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 1:26-28 - Then 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. 15:11- There 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. 5:15-18 - Be 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. 12:5-8 - so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 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;7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 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. 14:12 - So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

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 )

..........................................................................................................................

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

DO ALL PATHS REALLY LEAD TO GOD?

Whenever i talk to non-Christian friends, they always say, “All paths lead to God. There’s no one right way. The right thing to believe is whatever works for you.”  

 

With my Roman Catholic upbringing, it was impossible to see Christianity any other way but as a religion. But when i started reading the Bible, the Holy Spirit started revealing many truths which were hidden to me. I began to see Christianity as the way to get my 'citizenship' into God's Kingdom. I cannot say i am an authority on all the religions of the world but, since Christianity is a relationship and NOT a religion, must i not refer to the only 'instruction manual' that i follow and, see ...

 
... What the Bible says?

• In Acts 4:12 Peter says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

• Faith in Christ is the only way to be saved because it is only by faith in Christ that we can be counted righteous in God’s sight (Gal. 2:16). 

• It is only by faith in Christ that we can be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:9-11). 

• It is only by faith in Christ that we can receive eternal life (John 3:16). 

• Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).

• While many people today find this message intolerably exclusive, I can see the radical inclusivity of the gospel! The gospel confronts all people as sinners and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all those who turn from their sin and trust in Christ. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you’ve been. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your religious background is ...

      ... If you repent of your sin and trust in Christ you will be saved!

CRAZY FAITH

Yesterday, at the Grace Covenant Church Intercessory Prayer Meeting, Pastor D preached a powerful message on 'annointing'. In a very clear and concise manner, he expounded on the vision of Ezekiel (Ez. 47:1-12  ... please read it to understand this message).

The 'river' from the sanctuary is nothing but the Holy Spirit. When one is ankle deep in the water, it means that the person has very little anointing. This person could be one who is able to pray in basic 'tongues', reads the Word with basic understanding. When a person is in waters that are loin deep, this person is able to preach the Word, able to speak in tongues, perform some miracles and impact peoples lives to some extent. The person who is deep waters is no longer able with his feet on the ground. He must float or swim! He is going 'where the current takes him'! This anointing is what Apostles/Prophets have. When Peter spoke under such an anointing, three thousand were added to the Kingdom. When Paul's handkerchief was placed on the sick, they recovered! They could even cast out demons and raise the death to life!

 In Jesus' short ministry of just three and a half years, He did many great works wherever He walked. His disciples witnessed scores of miracles and heard Him talk about His 'spiritual kingdom'. Not only that but He affirmed that they would 'do even greater things than these' when He is gone from the earth.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father - John 14:12

The Word has been forever settled in heaven but He has given us (His Church) the unique privilege to 'establish' His Word on earth. He has empowered us with the Holy Spirit -

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come John 16:13

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me - John 15:26



If we are His END TIME CHURCH, we need FAITH that may be described as CRAZY to be on such a mission. It would require the person to 'switch off' his intellect and mind to tap into such faith. The 'carnally minded' can never do it. It is only by Faith that we will receive. It is only by Faith that God is pleased!

.................................................................................................................................................

Nota Bene:

There is one other important revelation in the vision of Ezekiel. The one who lives 'under the anointing', will live an abundant life - They will not wither. They will bear fruit. They will lack nothing. They will always be healed!

12Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” 

 

THE SAMARITAN SETS THE STANDARD!

We have all heard the story of the Good Samaritan right from very early days of our Christian upbringing. It is probably even known amongst our non-Christian brethren too. But we all have passed it by as just another great story from the Bible!

Today, Pastor D (Grace Covenant Church, Dubai) opened our eyes to the fact that it deals with the very 'second commandment' of Jesus when he said, ' LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF'. What i write below are some of my reflections/notes from the sermon of today.

(For those of you who may want a ready reference to the story, i have 'copy-pasted' it at the end of the article).

So the teacher of the law ('lawyer') wanted to test Jesus regarding the approx. 615 laws that the Jews followed. When Jesus asks the lawyer his take on the law, the lawyer is quick to summarise the the two most important laws (which come right out of Moses 5 books or the Pentateuch). Jesus clearly wants to stop this discussion by telling him that it is enough to honour these two and be saved but the Lawyer does not give up on the discusion and asks 'WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR'. It is at this juncture that Jesus narrates the story of the Good Samaritan.

The Priests and the Levites were the highest strata in Israel's Theocratic society. The priests were the only ones who could enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and offer sacrifices. The Levites were lay ministers who would assist the priests. Clearly, Jesus is pointing to a very important failing of priests and lay ministers, who have taken the authority to their heads and through their rituals and temple duties have failed to honour the second most important commandment of God!

The Samaritans of the time were a 'half breed' of Jews who, due to the repression by other paganistic rulers followed idol worship. They were the most hated community in Israel. A Jew would not only avoid going near a Samaritan but also spit in his direction as he passed on the other side of the road! When the Samaritan in the story tends to the needs of the 'half dead' Jew who, in his place would have surely left the Samaritan to die, Jesus is setting a new standard in following the law!

