Speak Out

Ask and it shall be given

2010-01-19T13:16:00.003+05:30

My dear friends in Christ, my heart is rejoicing as I am writing this small testimony to you. I would like to share something from my experience. The Bible say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. Ps:34:8. Yes this is very true.

So let me start, I came to know about my God when I was left all alone, the time when I felt desperate and thought nothing would work out for me in my life.

But that was the time when I came closer to God and started depending on Him. There are times that I have asked Him questions, why God? Why this is happening to me?? But my questions were not answered all of a sudden. He taught me, day by day to depend on Him.

I got my answers for my questions from different sources. At times it would be my sister, my friend or the God channel. He knows how to convey things to us. But the final answer was always from His word. I gave my life to Jesus on a New Year eve and took a resolution, “Lord I am going to live for You alone, let your will be done in my life.”

I stopped asking questions, I gave away my priorities. My only prayer was let your will be done. Within 15 days of my small commitment, I started seeing my prayers being answered one by one. Wow! That was an awesome experience. I can still remember how happy and excited I was. Till date He has provided me with things which I have never dreamt off.

I just want to tell you all that, God’s plan for all of us is beyond our expectations. His word says, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ephesians 2:10. God has a great plan for all of us. It is not too late if any one thinks, things are not working out. Trust God. Leave every thing to Him, He will take care of the rest. To make it simple, Surrender!

In Christ,
Jasmine

2010-01-10T21:00:00.008+05:30

It has been a while since i blogged here.... Today something flashed across my mind and i felt compelled to put it here.....

It is this... " OUR LIVES ARE TROPHIES OF HONOUR AND GLORY THAT THE LORD IS PROUD OF BEFORE THE ENEMY AND HIS FORCES"....

Glory to the Lord who sustains us ... Yes .. the enemy has been prowling to devour our lives , to accuse us before our Father and belittle us before our very own eyes and the eyes of the world..Our good Lord who is able to keep us from falling has been abundantly graceful to us...

He makes what we think as "The End"- a New Beginning; he makes feats out of our defeats and success stories from our scribbled lives...

In front of the enemy and his army the Lord anoints our head with oil and our cup overflows....

The Lord is preparing us such that on the day when we will become like Him , He will with fatherly pride show the lives of His lovely children to the foe . Yes the very lives the defeated foe sought to steal, annihilate and destroy ... The very lives that our loving Lord protected, nurtured and made a blessing ...

No matter what the satan plans, Our Lord is going to be victorious...

Hallelujah

ANTONY

Images

2009-09-15T14:39:00.006+05:30

Hai friends,

I'd like to jot down a thought that came across my mind yesterday...

I just remembered how an image is formed by a lens... the light from an object gets refracted at the lens and gives rise to a real or virtual image... there , i read a term called 'stigmatic image'.

Stigmatic image is supposed to be an image which is exactly the replica of the object except for the magnification...

It can be a magnified or minified image but it exactly resembles the object in its relative dimensions...

whereas when the image is distorted it is called an astigmatic image .exactly contrary to stigmatic images ... And lo! u can never discern what the object looked like seeing the image ...

The Word says (about us ),

" he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son "...Rom 8:29

and

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness " Gen 1:26

We were created in the image of our creator.. the personality of Adam reflected a stigmatic image of His creator as he went about naming animals tenderly taking care of the garden entrusted to His care... and sin marred the image ...

how stigmatic is the image of God reflected from our lives?

Do our lives offer a clear cut image of our creator to the world?

Or are we astigmatic? ....

