In 2018, we went to the Lexus showroom, narrowed down on the ES300. We required a new car badly. Our existing one had become old and had many huge repairs coming by. So we went ahead. Applied to buy through car loan. It did not come through. We tried two more times, yet it did not get processed. We were quite happy with the Lexus Rx350 we had. It had served us for over 10 years. Naturally we loved the brand. But seems God had other plans.

But as we were denied what we desired, we were sad. Crestfallen, we went to the mitsubishi showroom. We opted now for our second choice, a Mitsubishi Pajero. We got used to the car. We had no regrets.

Often I ask the favorite verse to the people I come across. This time it was a young lady who had a bright smile and joy was all around her. We came across her as we went to play shuttle badminton. Every weekend on Sunday morning as a family we have an hour to glorify God in a game we like as a family. We get to do so in an airconditioned indoor court.

Back to the lady, we later found out she was from God’s favorite country Uganda. Don’t bother in case you are not from Uganda. Note every country which has God fearing people is the Lord’s favorite. God also blessed Uganda with the greatest find of Gold in the history of the world. But all news is hush hush. A country which outwardly seems to have invested heavily into Africa including this country of Uganda could be exploiting the nation of this great blessing.

In Proverbs 1, we read that we ought to hear the instructions of our father, not to forsake the law of our mother. Wonder if any child would have gone wayward if they did follow this. 

Joy and Delight is what we focus on. All from the book of Psalms. Other shades of these words are considered. We will examine: Why? What? How? perspectives!

Note 1) What should our delight be in?
Can this make you blessed?

This message is based on what I heard in church. The message was Simple, profound and powerful. Hence I am compelled to write and publish this post.

Why take care of your heart?
We know that we should take great care of our hearts..
Why?
Because out of it flows the issues of life.
This is the verse from Proverbs 4:23. Let us examine the variation of this verse from other versions of the Bible.

The Lady at the Well is a well-known passage in the Bible. This happened in Samaria. Jacob had dug the well and it became Joseph’s inheritance.

It was noon time. It was blistering hot. Hardly anyone came to the well at this time. Yet, for the very same reason, this lady came to the well at that time. She did not want to meet anyone. She thought she could come to the well, draw water and leave without having to meet and interact with anyone.

Who does not want a healthy mind?
Almost everyone likes to have:
a mind that is peaceful,
a mind that is not anxious,
a mind that is joyful,
a mind thinking good,
a mind not thinking of evil,
a mind that is focussed,
a mind that does not wander away!

These reasons to read the Bible are mentioned here, so that you benefit from this fresh resorvoir of blessings. Once you make reading the Bible a habit, everyday, every season of your life will be blessed with love, wisdom, favour, peace, joy, victory, patience, kindness, discernment, faithfulness, fulfilment, healing, wholesomeness…

You should read the Bible:
a) For ‘knowing God’ and developing a relationship with God
b) Finding what God has already given you
c) For unveiling what’s hidden for you to discover
d) To start hearing from God
e) For getting dreams and visions from Heaven
f) Receiving keys to taking care of gift of life
g) For a peaceful, abundant life
h) For a ‘good love life with your spouse’ + other reasons
i) For staying away from sin
j) To be strong and defeat enemies of any size!
k) Knowing your identity in God
l) Standing in faith without fear to see the salvation of the Lord

Yes, we are to fight. Not any kind of fight. But the good fight. If you don’t do it, you either lose or you take 40 years while it should have taken 11 days.

What is a good fight?
The good fight is not to harm, injure or kill.
But the good fight is powerful in its impact.
It’s a fight with great determination.
Determination to bring down mountains of hindrance.
It’s a fight to make a dry ground path to cross across the deep river.
Simply said it is ignoring every contrary situation and circumstances which can hinder your victory.

Whatever we slip into, we are slaves to. We do not want to go there, yet we visit! We should stop this.

It can be binge watching. It can be heavy social media usage. It can be envy. It can be laziness. Being disorganized. It can be pornography. It can be black sliding. Poor time management.

Whatever displeases Jesus we need to stop. A daily Bible reading is a starting place.

Yes, as a Christian with active faith in Jesus Christ our Lord who was crucified to death and was resurected by the power of God victory is already ours.

