also die. Those who unfortunately get caught in natural disasters like floods, fire or storms will most probably meet their end too. Even in natural settings when age catches up or when we fall sick we will breathe our last. Every human born on earth will die one day. Only the circumstances of our death will vary. Then what? Where will our soul go to when our body perishes? 

As Christians we know that all will either go to heaven or hell when one dies. All of us have sinned and are headed towards hell unless we receive the redemption which God offers us  through the blood of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We will meet Jesus and be in heaven, if we have walked in faithful relationship with Jesus and truly lived humble, repentant lives pleasing to Father God and bearing fruit.

Are we truly prepared to meet Christ Jesus? If we die now, are we sure we will be with Him in heaven? If not let's get prepared lest we regret for all eternity!

My second question is, 'Is our trust rightly placed?'

Most of us place our trust in the systems of this world and in people. We trust our ISD to protect us from all imminent threats. The IS Department comprises of skilled men who are only human. They can fail any time. We trust our health systems to protect us from fatal illnesses. These systems may fail too.  No one and no system is perfect or flawless. 

Instead of placing our trust on anyone or anything we must learn to put our trust in our Creator God Who never fails us. He is sovereign and He is in control of all. He is all powerful and all knowing. Nothing ever happens without His permission or His knowledge. 

Yes, disasters do happen in the world and we may ask why God allowed it. Yet we will never know the answer, we will never see the big picture, until we go to be with Him.

Albeit, we know that when we obey His laws and live lives rooted in Christ Jesus and put our trust solely in Him, we will never need to be afraid of any threat whatsoever. We will know that the final moment we close our eyes on earth  we will be home with Him in heaven, in an instant. 

Blessed is the one who obeys God and places his trust in Him, for he will never be dismayed.

Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. [29] He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. [30] Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; [31] but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

So let's always be prepared to meet God and live eternally with Him and let's put our trust only in Him. 

As we meditate on the above today, let those of us who simply know about Jesus, but do not know Him personally, strive to get to  know this Wonderful Saviour, Who is the Prince of Peace. Believe me, your life will never be the same again when you truly get to know Jesus.

John 3:16-18 ESV

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Be blessed!🙌

Mary Augustine✍

15th September 2021

Knowing Jesus!

Do we, who claim to be believers in Christ Jesus, really know Jesus?

The Samaritan woman who wanted to avoid the morning crowd came to the well to draw water at mid-day under the scorching Sun. 

On account of her lifestyle, she was the 'hot topic of the day', everyday. She needed water for her daily use. Therefore even the scorching Sun seemed better than the gossipers who relentlessly gossiped about her and so she was there to get her daily supply of precious water. 

Never did she expect to have an encounter with a Jewish stranger who told her everything she ever did. That single encounter with Jesus did something to her heart and mind. Jesus revealed Himself to her, that He was the long awaited Messiah. The moment that truth hit her, she repented, believed in Him and left her precious jar of water and ran back to town, to the very gossipers she was trying to avoid and told them about Jesus; about His offer of the living water which gives eternal life. She could have been selfish and kept this secret of eternal life to herself and not shared it with those who were shaming her daily. But her changed heart did not allow her to do so. 

We are commissioned by Jesus to go tell everyone the good news of the gospel that they too may be saved.  Do we leave our precious stuff behind like that Samaritan woman and tell others the good news of the gospel? If not why? What is preventing us?

We need to examine ourselves and see if we truly know Jesus. If we do, then we will not be able to be still. Our hearts will leap for joy and our feet will run hither and thither to share the good news. We will want for everyone, what we have received freely.

The Living Water which Jesus gives is free for all and it will never dry up. There is plenty for all who come to Him. The one who receives this Living Water from Jesus will receive Eternal Life. 

Church what is stopping us? Yes, this present pandemic Covid-19 may have prevented us from travelling to places where people have never heard about Jesus. Yet, we have the modern tool in our hands. The Social Media. What is stopping us from sharing the Good News with everyone on it. 

These days every remote island and village has access to network, hand phones and social media. Other than sharing the Good News with those in our own families, neighborhood and places we visit physically we can and should use this fantastic media in our hands today.

Many use Social media to spread the news they want to spread. The people of this world mostly use this media to spread worldly news and perpetuate evil. So much evil is shared in Social media these days. Why don't we use it for good?

Let us share the Good News with everyone on our social media sites. Then pray asking Father God to open the eyes and understanding of those He chooses(who are ready) and lead them to read what we have shared. All we have to do is tell the world this:-

*Everyone who has repented of their sins, 

*Believed that Jesus died and rose for them, 

*Will receive this Living Water, the Spirit of God Himself and 

*Receive Eternal Life.

