A Fresh Start

VERSES: There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” ……..

…….. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:32-34,39-43 (NKJV)

In the verses we see the infinite mercy of Jesus, the Son of God. Even in the bitter experience of crucifixion, He had the heart to forgive.

Many of us are still carrying the burden of things that we said or did, which we now regret. Some of us may have sinned so much that we would think God would not even look in our direction. But here we see a wretched criminal, under capital punishment for his deeds, receiving entry into Paradise – probably just hours before his death. It’s never too late.

But this might tempt one to think that committing one’s life to Christ is something that can wait. God will accept us even if we commit ourselves to Him on our death beds! But even as we breathe our last, will we look back and see a life of sin? Or a life filled with grace, blessing and fellowship with our Creator? It may not be too late, but does it have to be so late?

For those of us who are walking with the Lord, our lives may still be much less than perfect. We may be struggling with sin and certain weaknesses that hinder us from serving Him the way we should. But the word reminds us: ‘…we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are and was yet without sin.’ (Heb 4:15) ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 Jn 1:9)

Whatever be our situation, we can still make a fresh start in Christ.

THOUGHT: When it comes to repenting of our sin and committing all to Jesus, is it worth the wait?

When He stopped

VERSE:And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him {here.}" So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you." Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.And answering him, Jesus said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, {I want} to regain my sight!"And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and {began} following Him on the road. Mark 10:49-52

Two qualities make Bartimaeus, the blind beggar stand out; his persistence and his faith.

I can just imagine this blind beggar who was pretty well informed that Jesus was passing by, was sitting by the road expecting his miracle. He must have just heard of Him through one of his beggar-friends, but he knew one thing, he would get healed if Jesus touched him. He was so persistent even though people(which was his obstacle to the miracle) told him to shut up.His cries of mercy reached Jesus and He stood still or rather stopped.

Put a pause button in the story right there where Jesus stopped for this 'blind beggar' on the road from the resort city of Jericho. You must realise that this blind beggar's persistance made Jesus stop so that he could get his miracle. He was blind but he believed a report that Jesus can heal. He cast his doubts away, was filled with boldness and persistence, and called on Him who healed him.

THOUGHT: Are you persistent to stop Jesus for your miracle today?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

Pride goes before Destruction

VERSE: Pride {goes} before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. Prov 16:18

Even if we try to deny the fact that we have been proud, we have been so sometime or the other. The Word of God tells us clearly what happens to the proud: there is destruction coming.

Prov 13:10 says “Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel”. When we are proud, we refuse to say that we were wrong or that we need advice. Pride is a component of every quarrel. Being humble, allows us to seek counsel and understand that we can be wrong sometimes. The Word has examples of what happens to people with pride. The best example is King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son who had a spirit that was hardened in pride(Dan 5:20) and he was ultimately deposed of his throne. Prov 16:5 says “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished”. By being proud we are telling God that our way is the best and finally denying God’s leadership in our lives. We pay for being proud. So it is time we examine our lives and eliminate pride from lives which can destroy us and rather live with humility like Christ wants us to. Humility is an asset of every successful leader after God’s own heart. They are successful because God leads them.

THOUGHT: Are you being proud at heart and denying God’s leading in your life?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

Tattered Home

By Paul Leaman

Back an old dirt road, the weeds standing high,

down beyond a standing oak, did an old house lie;

It was in a frightful state, neglected many a year,

That, no one lived in this old house, was very, very clear.

The roof had large holes here and there, and sagging somewhat too,

Just how long the old house stood, I'm sure no one knew;

If it had ever been painted, there was no way of knowing today,

The outside, I tell you, was completely in disarray.

All the shutters were gone but two,

I think they were once painted blue;

The windows were all broken but one,

The casing and woodwork, every where undone.

Having no front door, I went up and looking inside,

I saw an old dirty table, two chairs cast aside;

The floor was covered with filth and debris,

It was in a sad shape, I'm sure you would agree.

