Sunday 30 June 2013

UNEQUALLY YOKED?



God is unchanging, EVER FAITHFUL ... forever! 
But OUR FAITH faith has it's 'highs' and 'lows'. One moment you are on fire for God and the next, you're spent and cold - extinguished!
Marriage is a journey, there may be pitfalls along the way. If you stay the course, you will eventually get there. And the thing about any marriage is that you are two different people and there'll be times when a partner may be full of doubt when you are full of grace.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor. 6:14
Even if both are Christians, it is okay to feel a little unequally yoked. Even if at the onset of the relationship you both had the same 'picture' of God.
Learn to prop each other up, to give each other space, and let your faith be what it is. In the end you will realise that you don't marry faith but two imperfect beings - God's work in progress!
The best advice i can give at this moment is what got revealed to me through the Holy Spirit! Look at my video. When we marry, we are in a covenant with Jesus (represented by the triangle with Jesus on top). If husband and wife try to work it out with their own strength, they will come up against a dead wall. However, if both are only working at increasing their relationship with Jesus, the triangle leads both to a point of blessing - A point where all differences are resolved amicably and with grace! (Jesus, our graceful Lord and King is there with you always, to work things out with you)
Keep moving forward  together, into the relationship that He desires to have with you and you will move into an abundant life that He is planning, has planned.
MAY YOU ALWAYS REMAIN BLEST IN CHRIST!
(NOTE: It may happen that you are currently dating someone who rejects Jesus with a vengeance (an unbeliever). Every attempt at bringing him or her to Him is not working! In such a case, it would be better to consider (and reconsider a 1000 times!) whether going ahead with such a relationship is really worth it)

Thursday 27 June 2013

HOW HAS BEEN YOUR PERFORMANCE TODAY?

I wake up every morning praising God that he has given me yet another day with my family, friends and with this world! I thank him that I'm still breathing, that I'm feeling healthy and strong. I read His Word and i get to know Him even more. I love to be in His presence.  I prophecy on the day ahead of me and then set out to do all the tasks that i could not complete the previous day (Maybe even start a few new ones!). I remind myself that my joy is IN CHRIST and NOT IN MY PERFORMANCE!

I do not have TO DO but just TO BE (like Him!).


When did i start thinking and behaving like that? Just 5 years ago when i asked the Holy Spirit to help me understand the Bible and i started reading it for the very first time in my life! (Before that, it sat on a shelf below an altar full of statues gathering dust!)

In Pastor D's own words:

"Christianity is very simple really. You don't need to study pages and pages of convoluted theology which attempt to convince one that black is really white, (or that 'substance' is not really 'substance' ....hmmmm....trans substantiation). The Lord's disciples were not quantum physicists, they were poorly educated fishermen, farmers, carpenters and even the most hated occupation of all, a tax collector. But they understood the main truth of Christianity: that it is a direct relationship between God and man. This relationship is only possible when the life of God which Adam lost, comes back into us through the Holy Spirit.Through the Holy Spirit we have fellowship ("Koinonia" = "oneness") with God, and He alone leads us into all truth". 

Monday 24 June 2013

ALL ABOUT YOUR 'WILL POWER'


                                                      WILL (Life Decisions)

 SPIRIT                                                  SOUL                                    BODY

“Pneuma”                                                “Psuche”                                 “Soma”

(Without Holy Spirit) 
                                                                                                             Activity
Religion                                           Emotions                                                                                                                                                                               Sensory
Black Magic                                       Mind                                   Perceptions
 
Psychic Sciences                        Imagination                            Sensory                                                                                                                                     Lusts
                                                           Memories                                    
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Connection to                                                    “Flesh”/Carnal Nature
Spirit Realm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Spirit-Conscious-                      Self and Social                               Earth
ness                                             Consciousness                     Consciousness
 
SATAN-CENTERED               SELF-CENTERED              EARTH-CENTERED

Conscience                                          Ego                                         Physical


I don't know why (or maybe i do now!) i love this topic so much! When Pastor 'D' (GCC) shed more light on my already fav subject of Spirit-Soul-Body, i decided i must write my notes down to bless all those who read my blog. I will try to keep it really simple!