Eternal Life with God begins the moment we repent and believe in Jesus. God's Holy Spirit will set us apart and empower us to live a pleasing life to God and will work out His good works in and through us. Then the moment we die, we will just walk straight into the arms of Jesus and into heaven.

Let the whole world know this Church! 

When we truly know Jesus,

Jesus will truly know us!

Then we will hear these words 😇

Matthew 25:23 ESV

...'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

And not these😰

Matthew 7:23 ESV

And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Jesus will know us for our obedience, integrity and loyalty in fulfilling His commission with reliance on the Holy Spirit and bearing good fruit with humble hearts. 

Let us always remember that good works will not save us. Only obedience to God in Christ Jesus will. When we abide in Jesus, His words will abide in us and then God's Holy Spirit Who lives in us will empower us to do good. Good works done in our flesh, with our own agendas and selfish motives will not get us into heaven. Jesus holds the keys to heaven and all who believe in Him will be empowered by God's Spirit to do good. 

Let us not be quick to judge one another but abide in Jesus and bear good fruit, for Jesus said in, Matthew 7:16-20 ESV

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

We can only bear good fruit when we abide in Jesus. Abiding calls for total obedience to God's Word. Or else we are in danger of being cut off and thrown into the fire.

Only a person who truly abides in Jesus will truly know Him intimately, obey Him and be excited to tell the world about God's free gift for those who repent and believe in Jesus.

Once again let me ask :-

Do We Really Know Jesus?

If Yes:- Congratulations! Let us continue to abide in Him and do what He has commissioned us to do.

If No:- Get to know Him before it is too late!

Then we will be refreshed by His Living Waters, for Jesus said in, 

John 7:38 ESV

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"

When this Living Water flows from our hearts, it will be unstoppable. It will flow from us to all who are truly thirsty for eternal life! This Living Water which Jesus spoke about is the Holy Spirit, Who infills us.

God bless!

Mary Augustine

14th August 2021

    

Are we in the Last Days?

Are we in the last days? 

Yes, we definitely are! 

Jesus Himself tells us what are the signs to look out for in Matthew 24:3-14 NIV

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” [4] Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. [6] You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. [7] Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of birth pains. [9] “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. [10] At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, [11] and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. [12] Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, [13] but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. [14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2 Timothy 3:1-5,7, NIV says :-

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. [7] always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

Yes, we see the world upside down now. What was unthinkable before, is being practised today so liberally.

For example take a look at this ridiculous recent happening:-

"A parent has filed a lawsuit in New York seeking to overturn laws barring incestuous practice so that they can marry their adult child.

The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court on 1 April, and is asking for a judge to declare incest laws “unconstitutional” so that a parent can marry their offspring in a New York City ceremony, according to documents obtained by the New York Post." This parent wants to remain anonymous. 

Can you believe it? I cannot!

We see this and many more horrendous unthinkable practises being practised these days in the name of 'Human Rights'! 

The Bible refers to these times as 'Similar to the times of Noah, before the flood'. 

Noah was ridiculed when he warned the people. Nowadays

many Christians get persecuted for telling people the Truth about God and warning them.of the consequences of a sinful life.

2 Timothy 3:12-13 NIV rightly tells us that:- 

[12] In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13] while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Oh yes, we see a lot of these, these very days. All these have become so common worldwide. Sin is glorified and God is almost forgotten if not denied completely.

We, who are the children of God and co-heirs of Jesus Christ must remain rooted in Jesus our vine. We must spend quiet time with our Saviour, Lord and God daily and read and re-read the Bible which is God's own Word written down for us to obey.

The Holy Spirit, through Paul tells us in  2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV, that:-

 [16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

My dear family and friends, let's take heart that while we see all these happening everywhere, the time of Christ's coming to take away His Bride, which is the Church,(you and me, who are truly born again) is very, very, very near. Once the rapture happens those left behind will be deceived and then the Father's wrath will be poured upon this earth.

Read the rest of Matthew 24:15-51 to know what will happen after the rapture. The gap between vs 14 and vs 15 of Matthew 24 is 'God's Mercy Time'!

Meanwhile, while there is still time let us be fully equipped with God's Word in our hearts and let us teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness, all who do not know Jesus, all who are backsliding, all who are neither hot nor cold, all who are lost, even if we are persecuted.

Let us be like the Bereans, searching the Scriptures day and night, live in the Truth and point everyone to Jesus. 

