Mark 3:3, "Jesus said the man with a shriveled hand ' stand up in front of everyone'.. It can be understood that he would have had this hand malfunctioning for many years. And like him there were many people with different kinds of sickness assembled in that small house hoping that Jesus would heal. We see our Lord pointing out that man in the crowd n asked him to stand up.
The Lord spoke to me through this passage that when we are also hoping that Jesus would heal us, he calls us to 'stand up'. I face a lot of my 'past' mocking at me, the very look at 'my shriveled hand' is making me feel that it is impossible for any sort of restoration, and the amount of loss i had incurred mounts up to great heights. Nevertheless we see our Lord Jesus bids him to stand up facing all these only to to prove that the impossible is possible and our Lord has the authority and power to forgive and heal, restore and sustain like we read in that passage "......his hand was COMPLETELY RESTORED "
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
inner heart attitude
Mar 12:1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
Mar 12:2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
Friends! may the Lord help us to realise deep inside my heart and yours that all things are given to us by Him, maintained by Him and pruned by Him when we submit to Him and he expects the fruits of our labour to be submitted to Him.
Friday, December 11, 2009
...set up my face like FLINT
As the time approached for him to be taken up to the heaven, Jesus resolutely set out his face to go to Jerusalem..... -Luke 9:51. He knew what was ahead of him and he was determined to Finish the work. we read in Isaiah where it is profetically siad about Jesus. Because the sovereign LORD helps me, i will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like a FLINT and i know i will not be put to shame - Isaiah 50:7... Jesus did the will of God n walked in his life with joyful obedience. In fact we hear him cry out with joy "It is finished" (john 19). In anticipation of this moment, in His prayer, found in the seventeenth chapter of John, " I have Glorified You on earth. I have finished the work u gave me to to"...
Many a times we begin to do the will of the lord, but finds it difficult to complete it. But we see in Jesus this outstanding character of completing the task assigned to Him joyfully with reverence. How good will it be n how much pleased will the Lord be if we, His people can learn this from our saviour Jesus, that we will not be deflected but SET OUR FACE LIKE A FLINT FOR CHRIST. (The picture shows the flint which is used as arrow heads in those days!!)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
family...
she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me in a charger the head of John the Baptist ...Mark 6:25,... nothing better to expect! Herod may be a good man respecting John and actually may listen to John but it still remains the poison he brought inside his own family (which he very well knew was abhorred by the LORD) finally gave its fruit. He thought he can safely listen to John and herodias and manage his way through! But his sin found him out and destroyed him - made him guilty of John's blood. Can imagine wat a pain it would have been for him to live in a family with conflicting convictions. His sin produced a girl who hasted to kill a just soul. Lord teach me deep inside that my sins will always find me out!
Monday, November 23, 2009
caution....
(Mar 1:44) And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
(Mar 1:45) But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Obedience is better than emotions and testifying...
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dr. T. H. Somervell
Two years later the Britons returned to the attack. Dr. T. H. Somervell and Lieut.-Colonel E. F. Norton reached 28.200 ft. Somervell stopped, gasping horribly. Norton struggled on a few yards, reached the highest point from which any man has returned alive. He was snow-blind for days. The same year G. L. Mallory and A. C. Irvine started up from Camp No. 6. As they approached the peak a lone observer below saw them enveloped by a mist cloud. No one ever saw them again. It was Mallory who had answered for all Everest climbers when someone asked him why men risked their lives to scale the mountain: "Because it's there." (This report appeared in the TIME magazine in the 1930s).Few more things about Dr. T. H. Somervell,...
A great swift Surgeon having stupendous stamina.....Did hemimandiblectomy and gastrectomy in 40 mts....Professor of Surgery,CMC Vellore.....Perhaps a Greater Missinary Doctor than Dr.Albert Schweitzer....Mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest twice.AUTHOR: Knife and Life in India , After Everest & Text Book of SurgeryExpert Painter,excellent musician.....
But above all a practical believer who took life as God gave it to him and found it not too precious to lose.... (though I personally donot believe in his many other ideas fully )
He worked in CSI Mission Hospital Neyoor for more than 20 years...
The point here I want to emphasize is his commitment and obedience rather his gifts and I hope Iam making myself clear...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The fellowship of the unashamed
The Fellowship of the Unashamed
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.
Monday, October 26, 2009
the loss...
How much loss the cause of Christ has suffered coz of a difficult relationship ! How much deception and sorrow, anguish and misunderstanding coz of one relationship ! How much less we testified and laboured for our Lord's sake coz of these ! How much the shame and guilt !
LORD! Help me that I will never worry about a relationship which you have abhorred and I have no right to pursue it at any measure for Iam not bought cheap but with a prize ! Help LORD that we will always love and stir one another to this end. Amen.
LORD! Help me that I will never worry about a relationship which you have abhorred and I have no right to pursue it at any measure for Iam not bought cheap but with a prize ! Help LORD that we will always love and stir one another to this end. Amen.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rest...
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Jesus.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Jesus.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Surrender...
Can surrender be sweet?...can i surrender gladly?...my career, family, a difficult relationship, my rights ...sounds really difficult...but I realise it becomes easy or rather less tough when I gaze upon my LORD in trust and when I look upon myself with all my corruption and my inability to live the life he has asked me to live and when I remove my gaze from others...Help us LORD each of us to this end...
Monday, October 5, 2009
spurgeon
“He arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights.”