Referring to the chart above, we can see that our WILL is directly influenced by what is in our SPIRIT and SOUL (Please note that i was not able to draw lines connecting Spirit, Soul and Body in the above chart since the 'tool' is not available in this software!). Since MAN is SPIRIT who has a SOUL and lives in a vehicle called a BODY, what drives the vehicle is what is in the SOUL. The BODY goes wherever the SOUL directs it to go and feels whatever the SOUL directs it to feel (and do). But at a higher level, the SPIRIT which has connection with the Spirit Realm is able to influence the SOUL. If your SPIRIT is not connected to GOD via the HOLY SPIRIT, you are SATAN-CENTERED!

In Ephesians 1:3, it is confirmed :

 'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ'.

If God has already deposited 'every spiritual blessing' in the SPIRITUAL REALM, we should only be concerned with HOW TO DRAW FROM THAT DEPOSIT and enjoy an abundant life on earth.

Really, the formula is very simple! Imagine a tap. It has a valve operated by a cock. Unless you 'open' the valve inside the tap, water will not flow out right?
The SPIRIT and SOUL are also connected similarly. If all good things in the heavenly realm are to flow into our SOULS, we need the Holy Spirit to 'open the valve'. Only when we charge our HUMAN SPIRITS with the HOLY SPIRIT, can we really experience an abundant GODLY LIFE!

WE MUST DIE TO THE 'FLESH' (Carnal life) AND BE RENEWED EVERY DAY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!


Friday 21 June 2013

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS!

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! - Haggai 1:5

 “You have *sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” - Haggai 1:6

 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation. - Malachi 3:9

 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it. - Malachi 3:10


NOTE: * = Actual sowing of grain for food (Not the 'sowing' as implied in 'sowing and reaping' principle)
...........................................................................................................

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I place before you the above scriptures which i have tested myself! After 5 years of being in the Word, i have now begun to 'give generously' (Cautiously yet consistently, secretly). Ever since i started opening up my clamped fist (i do not say 'tight fist' because i never was tightfisted but in times of financial difficulty I HAD SHUT MY FIST, focusing only on the needs of my family). This is when the things described in Haggai 1:6 began to manifest in my life! Distraught, I cried out to the Lord and the Holy Spirit urged me to become a 'giver' even in my trying times. I agreed and i started putting it into action.

All i can say now with hand on my heart is that MALACHI 3:10 REALLY WORKS!

Important Note: Please note that what Malachi talks about is not 'charitable giving' but giving towards the 'furthering of God's kingdom'. If there's someone in your life who you are sure is selflessly dedicating his/her life towards such a cause, SUPPORT THAT PERSON! Because in doing so, you are fulfilling Malachi 3:10.  

Only then will you experience the FLOODGATES OF GOD'S PROVISION OPEN FOR YOU!

THE 'PROSPERITY' GOSPEL

Of late we hear many people talk about the 'prosperity preachers' who travel the world in private jets and live an extravagant life. I was fortunate to hear Bro. Johnson, who has been branded a 'prosperity preacher' by the Catholic Church in India, clarify just what Biblical Prosperity actually meant. To keep the article concise, I've purposely kept the commentary short. But i believe the notes are sufficient to understand where the preacher is taking us!
...........................................................................................................................................
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed  - Luke 4:18


So, WHO ARE THE POOR? 
Persons who have no manifestation of God's blessings are poor!

Preach and make a person understand how the Word works! 
Preach the basics just like a kindergarten teacher teaches -  'A' for Apple... 'B' for ball... learning words, then constructing sentences with words...providing basic education...This is basic practical teaching! This will equip the person to study on his own and prosper through the Word of God.


Good preaching will introduce the Word of God as being a bag of seeds.The real seed which is the incorruptible SEED of the WORD OF GOD. SEED that does not fail...It always brings a harvest! The character of the tree is stored in each seed and when it germinates, it will produce that particular harvest. A chickoo tree does not produce mangoes!

However, a seed that is kept in a gunny bag will never give you a harvest!

Solution to any area of our lives is the hearing of the preaching of the Gospel.If you are 'poor'(lacking) in any area of your life, encourage yourself in the Word of God. Take your focus off man and rest it on Jesus alone.

"then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day - Deut. 8:17-18 

"that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith".

If we're Abraham's seed by faith, we are empowered to prosper!

Biblical prosperity is not just financial blessings. TOTAL LIFE PROSPERITY includes every area of my life!

And the most beautiful formula that surely works is ...

"who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God".2 Cor 1:4.

Plant in others' lives, out of what you've been blest with! In other words, if you've been delivered from any affliction in your life, you carry a special anointing to deliver others from the same affliction!

