New Life Blues? Cheer Up!

Are you the only born-again Christian in your family/community? If so, it’s quite likely you meet with opposition. Take heart, though. Here are some thoughts that will encourage you in your faith…

• American-Indian saying: “Does the moon stop shining because little dogs keep barking at it?” I’m not saying that your family members are “little dogs!” But you are the light in your family/community, through whom the Light of Christ shines for the world to see!
• 1st Gen Entrepreneurs: Across the world, in families where the traditional occupation is an office job, the person who dares to follow his artistic or business calling is always meets with criticism. If you have a clear conviction about Jesus and a burning desire to glorify him, just don’t give up.
• God’s Chosen: They say, “God is looking for people who are looking at Him.” And if you are looking at Him, make sure you look only at Him. Don’t let material temptations or worldly friendships and pastimes take over. God has a special role for you to play for His Kingdom. After all, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Maybe you are.
• Preserve your Testimony: First-generation Christians can face opposition and remarks from relatives, friends, old neighbours and people at large. Don’t let that depress you. Important Point: your critics are not your enemies. When they ask you “Why Jesus?”, rather than saying “Why not Jesus?”, share the Gospel with them first and then share your testimony. Pray that the Lord opens their eyes and hearts. The decision is theirs. You have taken yours. Don’t change it.

Follow these steps and who knows – one day, those puzzled by why you chose Jesus, might join you in your walk in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Read this post to know how important you are in God’s eyes.

How to Walk on Water

Q: How do I walk on water?
A: Seek God’s face.

I recall Don Moen’s song “Be Magnified.” It goes like this:

“Be Magnified O LORD! You Are Highly Exalted;
And There Is Nothing You Can’t Do.
O LORD, My Eyes Are On You…”

In the last post, we saw what Jesus’ walking on water meant. Now we’ll see how you can walk on water, keeping your eyes fixed on God at all times.

When Jesus asked Peter to come toward him, Peter immediately stepped out of the boat and onto the water (Matthew 14:29). He even walked a few steps on the water. The Bible tells us that he could do so because his eyes were fixed on Jesus. He did not for one moment think about the danger of drowning; because like a child that runs toward its father the moment it sees him, Peter just embarked on water to reach out to Jesus. But then he took his eyes off Jesus and lo – he began to drown (Matthew 14:30)! Jesus, out of compassion and love, came and rescued him. But Peter must have learned a lesson or two there. Thank God, you and I need not drown in our sorrows and crises. We have Peter’s example before us, written in God’s own Word – the Bible. We need simply fix our gaze on the Lord and he will take care of us.

Practical Tips:

In your particular situation, fixing your eyes on God means seeking His face. Here’s how to go about it:
* Begin by praising God.
* Pray about your problems.
* Thank Him for allowing these problems to come upon you, so you could turn to Him for help.
* Commit your problems to God.
* Look up verses in the Bible stating God’s promises. A good Study Bible can help you do this.
* Thank God for the promises and claim them.
* Believe that He has solved your problems.
* Thank Him for solving them and for giving you victory over the situations.
* Praise Him again for being who He is and enjoy His presence.
* Do all in your power to manifest the solution and give God the glory.

The best thing is that through the thick and thin, Jesus is with you. Psalm 37:28 says, that God “does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever…” That’s Jesus for you.

Happy walking on water!

Jesus Walks on Water

Do you have a life without problems? Yes? Then you have a problem! Because problems come as an in-built feature in life’s travel package.

Think about it. If you did not have problems, you would not:

* learn how to solve them
* look for a power higher than yourself who could help you solve them
* see God’s power to help you overcome your challenges
* thank God for what He did for you
* be in a position to glorify Him.

And the very purpose of our existence is to glorify God. “Wait a minute. What’s that got to do with Jesus walking on water?”

When Jesus walked on the waves of the sea 2,000 years ago (Matthew 14:25), he wasn’t just defying the laws of Nature. He was actually telling his disciples that “No matter what sea of troubles you face in your life, it’s all under my feet. I am in command.” And because that incident was recorded in the Bible, it was meant for you and me as well!

Life is all about change. They say that the only thing that is constant is change. Believe me, even problems change. Today it’s your finances, tomorrow it’s your health, then it’s your relationships…But there’s one more thing that does not change – and that’s God’s love for you. As the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). And if you have Jesus living in your heart, “no weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) Just claim the Bible’s promise:

“He who is in you (Jesus) is greater than he who is in the world (the Devil).” (1 John 4:4) And the One who is within you has the power and willingness to help you overcome each and every challenge in your life!

In the next post you’ll discover how you can “walk on water.” So keep reading.

