Amazing GRACE!

Even if I, oh my God, lived to an eternity, I would never be able to write of all your wonderful ways. You are an amazing God. No words would be enough to sing your praises. You, my Almighty God are even beyond words.

I called to You and You answered: The righteous cry out, the LORD hears and he rescues them from all their afflictions. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed. Psalms 34:18-19   

I called to You and You reconfirmed:

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

Before the foundation of the world, God had laid out a plan for each and every one of our lives. God wants us to live an abundant life! He created us with and for a purpose. He wants us to enjoy and experience His goodness everywhere we go. He has marked moments that will catapault us to another level. These moments don’t come by chance. They are God-given moments.

I love reading Hebrews 11-what is also known as the Hall of Faith and to me one of my most favourite chapters in the Bible. There are two things I love here.

First: It speaks and gives the definition of Faith, my favourite topic after love. We learn that faith pleases God.

Second: It speaks about the great heroes of the Bible-who waited patiently on God and who triumphed by faith.

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

Hebrews 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Keep planting Gods Word in your life and meditate. If you want to go deeper with God, you need to spend time with Him and know His heart. In Jeremiah 29:13 it says, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Don't forget to give God not just a little bit, keep giving Him your all! I encourage you to spend alone time with the Lord. Set aside anything you were going to do, and just pray and dig deep in your heart and express yourself to God

Nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done. Luke 22:42

But Jesus, said these words throughout His life as He freely learned to surrender His will to the will of His Father, as He prayed and waited on the presence of God.

Like many people, I have desires in my heart too. But my prayer to God is, “God, not my will, but let Your will be done.”

Maybe you’ve gone through a disappointment and you don’t understand it. Realize today that God is at work in your life. He is directing your steps. When you surrender your will to Him, when you humble yourself before Him, that’s when God can take you to another level.

When we think of God's will being done on earth as in heaven we wonder if it will mean we will have nothing but a miserable life.

God's will in heaven is nothing other than an invitation into an embrace of love. Love is God's very nature. Scripture tells us there is no higher gift than love. God took on human flesh for love. Every time we choose love, God's will is being done on earth as in heaven.

Consider what it would mean in our lives if we all were filled with divine love. The reality is that when the deepest longing of our soul and the will of God meet that is exactly what happens. It is, in fact, what we are made for. And the great truth is that when that deepest longing of our soul is met, we know inner peace. It is being-one with God. It is being one with God's will.

Your will be done on earth as in heaven'—that is the call that echoes within us, and when we respond to it our souls are set free from every constraint.

Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4

I wanted to attend the Bible study class. But at the last moment, thought I was not prepared for it. The Gospel of Luke, mentioned Jonah, and I worried if I had disobeyed God, and so I asked. But God is so gentle, in His ways. This is just an instance. What I mean, is that at times we may not understand God’s ways, and we may hesitate and take a backseat. But God, He does not stop. He continues. He believes for you and me. You may have come to an exit but God will with His amazing love lead you to an entrance that was never even there. He makes ways where there were none. He clears all the crooked places. When you are at the by lanes or crossroads and don’t know what to do, be still. Let His loving ways-find you- and lead you to the path to walk on.

When you have a heart to please GOD, you may miss an exit, you may make a wrong turn, but God has already created another way. He’s still going to get you to where you’re supposed to be. He loves you with an everlasting love, and when you seek Him with your whole heart, no matter where you are in life, He’ll get you back on track! Amen.(26.05.2013 update)

CONCLUSION: Troubles lead us to God-they are not meant for our harm. To know God’s saving grace, we have to face the trials. Without trials, we would not understand, what it means to completely believe in God.   

Shake off the disappointment and realize that God has you in the palm of His hand. Know that He has good plans in store for your future, better than you could ever imagine! Trust Him with your whole heart today and every day! And praise Him forevermore. Praise God!

REMEMBER: God knows our thoughts, our deepest desires and our hopes for the future. God loves us, despite our imperfections. The amazing grace of God’s love is a wonderful blessing which we have all been given, for He knows everything about us, yet He still loves us. God loves us as we are, unconditionally.

