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! 

A leap of faith!

                                                Faith is being completely confident of what we hope for. Faith is believing that you receive, even before you do. Faith is believing that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Faith is believing that God exists and rewards anyone who earnestly seek Him( Heb 11:6). Without faith it is impossible to please God(Heb 11:6). God wants us to have a child like faith. He wants us to put our absolute trust in Him. He wants us to take a giant leap of faith. There are several incidents from the bible where many have enjoyed the fruit of their faith. 

                                               She had been subjected to bleeding for 12 years. She spent all the money she had on pills and hospitals. She consulted numerous doctors. She was considered unclean. She once stood tall but now, frail. Her strength diminished day by day. Her lamp was about to be snuffed out. Her hopes of leading nothing more than just an ordinary life seemed to fade. Doctors could only feel sorry for her. They tried their best but she got worse every day. She had heard of Jesus. He restored sight. He made the deaf hear, the mute speak and even demons fled at His words!! "Surely, He could save me", she thought, "But, how will I step out? What if someone sees me? People look at me with disgust! I'm untouchable!" She was pushed to the edge of her life. She was standing between two mountains. A mountain of pain and a mountain of pure joy. There was a valley too deep in between. A valley of doubt, fear, shame and disappointment. Yet, this woman took a giant leap of faith. She was relentless. "If only I touch the hem of His garment, I will be healed", she said to herself. She gathered the little strength she had. She was afraid that someone might see her. She stepped out of her house. There was a huge crowd gathered around Jesus. How could she escape someone's eye? She got to her knees and she crawled. Like a crippled. She struggled yet persistent until she caught a glimpse of Jesus. She couldn't see His face. But, she could reach his cloak. This was the only hope she had. She knew that this was it. She knew that tomorrow will be a better day. She believed with all her heart, that she would be set free. She put all her trust in Jesus. She touched the edge of His cloak. The hem of His garment. At once, she realized she had never been so strong before. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She knew right away that her bleeding stopped. She was healed. She was restored. She had taken a leap of faith and landed on a mountain of joy. 

                                            Mark 9:23 says, ".. Everything is possible for one who believes" The world may say believe in yourself and you can do it. Faith in God does not mean that you believe in Him, 90% and believe in your own strength, 10%. No!! Phillipians 4:13, says" I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me". I'd like to interpret it this way. " I can do nothing without Christ who strengthens me!" Therefore put all your trust and hope in Jesus. That only He can help you overcome your battles. 

                                           Finally, John 20:29 says," Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." All those promises you received from God, your situations may tell you it's impossible. But God says, "Everything is possible for the one who believes!" Take a giant leap of faith today.

A ransom for many!

From the minute He came out of Mary's womb he needed oxygen to live. He needed food to get through the day. He needed water, when thirsty. He needed sleep, when tired. Jesus was Human to the very last detail!

                      The king of kings, the One who is the truth, the way and the life, chose to come down in human form. Jesus didn't chose to be a supernatural being. Like an angel with wings. His aim was not to be a superhero. He didn't want all the glam. He did not expect to be treated as a celebrity. He did not desire the high places among the honorable men in town. He did not want a throne. He didn't seek fame.

                      He came to seek those who were lost. To bring us out of darkness into light. He came to die like a mere mortal. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross just for you and me. He willingly gave Himself as an offering to atone for our sins. In Him we have the assurance of eternal life. Through The power of His resurrection at work within us we have the power and authority to overcome our weakness. 

                     He came just to serve us. Not to be served but to serve. He could've taken just the saints with Him to heaven 2000 years back and destroyed every sinner in the world. He could've created a new earth with just the holy people. But there was something that stopped Him from doing that. Something called love. Something called grace. Something called compassion. Yes. He came down not for the saints but for sinners like you and me. He doesn't want you to die. He longs to be with you. For eternity. He came down so that He may win you back. Jesus truly, deeply loves you! Serve Him now with all your heart, mind,soul and strength!

Beauty of Grace!

8 1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

3-6 The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”

11 “No one, Master.”