ANTONY

Jesus feeds the four thousand Mk 8

2009-08-23T23:27:00.005+05:30

hai friends,
Its such a joy to meet with you guys thro this blog!!
I 'd like to share somethings which God put into my heart when I was getting ready to share God's word to a group of young guys ..
The Lord spoke to me from Mark 8..
The people follow Jesus to hear His message.. It becomes very late and Jesus is concerned that the people will grow weary and faint on their way back home..Dear friends, Jesus knew the hunger of the masses ...He knows what you need at the moment my dear friends... Be it love, care , affection , attention or whatever be it .. Jesus sees you through and through.. your thirst and loneliness is no more hidden.. The solution for your problems has himself concerned himself with your needs ..
There were seven loaves of bread there.. and they brought it to Jesus ...dear friends, today if Jesus asks you what you have what will be your response... Praise the Lord if you have done many things for God.. I m sure there will be a substantial number of us who think we dont have many talents, money etc.. Guys, please take ur from eyes what u lack to the things which u already have.. they are enough for Jesus..With whatever little you think you have,come to the Lord and give them to Him . .
Jesus took the bread , gave thanks to the Lord and broke the bread .. Are you ready to be broken in the hands of the Master... It may not be very attractive but nevertheless it is extremely important coz you will be still be yourself under your control until you are broken. when broken in the hands of the Almighty you will become a blessing to millions.. :)

finally the people all had food and they were satisfied ... in our lives no other person or thing can satisfy us like Jesus does..

praise be to the Lord who sees us,accepts us and breaks us to be a blessing to the world ; God bless :)

Usable instruments

2009-08-18T00:26:00.005+05:30

Well ... Friends.. After a long period of lull, i would like to pen my thoughts here for your reflection ...

That was one another day when i was asked by my senior consultant to remove the lacrimal sac ( a structure just below the medial most end of the eye through which tears have to pass as they drain ) of a person who had a chronic infection in the same . . As I was doing the procedure my assistant handed me with an instrument used to divide the tissues to reach the sac.. It was only when i began to use it did i notice that the ends of the instrument which are supposed to be in perfect alignment with each other were nowhere in alignment.. yes it was an almost condemned instrument which my inexperienced assistant handed over to me by mistake.. but still i managed to proceed with the surgery .. But..when i was outlining the sac there was an accidental injury to a vein nearby and it started bleeding profusely .. Just then i realised the need for the same instrument in proper shape and felt that i should have asked for a proper instrument before hand ..Thank God there my assistant managed to get another clamp ( thats the instrument) before it was very late ....

After all this happened , one fine evening i had a thought which lingered in my mind for quite sometime. I am an instrument in the hands of the Almighty God . How comfortable is He in using me to accomplish His wishes ? .... How pliable and co operative am I? Do I make Him to search for an alternative at the most important moments...?It would really take time to polish , sharpen and make usable a rusted blunt surgical instrument..How important it is to remain usable by God, within His tangible reach, on time whenever he requires us to get His work done..
Lord make me an effective instrument in your divine hands ...

"Those who cleanse themselves from the latter ( wood and clay) will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.." - II Tim 2:21

ANTONY

Pain in the path to victory

2009-03-08T20:30:00.003+05:30

Pain in the path to victory
“ Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again" – Joshua 5:2
Dear friends,
This is a prelude to the glorious victory at Jericho. In an enemy land surrounded by foes who may gather together at any time to raid their settlements and annihilate them, God advices a surgical procedure that would incapacitate them for a while and will necessitate them to take rest. (Remember how Levi and Simeon destroyed Shechem in Genesis ). It sounds as an unwise military strategy to immobilise the whole huge army at a time with such a painful procedure such as circumcision. They could have very well underwent the procedure after the land received rest from war .But God s ways are different .
The Lord wants us to lose a part of us (our self , uncommitted areas of life) before he blesses us with a mighty victory. When the Lord deals with certain sensitive issues of our life, it may be painful. When God circumcises our hearts it may bleed. Yes! To die to self and be crucified with Christ may not be a very pleasant experience after all. But before the victory parade, there has to take place a divine procedure in our hearts. When the Lord circumcises unwholesome yet dear things , relationships , friends , persons , feelings.. it will pain . . Man... Crucifixion does not take place under general anesthesia . .
But only after this experience is the reproach of Egypt they left 40 yrs ago truly rolled away. (Gilgal ). Only after this The angel of the Lord meets Joshua ensuring sanctification ( removal of sandals) and victory. Only after this the walls of Jericho fall and supernatural victories follow . .
Give an unconditional consent to undergo divine surgery in God s hands and taste divine victory ..