We still have unsaved loved ones and loved ones who are living a compromised life with this world, who WILL NOT be raptured with us. What should we do about them? We must not have the 'as long as I am saved, it is fine' attitude. That attitude is akin to, you running out of your house which just caught fire and you are standing outside happily exclaiming, "Thank God I am saved! I escaped the fire," while your spouse and children are still inside the burning house. 

1) Let us be compassionate towards them and warn them.

Let us warn them of the impending danger of being left behind in the times of tribulation.

2) Let us practise Longsuffering and witness to them and not get burned-out. 

Witness to them about Jesus and teach them about the rapture and the dangers of being left behind during the time of God's wrath, without getting burned-out. Ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh anointing and power to never give up witnessing until every soul is saved.

3) Let us pray unceasingly for them and give our eyes no rest. 

Rapture will happen anytime soon. The time we now have, is borrowed time; the time of God's mercy upon all who are lukewarm, lost and unsaved. Let us not waste one moment of it but toil and pray till our very last breath for them. Ask Father God to open their eyes so that they will see the Truth and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and live in obedience to Him. Let us ask Father God to give them the gift of faith to believe in the finished works of Christ Jesus. Only Father God can do that. Let us pray for them day and night without rest.

With much love and prayers

Mrs Mary Augustine

13th July 2021

 

Urgent Call to All Watchmen & Prayer Warriors!

My dear Prayer Warriors and Watchmen of the Lord, I earnestly ask you to read this and be aware of all who are blind to God's Truth, seek them out, pray for them and lead them to Jesus/back to Jesus.  Souls are being lost in the millions. It is time we arise and march forward to claim back the souls that belong to Jesus. 

First we need to identify what is Spiritual Blindness. Let's look at physical blindness first to draw a parallel.

What is blindness? 

According to  Wikipedia, 

"Blindness is the inability to see anything, including light.

If you’re partially blind, you have limited vision. 

Complete blindness means you can’t see at all.

Legal blindness refers to vision that’s highly compromised. What a person with regular vision can see from 200 feet away, a legally blind person can see from only 20 feet away.

Seek medical attention right away if you suddenly lose the ability to see. Have someone bring you to the emergency room for treatment. Don’t wait for your vision to return.

Depending on the cause of your blindness, immediate treatment may increase your chances for restoring your vision. Treatment may involve surgery or medication."

The above refers to 'Physical Blindness'! What if you are 'Spiritually Blind'?

In the spiritual realm there are those who are legally blind, partially blind and those who are completely blind just as in the physical realm. 

Spiritual Blindness is the inability to see, believe and understand any of God's Truth and Message; Who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Let us examine each here below.

A. Complete Spiritual Blindness

Complete Spiritual Blindness is when a person is completely unable to comprehend the truth about God, about Jesus and the Salvation of mankind even when someone clearly explains it to him. 

It is like describing a white swan on a bluish green, calm lake against a clear blue sky to a person born blind. The colours white, blue and green, and swan, lake and sky, would be foreign to him. They would make no sense.

This person will need an experienced surgeon to help him see, and there is no other finer, surgeon than our Master, Creator God Himself. 

Only God in His divine mercy and grace can help this person see, understand and know the Truth. For that, we as a body of Christ, must pray. It is our responsibility to pray for all who are completely blind spiritually and ask Father God to remove the scales from their eyes. 

B. Partial Spiritual Blindness

This is a person who wants to see but is unable to see clearly therefore is unable to understand and even believe the truth about God. He sees glimpses of the truth and has shadows of doubts. He sees as a physically partially blind person would see.

Telling this person to go and find out more about Christianity or about Jesus is like telling a physically partially blind person to walk towards someone who is at a distance by himself. To him all those at a distance will be blur and seem like walking trees. 

He will need a mentor who will walk with him and teach him the basics of Christianity and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mentor has to make him ask questions and help clear his doubts. This mentor will have to pray for him and pray with him asking Father God to open his mind and give him understanding. God will be his Master Surgeon and remove the scales from his eyes. 

Finally like a nurse who takes care of the newly operated patient until he can clearly see after the operation, the mentor must care spiritually for this person. When his eyes are opened and he has accepted Jesus with his whole heart, the mentor, with the help of the Holy Spirit, must walk through with him, discipling him until he becomes a mature Christian.

C. Legal Spiritual Blindness

Let us recollect what physical legal blindness is and what one must do.

1) Legal blindness refers to vision that’s highly compromised. 

2) A  person with regular vision can see from 200 feet away, a legally blind person can only see the same thing from 20 feet away.

3) Seek medical attention right away if you suddenly lose the ability to see. 

4) Have someone bring you to the emergency room for treatment. 

Don’t wait for your vision to return.