He has a plan for each of us and He gives us what we need in our lives to help us to grow and to move forward toward our destinies.

Within each struggle, there is a lesson to be learned. Each struggle brings us closer to our destinies. Through each struggle in our lives we can turn to God and He will be there to help us and to guide us.

Amidst, the darkness is the divine love of our wonderful God, and it shines ever so brightly. This light that shows us the way through life is God’s love, His Amazing Grace.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I surrender every area of my heart, mind and life to You. Let everything I am bring glory to You in all things! This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Gods WORD

 

Have you ever felt completely lonely or abandoned? I look to the Cross-my saving Grace, my God, and I could feel the tears in my eyes, and the terrible ache in my heart and God made me understand, how it feels to be miserable (lonely) and how it is for the broken-hearted?

When I heard God say that, in my heart, I knew that’s what God wanted me to understand. It’s not like I never knew the feeling. I have walked that road before. But God has a way of keeping you grounded and yet powerfully connected to Him. God wanted me to find my way out, by asking for His help. When I did, God answered.

How often, do we understand another person? How often do we sympathize with a person? Do we always need to know some person’s life story, before we decide that yes we treated them bad. Maybe we should have been kinder. Maybe that’s the reason the person behaved the way they did. Every time, a story will not be told. Sometimes, it might be late when you get to know or could it be that their story of how miserable or lonely or how abandoned they felt, goes with them?

Do you want to be the one who treats others this way? You’re right, when you say you can never tell of what a person goes through. Clearly not every one discloses of what they feel? Or what they are going through? Then how do you get to know?

The Bible, it’s what connects you to God-to a brighter understanding-and to knowing of God and His infinite power and of His infinite wisdom. The Bible holds all the promises of God. What you want to do, is to pray and ask God to give you the grace to read everyday and you my friend, is who God is waiting for.

I am confident of this: that the One who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

It’s easy to become discouraged especially when our expectations have not been met in the time we have set. But this scripture gives us an assured hope that God will indeed finish the work he has begun.

Your life is no surprise to God, He saw you in eternity and knows the great work He has for you. Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Don’t give up on the restoration God is doing in your life, by faith know He is working. The work He has begun in you is like a seed planted. On the surface, nothing much is happening. But below, the soil, its dark and hard and the plant has to fight its way through the dark soil. This takes time. We can’t see the struggle. But its happening. Same way with our lives, we go through trials and we don't understand the reasons. We pray and we don't see the results. But God works behind the scenes continually for our dreams to manifest. And He, is orchestrating everything to perfection. Trust Him, always. It may at times feel like nothing is happening, but deep within just like a seed planted in the soil much is taking place unseen. Finally, the plant will surface, and grow to either a plant a shrub or the most beautiful tree, you've ever seen. Evey thing has a time and purpose. From a caterpillar to a butterfly, there are stages. Each stage has its own reasons. God has His wonderful reasons.

Trust that God will finish what He started in you, so that you may accomplish the great work He has planned and purposed for your life

3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5

Trials-Pressure

Trials are a part of life. As Christians, we must carry our crosses, daily. God's only son, Jesus, was born and brought up in a simple dwelling. If you think of it, there was no means of travel, so most often Jesus, had to go by foot or maybe sometimes sit on a donkey. And some nights must have been extremely cold, and some days the heat must have been terrifying. 
In our day to day, life, sometimes I find it difficult, to see so much harshness in people. I wish, everyone could be gentle. And sometimes, as a person, I wish I could go back to the 18th century. If only there was a time-machine. 
What I'm trying to say is, God knows the future, and God is always in control. God still chose to send His only Son to the world at the appointed  time. As a carpenter, do you know how many times, a splinter can go in your hands, and how many times you can actually hurt your hands? Think, about Jesus. The most powerful and yet so humble. He chose to be one of us. He did not choose power or wealth or fame. He chose our way of life. He chose you and me. He chose trials. He chose to be crucified, knowing wholly well that, this would give us ultimate freedom. At the cost of His life, we have salvation.