ANTONY

ANTU AND SANTU

2009-03-08T07:49:00.000+05:30

GLORY TO GOD....
It was a night, two plants namely "ANTU" and "SANTU" started chatting and teasing each other as usual.

ANTU told SANTU "Hey! you look like duooky tuooky potato.. ha ha ha..

SANTU replied "I may, but I can give some beautiful flowers which attract many people”.

ANTU said "Ya! you may, but you are colorless and small flower producing plant,see myself i can give much big,beautiful colorful flowers”.

Santu got tensed and retorted "hey! Antu,but your flowers are stingy and having foul odour, hoooooooo....”

SUDDENLY,a big old tree named "Bysa" shouted "Hey! you people...., keep your mouth shut..... its late night, i have to do my work and many here are sleeping, you people are disturbing us..” Then santu and antu maitained silence..

slowly antu told santu"see, this old one is shouting at us always .. since its big in size, its doing like this.. hmmm..” santu told, "ya antu, but we cant do anything against him, since we are smaller than bysa.” antu told"whatever you say, one day will come, that axeman will surely lift him for burning. then we will be free...."
.
..
...
Antu woke up ..." Santu ...Good morning, I m gonna give my flower..many people will come, and search for me and will pluck my flowers and will get benefited...."

Santu told" ya! some will come and get my leaves for their cattle and all.."

Antu:"YA YA, of course,there is no way the eyes of these people will miss us,, surely they will search for us...”

{AT THAT TIME, ONE OF THE BRANCH OF A "THORNY PLANT" FELL ON ANTU DUE TO THE WIND}

ANTU got tensed and shouted at THAT THORNY PLANT saying that"Hey, you useless stupid "THORNY PLANT", you hit me with your useless thorns.... good for nothing , you dont give flowers, dont give fruits , dont give anything useful, but you never get tired of hitting me with your thorns"

Santu told"leave it Antu!that THORNY PLANT cant even speak, then why do u scold that useless plant..”

AFTER FEW HOURS,...SANTU CALLED ANTU...."ANTU! ANTU!, SEE THERE.... SUCH A GLORIOUS LIGHT!!, I CANT EVEN SEE IT...UNEXPLAINABLE !! UNIMAGINABLE !! AWESOME ...!!
ANTU REPLIED"YA......... FROM WHERE IS IT COMING. ITS AWESOME.."
SANTU EXCLAIMED" HEY LOOK ... ITS COMING FROM "THORNY PLANT",ITS BURNING BUT ITS NOT BURNT..."

ANTU: WOW! ITS SPEAKING.. ITS SPEAKING TO "MOSES" ...How is it possible! Moses looking to that thorny , ugly one ??”
Santu told "but is nt it now glorious??"

Bysa(the old tree) told"Dear, young ones,we may possess all the special things of this world, but it wont make anyone special or glorious or useful... That "thorny plant" is glorious, since the Almighty God is over that plant, thats why Moses is looking at it..”
Dear friends in Christ,the world may say that you are useless, waste e.t.c but you have to understand that nothing in this world can make us special, only the presence of Lord can make us special. When we are with the Lord, all eyes will look to us.. Because of the presence of our Lord, that thorn plant is mentioned in "The Bible" ;known to all of us . In your life, you may think that there is no one for you, you are not recognised etc., but you have to understand that only the Lord can make you special and can solve all your problem..

Prayer:"my dear lord, i need, i love you, i want you to fill my life with your mighty presence , let your blood cover me. Those who see me have to see your glory in me, let them understand that you are with me.. In Jesus name, i pray. Amen...”

SAM DAVID

2009-03-08T07:42:00.000+05:30

What Is the Greatest Obstacle in Our Life of Faith?

