End times!!

Look around.All we see is war, hatred, bitterness, envy, greed and sexual immorality. Although all of this existed from long ago, it's reached its peak now. There's hatred between mother and daughter, father and son. Machines are slowly replacing humans. A giant tsunami of Technology has overtaken this generation. Although it has a lot of advantages, the hidden disadvantages far outweigh them. 

From all of this, one thing is clear. Jesus is coming soon. Yes. You've heard it many times before and probably laugh at the whole concept. End of the world seems ridiculous. But the fact is, that's the truth, whether you believe it or not. Jesus is coming back to take with Him those who love Him and are waiting for Him. 

The world we now live in is a tent. All our worries and pain and problems will last only as long as we live here in flesh and body. But when Jesus comes, that's when we go to the place we can truly call our home. Heaven! Beautiful and spectacular in every detail !

The reason why Jesus still hasn't come is because of His great love and mercy. His abundant grace. He wants you to experience heaven. He wants to save you from hell. No matter what good you've done on earth, if you reject the real God, the one who created you, this universe, everything in it, and choose to bow down to what your hands have made, aren't you making a mistake, by default? It takes just one negative to make all positives, negatives.

We all need Jesus. We need His grace. Even before you knew Him, Jesus still decided to take your place on the cross and die for you so that all your sins would be forgiven. Jesus loves you. It is His grace that has still kept the breath of life in you. Know Jesus. It's not too late. Give your life to Him. Jesus is coming very soon. Not as a lamb but as the lion of Judah to judge the world! Worship the creator and not the creation! Jesus is waiting for you. Accept Jesus and get salvation for free! Hurry! Offer valid until grace lasts! 

Your comeback makes the difference!

The righteous do not give up. They don't get discouraged easily. Not because they're strong but because they worship a God who is their strength. Their source of hope is a God who never fails. 

We are called righteous when we live by faith and not by sight. When we don't see what's ahead of us, yet believe in the supernatural presence of our God. 

Put your hope in the Lord today. Don't stay down forever. Don't dwell in failure. Don't give up. Forget the humiliation. You are called to do more. You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you. Life is full of chances. Try again. You may miss your target 10,000 times but you will nail it the 10,001th time. Your comeback makes the difference. Don't listen to the enemy.

The more the enemy tries and pushes you down, the stronger you will get back up on your feet. Like a spring, you will come back with ease. Jesus never fails. If He is the Lord of your life, He will be with you to pick you up when you fall. Like a father teaches his child to walk, Jesus will teach you how to walk. He will be there to catch you when you fall, wipe your tears when you're hurt, dust off the dirt to make you clean and carry you when you can't walk anymore. You will rise up with the strength of an eagle! 

Call on Jesus!

Jesus did not come down to earth to establish religion. He came so that He can have a personal relationship with you. A relationship that can never ever be broken! Today if you think no one hears you, remember Jesus hears you. He will meet you at your point of need and save you. All you've got to do is to get on your knees and call on His Name! He's looking forward to meeting you. You are the one He's looking for. His love for you is not based on your colour, gender, education and qualification. His love is based on one thing. He wants you to be saved from the traps of hell and enjoy heaven for eternity. His ears are still open and He's waiting for your call!

Your past mistakes don't matter to him. He doesn't look at your past. He looks at you now at this very moment and loves you for who you are. He wants you to be just as how he's created you to be. He wants you to be like Him. You can't be like Him unless you know Him. Get to know Him. Spend some time with Him today.

He will answer you when you call Him and set you free from your bondage. He will strengthen you. He will give you the courage you need. He will hold your hands and walk with you. He will never leave you. He's watching over you. No one is like Him. His love for you can never be compared to anything! His love for you extends until infinity. Today if you hear His voice don't shut yourself to Him. Come to Jesus. He's waiting for you!When you call on Jesus, ALL things are possible. Impossibilities break. Miracles happen. 

Freedom In Jesus Christ

According to the UNHCR, over 3 million men,women and children have fled from Syria looking for refuge in the neighboring countries. About 6.5 million have been internally displaced living in constant fear every minute. People fleeing on foot from their own towns, cities and county. Fleeing from violence. Inhumanity. Oppression. Brutality. Slavery. From a place where each day is a battle field! Setting out to a new land seeking peace, safety and a future where their children will not wake up to the sounds of gunshots. Or where they will all just wake up and live to see another day without fear.