Right from every battle to the greatest wars, our victory is a done deal. Our victory means we have guaranteed eternal life. Our seating is a huge upgrade – an upgrade beyond imagination – we are seated in heavenly places. We are seated in the throne room of God along with Jesus Christ, God’s begotten son and our Lord and Saviour.

In this interesting passage in the Gospel of Mark we see the disciples rebuking those who were trying to bring children to get Jesus to touch them. Jesus corrected his disciples.

13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16 NKJV)

As children of God, we are to be like our Heavenly Father. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” (Genesis 1:26 KJV)

Some of us have self doubt. For some it’s often. For others it’s occasionally. We doubt ourselves. Lack of confidence can increase on certain days, and can change depending on circumstances.

Often we know that the first commandment is about loving God.
Some of us know that it’s about loving God with all of our strength.

We’ve all heard “God is with us.” Many know this statement. Yet many of us don’t realize what this means for our lives. Knowing the statement or not knowing the statement does not make any difference.

Our Lord is awesome. He is omnipresent and omnipotent, and His power reigns supreme over all circumstances and everything. Jesus is Lord over our lives. He has redeemed us from sin and death, through his death on the cross and resurrection. Life and abundant life are ours through Jesus Christ.

I have had this desire for a few decades. It started when I started reading the Bible more often. The first key I received was from the 1st Chapter of Psalms.

Therein clearly the requirements for being a fruitful tree are mentioned.

It reminds us that a blessed and fruitful person does these things, viz.
a) Delights in the law of the Lord and
b) Meditates on it day and night.
Such a person is like a fruitful tree whose leaves shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.

God loves us. He truly loves us very much. Knowing this love matters. He created us. He loves us more dearly than a loving Father, whose eyes are filled with glistening joy as He sees you with full attention each time you look up to Him with your love in your eyes. He loves you more dearly than a loving Mother, who knows what breaks your heart and what delights you.

One can choose to walk in awareness of God’s love and experience it. Not knowing this means missing out on all the goodness that is available. It’s like a person with good eyesight walking with blindness because the person has chosen to walk with their eyes closed. It’s like eating gourmet cuisine without enjoying the taste because one’s taste buds are sick and dysfunctional.

God our Lord is beautiful. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. (Psalm 50:2)

The bright and beautiful sun is one of God’s creations. We see the very same sun from the freezing cold in Roveniemi in Finland or the jungles of Kenya or brilliant city of Dubai. When some of the sun’s light comes through the leaves of the trees, it’s so beautiful. We can hardly watch the full sun, when it’s bright and dazzling. We are cautioned not to watch it directly as the intense brightness can blind one’s eyes. Let us remember that the Sun is just one of God’s innumerable creations. Pause. Think. Even the intricacies of the human mind are beyond comprehension. Like this, the more we think and imagine about God’s creation, we will be filled with awe of God. All of which points to the beauty beyond comprehension, beauty beyond words of the almighty God, the omnipotent, the omnipresent One.

Christianity is a relationship with God. Thus, a Christian has a daily ongoing relationship with God. It’s a mutual relationship between God and his children.

The Word of God helps a Christian to build and develop this relationship. The Word of God is the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ is also the Word of God become flesh.

We are not to disconnect with God after our brief morning interactions. After our quiet time, time of worship, time of Bible reading, time of prayers, we need to stay connected with our Lord Jesus.

From sun rise to sunset, i.e. all through the day – the Lord desires we walk with Him. We are not to forget his precepts and walk as though we are cut off from Him.

Miracles, signs and wonders are important in building up our belief and faith in God, the almighty creator of Heaven and Earth. Things which can be explained can often be attributed to be natural. The awe and wonder at what God can do has a great impact in strengthening our belief in Jesus Christ and Father God.

God made man in His image.

Was this the outward appearance? OR Was it the inner being which is non-tangible was made like God? 

Faith is to believe what you do not see.
The reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

Jesus is the good shepherd.
Jesus told, “I am the good shepherd.”

The good shepherd knows his sheep by name.
For a bystander, all sheep may look similar, but the good shepherd knows each one distinctly. He has a strong one-to-one relationship with every sheep.
He knows the name of each sheep, he knows the specific address and details of each and every sheep.

Christmas is a great celebration. Many understand the reason for the joy of Christmas, but a few understand less about the reason and significance of this season. For them, it’s essentially about Christmas gifts, Santa Claus, Christmas cake, eating, drinking, and making merry.