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
Yes... There are seventeen fleshly thoughts in human being..Dear friends, do you know what this Word of God means? Through this Word, God tells us the fact that the greatest problem for believing in God and leading a life of faith is nothing other than one's own fleshly thoughts. As we go about believing in and obeying God, what hinders us the most are our fleshly thoughts of and nothing else. God is telling us that when a person is bound by his own fleshly thoughts, and when a person persists in his own fleshly thoughts, he can neither follow nor obey the Word of God. What would have happened if the servants appearing in the first miracle of Jesus were people with strong personal opinions and fleshly thoughts? They surely would have thought, "He is joking. Though I may fill up these water pots up with water, there is no way that I can obey his Word telling us to draw some and take it out to the people. Coz what those people wan after all is wine, not water." This might seem like an appropriate and logical thinking. But, if they had believed in their thoughts and had not drawn some water and brought it to people, they would not have been able to witness the miracle of water turning into wine. Furthermore, they would not have been able to gain the great joy that resulted from it.
Dear friends, as we lead a life of faith, what is the greatest obstacle preventing us from solving certain problems by faith? Precisely, it is our fleshly thought which causes our faith to sway. This is a problem which just cannot be considered lightly. It is because people who have fleshly thoughts of their own can neither believe nor follow the Word of God. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). The very first thing that we must do when we try to follow the Word of Jesus is to deny our thoughts. Therefore, when leading a life of faith, it is very important for us to throw away our own fleshly thoughts. We believe that all the Word of God written in the Bible is the truth. The truth spoken by God is simple, yet it is the perfect truth. Thus, all one has to do is to just accept it as it is. But there are times when fleshly thoughts creep up and obstruct it. Fleshly thoughts come up by themselves, and thus, there is even a saying that a human being is but a thinking reed. You also have many fleshly thoughts, don't you? Yet, when you dwell in those fleshly thoughts, the faith in the Word of God will soon disappear completely and there will only remain useless thoughts. When that happens, the faith in the Word of God will no longer exist. Being unable to believe in God, you will no longer be able to follow God till the end. Also, we will experience anguish and guilt as a result of this.
Dear friends, I hope you know that people who have many fleshly thoughts of their own can neither follow nor believe in God, and in the end, they become unable to receive the salvation. But here is the way which God gives us to have a fruitful life of faith by instilling the fruits of the Spirit inside us. i.e. but the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)Let us give our life to God by growing in the fruits of the Spirit breaking the Greatest Obstacle for Our Life of Faith and turn it towards his will.
- VIJAY

Delayed valentine s day thought ...

2009-03-01T13:18:00.000+05:30

Hunt For a Lover
All preparations get started early by January for Feb 14th, preparing valentine cards and gifts for their special ones. I saw the huge crowd to where it went analyzing why this has to be celebrated and for what. I wished to know as to whom I should show and pour out my love. Though I got saved earlier during my schooling, knowing Jesus, I was wanting for my parent’s and worldly love. None was there to satisfy my soft little heart which needed infinite love. I wanted to know my true valentine. I was browsing the net to know what a valentine’s day is. I found that it was just to remember the man valentine who gave his life for his wife on account of his love.
Then I went through the Bible. I came to know the true valentine, having brightest days ahead. First I prayed God to give me someone to care when I really felt missing my parents at hostel. It was at this time that the Lord talked to me through John 3:16. It says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosesoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. How great this love is giving His only son that too for my cause? Gen 1:26,27 tells that out of love God made me and gave me full dominion over the sea, birds of the air, the cattle etc. And that He had made me out of his own image breathing into me the breadth of life. I came to know that “God needed to have a fellowship wit me”. I really felt ashamed when I realized that Jesus was waiting for a fellowship with me but me a fool was waiting for fake worldly love. I realized that how Jesus would feel if I don’t show my love in turn! I started to love Jesus.