1 Kings 19:8
All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is meant for service, not for wantonness or boasting. When the prophet Elijah found the cake baked on the coals, and the cruse of water placed at his head, as he lay under the juniper tree, he was no gentleman to be gratified with dainty fare that he might stretch himself at his ease; far otherwise, he was commissioned to go forty days and forty nights in the strength of it, journeying towards Horeb, the mount of God. When the Master invited the disciples to “Come and dine” with him, after the feast was concluded he said to Peter, “Feed my sheep”; further adding, “Follow me.” Even thus it is with us; we eat the bread of heaven, that we may expend our strength in the Master’s service. We come to the passover, and eat of the paschal lamb with loins girt, and staff in hand, so as to start off at once when we have satisfied our hunger. Some Christians are for living on Christ, but are not so anxious to live for Christ. Earth should be a preparation for heaven; and heaven is the place where saints feast most and work most. They sit down at the table of our Lord, and they serve him day and night in his temple. They eat of heavenly food and render perfect service. Believer, in the strength you daily gain from Christ labour for him. Some of us have yet to learn much concerning the design of our Lord in giving us his grace. We are not to retain the precious grains of truth as the Egyptian mummy held the wheat for ages, without giving it an opportunity to grow: we must sow it and water it. Why does the Lord send down the rain upon the thirsty earth, and give the genial sunshine? Is it not that these may all help the fruits of the earth to yield food for man? Even so the Lord feeds and refreshes our souls that we may afterwards use our renewed strength in the promotion of his glory.
1 Kings 19:8
All the strength supplied to us by our gracious God is meant for service, not for wantonness or boasting. When the prophet Elijah found the cake baked on the coals, and the cruse of water placed at his head, as he lay under the juniper tree, he was no gentleman to be gratified with dainty fare that he might stretch himself at his ease; far otherwise, he was commissioned to go forty days and forty nights in the strength of it, journeying towards Horeb, the mount of God. When the Master invited the disciples to “Come and dine” with him, after the feast was concluded he said to Peter, “Feed my sheep”; further adding, “Follow me.” Even thus it is with us; we eat the bread of heaven, that we may expend our strength in the Master’s service. We come to the passover, and eat of the paschal lamb with loins girt, and staff in hand, so as to start off at once when we have satisfied our hunger. Some Christians are for living on Christ, but are not so anxious to live for Christ. Earth should be a preparation for heaven; and heaven is the place where saints feast most and work most. They sit down at the table of our Lord, and they serve him day and night in his temple. They eat of heavenly food and render perfect service. Believer, in the strength you daily gain from Christ labour for him. Some of us have yet to learn much concerning the design of our Lord in giving us his grace. We are not to retain the precious grains of truth as the Egyptian mummy held the wheat for ages, without giving it an opportunity to grow: we must sow it and water it. Why does the Lord send down the rain upon the thirsty earth, and give the genial sunshine? Is it not that these may all help the fruits of the earth to yield food for man? Even so the Lord feeds and refreshes our souls that we may afterwards use our renewed strength in the promotion of his glory.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
His eye is on the sparrow
Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience.
Civilla Martin
Civilla Martin
Friday, September 25, 2009
a hymn
Be firm and be faithful; desert not the right;
The brave become bolder the darker the night.
Then up and be doing, though cowards may fail
Thy duty pursuing, dare all and prevail.
If scorn be thy portion, if hatred and loss,
If stripes or a prison, remember the cross.
God watches above thee, and He will requite;
Forsake those that love thee, but never the right.
(apparently this has been used as a cradle song too)
The brave become bolder the darker the night.
Then up and be doing, though cowards may fail
Thy duty pursuing, dare all and prevail.
If scorn be thy portion, if hatred and loss,
If stripes or a prison, remember the cross.
God watches above thee, and He will requite;
Forsake those that love thee, but never the right.
(apparently this has been used as a cradle song too)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
thanks....
it is good to lookback and know how the LORD has carried us through in our bond especially with jyothsna and encouraging to know how many of us are interested to venture out new things for the LORDs glory. But also we see that the needs of people around us have also increased. May the LORD help us to work more humbly and with love for Him.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
spurgeon
“In the evening withhold not thy hand.”
Ecclesiastes 11:6
In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God.
The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood’s vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.
Ecclesiastes 11:6
In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God.
The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhood’s vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
a request...
Please pray for our sister jyothsna that Jesus may support and help her through her difficult times...
Our beloved Mr.Joseph
But while he thought on these things Mathew 1:20
i wonder what he was thinking... obviously he was thinking to put aside Mary in the most tender way possible.... but sure there were other emotions in his heart a feeling of being betrayed... an irritated feel that the girl he thought of spending his whole life with is probably a wrong choice... and many more ... Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,Mathew 1:24.... but here is a man tuned to obey God ...he had his emotions and thoughts but he had his life committed to The Great Shepherd that what He planned and prepared for him he accepted and obeyed...took unto him his wife Mathew 1:24... he not only received her into his home or just married her but took unto him... his innermost self... with all determination... coz the LORD told him so....Pray that the LORD will help me and you obey so...
i wonder what he was thinking... obviously he was thinking to put aside Mary in the most tender way possible.... but sure there were other emotions in his heart a feeling of being betrayed... an irritated feel that the girl he thought of spending his whole life with is probably a wrong choice... and many more ... Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,Mathew 1:24.... but here is a man tuned to obey God ...he had his emotions and thoughts but he had his life committed to The Great Shepherd that what He planned and prepared for him he accepted and obeyed...took unto him his wife Mathew 1:24... he not only received her into his home or just married her but took unto him... his innermost self... with all determination... coz the LORD told him so....Pray that the LORD will help me and you obey so...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)