God is good. He is good all the time. Here is a letter for you from God this Christmas season. Read this aloud, so you can hear the voice of a loving father. Do not be in a rush. Read it slowly. Your heavenly father has all the time in the world for you. It’s because He loves you. Read this letter aloud.

God is your heavenly father. He speaks to you. He loves you very much and longs for a relationship with his children. He gives them the choice to speak to him and have a nurturing relationship with him. He takes the first step in the relationship. He has chosen you; he knows you. Now it is up to you to respond and take the next step. Read the letter that God has written to you. When you read it multiple times, you get more from it. Read it aloud and hear the love of a father for you, his precious child.

God speaks to you every day, even today. He says you are very special and dear to Him. The only reason you don’t hear Him is that you are extremely busy and involved in many things. Take time off daily. Be in a still place with Him. Seek to hear Him. He is drawing near to you. But if you surround yourself with much noise, a busy life, you may not hear your heavenly father. So sit quietly and read this letter from God to you. Remember how much he loves you. Use your name instead of the blank. He writes personally to you. Read it a few times; understanding simple things takes time.

God’s message specifically to you. When you read it a couple of times, you will get a better understanding of what he has hidden for you to discover. Read without hurry. Read it like an eager lover of God. This message for you is short but is soaked in love like the morning dew. Read this using your name. Even when you repeatedly read, use your name. Your God knows you by your name. (But I do not, hence I left it blank. )

God’s letter specifically to you. Read this a couple of times, just like you read a loved one’s letter again and again. There are interesting nuances you discover after you read them multiple times. Reading aloud shuts out the outside world. Use your name, and go ahead and read it. The sweet incense of God’s love envelops you as you read this love letter.

You have a letter from God. Read this aloud. Use your name and read it. As God loves you more than anyone, read it with great attention. Understanding his great love changes your perspective on yourself.

Many of us view work as a necessary evil, a source of stress and worry that we have to endure in order to make a living. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. As Christians, we can choose to live according to the principles of the kingdom, making our work a source of joy and satisfaction. In this blog post, I will discuss how a Christian can make work less of a burden, and more of a blessing.

Many like me have not claimed this treasure, even though Jesus spoke of this mind-blowing storehouse of truth, knowledge, awareness, and wisdom that was placed within our reach. I feel that we have been like a poor person, unaware of the large amount credited to his bank account.

Jesus Christ calls us his friends. A person does not tell a servant everything. Only on a need-to-know basis are matters disclosed.

But Jesus has told us everything. Jesus goes on to say that everything His Father has told him, he has also told us. I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father. (John 15:15 version AMP)

Jesus told this very clearly. Hence not adding any explanation. Desire this abundant, overflowing joy. Jesus told this only because it is possible.
Given below are verses from various versions of the Bible.

Many people have a relaxed time after retirement. Most of them don’t have anything to do. But when a Christian retires, he or she is busy They have a lot to do and accomplish before they can rest. It’s amazing and beautiful because they’re busier than ever before!

Many think they know the word “love’, yet the vast majority know very little about it. As a Christian, we should know it well. A checklist on love from a faith perspective is necessary as Love is the greater among Faith, Hope and Love. 1 Corinthians 1:13 says And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. So here is a checklist to assess our understanding of love as a Christian. 

As a Christian, we need check list. Else as days goes by, we slip and often do not realise what we have slipped from. Having a check list of whats important is good. Here is a check list which is work in progress. I have been working on it for nearly a week. Certainly hope and pray that this helps in making an introspection on where you are. I would be most glad when this inspires you to make your own version of checklist.

I am not a frequent flier. Yet I fly over 6 times in a year. And each time I land, I rejoice much, I thank the Lord from inside out. As I land as an expression of joy, I also clap, irrespective of the time of landing. 

This is a very important question. Death can come to any person any day. Man knows there is a day ordained by God for us to be born and another day ordained for us to die in God’s perfect will.

Many of us hear great preechings. These messages transform some. Others are not effected. A vast majority among us have minor changes but are not able to sustain it. Do the people who are transformed receive a different seed? A different message? No. It’s all the same. Then why is there different results for different people from the same message?

Before we step into the topic, let us examine two brief thoughts. 