The next verse through which God spoke was exodus20:5 which say that “For I the Lord your God am a jealous God”. Exodus 20:3 says that “You shall have no other Gods before me.” I was happy at this verse because I was sure that I worshipped the one and only living God Jesus. But God talked to me telling that “If anyone replaces His position in my heart and if I give first importance to someone else instead of Him, then it becomes an idol”. I was really guilty, sad and disgusted. It was at this time that I had to forget many people in my life whom I considered so dear. When I self-analyzed myself I found that I had given them much place in my heart that I wasn’t able to live without talking to them. But on the other hand my gracious Lover comforted me. At this point of my life I understood and experienced the true love, care and comfort of Jesus. I understood that it is GOD IS LOVE and not God has love. Love is an essence of God’s character. Life changed. Each minute I used to talk to my Jesus in class and at hostel. He taught me through Exodus19:5 that if I keep His covenant& obey Him, He’ll have me as a special treasure above all people. This was what I expected to get from the world but came to know that only Jesus could have me so special. The youth blood is something which has capacity to show extreme affinity to someone and that’s why Bible says “Remember the Lord in your youth.” When I accepted Jesus as my LOVER, I spent time with Bible and prayer instead of my mobile. I found out what peace is. Praise God.

Tasha Harison

THE FORGOTTEN AXE

2009-02-06T15:47:00.000+05:30

One bright spring
morning young Rob was looking curiously out of his window from his
small cozy bed, which was specially meant for him. It was six in the
morning, too early for any kid of his age to wake up on a holiday.
Young Rob was four years old, he is very curious in everything he saw
around and raised up lots of questions to quench his thirst of knowing
the world around him. Jack a well educated proud father of Rob
patiently answered all the questions Rob put forward, though most of
them seemed simple, but he knew all of them are very essential for Rob
to get used up to the things in the world. Jack came up slowly to
Rob's bed, Rob looked curious. Jack knew that his son has got some
question in his mind that needs a complete answer.
"What is it my son?" saying this Jack sat next to his son."Look",
said Rob, his little hand pointing to a tree few yards away out there
in their garden.
"What's amazing about it my son?" asked Jack," but father what is that
thing which is placed at the roots of that tree?"
Jack was shocked at the observing skills of his son. He doesn't know
how that small axe caught his attention, which he himself failed to
see.
"Ah! That one, it is called as axe",
" but what is it doing there papa? "
Asked Rob before his father could finish his explanation.
"That tree my son is older than you are, but see no fruit on it. So
I've asked our gardener to chop it down, think he has got some
business somewhere he'll be here in few minutes to chop it down and
it'll be no more."
Rob looked sadly at his father and asked him," Papa if I don't produce
fruit will you chop me down too, with that axe?"
Approximately 2000
years before a man dressed up in camel's skin warned the world of an
axe that was placed at the root of every tree in the world. He said
that an axe is already placed at the root of the trees, every tree
that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in to the
fire. (Matt 3:10)
I could hear some
of you murmur, Oh the same old thing, but wait what change did it
bring when you hear it each time? What fruit did John the Baptist
mentioned there? It is the fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt
3:8). To be clear if your sin is lust of the flesh and you repent for
it. The fruit is that, you no longer continue to lust after flesh, but
rather look with the eyes of Christ. I write this with fear and
trembling for the word of God is a double edged sword.
Many of us take
forgiveness for granted and disrespect the abundance of His grace,
which I did before. The words Salvation, Heaven and Hell are over
used among the Christian communities which made those words look so
simple, most of us don't consider them that very serious as it ought
to be considered. These things are very serious indeed. We think
Salvation as a one day drama, most of us fail to remember that
salvation is a lifelong process. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our
personal savior it is true that the Lord enters our name in His book
of life. But wait Moses pleads to God to blot out his name from His
book in return for the forgiveness of the people of Israel, but the
Lord replies "whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out from my
book" (Exo 32:32-33).Here lies the danger, at any moment any of our
names can be stricken off, oh! how terrible it is.
This day as you
read this please remember, one who came on donkey symbolizing peace
will come one day with axe cutting down every tree that doesn't
produce good fruit and throw them all in to the lake of fire for
eternity. That day is the Day of Judgment. If you find it difficult to
produce good fruit ask the help of the planter. Say Jesus I'm not able
to produce good fruit, please abide in me and help me to abide in you,
for Christ has said "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
produce much fruit"(John 15:5).
If we judge
ourselves then we will not be judged(1 Corin 11:31).The axe that was
placed 2000 years before still remains at the roots expecting for the
day it'll be put in to action, chopping every soul that refuses to
bear the fruit in keeping with repentance, Praise be to God alone.