“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

-John 8:1-11 (The Message Version)

They whisper to one another. They call you names. Sometimes in your face but often behind your back. Self righteous, Hypocrites, A brood of vipers, is what Jesus calls them(Matt 23:33). They lurk behind the corners, waiting to see you fall. Waiting to see you make mistakes. They are quick to judge. Unhesitating to condemn.They look at a speck in your eyes but are blinded to the plank in their own.

                    In this incident, the woman is a prostitute. Was she forced into it? No one knows. Why did she take it up? There are no answers. Did she do it for pleasure or was it for survival? They seldom cared. All they did was shame her in public. Cause her disgrace. They waited for this moment. They’ve rehearsed the lines. They hid near her house and waited till she let into her house, a man who was not her husband. The moment had finally arrived. She opened her house. She was caught in the act. Red-handed. They felt proud. A bunch of religious fanatics.

                    From young to old. They dragged her to Jesus. They knew the law. She must be stoned. To death. Each was waiting with a stone, ready to throw at her. Ready to heap accusations. The man she was with, walked free. Was he was one of them too? Was he was the bait? Did he lead them to her? Maybe. These men must have had a rush of adrenaline. They wanted to see what Jesus would say to all of this.How would He react? Will he obey the law of Moses? Will he let them have the pleasure to throw the stones at her? Will he let her bleed to death? Will he let them have a reward for their extremist behavior, for the sake of their religion?

            They questioned Him. They could wait no longer. But Jesus, was silent. He bent down and was writing in the dirt. They wouldn’t stop. They kept at it. Heaping accusation upon accusation. Condemnation upon condemnation. They kept on questioning Him. He went about doing good(Acts 10:38), what would He do now? In Him there is no sin(Gal 5:21), will He put up with this woman? Shouldn’t He rain down fire and consume her for what she has done. Shouldn’t He kill her right away? Why wait? They kept retelling her offence. The woman went through excruciating pain. She was sure she would die. She trembled with fear. She couldn’t take her eyes off the stones. She cried. Her hands covered her face. Between her fingers, her eyes  moved between the stones and Jesus. Fear gripped her. Everyone, from young to old, kept saying, “Stone her!!”.

                  But,Jesus! He finally broke His silence. He looked up. “The one who is without sin, go ahead. Throw the first stone at her”, He said. The woman was thunderstruck! Those who passed judgement on her, dropped the stones, the moment they heard these words from Jesus. First the elders, then, the young. Until no one was left. Except Jesus and the woman herself. Among all of them, the only one who had all the authority, the all holy, the one in whom no sin or blame or guilt is found was Jesus. But Jesus,with his finger in the dirt, continued to write. I could imagine him writing this word: GRACE. He looked at her and said, “Neither do I condemn you, from now on do not sin.” She was forgiven.

                Sure, she deserved death. All of us do. You and me. We all have sinned. We all, have fallen short of God’s glory. There is no one who does good. No. Not even one(Romans 3:10-12). But Jesus, does not condemn. He does not accuse. He does not remind you of your mistakes.

               Romans 8:1,2 says,”Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” 

Jesus does not condemn you and me. When we are in Jesus, sin has no control over us. We are set free. It is no longer by law that we are saved. Not by our righteous acts. But by His grace. That is beauty of grace! Jesus can set you free from your secret sins. Jesus can take them all away. Lay your baggage of sins at His feet. The mistakes of your past will not haunt you anymore. Jesus won’t condemn. He won’t criticize. Jesus loves you!

I John 1:9,10 says, “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

The absence of our condemnation doesn’t mean the approval of our sins. Let us confess our sins and find grace from God. He bore the punishment for our sins. He took our place. We are set free in Christ! Let us leave our sins at His feet. He is faithful and just to forgive them and lead us in a life free from sin and death. An eternal life awaits you in Jesus Christ today! The Beauty of Grace!

Your strength over my weakness!

My Prayers, unanswered.

My Hope, so frail.

My Strength, decreased.

Yet, Your love never failed!

My dreams, crushed.

My joys, lost.

My pain, increased.

But, my battles, you fought! 

My trust, broken.

My heart, wounded.

My life, shaken.

Now, my burdens, you've taken! 

Joy, inexplicable.

Love, eternal.

Peace, unending. 

In Jesus I found, In Him forever!