Few people we come across in life, can stand and speak against the goodness we stand for. Especially goodness from the Kingdom perspective. In handling these situations, we have a powerful role model in Jesus. Jesus was the meekest individual. Jesus manifested meekness from the power and strength he possessed – so that he fulfilled every plan and purpose of Father God.

Who does not like rewards? But the rewards which give us joy and delights keep changing. They keep changing with what we have. They keep changing with our age. They keep changing based on our riches or poverty. They change based on what we desire and want. They keep changing based on what we value. They change based on our perception. They change based on what we know. They change based on whom we have given Lordship of our lives to. And many other factors.

You will find out for yourself, once you read this. 

You will find yourself nearer to the Lord in a while, that is very good. 

Frustration is not an option for a Christian.

You may go through frustrating situations – but that does not need to make you frustrated.

Jesus used parables a lot. And they always were deeply insightful. They conveyed the message very powerfully. The parables are like a litmus paper test – clearly showing what kind of person is more acceptable with the Kingdom Of God. Similar to the parables, Jesus observed and remarked about various life lessons which have equally valuable insights for us to glean and learn from.

Jesus was on the cross. The two criminals were crucified on either side. One of them challenged Jesus and said, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” The other criminal was shocked and rebuked him about the manner in which he addressed Jesus, who was crucified for no offense. For the judicial authorities had not found any wrong doing on Jesus to be crucified. It was only the evil intent of the religious authorities that was able to force their way to crucify Jesus. ( Note all scripture verses shown in this blog post are in blue font are from Luke chapter 11 & 12 NKJV)

Since you do not know the parable of the unjust steward, here it is. An extremely powerful insight is hidden in this parable.

The prayer which Jesus taught the disciples is profound. If you did not know it, pity you. Below this blog post I provide a link to a post on that.

All of us have our shortcomings. The people who see these best are our family. We spend most time with them. While people outside our family may see only the outside of the cups, our family knows us inside out. They get to see the inner side of the cups. Certainly the Lord sees the insides. Often the families also sees the inside. Read the next verse which is insightful. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:26, NKJV) I certainly did feel like a pharasee when I read the verse. Dont we feel like a Pharisees?

The title of this post is from the Gospel of Luke. Its part of the 34th verse from the 11th chapter. Since you want to know the complete verse which is a statement made by our Lord Jesus Christ, here it is – a precious instruction for you and for me.

Yes.

In life it is possible to go through life circumstances when we realise an emptiness. We do not find God. We don’t find purpose in life.

But when we seek to find God. When we are sincerely want to find God, we can find God.
Time and again, this is repeated in many lives. I have walked this path. I know very very many who have travelled far and wide and yet finally they found God. Fortunate for me, I did not have to travel far and wide.

Charles Thomas Studd, also known as “C.T. Studd,” was born in England in 1860. His father, Edward Studd, had made a lot of money in India and was very wealthy. Charles Studd liked sports just like most young men. Cricket was the most popular sport in England at the time, so he loved it. His older brother Kynaston Studd was a well-known cricket player for Cambridge. C.T., on the other hand, was not a great athlete, but he was determined to get good at the sport. He would work on his swing for hours, using a mirror to help him improve. He didn’t do anything that would hurt him or hurt his cricket skills.

Why did I want to grow in love? Love is the greatest – the Bible says so. What the Bible says is definitely true. It does not change with time. It’s an eternal truth.

It’s been two weeks since I started this experiment. The experiment is about growing in wisdom. I read this portion in the Epistle of James about wisdom. We know that the Bible is true. So I wanted to sincerely and earnestly try this out. You may also desire to grow in wisdom. You are welcome to try this if you want to. I will share my journey in this post. I am expecting that, over a period of time, the results will be overwhelming. Success will be an outcome as long as I consistently do the right things. I will be sharing the learning, the slips and mistakes I probably make, so that the probability of success can be increased for all who are sincerely wanting to increase in wisdom.

God’s love is unfailing. He has already done abundantly more for each one of us. He loved us beyond measure. He has given us his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross. This is the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. A sacrifice of a blemishless lamb for the sinners. 

Since I was a teenager, I earnestly desired growing in my trust in God. The desire would come in from time to time. I wish it was consistent and continuous. Whenever I read the books of Godly men and women, I became aware that I never trusted God enough, occasionally I even doubted if I trusted God at all.

