Emmanuel – God is with us ( Matt 1: 18-23)

Christmas is in the air and the joy of Christmas is all around. It’s a wonderful time for family get together and enjoying the season with loved ones. But on the other side of the world, there are still people wondering if, it is just another Christmas of loneliness and pain.  There can be nothing in the whole world more heart wrecking than the pain of loneliness and rejection. Coping with these emotional distresses may mean a big price to pay and at times you may never want to invite a festive season in your life or to make things worse, you may even want to give up on life than taking these.

You may be trying to hide these feelings behind the shadows of anger, resentment or unhealthy habits and wreck yourself more. Rejection is painful. And so is loneliness and shame. Everyone wants to be accepted and loved. Nobody wants to be a left out, in a big world around. This is what King David describes in Psalms 69 as miry depths where there is no foot hold. He describes it as deep waters and flood engulfing him.

He explains his shame as below,

²⁰ Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

                                                                                                           Psalms 69: 20

If you can identify yourself with David, then this message is for you. God wants to deliver you from the grip of loneliness, rejection, and shame. If you are haunted by these feelings and is held up in a maze trying to work your way out, remember you are not alone. We have a savior who has gone before us, in the same path.  He is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. What can be more painful than to hang alone on a cross (a cross by itself a symbol of shame) battered and buffeted? Jesus was born to die. He lovingly embraced his cross, so that he can identify himself with your loneliness and pain.

His name is Emmanuel – meaning God is with us. God came down to sympathize with us and love us in a personal, intimate way. He is not a distant God. He has taken victory over rejection, loneliness and shame and he can set you free. As you sit and cry, drenched in your tears, he is there waiting to take away your pain. Are you wondering, you don`t have a shoulder to cry upon? This Jesus Christ of Nazareth can identify himself with you. He loves you and cares for you. 

This is what the word of God says about him in Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

·         So, run into his arms and cry out that you need him. He will speak to you and comfort you through his word.

·         He is Almighty God El – Shaddai. He can turn your mourning into dancing.

·         His name is Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace. He will be the same to you.

·         Feeling lonely and rejected? Jesus can be your very best friend… as he is your maker and creator.

Cheer up my friend….. Let this Christmas mark a new beginning in your life with a lasting  companionship with Emmanuel. Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New year 2015.

Fear

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

                       

As I was meditating on the word of God, I was brooding over this particular topic on fear for a while. Fear is a peculiar weapon that the enemy uses to shatter the faith of Christians. Fear can keep you under bondage (Romans 8: 15). Fear can torment you. ( 1 John 4: 18) Fear is one among the most fiery darts the devil use to get you paralyzed, frozen and to even give up your walk with the Lord. As humans, we are vulnerable. We fear of things we do not know. We fear things yet to come. We fear consequences of our past. We fear death, at times we even fear to live. We fear people. We fear demons and why not, we even fear GOD out of condemnation.

This is how the devil works. He put thoughts of fear in you and stands as a silent spectator watching the way you react. As you give way, he puts in more of such thoughts till you wind up in depression. Another deception of the devil is to make you feel intimidated when you dare to acknowledge your hidden fears, so that you will be in the same vicious cycle again.

If you have been gripped by fear of any nature, be it acknowledged or hidden, the good news is that you are not alone. Fear had been the devil`s weapon since ages and that is why, the word `Fear not ` has been documented in the Bible for more than 365 times, (as if God is telling us not to fear everyday of the year).

If you have been a captive of fear, today is your day to conquer it. It is written in Hebrews 2: 14, 15 that Jesus died on the cross to take victory over death so that we are no longer under the bondage of fear of death. The Love of God is higher, deeper and wider enough to cast away all your fears. God has given us the spirit of adoption whereby we can cry unto him Abba Father.

So if you are someone seeking how to loosen yourself from fear, just follow these simple steps below.