Patience 

What do we do while we're in trouble or surrounded by troubles? The Bible says we are to develop a character trait known as patience. You have to experience troubles in order to have something to be patient about.

Every troubled moment, if faced in the right way, will build the virtue of patience. There is a right way and a wrong way to things. The wrong way, would be to complain about things, to lose ones temper-to simply get aggressive. The right way would be to bless each and every moment-as a God given moment. We have to continue doing the right thing at the right time, trusting in God.

When troubles come, some people give up. Some others get aggressive and some wonder where God is? But you must endure! One of the greatest marks of our faith and our confidence in the Almighty is our endurance, our perseverance, and our constancy when troubles come. 
Like Jesus, let us pray when surrounded by trials or troubles of any kind, as Jesus did in the Garden of gethsemane. Jesus fought the greatest battle all by Himself. Knowing what would follow His decision, He chose to do His Fathers will.

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12

U If we complaint about where we are, we will never get to where we want to be.

 

Experience

When one, goes through a series of tests bearing everything in patience, one learns to endure through the tests. The ongoing trial, teaches us ever to be humble and kind, only if we are willing to learn. Every trial, will teach us to be ever trusting on God. Needless to say, when we learn and if we learn then we will remain humble. Humility will teach us to understand how it feels to walk in others shoe.
From Gethsemane garden to Good-Friday-crucifixion, we heard Jesus say:Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 - We saw 'Love Prevailed.'

Hope

Hope means utter confidence based on the Word of God. When we go through the testing time, we learn to be patient and we learn to believe that God is ever faithful.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Think, about God's faithfulness in your life---how He's brought you through difficult times in the past. This is God’s HOPE for you. God will never abandon. Never.

God is in charge and He-God who has begun a good work in you, will finish what he has started. We know of this, from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

WAY TO GO: We begin with a - trial, require-patience, after patience endurance-the will to continue-knowing God is in the battle with you, and finally the confidence in the Almighty God-that you are never the victim. And through that process, God will work into your life. God is always a WINNER. Come join the VICTORS. For we all are winners in Christ.

The Power of the Bible - Who I Am In Christ

I AM a child of God. (Romans 8:16)
I AM redeemed from the hand of the enemy. (Psalm 107:2).

I AM forgiven. (Colossians 1:13, 14)
I AM saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
I AM justified. (Romans 5:1)
I AM sanctified. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

I AM a new creature in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I AM a partaker of His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
I AM redeemed from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13)
I AM delivered from the powers of darkness. (Colossians 1:13)
I AM led by the Spirit of God. (Romans 8:14)

I AM a son of God. (Romans 8:14)
I AM kept in safety wherever I go. (Psalm 91:11)
I AM getting all my needs met by Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
I AM casting all my cares on Jesus. (1 Peter 5:7)
I AM strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10

I AM(can) do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
I AM an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus. (Romans 8:17)
I AM heir to the blessing of Abraham. (Galatians 3:13, 14)
I AM observing and doing the Lord’s commandments. (Deuteronomy 28:12)

I AM blessed coming in and going out. (Deuteronomy 28:6)

I AM an inheritor of eternal life. (1 John 5:11, 12)
I AM blessed with all spiritual blessings. (Ephesians 1:3)
I AM healed by His stripes. (1 Peter 2:24)
I AM exercising my authority over the enemy. (Luke 10:19)
I AM above only and not beneath. (Deuteronomy 28:13)
I AM more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
I AM establishing God’s Word here on earth. (Matthew 16:19)
I AM an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and my testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
I AM daily overcoming the devil. (1 John 4:4)
I AM not moved by what I see. 2 Corinthians 10:4- 5
I AM walking by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
I AM casting down vain imaginations. 2Corinthians 10:4-5
I AM bringing every thought into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5)
I AM being transformed by a renewed mind. (Romans 12:1- 2)
I AM a laborer together with God. (1 Corinthians 3:9)
I AM the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:21
I AM an imitator of Jesus. (Ephesians 5:1)
I AM the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

I AM God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God  prepared for me to walk in. (Ephesians 2:10)

REMEMBER: Be confident that God is able to complete the good work he has started in us. God has plans for each one of us and we need to see those plans bear fruit. I think you do too. Think about it, God can and will work His purposes through us. We can turn away from God, but He will not abandon us no matter how difficult our situation may be. He will complete the good works He started.