Angels are heavenly beings. Angels have assignments from heaven to be carried out here on earth. We also know that angels worship in heaven around the throne room of God. Angels, do the bidding of the Lord. As you read this post, may you get excited about the possibility of angels coming to assist you. More importantly, may your words and actions work towards achieving this desire for you. 

This was a letter to a Christian friend, a dear brother. I have decided to publish this as this could benefit others. 

A drunkard is often associated with being a person without any control over his words and actions. A foolish person is also thought about as a person who lacks understanding on what he’s doing. Occasionally we may associate a man who is furious and angry as a person who cannot control his words and his actions and emotions. That said, we need to remember that there is a righteous anger expressed by parents and elders, which is very much for our benefit and for the purging away of our foolishness and our wrong attitude.

Multiple instances we have answers to this from the Bible. Apostle Paul has covered this topic twice in 1st Corinthians – so the answer is clear and straightforward.

In heaven it is fulness of Joy as we are always in the presence of God. There is no sorrow, no sickness, no anger, no bitterness, no unforgiving, no hunger…..

The disciples wanted Jesus to teach them to pray. Then Jesus taught this prayer known as the Lord’s prayer / Our Fathers’ prayer.

Spiritual warfare is not physical warfare. The obvious truth is not known to many, hence I had to make this statement. I felt so relieved after making this statement, which should be obvious to many. This warfare is not fought with guns and bombs, nor with missile-carrying smart drones, nor with fighter or bomber aircraft.

The book of the prophet Joel is known as the front-runner to the book of revelation. This is a very significant book which mentions the day of the Lord as a prominent theme. The Day of the Lord implies the second coming of the Lord Jesus. We are encouraged to study it thoroughly and read this book until you get it fully into your mind.

We have so often heard about the brief life span of new year’s resolutions. This is so often heard. Some are even hesitant to make one. Many training programs have sprung up to enhance the success rates.

All through the Bible, we often see people desiring something and God granting them that desire. Solomon, we know, received more than he desired. How did this happen?

I have many shortcomings. I have sinned as an individual. I have sinned corporately, as a family, as a church, as a company, as a city, as a nation, as mankind. In spite of this sinful nature and multitude of sins, it’s not easy to be weighed down due to sin because of the blindness of my soul. I wonder why I do not find it easy to repent, although I want to.

After reading the 22nd chapter of the Book of Proverbs, I was struck by the beauty and power of a few verses. When I discovered these precious thoughts, I decided to wait until I owned them fully. Anyone who desires them can do so. How do I own precious pearls of truth and wisdom in the Bible? I ask the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to give me the grace to lead a life possessed by the truth. Hence, I would ponder on these precious truths until they became part of my nature, character, and mindset.

In the Old Testament, the commandments and laws were many. There used to be 613 commandments, Jewish commandments (in Hebrew known as mitzvot). Of these, 248 were positive commandments, whereas 365 were negative.

Many mothers cook and feed their families.
Some fathers cook occasionally, some cook always.
Some sons cook. Some daughters cook.

Is social media your master or your slave?
Do you have to check the social media feed every now and then?
Do you wake up to checking your Whatsapp or social media ?
By any chance is it the last thing you do before going to bed?
Is your screen time high?

Peace is precious. Peace is beyond value.
Yet, often we do not realize it.

Only the absence of Peace makes us aware of it and makes us desire it.
If you remember a situation when Peace was lacking, then you know how precious it is.

Today we do not read much.
We read less.
But throughout the day, keep remembering this word. Take a screen grab or write this note and keep checking this. Practice what you are about to read. The verse that backs this up is given in blue.

If you have fear, you have come to the right place. King David spoke about his fear to God. He acknowledged it. He speaks about it to God. The conversations with God are a good model for us to follow in our prayer time. When you read the psalm from this perspective, we can glean conversational prayer snap shots from this psalm. 

From Psalm 27, we see that King David experienced fear at various levels. Wicked people were troubling him. He had enemies and foes. Entire armies came to wage war with King David. King David even feared that God would be angry with him and forsake him. But he was certain about God’s love for him. As he says, even when his parents forsake him, God will lovingly accept him. Growing up as a child, he had experienced descrimation from his father. When the prophet Samuel visited Jesse, David’s dad, he presented all his sons but hid David. ( Jesse was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth). All these fears clouded King David’s mind. So the psalm is a wonderful guide on how to navigate fear from a person who experienced a wide range of diverse fears.