•  Come before God as you are, as a clay in the potter`s hands, as a child to his or her father, as a creation to the creator, as a captive to the deliverer and cry out to him till he puts his loving hands around you and whisper not to fear.
•  Honestly acknowledge and renounce every of your hidden fears before him, till your burdens are lifted up.
•  Meditate on the word of God till your armor of faith rise enough to repel every dart of fear aimed at you. 
• Be filled with the love of Christ and be ready to take every thought captive according to 2 Corinthians 10:5.
• Use the sword of the word of God and all - prayer to fight back.                                 Remember, We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.(Romans 8:37). God bless!

More than a Mother`s Love

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Isaiah 49:15-16. ( KJV)

So don`t worry about Tomorrow, Your father knows what you need before you ask him. According to Matt 6: 30-32.

CARRY YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS

THE HORROR DREAM

The dream I had last night made a huge difference in the way I knew who God really is. I would like to share it with you as this can also make you see God in a totally different prospective. In this current busy, buzzy world which has grown so mechanical, are you wondering where you can fit God in? Let me tell you something. I believe God should be someone so loving than an earthly father, a mother or a dear friend who is at your heart to heart. He should be someone whose love for you is so deep that he cannot part from you even in your worst of all situations. His love should be so unbiased that he should love you no matter what and no matter who you are. I believe the love of God should be so unconditional, expecting absolutely NOTHING in return. Wondering if there can be a love like this? This is what my dream explained to me.

In my dream I saw a big, black snake swallowing me up. I saw myself struck in its jaws crying out for help. Believe me or not, I was just finding hard even to breathe as I was screaming from the top of my throat for help. All my friends were at the other side that none of them heard me either. Then miraculously I got help. There came, a father and a son riding on a bicycle. They stepped down beside that huge black snake and rescued me from its dreaded mouth.  I was very excited that I was saved from death.

 The father was very busy taking me by hand and leading me out of the danger zone as I was just panting for life. Suddenly, as I was recovering, I could hear a piercing cry for help which I recognized soon to be of the son`s. It was only then I realized that the father had to risk his own son`s life to rescue me. The son was really caught between the jaws of that same black snake the time I was being rescued and the father had to rush back again to snatch the boy from the serpent`s deadly jaws.

One thing in this dream just shook me. How can a stranger have such a concern and love for me that even his only son`s life didn’t matter to him more than mine? Secondly, if a stranger can like me so much, how much more can my heavenly father who formed me in my mother`s womb love me? I woke up and all that echoed in my mind is these loving words of our savior John 3:16. ``For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’’

So Dear brother, dear sister! This is love! A love that is more willing to die a thousand times on the cross just to deliver your soul from the evil one. A love that is willing to trade even the whole world and universe to have you in heaven. Just embrace this divine love of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and he will be your ever best friend till you meet him up there! God bless.

Know more about the mighty spirit of God in you

1.      He is the spirit of Jesus Christ Of Nazareth – Ephesians 3:16

2.      He is the spirit of god descending from heaven – I Corinthians 2:12

3.      This holy spirit of God can strengthen our inner man - Ephesians 3:16

4.      The spirit of God searches and Knows the Heart and mind of God - I Corinthians 2:11

5.      The spirit of God gives power and wisdom to our words - I Corinthians 2: 13,5

6.      The spirit of God reveals Jesus to us  - John 15:26

7.      The spirit of God helps us to pray – Romans 8:26

8.      The spirit of God helps us to pray according to the father`s will – Romans 8:27

9.      The spirit of God is a mighty warrior and he fights our battles for us - Isaiah 28:2, 6

10.  The spirit of God is a right judge – Isaiah 28:6

11.  The spirit of God convicts – John 16:8

12.  The spirit of God empowers us to witness Christ – acts 1:8

13.  The spirit of God is a comforter – John 14:26

14.  The spirit of God is a great teacher – John 14:26

15.  The spirit of God reminds us of all things in the word of God – John 14:26

16.  The spirit of God is zealous for us – James 4:5

17.  The spirit of God gives life – 1 peter 3;18

18.  The spirit of God makes us know that we abide in him and he in us – 1 John 4:13

19.  The spirit of God is the spirit of power, love and sound mind – 2 Timothy 1:7

20.  The spirit of God is a spirit of adoption that makes us call God abba father –

Rom 8:15

If we humble our self and open our hearts and invite this mighty spirit of God to stay in us, this mighty spirit of God is faithful to come and stay in us and change our lives according to Revelations 3:20. God bless.