Mouthshut.com: My Bible Review

Check out my review of the Bible on Mouthshut.com at http://bit.ly/YZ0ov.
CAUTION: They may carry an advertisement of an anti-Bible book. Just ignore it. It’s not worth trading your soul for the sake of some exciting novel based on lies!

Read the review and leave comments. Come back here and tell me what you think.
Happy reading!

Trust God and Overcome the Giant

God is greater than your problems!

In the post David and Goliath, we read about how David knocked down the Philistine giant Goliath with just one weapon. No, that weapon was not the stone. It was faith in Jesus Christ.

When you have read the Bible carefully, you know that God, throughout history, has promised people of His blessings if they follow Him and obey Him. You also read how He has fulfilled these promises when people obeyed Him. For example, His promise to Abraham to give him descendants (through Jesus) as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). And to bless Zacharias and Elizabeth with a son (John), who would be a forerunner to Jesus Christ himself (Luke 1:13-17). The second promise was fulfilled and the first one is still being fulfilled even as you read these words! In both cases, the God-fearing couples were blessed even though they were of ripe age.

We all face giants in the form of problems and challenges in our lives. Abraham and Zacharias had their own problems. If you trust the God of the Bible – Jesus Christ – he promises to take over your burdens too.

Here are some verses from the Bible that will reassure you that God is in charge:

• Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
• Psalms 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
• 1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
• Isaiah 54:17 – “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD…”

In one of the Sunday services, our pastor made a profound statement:

“The greater your spiritual destiny, the greater the giants God trains you to overcome.”

In difficult times, make sure you are on God’s side. Then He will be in yours. Remember, He took your side first, by sending Jesus to die for you!

I read somewhere, that “1 + God = Majority.” And Majority wins!

This topic will take an interesting turn in the next related post. So keep visiting!

David and Goliath

Have you faced a major challenge in your life and wondered, “How am I going to overcome this?” I think most of us have. Rejoice, for there’s some good news for you and me! Read this true story to learn more…

David was a shepherd who was faced with a giant of a challenge when he was just a teenager. King Saul of Israel and his army were confronted at war by the Philistines. The enemy camp had a giant of a man in their ranks, called Goliath. You have probably heard the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Goliath was over 9 feet tall, solidly built and wore a complete armour. None of the Israelites thought they could take him on. He kept mocking them. He came out against them every morning and evening for 40 days and terrified the Israelite army.

In the name of the LORD!

Then David was sent to the battlefront by his father Jesse. He had a good look at Goliath and saw no reason why he could not overcome this hurdle to victory. So when Goliath cursed him, he answered him back:“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the
battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47) You can purchase a Bible here

David took out a stone and took aim. At the first throw itself, the stone hit Goliath’s forehead and knocked him to the ground. David took Goliath’s sword and killed him and cut off his head, as he said he would. The Philistines fled. King Saul and his army chased them and killed them and won.

You can win too, if faced with a giant in your life.
Read the forthcoming post Trust God and Overcome the Giant to find out how.

10 Bible Facts You Must Know

Bible Trivia is truly amazing! It is also a priceless weapon in every Christian’s armoury. Like it or not, people are more likely to agree with you when your argument is substantiated with facts and figures, even when it comes to God and His Word! For instance, did you know that:

1. The Bible is a collection of 66 books – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
2. It was written over a period of 1000 years by at least 40 different authors from Asia, Africa and Europe. They wrote under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, while the New Testament was written in Greek.
4. The Bible was written, among others, by fishermen, kings, prophets, poets and musicians; it includes poetry, legal documents, songs, letters, eyewitness accounts, people stories, historical documents and advice literature. (The UK Bible Society website)
5. The Bible contains a total of 31,071 verses, 23,114 in the Old Testament and 7,957 in the New Testament.
6. There are 1872 prophecies in the Bible, including 332 about the coming and second coming (quite likely in the near future) of Jesus Christ. Overall, about 25% of the Bible is prophecy.
7. Also called “The Book”, the Bible has been translated into 4027 languages and still counting! No other book in the world has been translated into so many languages.
8. It is the World’s # 1 Bestseller. All Top 10 charts begin with # 2, as the Bible occupies the # 1 spot every year!
9. There are over 400 million Bibles in circulation today. If you put them in a line, that line would have to be 22,000 miles (35,000 km) long! A total of 2.5 billion Bibles have been printed between 1816 and 1975 (The UK Bible Society website)
10. “When John Gutenberg made the printing machine in Europe, the first book to roll out of this printing press was the Latin Bible. The first English New Testament was printed in 1525 A.D.” (Bible Society of India website)

Click here to purchase a Bible.

In forthcoming posts, we’ll look into other fascinating aspects of the Bible, that I’ve learnt at church services and from other sources. So keep visiting and commenting! God bless you “according to His riches in glory…” (Philippians 4:19)