As I was watching on TV, thousands of men, women and children carrying backpacks with just what they need for their journey, with the only dream of reaching a safe haven, I was reminded of this incident from the Bible. About 6 million headed out from a land of oppression to a land of pure comfort and peace. The journey was 40 years long!! They did not take the highway but a route across a desert. They did not have a map. They did not know where this land was. All they knew was that if God could rescue them from a land where they had been slaves for 430 years, He could lead them to the promised land. Yet, not all who set out in victory from Egypt reached Canaan. But only those who looked, not at their frailty but God's strength. Who did not grumble at difficulties but praised God for the coming victory. Those who did not give up on God! And God in His abundant mercy and grace brought them to the promised land. 

Today, A promised land is waiting for you! Freedom is just around the corner. Freedom from pain, sickness, depression, loneliness, bitterness, hatred, insecurity, inferiority complex and negativity. You are no more slaves to that. Because Jesus sets you free.

John 8:36 says,''So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!'' 

The doors are wide open for you. It's still not too late. In Jesus Christ we have all that we need. Love, joy, peace, happiness, strength, courage and freedom. Take refuge in Him. This is the moment. Don't delay further. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Enjoy freedom from sin and death and experience eternal life.

Say a word of prayer for the refugees today. 

Abundant life!

We often get caught up in our pursuit of happiness that we forget to pause and enjoy life. We are trapped in a web of worry and stress about the future that we forget to live the present to the fullest. Enjoying life means that we be content with what we have. When we're not content then nothing could ever satisfy us. We succumb to pressure, that we turn to things that give us momentary pleasure. Things like a wrong relationship, drugs and alcohol that provide a temporary relief. Little do we know that these are eating us up. We're consuming slow poison.  A relief that will very soon turn into the greatest regret. 

The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking to devour you and me(1 Peter 5:8). All He does is steal your joy, peace and happiness. He looks to sow the seeds of depression, hate and bitterness and murder our soul and crush our spirit. He will not relax until we're completely extinguished and destroyed. Until we're ready to rot in hell. Initially what he offers us will look attractive but at the end we will realise that they are in fact destructive. 

But don't worry. Our redeemer lives!! ( job 19:25). He has bought us at a price( 1 Corinthians 6:19). He has redeemed us from the clutches of sin and death and gifted us the joy of salvation. He came to give us life in abundance. In the midst of worldly sorrow and pain, you will still be able to look at your life, smile and thank God for His goodness. You will be able to withstand the storm. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. Nothing can ever discourage you and put you down. Because your eyes are always fixed on Jesus alone! He came to give you an eternal life! Eternal peace, truth, happiness and comfort. Jesus wants you to live and not die. He wants you to spend eternity in heaven with Him. All you've got to do is accept the offer and try Jesus. 

Jesus is our Best Friend!

                   

Friends are indispensable in our lives. Real friends stick with each other in times of difficulties more than in times of celebration. You have the liberty to wake them up in the middle of the night just to speak with them because you can't get any sleep. When you're broke and your friend's got just enough money to buy one sandwich, you have nothing to worry about. He or she will still share it with you. Things your parents may not know about you, your best friend will know. Your deepest secrets. What you like and what you don't like, whether your lying or speaking the truth. If there's something wrong in your life, your best friend will be the first one to find out just by looking at you. No matter how hard you try to camouflage what's happening within you, you are transparent when you're around your best friend. She or he can see right through you. Even if there are ten people stronger than you, coming against you, your best friend will stand up for you. He or she will speak for you and sometimes take your punishment. He or she will tell you,'Hey chill. I'll take care of it!' But deep inside they're as scared of them as you are. But their love for you makes them bold enough to face their fears. 

If you have a friend like that count yourself blessed. If you don't, you're not missing out on anything either. Because you still have a best friend. The best of all best friends! And That is Jesus! Our best friend!! He calls us His friends. Not his minions( although minions are cute). He doesn't call us His slaves, His subjects, His servants, but His friends. The God of all creation calls us His friends. Who are we ? Nothing but clay! Yet He is mindful of us! He shares secrets with us. Makes us laugh when we're down. Comforts us when we need it the most. Cheers us up when we're at a loss for hope. We can always count on Him. He is trustworthy and faithful. He never will disappoint us.