We may like to, but we don’t give the same importance to prayer and gratitude or thankfulness for answered prayers. Although many would agree that they are like the two sides of a coin. Yet when we examine our lives we may be surprised that for the same matter while we would have prayed over for 100 or 1,000 times we would have thanked our Lord God for once or perhaps twice 

My sister was greatly praised and recognized for her accomplishments earlier today. She had completed nearly two decades of service in the service of the US government across many nations of the world as that was the nature of her job. Of all the praise and anecdotes, one that shone brightest was the US President’s quote, which was used to describe one of the secrets to her success. And the beautiful thing is, it was cited twice by two different people. The various speeches and testimonials from friends, colleagues, and relatives stood out as a beautiful testimony of her goodness. 

Loving God is important. Fearing God is also important. Yet some do not understand. Whom you love, don’t we fear as well? Our parents, our spouses, for instance.

We generally know to whom we should speak, whom not to speak. Similarly, even when we speak to people, we need to decide to whom we can speak all our mind and to whom we should speak only certain things.   

We lead busy lives. 100’s of things to be done. Watching Instagram feed, reading WhatsApp messages, posting messages to groups, watching YouTube shorts, to name a few. In spite of all this busyness, we don’t want to miss out on what’s important in our journey to eternity with Jesus.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. The 22 sections within psalm 119 – is a sequence of the 22 Hebrew alphabets from aleph, beth, gimel,… going through shin and finally ending with taw. Each section has eight verses each. Thus, 176 verses come from 22 sections @ 8 verses per section.

We see with our eyes. Seeing begins and ends with what our eyes can perceive. Many think so. We will first crack this notion before exploring the notion of seeing beyond the vision of our eyes.

Generally we see what is in front of our eyes. That is the default. Yet we may find ourselves agreeing that it is the mind that determines our sight in a bit. Do we see what we want to see? Let us examine this.

God is good all the time. All the time, He is good. This is always true. This truth does not depend on us or our circumstances. God is good. This verse is from Psalm 100:5. For the LORD is good; His loving kindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. All believers in Jesus Christ have this heritage.

The Holy Bible is the living Word of God. Although many individuals have written various portions of the Bible, the whole scripture is authored by the Holy Spirit. Thus there is much power to change situations and circumstances, to guide and restore, to heal and make wholesome, to change and transform lives in the Holy Bible. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ( ref. 2 Timothy 3:16 )

Many of us can probably relate to the students who have a very tight schedule of portions to be revised when the examination dates are approaching. As a student suddenly discovers that he/she has portions to revise, only sufficient time to focus on main objectives – that is the upcoming examination.

Jesus and John the Baptist have asked for repentance. In the Gospel of Mathew, we have this verse which refers to the statement by John the Baptist. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” ( ref Matthew 3:1-3). In the very next chapter, towards the end we have From that time on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. ( ref Matthew 4:17)

Many tried putting Jesus in a trap by asking him ‘wise questions’. The Sadducees tried, but Jesus responded with superior wisdom and they were silenced. But the Pharisees wanted to ask and try. They discussed among themselves and the one who was an expert in the law asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment. Before going to the answer, let us understand the important precepts about love.

To understand praise, as a first step, we look at the differentiation with thanksgiving. While thanksgiving is the first step to entering the gates of the Kingdom of God, praise is the key to entering God’s court. Thus, your proximity to the King of Kings is closer when you are praising God.

Entering rooms, offices, homes is possible when we have the keys, or if anyone who has got the keys lets us in. We can also enter when we have access cards. Physical objects like keys or access cards are required to gain access to restricted areas.

The Jewish festival of Purim starts today. It is from 16th March to 17th March in the year 2022. It’s a celebration of the freedom for Jewish people from certain death. Family and friends gather to celebrate this joyous occasion by feasting, rejoicing and exchanging gifts and food.

Joy has a noise. Gladness can be heard. Victories are loud. Imagine any sporting event. Much rejoicing is heard from supporters of the winning team. Even in the case of individual sports items, the sounds of cheering from the friends and family of the winner is just great to hear.