Greater is he who is in you than the one in the world

The brain washing has been going on for weeks, upto 14 hours a day, 48 hours straight in one occasion. yet the man held his ground and he would not yield. The place was a Communist prison camp in China in the early 1950s. the man being tortured for christ`s sake is a radiant Chinese Christian. Finally after repeated mockery, grilling and torture the Christian told his oppressors: "you are wasting your time, sirs. My faith is rooted than any torture you might inflict upon me. It is rooted eternally in God`s son Jesus Christ".

Furious, the Communist indoctrinator slapped him across the face and screamed,''drop to your knees! Drop to your knees and pray. because in 3 minutes we are going to put a bullet through your head.!" While the indoctrinator, an armed guard and fifty more of the man`s fellow prisoners looked on,he did as he was told.

"Lord" the man began to pray,"I thank you for the peace that is within my heart. I thank you for the faith which makes it possible for me to believe that, inspite of my oppressors, my my heavenly father sits up on the throne, able at any moment to silent forever the lips that blaspheme His name. Lord, at this moment, You are able to prove your power to these two men. You are able to show yourself to be God. In a moment Your power could strike these men dead and -----"

But he did`nt get to finish his prayer;for gasping with pain,the two communists, the indoctrinator and the guard fell simultaneously to the floor. in a few hours, both of them were dead. The Christian was set free and lived unmolested with his family ever after.

This incident was personally reported by Rev. Leslie Millen, long a CIM missionary in China, during his own imprisonment by the communists.

THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BIBLE

Christian faith is never a blind faith but is a faith with evidence. The Bible is a written word of God. To make it more specific, it is not just God`s word, but it is God himself. It is written in the book of John1:1, that the heavens and the Earth are created by the power of this word and that it this word that became flesh as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The historical accuracy of the Bible and its reliability as a moral guide are discussed in this article.

Archeological evidence for the Bible:

Walls of Jericho:

It was discovered in 1930, by John Garstang. The peculiar thing about it is that the walls of Jericho fell outwardly and suddenly giving way to the Israelites to enter the city. The British archeologist Kathlyn Kenyon excavated the southern Jordan valley in the 1950s and found piles of mud bricks in the site and further proved the findings of John Garsang. This city lies in the fault-line of the red sea, and scientists believe that this mighty wall must have been shaken by an earthquake.

Records about the existence of Hitites are discovered in Turkey.

Parting of the red sea and discovery of chariot wheels:

Scientists reveal the possibility of the red sea being part by a storm. Another excellent evidence of the parting of the red sea incident is the chariot wheels, the human bones and horse hoofs discovered by Ron Wyatt and his sons in the sea bed. They are still present in the Wyatt Museum, Tennessee.

 Flood in times of Noah:

Robert Ballard, the famous underwater archaeologist, who discovered the remains of Titanic in the year 1985, says that the Black sea was just a small fresh water lake till a large flood 200 times greater than the Niagara Falls swept it. The water level was not just a slow rising level, but it has been flooded and the land under has remained under. Many man- made structures such as pottery were found, and carbon dating of shells dated back to the times of Noah.

Discovery of Sodom and Gomorrah:

Ruin of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah was discovered in areas near the Dead sea. The Brimstones Sulphur and an ancient clay tablet dated to 700BC discovered stating that an asteroid has fallen on this land of Sodom and Gomorrah are all classic evidence for the historical truths mentioned in the Bible.

The birth and death of Jesus:

The writings of the famous non- Christian authors such as Josephus of AD 37 are real evidence for the birth and the crucifixion of Jesus. The empty grave, the place where Jesus lived, the writings by his disciples and a number of non-Christian and Roman historians and authors silently speak as an evidence for the life of Jesus. The division of the entire history as before and after Christ, itself is an enough evidence to prove the authenticity of the life of Christ mentioned in this holy book.