When we do what He commands us, we become His friends. Guess what that command is? That we may love one another just like how He loves us! When we were still sinners, He died for us. Just so that you and I can live freely and eternally! He stood up for us and He still does. Always speaking to the Father on our behalf and giving us more grace and mercy as each day passes by. Hoping and waiting that you would see clearly how much He loves you. Giving you another chance. His arms are still stretched out for you. Why don't you run to Him? Jesus is your best friend! The best thing that could ever happen to you!

No more darkness!

Darkness makes us blind to the truth. When we live in darkness, we live by our own standards. We set our rules and soak in sin. The world we now live in is filled with darkness. People start making compromises just to have a sense of belonging. There is no difference between right and wrong. There is a huge sense of insecurity, depression and loneliness. We cling on to what we find in the dark. Our hope is not anchored. There's nothing that could give us an eternal peace and happiness as long as we float in darkness. One leads another but little do they know that they both are drifting towards nothingness. 

That is why Jesus came. He is the light of the world! Darkness cannot overcome His light and where He is, there no place for darkness! In Him we see ourselves more clearly. He makes us realise that we were looking for peace in the wrong place. Love from the wrong person. Hope from something hopeless. All along we've been holding on to something that we should've let go of long back! 

As you look at the paths you've taken, the trails you've left behind, a sense of shame grips you. But Jesus, wipes away that disgrace and gives you a fresh start. When you forget your past, surrender your present, then you've got a hope for your future. A new life in Him. In His light we have clarity and not confusion. Hope and not despair. Peace and not stress. Love and not loneliness. Laughter and not depression. In Him you have life and have it more abundantly(John 10:10). You are no longer a slave of darkness but a child of light( John 12:36). So forget the things of the dark and walk in the light. Allow Jesus in your heart. He loves you and will give you the love, joy, hope and peace you need, no matter what situation you are in! 

Faith

The power of our faith is immense. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains(Luke 17:6). Faith with absolute certainty! A child like faith is all God expects from us( Luke 18:17). Being confident that God will do something, without seeing the blueprint in His hands is faith.

 

Are you waiting for a miracle in your life today? Has the wait been too long that you're about to give up? May your faith increase like never before! We live by faith and not be sight( 2 Corinthians 5:7). Without faith we can never ever please God(Hebrews 11:6). Don't lose hope. Difficult situations in life call for stronger faith in God. Do you think it's difficult for the God, who created everything from the tiniest quarks to the biggest galaxy out there known to man, to heal? To give you the job you wanted? To make your marriage happen? To smoothen things at work? To meet your financial needs? To give u a child? To give you the future you dream of? No. With God all things are possible!(Mark 10:27). 

Everything is possible to one who believes( Mark 9:23). 

We must not stop with just believing because faith without actions is dead(James 2:26). Believe that God will do this! Confess with your mouth that your miracle is on the way! And most importantly, start doing what God tells you to do. Roll away those stones in your life that stops God from working in you. Fill the jars with water to the brim. In other words read the word of God more and more. Ask  God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Keep knocking at the door till you get an answer. Pray and keep on praying. Be persistent, consistent and pray without ceasing. Try to please Him in all your words,actions and thoughts. Praise Him for the many things He's done in your life. Stand firm in your faith. Believe in Him, because when you do, YOU WILL see the miracle happen right in front of your eyes. 

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth;It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."- Isaiah 55:11

The Good shepherd!

Even if u were the only one in this world, Jesus would've still died for you on the cross to bear the punishment for your sins. That's how much He loves you. No one in this world will be willing to take the blame for what we've done even if the fault is not  ours. The world looks only to blame you. But Jesus, He laid down His life for us while we were still sinners. 

We do not deserve this love. We are unworthy. Yet, God looks at us and says, 'You are precious and honoured in my sight. I have engraved you in the palm of my hands. I know you completely. I love you no matter what. I love you more than anything. You're all I want. Believe in me. Have faith. Come and stay with me forever. Enjoy the beauty of my kingdom. I give you eternal life, that you may live and not perish. That you may enjoy heaven and elude hell. You are mine. I will never let you go. I will never leave you nor forsake you.'

The purpose of life is only that we may live to proclaim His praise and die only to live again, but this time eternally, with God. God is love. In love He chose us before the creation of this world. He is truly, deeply in love with us. That is the only reason Jesus died on the cross for us. Saving us from the wrath of God and paving for us, a road to heaven. He went through shame and disgrace just for you. He went through pain and torture just for you. He went through humiliation and disrespect just for you. That you may have eternal life forever in the most beautiful place called heaven and never suffer in hell for eternity.