“Fear not“, is the most frequent expression that God says in the Bible. God told this to Abraham. He assures Mary. He advises the temple priest, Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. God has told this to several people in the Bible. Today, God tells this to many.

The Bible is a treasure trove, for those who live life using it. It has great power because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The book will lead you to joy, hope, favour, peace, fruitfulness, wisdom, knowledge, discipline, healing, and freedom, among other things.

God’s love towards us is evident in creation and in every stage of life. But if we choose not to see God’s love, we will not see it. If we choose not to hear God’s expressions of Gods love, we will not hear it. If we choose not to understand God’s love, we will not at all be aware of it. So let us use the eyes and ears of our heart.

When we follow a very specific path, we can grow in favour with God and man. It works. It’s true as we can experience the results. The path, the process is true since it is mentioned in the Bible.

The best answers are in the Bible.
The reason is straightforward.
As the Bible is the Word of God, it is divine, powerful and precious.

Fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom. Here we have Proverbs 1:7 from 3 versions of the Bible. Don’t rush. Reading these a couple of times, you will get a better understanding.

A beautiful hymn. A deep one. You can sing along. Else you can meditatively sing this as well. A good YouTube version is linked herewith, do click to sing and watch. I Bless Your Name. The complete lyrics are given below.

Introduction
It’s not easy to take up a matter with the King. Even if it’s a democratically elected ruler, to get his attention is not easy. Things change when a matter is in God’s plan, in God’s agenda. But when God champions a cause, things change. Neither time, neither geographic region, nor religion is a limitation when God decides to remind the King to accomplish God’s prophecy.

Introduction
It’s easy to be offended. In our daily life, things don’t go as expected. We can be offended by God as well as Man. We can be offended by our friends, relatives, office/school/college/business management teams, the people in authority, without authority. Any living being can potentially offend us.

Introduction
The Bible asks us to keep away from anger. To reduce instances of anger we need to know the Lord’s perspective of anger, clearly given in the Bible. We need to strongly desire to walk in obedience to the Lord’s perspective of anger. We have a key strategy for greatly reducing anger tucked in this post.

Introduction
We like beauty. We want to stay beautiful. The value of the beauty industry points to the great desire to remain beautiful. In 2019, the beauty industry was @ US$532 billion business across the world. The industry grows by 5%-to-7% compound annual rate of growth to approx $800 billion by 2025. ( The OTC (over the counter) drugs industry was at US$ 161 billion in 2021, expected to reach US$ 294 billion by 2030, growing at a registered CAGR of 6.9% (2021 to 2030). Whereas in 2019 the global pharma industry was @ US$ 1,300 billion.).

Intro

When we have dirt on your mobile phone camera, all pictures look unsightly. The lens you look through matters, to see beauty.

Intro

When we do not live and act from the eternal perspective we are foolish. When we assume matters, we are foolish. Let us dig in.

Intro

To better know love, we need to understand love, fear and hate. This improves our discernment. In the process, we can receive love better, we can be loved better, we can start enjoying the richness and resplendent  facets of love, far more precious than any diamond sold by even Sotheby’s. 

Intro

To better know love, we need to understand love, fear and hate. This improves our understanding of love and helps us in discerning love in a superior way. In the process, we can receive love better, we can be loved better, we can start enjoying the richness and resplendent facets of love. Once you experience it you will discover how precious this love is. Many who understand love, come to the conclusion that love is precious, that it is more valuable than any diamond, even those auctioned by Sotheby’s.

To better understand praise better, we need to understand praise and complaints. This makes us praise better.

God is sovereign. He can do whatever He wants to. We have this verse from the Book of Psalms 115:13 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Yet many times He chooses us to use our free will to act, speak, do things so that we consciously take action. In this article, we look at the latter.

Today’s verse is from the Epistle to Galatians 5: 24,25

Find below the verse from three versions of the Bible.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.(version NIV)
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.(version KJV)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].(version AMP)

The Lord wants to change us into His image. He started the process when he created us. It’s a daily walk, an ongoing journey.

The verse for today, 8th August is from the New Testament, Book of Ephesians 1, an Epistle of Paul, Chapter 1, verse 17. We have this verse from 3 versions of the Holy Bible.

The Lord will change us with His Living Word, which is the Bible. This happens when we are willing and obedient, desiring and wanting to change.