Then walking through one room to the next,

There, in dim light, seeing some objects;

I walked over, and there on the floor,

Bones, just what it was, you couldn't tell anymore.

It may have been a squirrel, but I was not sure,

So I went on through the house, taking my little tour;

There was not really much to see but neglect and decay,

Here once stood a proud new home, but it sure wasn't today.

What about your spiritual house, Oh my Christian friend?

Is it in a state of spiritual decay, fearful of its' end?

Have you kept your house clean and pure?

Do you know that you are truly saved, or, are you unsure?

If your life is filled with the filth of sin, confess your sin today,

Christ will come in and cleanse you anew, if you have gone astray.

So set your house in order, throw out all the trash my friend,

And be determined to live for Christ, and love Him to the end.

Glow for it!

VERSE: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Mt 5:14-16 (New King James Version)

Jesus says that believers are the ‘light of the world’. After this, He goes on to say that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. When one becomes a Christian, he or she starts taking stands or making decisions that may not always be popular with others. Or he or she may do things that most other people may not care about or things that people may find strange. In any case, it’s hard for a committed Christian to always be ‘low-profile’. Things in his life will make him stand out. According to Jesus, that’s the idea of being a Christian.

One may try to underplay these differences for fear of offending people or inviting mockery. It’s not always easy to make ‘that difference’ in one’s Christian walk. But placing a lamp below a basket defeats the very purpose of its existence. ‘For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to GIVE the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ (2 Cor. 4:6) Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that we may be called children of God. This knowledge is not just like a paragraph in a text book but it is a ‘light’ that takes people from the darkness of sin into the life of freedom, hope and purpose in Christ. Like the verse says, Christians are here so this ‘light’ can be GIVEN.

God has made the way to eternal joy through Jesus. Believers have found this way. But we are in a world so darkened by sin; many people can never find this way. The believer’s challenge is to show people in word and deed that Jesus and His saving grace makes the difference in life, so that God’s name can be glorified.

God has made the way. Glow for it!

THOUGHT: We as Christians are the light of the world. How bright are we shining?

Security 'Issues'

VERSE: All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. Jeremiah 51:17-18

The Word gives us very clear signals of what can become idols in our lives. The things that we have idolized in our lives can be in the form of quick-money making schemes, bad relationships, and bad habits. These verses give you a clear indicator of the presence of an idol in our lives. Firstly, they seem to bring us a promise of good but it turns out to be false. Secondly, it is not long-lasting (i.e. no breath in them) but in turn it poisons our lives. Thirdly, they don’t bring any return and finally, it turns out to be a work of mockery.

These idols in our lives are displeasing to God. They are shameful and they will finally rot and decay in our lives. The verse clearly starts off by saying that we are foolish to trust something that will disappear soon. We always find it easier to find security in things we can see and touch but find it very difficult to find our security in the Lord!

THOUGHT: Are we finding security in things we see and touch and making them idols in our lives or are we finding security in Our Eternal God?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

Bring them here to Me…

VERSES: And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Mt. 14:14-21, New King James Version)

Many times in life, we are faced with tasks and responsibilities in the Lord for which may not have the necessary resources. Here in verse 16, Jesus tells his disciples to give ‘them’ something to eat. We all know that the ‘them’ in question is a group of 5000 men, besides women and children. So the logical question is: How on earth did Jesus expect His 12 disciples to come up with enough food to feed a crowd that huge?

Well the truth is, that’s not what He expected….

The disciples would have been understandably perplexed. But even then, instead of arguing like most of us would do: “Lord, how do you think we’re going to do that?” or “You can’t expect us to come up with that much food in such short notice!” They said, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” Their surrender of the little they had led to probably the biggest (unprepared!) feast in history…

From this we can understand what God really expects of us. We do not have infinite time, skill, talent or even energy. But are we ready to give up the limited resources we have when Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me..”?

THOUGHT: Is serving God about how much we’ve got from God? Or is it more about how much we are willing to give to God?

Who is a true disciple?