Bible is a reliable book for morality:

It is written in 2 timothy 3:16 as, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.  Bible is a book of life. It has the ability to speak, to correct, to instruct and to guide us in the right path. Bible places a clear cut distinction of good and evil and makes it clear the consequences of sin.

It is written in Hebrews 4:12 as, “ For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Bible discerns the good from the evil and gives the power for a Christian to live a holy life. The personal experience of the author of this article is that, this wonderful book had the power to change this person`s life, from a life of condemnation and guilt to a life of freedom and liberty.

This book is a book full of divine wisdom to help a person have a closer walk with God. Moreover, this book, is a book is full of promises, that can speak customized to a person`s needs, which means, it is not just a book to read, but an important tool for the almighty God to speak, to his children.

Apart from this, the Holy Bible is an emporium of prophecies once told and are fulfilled now and those that are divinely inspired and yet to be fulfilled. This book is a treasure and a guide to walk straight on the King`s highway, for every Christian in his pilgrimage.

OUR GOD IS A FAITHFUL GOD
²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

 I heard about the life of a man named John Clarke, who went as a missionary to the remote parts of the African jungle to do the Lord`s ministry. There was not one white man within hundreds of miles and not even a government outpost to run for help, near that place. It was at this time, his wife Mina ,was burning with a tropical fever, with nobody to help them around.
She put a strange request to him , that she needed three ripe tomatoes, and that it will give the necessary nourishment to sustain her, till help comes.

But to their dismay,  as far as he knew , there were`nt ripe tomatoes in the whole of Belgian Congo. There might be some canned tomatoes in a distant outpost, but never ripe ones. They just did not grow tomatoes in that part of Africa.John Clarke was so troubled with all sought of questions in his mind. Why did the Lord allow his Wife to suffer so, to approach death with no hope of a doctor`s help for another week? Perhaps, they should not have come to this lonesome jungle. Why in the world , had they ever come to Africa? But no! that was doubting God. He had sent them there, blessed their work, souls were saved and a native church was built.Surely, God wanted them to be there.Then why?

Steadily the tropical fever was sapping out her life from Mina Clarke.By nightfall she was too weak to talk and all that she could do is to moan and whisper. In agony of spirit, John Clarke  heard that dying request -three ripe tomatoes.He would go to any extreme to get those three ripe tomatoes,if it is humanly possible.

It was at this time, he was visited by a bush - woman in a familiar tribal dress , who wanted to see him.Questioning her, he found that she was a bush- woman from the tribe he visited last month and she had been sent to him for advice, if they can eat this queer fruit, that she had grown from the seeds left to them by a white man, as food was scarce in their place that summer.As John Clarke peered into the basket he almost cried out of joy. for their in that basket was - Three ripe tomatoes, and the woman also said that she had more of them.These tomatoes came as an answer for Mina`s prayer and as a rebuke to his doubts, from the seeds that was sown months before, as a providence from God.

Mina Clarke ate those tomatoes and lived till the doctor came with the healing medicine,lived for a successful ministry through the appearance of the three ripe tomatoes , planted, raised and ripened at the right time by the hand of the all-wise God.This story is retrieved from miracles and melodies.

Our God is a faithful God and he will never let us go......
Though the storms may come and the winds may blow,
he will never let go our hands.

the song "Be Thou My Vision"

 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

The story behind the song:

 St.Patrick was born in Scotland in AD 373. He was kidnapped by pirates and was taken to Ireland as a slave, when he was 16. There he gave his heart to Jesus. Though he escaped from them, and came back home, he could never forget the encounter he had with Jesus. Then, when he was 30, he returned back to his captors and the only possession he had with him was a Latin Bible. As a result of his preaching, over 200 churches were established and 100,000 converts were baptized in Ireland.

Some scholars believed that, King Logaire of Tara, an Irish king, had decreed, that no one was allowed to light fire, until a pagan festival where the fire was lit for the pagan god. This edict restricted the lighting of candles for Easter. But St. Patrick chose to defy the King`s decree, and took a stand to honor God, even if it meant death. The King himself appreciated this act of his bravery and rendered his mission work unhindered. This song was written as a tribute on St. Patrick by Dallan Fragaill for this brave act.  