The verse for today, 7th August is from the Book of Exodus, Chapter 33, verse 14. We have this from 3 versions of the Holy Bible.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. (Version KJV)
And the Lord replied, I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest – everything will be fine for you. (Version NLT)
And He said, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. (Version NKJV)

Good change happens when we make a great effort in a smaller number of things. For today, we are going to prayerfully consider meditating on this verse throughout the day.

The verse we choose today, 6th August is from the Book of Psalms, Chapter 141, verse 3. We have this from 3 versions of the Holy Bible.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. (KJV)
Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. (NLT)
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. (NKJV)

Today’s verse is from the Galatians 3:28

Find below the verse from three versions of the Bible.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (version NIV)
There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority]. (version AMP)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (version KJV)

Today’s verse is from the Gospel of Luke 15: 8 to 10

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”(version NIV)
8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins [each one equal to a day’s wages] and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her [women] friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I found the lost coin!’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents [that is, changes his inner self—his old way of thinking, regrets past sins, lives his life in a way that proves repentance; and seeks God’s purpose for his life].”(version AMP)

Today’s verse is from the Book of Jeremiah 1:17

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. (version KJV)
“Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.(version NLT)
But you [Jeremiah], gird up your loins [in preparation]! Get up and tell them all which I command you. Do not be distraught and break down at the sight of their [hostile] faces, or I will bewilder you before them and allow you to be overcome.(version AMP)

Today’s verse is from the Proverbs – Proverbs 12:11

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (version KJV)
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. (version NIV)
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with the king’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might [be excused so that he would] not defile himself.(version AMP)

Today’s verse is from the Psalms – Psalm 121:4

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (version KJV)
He will never slumber nor sleep; he is the Guardian-God for his people, Israel.(version TPT)
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. (version NLT)

Today’s verse is from the Psalms – Psalm 30:11

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; (version KJV)
Then he broke through and transformed all my wailing into a whirling dance of ecstatic praise! He has torn the veil and lifted from me the sad heaviness of mourning. He wrapped me in the glory-garments of gladness.(version TPT)
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, (version AMP)

Today’s verse is from the Gospel of Mathew – Mathew 13:23

Find below the verse from two versions of the Bible.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hearteth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (version KJV)
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (version NIV)

Here is the verse for today. It’s from the Book of Proverbs 28:13 from a few versions of the Bible.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But whoever confesses and turns away from his sins will find compassion and mercy. (Version AMP)
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Version KJV)
If you cover up your sin you’ll never do well. But if you confess your sins and forsake them, you will be kissed by mercy. (version TPT)

Here is the verse for today Jeremiah 17: 5 to 8 Bible version NLT

5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.

Here are 3 versions of Proverbs 25:28
KJV He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
AMP He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], And he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city.
ESV A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

In a day and age in which quick solutions are popular, we recall how our parents persevered in bringing us up. Often they were so certain about the goodness in us, they made it plain that we could do it much better. When we had self-doubt about our ability, they were so certain that when we tried longer, when we tried more often, the results would be so different. Often it seemed that they knew for certain what could become of us, they did not have any doubt. They preserved in all certainty. We did not realise it then, but we realise it now.

Change your perspective about anxiety. Knock down every baseless argument in your mind.

We can easily find many reasons to worry about a thousand issues in life. Our constant attention to these issues can succeed in enlarging them and make us weary. Alternatively we can choose to ignore these issues and focus on God, as per the powerful principle of IF. (Indebted to a dear friend for this principle. Myself as well as many others were greatly blessed.)

Most certainly, you are expected to do miracles. As a follower of Jesus, the lifestyle of Jesus is what you aspire for.

Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed the leper, the deaf began to hear and very many more. Needless to say about the miracles of the multiplication of provisions like the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes feeding five thousand men and others. The tax being paid from the gold coins from the fish. The storms are calming. The dead brought back to life.

1. Years ago when I stepped into a church I was asked if I was born again. That was a wrong question. I was ticked off. I am saying this as some of you could be feeling the same way about this topic. Many of us have a diverse range of beliefs, diverse range of understandings within our mind, yet all these beliefs & understandings do not limit us.

Yes most certainly, you are made in HIS image. To get a full understanding of this truth, let us go through the stages of understanding, which will lead us to this conclusion.