The Samaritan could very well be representing Jesus himself! Despised and hated to the point of his crucifixion and death Himself, Jesus is clearly saying to anyone who wants to follow Him that no matter who the person in need may be, he must respond to the 'fallen' persons' needs completely! (i.e. even to the point of forgetting one's own profit, time and expense!).

Ultimately, when Jesus asks the lawyer who in the story was the 'neighbour' to the 'fallen', he correctly answers, "He who showed MERCY on him"

The command to GO AND DO LIKEWISE is applicable to ALL of us. The neighbour clearly includes even our enemies ... YES EVEN ENEMIES!

The question is: CAN WE EVER DO THIS ON OUR OWN?

NEVER! We need the Holy Spirit inside us first. The quality of love required to honor such a commandment cannot manifest itself from a carnal mind. The AGAPE LOVE that Jesus is demanding from us is clearly reiterated in St. Paul's letter first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13:

 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. 




..........................................................................................................................................................

REFERENCE:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
²⁷ So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’^[a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”^[b]
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed,^[c] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
³⁷ And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

THE HEALING PROCESS

Alred, Prashant, Amparo, Martha, Dilu and Bro. Johnson came by today to 'stand in agreement with me' that i am the healed of the Lord.

I've had a very trying evening and a sleepless night when i was rolling on my bed with pain from a lower gut infection. Whilst i was doing that, i was praising God and confessing scriptures. But the pain continued to torment me and there was no 'shift' in the condition. Whilst everything was looking hopeless in the natural, 'seeds' of faith were being released by me through the confessing of the Word.

The perseverance paid off at last when morning broke and i was able to visit the doctor. But then, even before i could take the medicines, the arrival of the men and women of faith, and their prayers had already done the work of delivering me from the pain!

So how does faith work?

Hebrew 11:1 says - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Whilst i was believing for my healing, i was only imagining myself to be totally healed. Through my natural eyes there was nothing that showed me the manifestation of what i was believing for. Yet, holding onto that scripture and 1 Peter 2:24 - 'who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed',
i was ultimately completely healed. Not only that but no one could believe that i had had no sleep whatsoever - I was glowing with the goodness of God!

If you are going through a 'process' right now, DO NOT DEFER your HOPE! HOPE DEFERRED IS FAITH LOST! You will receive nothing without faith! ... So keep confessing the Word over your situation and keep the hope alive. You will soon get your breakthrough!

ARE YOU A TURKEY OR AN EAGLE?

Here's what i learnt from yesterday's sermon from Pastor D ...

LUKE 10:42 - "but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Every one knows the story of Martha and Mary so i will not dwell on it (Please read it if you haven't read it!). Martha accuses her own sister before Jesus for not helping her in the work of serving Him and the guests. Mary chooses to sit beside Jesus and listen.Two attitudes, two sisters. Who was a better Christian? Martha was working hard to serve Jesus and the others. Is it bad to serve God? To Martha, Mary appears lazy and insensitive! By bringing it to the notice of Jesus, she is also bringing Jesus' attention to appreciate her hard work but how does Jesus respond?

Jesus says that Mary has chosen the 'good part' and it will not be taken away from her! Surely, Jesus must have surprised Martha with that answer.

The most important thing is not how hard you are working but how much love you have for Him. He wants our hearts - All of our hearts All the time!

But wasn't Martha proving her love for Jesus by working hard?

The clue is in the scripture itself! It is clearly written that Martha was 'distracted' - lost her focus from what Jesus was saying at that meeting - life-giving words! Martha was only focusing on herself and her work!

Sometimes we too get caught up in our own talents and our abilities that we too get 'distracted' from what God wants us to do! Martha wanted to show how much she was working just like people in ministry - whether it is the pastor, elders, deacons or even the cook! Everyone may be 'distracted' from the 'main thing' - God!

Mary was so madly in love with Jesus that all she wanted to do was to be as close to Jesus as possible and hear every word He said.

So what is Christianity? It is living your life focusing on only one thing - Being Christlike with every passing breath!

So what do you mean - No space for any other love in your life?

Obviously not! All our other 'loves' must flow from this 'controlling love' for Jesus! For example, if you are a Christian you cannot be in love with another's wife.

Husband and wife will have the richest love when they themselves are in love with Jesus. And you express your love for Jesus through your relationship with your wife. Your love for Jesus must be Overriding, compelling, complete....nothing should become an idol ... eg. job, car, wife, home etc...even ministry! Even the Pharisees were embroiled in too much law, religion and self righteousness. God did not figure on their list of priorities at all!

So how do you communicate with Him if you are not even in His presence?
How can you achieve this? Through the Holy Spirit of course! Our first prayer in the morning should be 'Holy Spirit come into me and help me remain in the presence of Jesus today whilst i go through my day.'

Christianity is a relationship!

All great men of God knew this...Abraham wanted to spend all his time in the presence of God!
Smith Wigglesworth the great miracle worker of our century also spent all day in the presence of God. Want to work miracles? be in the presence of God! It's all about Him! It's a relationship!

Isaiah 40:31 -   ³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

... SO, CHOOSE TO BE AN EAGLE NOT A GOBBLING TURKEY!