Days of Restoration

2009-02-05T23:55:00.000+05:30

"Even if you have been banished to the most distant lands under the heavens the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back ...make you prosperous .. will circumcise your hearts ..that you may love Him .." - Deuteronomy 30:4-6
These are days of spiritual restoration .... The days of slavery under the enemy are long past... No more can the enemy reign over your life.. The victorious Lord has brought you back into His fold again ...
The humiliation from your own self and from the world which you suffered when you went away from God ... in its place God is going to bless you with honour and prosperity .. In the verses that follow the Lord promises hearts that are sensitive to His thoughts.. filled with love for Him in addition to prosperity .. Did you know it is the Lord who will circumcise our hearts and pour out His love in us ... It is in His hands..
It is not the time to feel ashamed that you turned your back to our loving Lord.... rather feel blessed that God turned you back to Him ..These are times when God is going to restore back to you all you have lost to the enemy and more...Power in the place of subjugation , Honour in the place of shame , Blessedness in the place of barrenness .... He can t bear to see His children being humiliated by His enemy ......" .. When the Lord restores the fortunes of His people , let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." - Ps 14:6

Happy Restoration......

Antony

To God Be the Glory

2009-02-05T23:53:00.001+05:30

“If thou wilt deliver this people into my hands then we will utterly destroy their cities”
Num 21:2
The term “destroy their cities” means the irrevocable giving over of things to the Lord often by totally destroying them. As Israelites embark on their journey to the Promised Land, the Lord finds it pleasing to Him to enable them experience a foretaste of the glorious inheritance lying ahead of them. The kings on the way to the Promised Land come against the children of God. Israel encounters them with a solemn vow to irrevocably dedicate to the Lord whatever they would come across in the gentile towns.
We see God honoring their vow with an astonishing victory and there follows a series of conquests where kings come one after another to be brought low before the eyes of the Israelites . Sihon, Og and so many other rulers of the land on the way to the Promised Land come against the children of God to suffer defeat and shame. One would appreciate the same vow when Joshua subdues Jericho with God s counsel. We also know the disastrous results in Ai as this vow was not kept up.
Standing on the verge of the great Holy Spirit inspired revival where God is going to bring down the strongholds of the enemy in a mighty way, what we see today and will see in the very recent future is just a foretaste of what God is going to ultimately accomplish through us. We are on the way to the glorious inheritance the Lord has promised us, when people will throng the pews to invite Jesus , when people all over will be convicted of their sin and will repent , when we will behold the works of the enemy crashing down with our very own eyes - all this in unimaginable proportions . Even when we are on the way to this glory , we encounter across our paths demonic strongholds and principalities. . and Yes the Lord is going to give us victory . . but the Lord expects us to give Him all the glory and honor that comes out of it and take nothing for ourselves. To give Him the glory irrevocably without any doubt. . To acknowledge that all that we have accomplished are what He has done for us ..
As we eagerly expect the Lord s will about our nation to come to pass shall we promise the Lord that whatever glory , name and fame come coz of the graceful ways the Lord uses us even during this 'time of foretaste' , all that completely , without any doubt are His and not even in any negligible quantity for us . .

ANTONY

Hi

2009-01-22T23:13:00.000+05:30

hi guys this is mike...
this is just to start things up...
anyone can post here but necessarily should be Spirit lead...
waiting for your active contribution...