Second, let us all be confident in the power of the gospel. We often think of the gospel as something that can change the lives of others. Do we ever stop and think about how it changes us-or how it has changed us? We need to consider what our lives would be like if we didn’t know Christ. Let us also reflect on how the gospel continues to change our lives and our life together.

Third, my hope is that we will grow in the years ahead, together with God, knowing the power of His Word. Because, it is the TRUTH! It is everything we need to know about God.

CONCLUSION: I hope that we will grow in love.. I hope that we will grow in our understanding and experience of what really matters, so that we may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. A pure and blameless life is one that doesn’t stumble and doesn’t cause others to stumble. It brings glory and praise to God.

Please join me in this hope and confidence that God will finish what he started in us. We belong to Christ. He loves us and can do so much in us.

PRAYER: My Father, every breath I take is your grace on me. Teach me to always have an unfailing compassion on each and every one. Teach me to love everyone, the way you would want me to. And God, let me always remember that every heart beat of mine belongs to you. Keep me humble, oh Lord I pray. Amen.

Forever Love!

I am a Bryan Adams fan. When it comes to love songs, I don’t think anyone can write the lyrics the way he does. Matter of fact speaking, my all time favorite song, is definitely a Bryan Adams number. The song came out in the Nineties. It’s called (Everything I do) I do it for you. The song is truly about how one feels when one is in love, it speaks about sacrifice. What the heart feels is what is expressed. To this day this is my number 1 love song, and it always will be. Because there is no song, in the world that expresses love the way this song does.

It’s Valentines, and it’s been a whole week of listening to people tirelessly talk about their plans. Love is a beautiful feeling. It’s my whole universe. I love to love. It’s my dream of dreams.

I love Valentines day. Love seeing the excitement in people. I don’t understand the valentines, day hype. My philosophy is simple: ‘If you can’t love a person through the year, do you think you can love a person in a day?’

Gifts don’t establish or prove love. It just shows your ability to purchase commodities. So, if you love that someone in your life, don’t just wait for today. Love is to eternity-today and everyday. And Valentines day is just a reminder of the love you celebrate. Keep God, first place and everything will fall in line. 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. Corinthians 13:4-8

 

This verse describes the characteristics of true love. The love we show to God is obedience: For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: 1 John 5:3

Love is patient! It practices kindness. We cannot hide what we are from our omniscient God. Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

The words we speak need to be directed by love. Love has its lasting effects. Only love expressed is what pleases the Lord. It pleases God when we have the same love in our hearts as He has...we then are like Him and show forth His love and who He is. His plan is that we be like Him towards one and all. God is love...and God's love is towards all.

Let us look at what God says is true love.

Love is patient...

It is longsuffering. Being patient means one is not quick to get angry....or to take offence. One kind of patience is the courage to endure. The other kind of patience is the willingness to wait. Have you ever waited on God, its worth all the patience in the world. Because you will see your dream unfold a little at a time before you. You know it was and is worth all the patience in the world. To be patient is to endure discomfort without complaint. God is an incredibly patient God. God is Love. True love is patient.

The best things in life are worth waiting for.

Patience is faith in action because it says:
God is in control of life.
Patience is hope in action because it says:
God has great things in mind for the future.
Patience is love in action because it says:
You are worth waiting for!

Love is kind...

Kindness is love and love shows itself in kindness. Kindness comes up from the depth of our hearts.

Kindness is being good to others from the heart. It means do good to others in thought, word, and deed. Kindness is the fruit of the spirit that holds us together. The kindness of God, therefore, refers to God’s goodness in action. God’s kindness is meant to bring repentance in our hearts. Romans 2:4.