Does this seem similar to a person who once could see the truth of Christ Jesus, accepted Him as his Lord and Saviour, was infilled by the Holy Spirit, then began to compromise heavily with the world and suddenly became spiritually legally blind?

It begins like this:-

1) This person who was and is a believer, compromises with the world very heavily. He 

does what unbelievers do, he speaks like them, acts like them and agrees with them in worldly matters. 

2) But according to him, he is still saved; still a believer. He says He will not give up Jesus for anything in this world. But his actions and words differ. He sees things differently than before. His vision of Jesus which was 200/200 is now 20/200. His biblical views have gotten blurred by his association with and his desires for the things of this world. For him now, anything goes. He thinks he has to accept the religious views of others without telling them to come to Jesus. He thinks they will accept Jesus one day and that does not seem urgent or a priority for him. He thinks that he has to be tolerant of others and accept their views. He thinks that if they are good and do good they will go to heaven. He has surrounded himself with friends who are of this world. He just does not want to offend any of them. He is very wise in worldly matters and focuses mainly on it. Spirituality has taken a back step and it is not of a main concern for him now. In short, he is sitting on the fence; is neither hot nor cold. 

What does Jesus say about such a person?

He says in Revelation 3:16

"...because you are lukewarm---neither hot nor cold---I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Isn't that scary? This person who once was in Jesus, will be spat out. That means He will be cast away from Jesus. 

3) Next, the one who is legally blind is told to, "Seek medical attention right away, without delay if you suddenly lose the ability to see." Therefore this person must seek spiritual help right away. 

4) How would he do it if he himself is not bothered or is mesmerised by or consumed with the cares of this world? He needs other faithful believers to bring him to Jesus for 'emergency treatment'. 

He needs prayer warriors to pray for him, to tell him the truth and about the consequences of his compromised life and gently guide him back to faithfulness to Jesus. He needs watchmen to watch him and get him to come down from the fence and be on fire for Christ Jesus. He cannot wait for his spiritual vision to return by himself. He needs us intercessors, who are the prayer warriors to faithfully pray for him in the 'Emergency Treatment Room' which is our prayer closet. God our Master Surgeon will take over from there.

Watchmen, Prayer Warriors Arise!

Where are the Watchmen of today? Where are the Prayer Warriors? We need to stand on the wall and lookout for the spiritually blind, whether they are completely blind, partially blind or legally blind. We must go on our knees and pray for them, seek them out and lead them to Jesus. They need us, more so now in these perilous times when the world is so corrupted! Let us hear the voice of our Father saying to us as He said to Isaiah long ago,  Isaiah 6:8 NIV

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

And...let us reply as Isaiah did. Let us Arise & Go Forth Now!

Dear family & friends, if you are those who are spiritually legally blind, if you have compromised with the world, just know the heart of Jesus. He loves you. That is why He is calling out to you. He is giving you a loving warning. Take heed and please come back to Him. Stop compromising with the world. You need to be different and shine the Light of Christ Jesus. God our Father will first warn His children like a loving parent. Then if the children do not obey, to save them from danger, He will discipline His children, just like a devoted parent. 

Do not wait for His discipline because it may be very painful. Jump down now, from the fence into the loving arms of Jesus. Get back to reading the Bible and meditating on God's Word everyday. Abode in Jesus and bear the fruit of the Spirit, which the Holy Spirit produces in you, faithfully.  Only God's Word can transform you. Only His Holy Spirit can refine you with His holy fire and make you shine like gold and Jesus will clothe you with His righteous white robe and apply His salve on your eyes and help you not to lose your sight again. Return oh beloved, with the Holy Spirit's empowering fire in your hearts to do the will of the One Who gave His life for you. Hear Jesus knocking at your heart's door. Open the door now! Do not delay! Heed His call before it is too late!

Let us visit the passage where Jesus lovingly warns his beloved and let's reflect on it:-

Revelation 3:14-22 NIV

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. [15] I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! [16] So, because you are lukewarm---neither hot nor cold---I am about to spit you out of my mouth. [17] You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. [19] Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. [21] To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

When we repent and return to Him, He awaits with a reward. 

Prayer Warriors and Watchmen, we have a huge responsibility to watch and pray always; not only for our families, not only for our loved ones but for all around us, in our neighborhood, in our nation and in this world. Let us be faithful to our calling. Let us stand in the gap and plead for each soul and never give our eyes rest until these souls return to Jesus. Let us be an Ezra and a Nehemiah today! This I pray in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. 

I pray that Father God will lead His chosen ones, to read this and abide in Jesus and arise with a passion for Jesus!

Blessings 

Mrs Mary Augustine

7th July 2021