And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”- Gal. 3:14 

Isn't it comforting to know that even God takes pleasure in our prosperity?

“Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you -Job 22:21,22 

In other words, agree with His Word and be at peace and good shall come to you.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" - Josh 1:8

True 'GOD KIND OF PROSPERITY' depends on the way you think and speak! Let us train your mouth and mind to agree with God's Word.


Sunday 16 June 2013

'SOMEBODY' TOUCHED ME!

Dear Friends,
The following are some 'nuggets of wisdom' i acquired from the great Man of God, Charles Spurgeon:

"And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me." —Luke 8:46.

Our Lord was very frequently in the midst of a crowd. Our Lord Jesus Christ often found it difficult to move through the streets, because of the masses who pressed upon Him. Yet, wherever one was blessed, our Saviour took note of it; it touched a chord in His soul. He never could be unaware when virtue had gone out of Him to heal a sick one, or when power had gone forth with His ministry to save a sinful one. 

Jesus said, "Somebody hath touched Me," from which we observe that, we should never be satisfied unless we get into personal contact with Christ, so that we touch Him, as this woman touched His garment. Secondly, if we can get into such personal contact, we shall have a blessing: "I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me;" and, thirdly, if we do get a blessing, Christ will know it; however obscure our case may be, He will know it, and He will have us let others know it; He will speak, and ask such questions as will draw us out, and manifest us to the world.

1.  LET IT BE OUR CHIEF AIM AND OBJECT TO COME INTO PERSONAL CONTACT WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Peter said, "The multitude throng Thee, and press Thee," and that is true of the multitude to this very day; but of those who come where Christ is in the assembly of His saints, a large proportion only come because it is their custom to do so. Perhaps they hardly know why they go to a place of worship. They go because they always did go, and they think it wrong not to go.They are glad if the sermon is rather short, there is so much the less tedium for them. They are glad if they can look around and gaze at the congregation, they find in that something to interest them; but getting near to the Lord Jesus is not the business they come upon. 

You see, the woman did really touch Christ. Whatever infirmity there was in the touch, it was a real touch of faith. She did reach Christ Himself. She did not touch Peter; that would have been of no use to her. She did not touch John or James; that would have been of no more good to her than it is for you to be touched by a bishop's hands, and to be told that you are confirmed in the faith, when you are not even a believer, and therefore have no faith to be confirmed in. She touched the Master Himself; and, I pray you, do not be content unless you can do the same. Put out the hand of faith, and touch Christ. Rest on Him. Rely on His bloody sacrifice, His dying love, His rising power, His ascended plea; and as you rest in Him, your vital touch, however feeble, will certainly give you the blessing your soul needs.

2. THE WOMAN IN THE CROWD DID TOUCH JESUS, AND, HAVING DONE SO, SHE RECEIVED VIRTUE FROM HIM.

The healing energy streamed at once through the finger of faith into the woman. In Christ, there is healing for all spiritual diseases. There is a speedy healing, a healing which will not take months nor years, but which is complete in one second. There is in Christ a sufficient healing, though your diseases should be multiplied beyond all bounds. There is in Christ an all-conquering power to drive out every ill. Though, like this woman, you baffle physicians, and your case is reckoned desperate beyond all parallel, yet a touch of Christ will heal you. What a precious, glorious gospel to preach to sinners! If they touch Jesus, no matter though the devil himself were in them, that touch of faith would drive the devil out of them. Though you were like the man into whom there had entered a legion of devils, the word of Jesus would cast them all into the deep. There is no excess or extravagance of sin which the power of Jesus Christ cannot overcome. 

"Well, return to Jesus, when your guilt seems to return. The fountain is still open, and that fountain, you will remember, is not only open for sinners, but for saints; for what saith the Scripture— "There shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem,"

3. IF SOMEBODY SHALL TOUCH JESUS, THE LORD WILL KNOW IT.
I do not know your names; a great number of you are perfect strangers to me. It matters nothing; your name is "somebody", and Christ will know you. You are a total stranger, perhaps, to everybody in this place; but if you get a blessing, there will be two who will know it,— you will, and Christ will. 

It is a consoling thought that Christ not only knows the great children in the family, but He also knows the little ones. This stands fast: "The Lord knows them that are His," whether they are only brought to know Him now, or whether they have known Him for fifty years. "The Lord knows them that are His," and if I am a part of Christ's body, I may be but the foot, but the Lord knows the foot; and the head and the heart in heaven feel acutely when the foot on earth is bruised. If you have touched Jesus all the way from heaven to earth there has rushed a mighty stream of healing virtue, which has come from Christ to you. Since you have touched Him, the healing virtue has touched you.