WE ARE OUR WORST ENEMIES!

 Here are a few scriptures expounded on by Pastor D (GC Church, 11 May 2013) which have lead me to the topic :

Genesis 6:5-7

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
⁶ And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
⁷ And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

 Romans 7:24

King James Version (KJV)

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

 Romans 8:5-9

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 A few things to reflect on :


 - Realize your outer nature is wasting away and inner nature must be renewed by setting your mind   on things that are above.

-Take radical steps to keep your mind pure.

- Remember Jesus’ warning about what chokes spiritual life: cares, riches and pleasures of life.

- Be friends with spiritually minded people.

- Ponder your life that will very soon be without a body.

- Think about how short life is.

- Remember you died with Christ and have crucified the flesh.

Being spiritually minded is a matter of life and death!

 

 

EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM THE LORD!

The 'Mottki' on the 'chula' next to the 'nahni' (ignore the clothes of the workers!)

The 'Randhon' with the space for firewood below.

The above pics are from a 150 year old house in Raia, Goa (My Grandmother's step mom's place) which is undergoing major repair right now. I happened to step into the house to say hello to our relatives who have come from Mumbai to take care of the property. At the time when i took these snaps, i was doing it so i could show them to my sons and explain to them what Goan houses were like in our childhood days.


I remembered how my grandmother would wake up at 5.00 in the morning to light up the stove (as in the picture) and put the water for the coffee on boil. Then she would go to the well that was 22 hands deep (i.e. 22 pulls of the rope to get the pot up). It required 26 pots of water to fill the large metal pot (Like pic above, but bigger). She did this until she was 83 years of age (The last three years of her life, she lost the use of one hand due to a stroke ... she died at 86!). As we grew up, we offered to help her draw water from the well but she would always refuse saying that it was her daily exercise which keeps her fit!

We had no fridge those days. There was a low cupboard buried into a thick mud wall that would keep the food cool. In the village, we used handmade kerosene lamps to light the house since electricity had not reached Utorda (my village). The toilets were away from the house since they were 'pig toilets' (i won't explain that! I've had horrific experiences with those!). There was no TV/Video and the only pass time was to gather in the 'balcao' (Verandah) and sing 'Mannde' and 'Dulpods' (Folk songs).

When i returned to Dubai and looked at the snaps, i had tears in my eyes as i remembered how the Lord had brought me and my family out of 'financial poverty' into 'spiritual richness' which included even worldly blessings like a beautiful apartment (s), cars, electronic gadgets etc. etc.

Never for once stop counting your blessings.
Never fail to Trust Him.

Never lean on your own understanding.
Never fail to acknowledge him in everything. 
Let Him DIRECT YOUR PATH! (Read Pr. 3:5,6)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning - James 1:17

THE TEMPLATE

On my way back from Mumbai to Dubai, i was reflecting on what Bro. Hilary had said to me in the taxi on our way to Mumbai from Pune. My brother Antonio and i were invited by him to The Lord's Ranch  http://lordsranch.org/contactus.html

I had shared with him some thoughts on why 'i believed what i believed'. Many of the things i had said went against what he believed and we were at an impasse in our conversation. He said that I was all 'knotted up' and unless i simplified my life, my spiritual growth would be hampered. Whilst i dearly respect Bro. Hilary as an exemplary Christian, i still could not bring myself to a point where i could agree with him on many things related to the traditions in the Catholic Church which he is ready to defend with his life!

At the check-in counter, i was pleased to know that i had been upgraded to business class but then i was sad that my brother was not. As i settled down in my seat, a tall handsome white man sat himself down beside me and flashed me his biggest smile. I introduced myself to him and i was absolutely thrilled to know that he was a founding pastor of many churches. He had just been to India on a pastoral visit. At once i acknowledged the hand of the Lord in this meeting since i could use him as my 'sounding board' to put my mind at rest!

I had a chance to share all that i had shared with Hilary and to my great surprise, he too had something similar to say to me! He said i was listening to too many preachers, teachers and doctrines which were only confusing me. Whilst he acknowledged the many gifts that God had bestowed on me, he opined that the very strengths could be my weaknesses if i was not careful. He said i would be very vulnerable if i was not well grounded in the Word of God. Once i had truly 'chewed on' the word of God and 'digested' it, only then i would be able to apply it as a 'template' to life. Thereafter, i would be able to put to the test all that i hear and do.

"Does this/that fit into the template?" would be a question that would be repeatedly asked before i would accept and apply any teaching/preaching/book information/instruction etc.

.................................................................................................................................................................
Further thoughts:

In 1st Corinthians 15:17, St. Paul says “If the words of this book are not true, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 

If God’s Word is true then you and I are promised strength, comfort, healing, forgiveness, guidance, hope right here, right now, and life eternal in the future. If the Word is true then it has enormous meaning and impact upon not only my eternal life, but for my daily life, and the lives of those around me.
If the stakes are so enormously high and there really only two possibilities don’t you think that one should invest the time and effort to closely examine what is found in a book that may contain a Life Saving—Life Giving—Living Word?