 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my Father's hand."- John 10:27,28 

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly"- John 10:10 

Perseverance

God will never test you beyond your threshold. He knows your critical point. This period of trouble and hardships you are going through is just a process to shape you up. To prepare you for something better. When you face hardships, never forget that you serve a God who looks at you and tells you," My grace is sufficient for you.."(1 Corinthians 12:8). Keep pushing hard and put your hope in the Lord. 

When in fear, trust God more than usual. Wrap your hands around Him and hold Him tight. Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, don't not be afraid. For God is with you and He will go before you. Pray for patience. Pray more and praise Him more. Invoke God's presence in your life everyday. Because in Him, through all these things, you are more than a conqueror. Thank God for everything that happens in your life. When you love God, know that all things happen together for good!! If you think you've got nothing good enough to thank God for, thank Him for the breath of life He has given you! 

When you've stood firm enough, remember that a crown of life is awaiting you. I pray that God will increase your patience. That you will see the purpose behind your problems. That you may glorify God for the beautiful miracle that is about to happen. That you will stand up for Jesus in the midst of trials and love Him truly,  not just in your good times but more during your difficulties. Never give up on God. You are being refined by the hands of the master so that you may come out to be a beautiful instrument in His hands. God has picked you out of many to chisel out the unwanted parts. You are sifted by Him to get rid of the stones and rocks to make you clean. You are being sculpted by God's own hands. If you want to know how He will turn you into, take a look around. The evidence of His splendid work is all around us. He knows what He's doing. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the joy we are about to experience! May the joy of the Lord be your strength.

When is God on your side?

Don't be afraid of man. You've got God on your side. God sees your heart. All the things unnoticed by man God notes them down carefully and He will reward you in due time. Your motives and intentions, He sees. The way you try to help those around you and put them before yourself pleases God. He listens to the kind words you speak to encourage someone. All your good deeds are not forgotten. God is keeping a record of all everything. Good or bad!  

When can we boldly say "When God is for us who can be against us?" Only when we please God in all that we do. God has called us to lead a holy life(1 Thessalonians 4:7). Only when we live according to God's standards. Only when we love one another as much as  we love ourselves. Only when we lead a life of holiness. Not outwardly but inwardly. Our thoughts, actions and words must be holy especially when there's no one looking. God has called us to lead a holy life(1 Thessalonians 4:7). Only when we don't step down from our values and belief system and stop compromising with the world will He be on our side. Our life must be selfless, filled with empathy and love( Romans 12:1,2). Our words must comfort those who have spent nights in sorrow and encourage those who live in fear about tomorrow. Our faith in God must be unshakeable in the midst of a hurricane! 

When you do all this, God joins your team and gets into the field. "Watch me!"He says and scores a goal for you! He will not back down until you've won the game and received the trophy! With God by your side you can leap over a wall. You can march against an army! 

God's love

LOVE! A word so easily misinterpreted by the world. God is the true definition of love. God is love. God created the heavens and the earth. 'Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness'(Genesis 1:2). By His Word therefore God made the world. He created you and me and we became His world. All He ever thinks about is you and me. All He ever wants is a personal relationship with each one of us. All He wants is to be with you and me. Forever. But then sin entered the world and it prevented us from being who God wanted us to be. Nothing could ever redeem us back to Him but the blood of Jesus. No sin offering too great could make us good enough to inherit the gift of salvation but Jesus.

And that is the reason God sent down His one and only Son! To take our place on the cross, to die a death of shame, to take away our disgrace! The same Jesus who saw us being formed in our mother's womb knew He had to die so that we would live! God loves us so much that He sacrificed His own Son for us. Nothing else matters to Him except you and me. Even before the creation of the world He chose us and in love destined us to be adopted as His children. This gave Him pleasure and it was all He ever wanted(Ephesians 1:4,5). Even the mountains can be brought down to nothing and the hills could vanish into thin air but His unfailing love for you will never be shaken(Isaiah 54:10). 

A caterpillar would've never thought there's life beyond the cocoon. The cocoon is its world. It can crawl inside as much as it wants. To its heart's content. It laughs at the thought of being able to fly. The thought of life outside the cocoon is just ridiculous. But hey, it comes out of that small cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. Dressed in the best of colours. Once looked upon with disgust, everyone now looks at it with such joy and awe. It defies gravity as it flies above the ground. Flower to flower it flies. Living on honey all its life! 