Now, as Jesus knows of your salvation, He wishes other people to know of it, and that is why He has put it into my heart to say,— Somebody has touched the Lord. Where is that somebody? Somebody, where are you? Somebody, where are you? You have touched Christ, though with a feeble finger, and you are saved. Let us know it. It is due to us to let us know

Whoever you may be, my dear friend, though you may be nothing but a poor "somebody", yet if you have touched Christ, tell others about it, in order that they may come and touch Him, too; and the Lord bless you, for Christ's sake! Amen.

Saturday 15 June 2013

THE CONVERSATION

I was hungry this evening. The restaurant i entered was about to close its kitchen and there were no other patrons at the tables. I ordered an idli and 2 wadas as that combination was the quickest available dish on the menu.As i waited for the food to arrive, i got into the following conversation with the owner who was waiting to check the accounts.

"So i hear you have opened more branches of the restaurant?" I asked.

"Yes i have," She replied

"You must be a very satisfied lady now?"

"Yes, all the branches are doing well. I need this branch to be renovated. Will you do the design FOC for me?"

"If i was still employed, i would be getting my regular salary and so i could have said yes but now i cannot do it free. However, i will do it for a reasonable fee."

"But i still won't be able to afford you"

"Just tell me your budget and i will do it for a 10% on that budget."

"What work are you doing currently?"

"I am designing a villa for a 'Man of God' in Pune, who owns a large property on top of a hill in Pune. It is a Christian NGO that has a drug rehab center, a retreat center and homes for elderly people to live for God.

"Oh Christians! The missionaries in India are making too many problems by converting Hindus. Hindus are too gullible and don't know the strength of their own religion. The British and the Portuguese also forced the Hindus to convert to Christianity... actually Hinduism is a beautiful way of life! It is a philosophy".

"Then one thing i don't understand ... why is idol worship practiced in Hinduism?"

"Everything has a reason and i cannot give you all the reasons. You need to have a Guru for that!"

"Which Guru would you recommend that i may ask the question?"

"If you are seeking, the Guru will come to you automatically".

"My seeking has lead me to the Holy Spirit who is my 'Guru'! Although i was born a Catholic, i was not following Christianity. Instead, i was so disillusioned that I stopped believing in God. But then i felt a morbid sense of emptiness in my inner being. I then began seeking to know if there was a God! I began to read voraciously the Holy books of the Hindus, Muslims and other religions of the world. Just five years ago, i started reading the Bible. I realised that i badly needed a personal saviour and i realised that there was a void in me that only Jesus could fill. When He said - 'I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE','NO ONE CAN GO TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME', 'I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE' - he either meant what He said, or was crazy! But to this day no one believes He was crazy. Everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man. If He was good then He cannot be crazy. Then His words HAD TO BE TRUE! My quest then lead me to the 300 odd prophecies in the Bible that He alone fulfilled. I came to know that His coming was prophesied EVEN IN THE VEDAS!" (Rigveda No.10)

"Do you know that Christianity is a dying religion in the West? It is only in the 3rd world countries that it is gaining ground?" She said vehemently.

"Yes, Christianity as an ORGANISED RELIGION is reeling with controversy upon controversy inside the Roman Catholic church. But it was never meant to be a religion in the first place! Jesus said 'repent, the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is at hand! Jesus summed up all the 10 commandments given through Moses to the Jews into just two! LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF and LOVE YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND STRENGTH. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION BUT A RELATIONSHIP! Sadly, the so called Christians of this day are just Christians by name but they are not Christlike. They are the ones who give Christianity a bad name. If only you knew Jesus and took Him as your personal Lord and saviour, you would indeed be set free from your bondages" ---- I said this motioning towards the numerous idols of the laughing Buddhas, the open mouthed frogs etc.kept around the restaurant and cash desk - "You will be a slave to whatever you put your trust in! Do not put your trust in  the 'created' but in the 'Creator' Himself!"

I saw that she was listening intently and did not say a word after that. The fierce look on her face had left her. She was no longer argumentative. I wished her a blessed night and left the  restaurant. I prayed to the Holy Spirit to water the seed that i had just sown.