Just, the other day, I overheard a priest (Fr. Leslie-26.05.2013update) talk so lovingly to people. There was so much kindness in his words, and much love. Believe me, kindness impacts. I cannot and will not forget the way he spoke to the people. His act of kindness is forever engraved in my heart. 
Don’t look for faults in others. But in your kindness and compassion, be the one who cheers them on. Be appreciative. God loves that. It pleases His heart immensely. Imagine the world with all kind people. What a wonderful world that would be.

Love does not envy...

God doesn’t want us to be envious of anyone because He has something uniquely special for each and every one of us. We are each gifted and called to a special purpose. If we always want what someone else has, we will miss out on God’s best for us. We don't have to prove ourselves and we don't have to chase after things that will keep us unhappy. We need to stop pleasing people in order to get somewhere. The only person we need to please is God. Lets follow Jesus teaching, by being like our Father in Heaven, Who is perfect. We need to know that God is Sovereign. That is the only way we will be truly happy with our lives. Happiness is not the capacity to have everything. It is just being happy and content with what God has given you and relying on Him-God completely, to provide whenever the need arises. God is ‘Jehovah Jireh’- the God who always provides.

Love is not puffed up...

Love does not boast. Love does not remind a person of the great "sacrifice" that was made for them. Love is aware of the needs of others and also humble enough to accept the help offered when in need. It encourages and builds confidence in people. Love does not condemn-because God does not condemn anyone. We all have sinned, let us remember that and not be waiting to charge others for their faults. Let us always, be humble and remember that we are not above others. That God made everyone in His image and likeness. Let us love with all our hearts. We cannot change anyone, but we can be the change we want to see. We can accept the people we love with their faults-making concessions-being fully aware-that we commit faults too-and love them as they are and love them as we would love ourselves.

Love does not behave rudely . . .

True love is courteous-more to do with mannerisms. That is something that we really seriously need to bring back. But love cares about others and is gentle. True love is not confrontational.....it gives the benefit of the doubt...it always seeks peace. When a couple fight, they don’t need to bring each other down, or try to disgrace the other to the outside world. What they need to do however, is settle the matter at home in a peaceful manner. Again good communication is very important. Anger brings about rude behaviour. We need to calm down.

Can you see how all this ties together? If the love of Jesus, is in a person's heart they will be patient, they will be kind and not envy another. Where Christ lives in the heart that person does not uplift himself in pride, and does not act rudely to others.

We need to control the temper? Nothing that is not achievable. It takes time and practice. Let love guide you. Let love be your motivating force.

Love does not seek its own . . .

If we want to live life and live it well, if we want to show the love of Christ to all around us, then we must first die to ourselves. We need to have a sincere interest in people’s interest. In a conversation, let the person speak. Be a good listener, and be genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. Never make a conversation about you. Let the other person have the spotlight.

Love is not provoked . . . 

To provoke means "to arouse anger or sudden outburst." Love guards against being irritated, upset, or angered by things said or done against it. A person that gets easily angered or provoked makes living a difficulty apart from the grace of God. Life gets to be a terror zone for everyone around the person.  Ephesians 4:26 reminds us not to allow the sun to go down on our wrath. The word wrath means rage. It is ok to be angry. But any reaction to it becomes a sin.

What is the benefit of provocation? Does it not just cause more hurt? How can there be any reconciliation where there is provocation? Are these the memories we want to create? Do we want to terrorize the people we love?

Like Jesus, we need to be kind, patient and forgiving always.

Love thinks no evil. . .

Those who possess and characterize true love are not disposed to find evil where no evil seems to be. Love keeps no records of wrongs done. Love always forgives. 

You can give me a million of reasons, why you choose not to forgive. And I’ll happily give you a million and one reasons why you need to. Starting from Jesus, when crucified, in all His love spoke “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

And then there is the late missionary, Graham Staines wife, who readily followed Jesus ways, by forgiving the people who burned her husband and their two little boys alive.

Forgiveness is the only way to remove past hurts from our lives. It does not harbor the hurt that others do to us, but graciously forgives and holds no grudge.