This video gives you some amazing truths! Mikael Thomsen, a young Danish preacher, with a fire for the gospel, delivers this thought provoking video which echoes the true meaning of being His follower. Watch it and THINK BOUT IT!

Life 'Users’ Manual'

VERSE: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Tim 3:16, 17

The Word of God is there for us so that the man of God may be adequate and equipped for every good work. Oh! How true! The Word becomes like our ‘Life Users’ Manual’.

When we buy a new electronic gadget, we always look up the users’ manual on instructions on how to operate the gadget. When we run into trouble running the gadget, we look at the troubleshooting instructions in the manual. Similarly, the Word was designed to be our ‘Life User Manual’ on how to run our lives pleasing the Creator. We never doubt the manual; we believe the manual and operate the gadget accordingly. Ain’t that true?

As soon as you start operating your gadget in the way it is not supposed to be, it will soon need a repair. Maybe your life has been operated in a way which it wasn’t supposed to have been operated. The Users’ Manual, the Word of God has a remedy for that. You can give your life to the Lord today and that decision can change the way you operate your life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”. He not only promises us eternal life but a life in Him.

THOUGHT: Do we question the Life 'Users’ Manual' when it was designed by our Creator for us?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

The 'Trust' Factor

VERSE: Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37: 4, 5

These very familiar verses remind us of the ‘Trust factor’ and also a truth that we as believers must remember to follow just as King David did. King David, the mighty King of Israel is writing His own experience with the Lord who met the desires of his heart. David reminds us to ‘delight yourself in the Lord’ which means that we ought to have a relationship with Him that brings joy and pleasure. A relationship always involves 2 or more persons who know each other very well. Now in order to have an enjoyable relationship we ought to know Him better. This can be done through the continual reading of His Word and also communicating to Him through prayers and intercessions. The next verse talks about not only committing your way to Lord but also trusting in Him. That is what many believers forget. We commit our way to the Lord but we do not put our complete trust in our Saviour. The combination of enjoying a relationship with Him, committing your way to Him and trusting Him completely will help us meet the desire of our heart. These desires of ours will be pleasing to our Savior if this entire combination of Truth is taken in to account.

THOUGHT: Do I have the 'trust factor' in my relationship with my Savior?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

The Ultimate Salvation Plan: The Son redeems, the Father forgives and the Holy Spirit renews!

VERSE: But when the kindness of God our Savior and {His} love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to {the} hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

The participation of the Trinity in our salvation is just amazing and the role of each person in the Trinity is as important as the other! The Father’s love relationship with man is illustrated through His ultimate sacrifice of His Son who redeemed man from the filth of sin so that the Father could forgive mankind and give him the hope of eternal life. Jesus our Savior sent the Holy Spirit who would renew us so we no longer have to live under condemnation (Rom 8:1). It is also added that He poured out this Spirit abundantly so that our hearts are renewed and the guilt of sin is removed. Again Paul makes it very clear that we haven’t attained this through our works but because of His mercy alone. Paul also brings out the symbols of salvation that is water baptism where we become dead to sin and alive in Christ. Col 2:12-13 says that “Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross”. This all-clear certificate gives us the ultimate hope of eternal life and that is the ultimate salvation plan!

THOUGHT: Are you living each day believing that you have been redeemed by the Son, forgiven by the Father and renewed by the Holy Spirit from the guilt of your sin?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

Are you wearing the 'Armor of Light'?

VERSE: The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. Romans 13:12

I was just amazed at the mention of the armour of light the Lord wants us to adorn. The armour of light is what the Lord desires of us in these last days. The verse above reminds us that the days we lived as children of the world are over for we are children of the Lord. The coming of Our Lord is near. We are created in His image and our God is a holy God. We are expected to follow His standards of holiness and not the world’s standards. (1 Pet 1:16). In Romans we are asked not to conform to the world but conform to His standards (Romans 12:2). Finally 1 John 1:6,7 reminds us that “ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and {yet} walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin”.

THOUGHT: Are we living a life holy adorning the armour of light and waiting for the Saviour’s soon return?

All verses have been quoted from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.