There is life after death. Unlike the butterfly we will live forever once we get out of this cocoon like world! That's exactly why Jesus came down to earth(1 John 5:11,12, Hebrews 9:28). Life not as another avatar but just as how we are now. Heaven is much more beautiful than the most beautiful places on earth. Is heaven part of the list of places you want to visit? The best part is when you accept Jesus you've just gained a one way ticket to heaven. What more? You've become a citizen in the kingdom of God for eternity! To live with the Only one who is truly, deeply in love with you. God is love and no other! Jesus loves you!! 

Don't retaliate!

Words can build or break. Sometimes we come across certain people who find pleasure in mocking us or insulting us. We are laughed at either in our face or behind our back. It goes to an extent that we begin loosing our dignity and self respect. Others take us for a ride. Most of the time we're impulsive. We speak back. We develop a great comeback line and insult them even more. It's very evident on social media these days. People jump in to pass hurtful comments and never miss a chance to pounce on one another! It's highly prevalent in our everyday lives. In our schools, colleges, workplace and sometimes even at home.

What would Jesus do if He was in the same situation. He is the Son of God. God sent. He performed signs and wonders, set the captives free, bound up the broken hearted, proclaimed freedom to bring everyone to light. In His light! ( Isaiah 61:1). This was His job description! 

Even though Jesus did not deserve death, He gave Himself up as a willing sacrifice to suffer and die for our sins. ( Luke 23:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21). They mocked Him, insulted Him, ridiculed Him, yet through it all, He answered them back with silence. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, a sheep before its shearers Jesus was silent. He was crushed, oppressed, afflicted. Yet He was silent!(Isaiah 53:7). Because He was obedient to the will of God!

Let's follow the example of Christ. No matter how the world insults you, don't insult them back but bless them. Repay good with evil. Be kind and don't start an argument. Bless those who curse you. Love those who hurt you. (Romans 12:19, 21, Leviticus 19:12). Never take revenge! Because we serve a just God. He will defend our cause( Leviticus 19:18). He will save you with divine retribution( Isaiah 35:4). Repay hate with love. Love others as yourself. Go out of the way to help someone you're angry with. Walk an extra mile for them. Be the first to say sorry. Even when it was not your fault! Never repay insult with insult! Let God do the talking! Do you want to speak for yourself or do you want God to speak for you?

A clean slate!

The extent to which God forgives us is amazing. The dimensions are beyond our imagination. Don't dwell on your past mistakes. Don't let them haunt you. Don't believe the devil's lies that God wouldn't love you for all that you've done. Nothing can separate you from the love of God( Romans 8:39). Jesus hates the sin but looks at us, sinners and calls us friends! Jesus came down for sinners like us. Who needs a cure? The sick or the healthy? It's we who need Jesus! Freedom and forgiveness! His grace and mercy! It's we who need the gift of salvation that He freely gives through the power of His resurrection! Now more than ever!!

God would never treat you according to what your sins deserve. (Psalm 103:10) The moment you confess your sins and want God to take control of your life, he puts all of them behind His back and gives you a fresh start( Isaiah 38:17). No matter how wicked you've been, God will cleanse you from your sins but ONLY when you confess( 1 John 1:8-10). Confess and don't conceal( Proverbs 28:13). He is faithful to forgive you because He never runs out of mercy. They are new every morning( Lamentations 3:22,23). 

He doesn't stop with just forgiving our sins but He also forgets about them (Jeremiah 31:34). He doesn't look at you as the world does. The world says,"Once a cheater, always a cheater!". But God looks at you and says,"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."-1John 3:10. You are born of God!

You may have deceived someone. But when you accepted Jesus, through Him you will be made trustworthy. Or if your trust was broken so many times that you cannot trust anyone anymore, trust God. He won't allow a wrong relationship in your life. Allow God to take the wheel while you take the back seat. He's in control. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. 

Receive His forgiveness. His grace and mercy. Repent from your sins. Jesus is about to pay a second visit to the world. He will judge every deed, good and evil and repay us accordingly. He will come to take all of us who believe in His name and are baptised when there is still time. To take us into His glory. To gift us the eternal life we are hoping for! To be with Him forever. Amen!