A love based on forgiveness can restore our peace, joy and fellowship with others, even when we think they have hurt us, beyond the point of hurting. FORGIVE.

Love believes all things . . .

All things love endures.

All things love believes.

All things love hopes.

You could replace it with “always” and then it looks like this:

Always love endures.

Always love believes.

Always love hopes.

Always and Forever. Love is . . .

Love never ceases to have faith as it never loses hope. In other words, love believes the best of every person. It does not behave suspiciously. It does not believe in criticisms. Love will always defend! Love will always standby.  What a wonderful thing it is to know that when you are facing the toughest situations, when you are criticized, belittled-and put down that there is some one who stands up for you and with you.... That is what love does.....it stands by always and forever.

Love endures all things . . .

Love doesn't run away or give up when things get difficult. It hangs in there and with God's help it gently teaches what is right. Love is more concerned about the other person. The best example of this is Christ. He was arrested, whipped, mocked, and then crucified. He endured it all with love, so that we could be saved. Someone had to die. Christ endured all of it for us because of His great love for us.

Love refuses to give up, surrender, stop believing or hoping. No matter how bad a situation or how humiliating the hour is....the love of Christ in one's heart does not seek vengeance. It keeps the door open and prays for God's intervention...it turns the other cheek. Love will simply not stop loving.

Love never fails . . .

7 steps-to help understand love.

• Be humble. 1 Peter 5:5-6
• Believe the best in people. Philippians 4:8
• Keep a clear conscience before God and man. Acts 24:16
• Don’t let a root of bitterness grow in your heart. Ephesians 4:31
• Overlook offenses when possible. Proverbs 19:11
• Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to build each other. Romans 14:19
• Be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
• Search your heart and think about the close relationships you have. For the sake of the Gospel, let’s work at loving one another.

True love, must first be directed toward God. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" Matthew 22:37-38. He tells us, "this is the first and greatest commandment." The second is to "love your neighbor as yourself" v.39. First we have our obligations to God, then we have our obligations to our fellow man.

CONCLUSION:  Love is the only one motivating force that changes everyone for the better. When someone loves us we want to be good to them in return; we want to look better and be kinder. Love can soften the hardest of hearts, but without love, hearts become hard and unhappy.

REMEMBER: Every heart desires, to be loved. We must work towards loving the hardest of hearts. This is the only way we can make God’s presence felt.

It is just a relentless trust in all that we do, and all that we cannot do, that God will accomplish all His purposes.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

God will orchestrate everything to perfection. Let the love of loves breathe in your direction. Have a Happy Valentines day!

    

PRAYER:  Father, teach me to know, what it is to love, without being judgemental. Give me an understanding mind, that looks through the hurts of people, so that they could be filled with hope faith and love. This I ask in Jesus, name. Amen.

At the name of JESUS

Often, I see people treat each other bad. Mostly the way we speak and respond with each other. Its like we have forgotten how to be kind, or how to get along. I see people wearing t-shirts with captions like ‘being human’. What a reminder of what we need to be and are not. The so called thing, is called attitude, is nothing but how we best fool ourselves. The thing – attitude – is mistakenly, these days called confidence. I think we live in misguided times. What we need, however is humility, that only love can and will teach. Without humility, we fall short. Without it we can never learn or love. We need humility, because then we can have a hope, that brings in love, faith, patience and a whole lot of goodness.

 

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11

As Christians we're supposed to be viewing humility as a basic part of our character. I think sometimes we misunderstand what humility is.

Jesus Christ, is the son of the Living God. Jesus takes on the very reality of being truly God and truly human. What it says here is that He humbled Himself to even die for the sake of other people. Therefore humility has to mean more than just recognizing our weakness and failure.

We will never escape the fact that we are imperfect. We are weak, and we fail. Here we have Jesus, the one we're to look to, who in His perfection has things that belong to Him that He lets go of.