To conclude, some believe that, this song was written by St. Patrick himself and some say that it is written by Dallan Fragaill. Whatever be it, this song has always been an expression of a deep sacrifice for Christ.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:7

 ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:37-39

Helping children overcome emotional problems, the christian way.!

Every child goes through , some kind of emotional disturbances, as they go through the hazzles of life before reaching adulthood. Emotional problems in children when dealt at a right age, can bring lasting effects ,making them  healthy adults of future. Emotions such as joy , fear and anger and secondary emotions such as embarrassment, shame , guilt play a critical role in organizing the child`s behavior throughout their lives.

When a child is emotionally stressed, the common expression is uncontrolled anger and an aggressive behavior. Some children withdraw themselves from their surrounding, ending themselves in depression. Some children presents themselves ,with a loss of confidence and reduced self esteem. Whatever be it, emotions, when they cannot be controlled by the child becomes emotional problems , that can seriously affect the child`s development in various areas of life. Here are below, 7 tips to help children, cope with behavioural problems.

1.       Unconditional love and quality time from parents.

2.       Helping children to vent out , what they feel.

3.       Encouraging healthy habits

4.       Reducing stress at home.

5.       Helping children to improve coping and problem solving skills.

6.       Prayer and meditation

7.       Creating a safety plan in case of highly susceptible kids.

Unconditional love and quality time from parents:

The root of most of the emotional problems in childhood, is either love deprivation or conditional love. Hence parents and caretakers of children with emotional problem ,should provide them with unconditional love and spend quality time of interaction with them.

Helping children to vent out:

Listening to children empathically , and encouraging them to vent out their feelings, can keep children from building up pressure . Correct ways to diffuse anger, like time outs and distractions can also be taught to children, according to their age.

Encouraging healthy habits:

Encouraging the child to have healthy habits such as, outdoor play,exercise,healthy diet, good sleep and less screen time ,all of them play a vital role in helping child to cope with their emotions.

Reducing stress at home:

Grief and loss in any family can have a big impact on the emotional wellbeing of the children. Hence it is the responsibility of the parents, to provide a secure and stress free environment to the children , at home. If the parents themselves are going through emotional stresses, and are unable to deal it themselves, then it is better that they meet a counselor and get them resolved.

Helping children to improve coping and problem solving skills:

 Negative thoughts in children, can be removed by encouraging child to approach a problem in a different prospective. Encouragement, praise and placing achievable targets can enhance a child`s problem solving ability.

Prayer and meditation:

Prayer and meditation of the word of God, can help children to trust in God, for problems that they cannot solve. Prayer , can also relax a child`s mind, making it peaceful and tranquile. Helping children understand the love of God and teaching them to forgive , can heal really sick hearts.helping children to meditate on the love of christ, from the word of God can lay in them a strong and healthy foundation.

Creting safety plan for highly susceptible kids:

Children who have no control over their emotions , and have expressed their wish to die,should be dealt very carefully, by creating a safety plan at home, with a good list of phone numbers , to call up when they cannot control their emotions.children taking antidepressants should be treated cautiously. Parents should be prepared for any emergency ,handling highly susceptible children.

There is nothing in the world, that prayer cannot change. Parents dedicated to help out their kids in their problems,can always run to the throne of grace for their children.

Dealing emotional stresses at a very early age , is the dynamic approach  for treating emotional problems ,than treating it as a full-fledged disorder.hence , healthy parenting is mandatory for the emotional well-being of children.

Sources:

ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics)

              http://www.solutionsforchildproblems.com/child-with-emotional-problems.html

               http://www.cehl.org/takingcharge.shtml 

Love of Christ:

1 John 4:19
We love Him because He first loved us.

John 15:9

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

 1 John 4:6-8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Romans 13:10.

love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love

1 John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 Corinthians 8:3
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

1 Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

 John 3:16¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

                   Jesus loves you, no matter who you are, or how you are. Man sees the face, but Jesus sees the depth of your heart. Come just as you are, under the cleansing streams of his blood, and be made holy and righteous before his eyes. Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ: for the blood of Jesus washes away all our sins.