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me - Mark 8:34

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? - Mark 8:36

Tuesday 11 June 2013

INTENSIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? - John 14:8,9

Sometimes our answers are right in front our our very nose but yet we do not see them! Jesus makes a very powerful statement in the above scripture passage. One may argue that the passage applies only to the apostles and His disciples who actually saw Him then. However, we can not only 'see Him' but we can 'remain in Him' through 'His Word' which is Him! So if we have His Word in our hearts, we will be 'just like Him' and therefore 'see the father'. The following scriptures will make the above very clear to you:

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you- John 15:7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind -John 1:1-4

Like the 'prodigal son parable' it is very easy  to "leave home and go to a far off country" but then thanks be to our loving Father who, if we decide to return, allows us to experience His loving embrace". 

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm - Joel 2:13

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain1Cor15:2

The question is, " DO WE TRULY BELIEVE? "... or do we believe in vain?  

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life - Rom. 6:4

Just like Jesus, it is important for us to 'slip away' in prayer to realise such eternal truths. Let us not limit our worship to just a single day in a week when we gather to sing praise and worship songs. Let us truly build on a deep 'relationship with Jesus' such that we can ask whatever we desire and it will be done for us.

Thursday 6 June 2013

LET NOTHING BE WASTED!


When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” John 6:12 (NIV)
The feeding of the 5000 is the only Gospel story that is found in all four gospels!- Matt. 14:13/Mark 6:31/Luke 9:10-17/John 6:12. Therefore,wouldn't you agree that we should pay some importance to the highlighted words?

Pastor Raul (Grace Covenant Church) made an interesting observation with an interesting calculation:

1 sack of rice = 50 kgs 
1 kg= approx.50,000 grains of rice =2.5 million grains in a sack of rice!

He showed a photo of his rice cooker with some grains of rice remaining on the sides and bottom. He also showed us a pic of a dustbin in the Philipines containing a lot of cooked rice thrown away. He then said that the whole nation of the Philippines ate rice and if everyone wasted even a little rice, it would amount to quite a few platefuls of rice that would have fed many of the poor who did not have any food to eat!

Once,in his own cooker, he counted about 200 leftover grains! He decided that he would be more sensitive and aware of such waste. He then showed us how he wipes out his lunchbox everyday just recollecting the Lord's command not to waste anything.

He stressed on the point that we are 'Stewards of His resources' !

Gen 1:26-28Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Gen 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Deut. 15:11There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Pastor Raul then reminded us of other types of wastage - wasting of our time, resources, gifts and talents

Eph. 5:15-18Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine,which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

1Pt. 4:10-11- Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Rom. 12:5-8so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts,according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith;if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

(NOTE: More provisions = more savings = more effort to help people/church in need).

and let us not forget ...

Rom. 14:12So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Tuesday 4 June 2013

RETURN TO ME AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU

RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU,"
SAYS THE LORD ALMIGHTY.
( Malachi 3:7 NIV )

There are times that we may find ourselves walking far from God.  Know that if ever that happens to you it is because we have moved, not because God has left us.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED.
( Deuteronomy 31:8 )

Now perhaps we find ourselves feeling abandoned by God because we are overwhelmed with problems, or because of the loss of a loved one.  If that is the case remember that; HE DOES NOT WILLINGLY BRING AFFLICTION OR GRIEF TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN.
( Lamentations 3:33 )

Therefore if you ever find yourself feeling far from our Heavenly Father, remember, that God is there with open arms to receive you back. So; TAKE WORDS WITH YOU AND RETURN TO THE LORD. SAY TO HIM:
FORGIVE ALL OUR SINS AND RECEIVE US GRACIOUSLY.
FOR THEN HE WILL SAY; I WILL HEAL YOUR BACKSLIDINGS.
( Hosea 14:2-3 ) ( Jeremiah 3:22 ) 

 After all that is His promise always; for; JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER.
( Hebrews 13:8 )

So if you are feeling far from God right now; LET US EXAMINE OUR WAYS AND TEST THEM, AND LET US RETURN TO THE LORD. FOR HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH!
( Lamentations 3:40 )

The Lord bless you and keep you; THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU; THE LORD TURN HIS FACE TOWARD YOU AND GIVE YOU PEACE."    ( Numbers 6:24-26 )

AND MAY HIS; GRACE BE WITH YOU ALL.   AMEN.    

( Hebrews 13:25 )
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Note: The email from 'God's Minute' by Pastor Allen really blest me and so i extracted the message to bless you!