You see, when God calls us to be humble, it's not to emphasize our difference, but to invite us to be like Him. Humility is in the very character of the Trinity. (God The Father, The Son and The Holy spirit). It says here that "Jesus who in being very nature God, didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing." God is calling us to be like Him, so we've got to put aside any sense that humility is optional.... It's not optional because it is God-likeness. We need to put aside any sense of resentment that God's somehow pushing us down. It's not forced on us. We're invited to share in it.

God’s measuring system : He measures your spirit, knowing that what you do in the flesh is an expression of your spirit, what comes out of the heart defiles the man, Matthew 15:19.

Old Nature-Pride                 New Nature- With - GOD

Envy-you’re getting a better   Thanksgiving for good & bad

deal than me.                   

Blame-you made me do it.         Just Forgive.

Mood-complain it isn’t           Trust-no mood.

happening the way I want.   

Resist-never accept the fault.   Submit to Authority.

         

Fear-of losing ground.           God's will.

         

I want it NOW                    God's perfect timing.

Judge-you’re not doing it        Judge righteously-seeing  

Right.                           through God’s eyes.

                                 

God prospers the humble, He opposes the proud. You can only find humility by repenting of your sins and trusting the Lord’s atoning blood. Before you can say you are humble you have to see your sin.

Let us take a look at four different ways to Humility:

Humility - Ability to say sorry.

When we are humble we know that we make mistakes. It costs nothing to say sorry, and yet we find it so hard to do so? We require God's forgiveness.  Perhaps it is about our personal pride that makes it so difficult to admit that we are wrong. Human pride refuses to say sorry, 'Humility' is the ability to say sorry.

Humility - Don't need to impress others.

You need not worry about being ordinary and this is an essential part of being humble. Perhaps the greatest reason for some people striving after worldly approval is their own insecurity with themselves.

We need to realise that God knows us completely and loves us unconditionally, just for who we are. Humility, allows us to be at peace. Humility, means that we are not worried about trying to impress others. May I never boast said Paul except in the cross of Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14. Some people are frightened that if they act themselves people won't like them. With God we have nothing to prove. It takes a little thought and courage to be able to say that God wants us to be ourselves!

Humility - Prepared to learn

Humility is the ability to know that there is much to learn. It is also the ability to know that it can stand to be corrected. It is also the ability to take criticisms, fully knowing that at the end we stand before God and it is His judgement that counts.

Humility - Gentle with others

And so if we are humble we are automatically more tolerant of others and what we might perceive to be their weaknesses, because we know and realize we are not above making mistakes ourselves.

To sum up the Glorious proclamation:

• Jesus gave up every position and privilege and right of equality with God. He intentionally did this for a time on earth, so that He could become one of us. His Father rewarded His obedience and sacrifice by elevating Him to the Supreme Position in the universe—with the Name that is above every other name.

CONCLUSION: HUMILITY will strengthen us and make us better people to live with, for ourselves and for others. We could always look to Jesus, because search as much as you want, but there is none like Jesus. Jesus 'humbled Himself'. He did not consider glory being God, and He did not let it stop Him from being just one of us. So being one of us, He could accomplish, that which He came for. He was willing to empty Himself and became despised for us. Through His sufferings, through His humiliation, through His abandonment, He paved the way for us to eternal salvation. The most wonderful example of divine love is simply that Jesus humbled Himself being God (Son of the Almighty God) and ultimately gave His life on the cross for you and me. God the Father out of the Humility of His heart, sacrificed His son. My mighty God - the most powerful force in the entire universe - sent His only Son, Jesus to the world for us. We need to bow, in adoration, to the ONE who IS and Will always BE! You will never ever find a love like that ever.  Its, Only my sweet Jesus! And to you my Father. Thank you, God. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Praise God!

REMEMBER: Friends, Jesus is inviting us to know who we are as God's children... to know where we're going because of His grace. God invites us in. When He tells us to be humble it's like He's saying, "Come, be more like Me."

PRAYER: Oh Father, give us the humility which admits our mistakes and welcomes advice. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize. And help us to always put others needs before our own. And lord, help us always to remember that we are all human and need to treat each other the way we would like to be treated. This I ask, in Jesus name. Amen.