Tag: God

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Testimony

Faith that does the impossible…

This week we started with a tremendous burden and challenge to our faith in a particular situation of our dear Uncle Albert, father of Albert Arun Rachpudi. Uncle was unwell for a while and suddenly he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital in Hyderabad. Brother Arun got news of his father’s condition that he is serious and the doctors gave him no hope of survival. As the time passed, we kept hearing the negative reports from the doctors. Finally, the doctors decided to put ventilators (life supporting unit) as his kidneys, lungs and heart were not functioning. It was a grave situation as the doctors informed Arun’s family that they want to remove the ventilators as the pulse rate almost nil. They advised the family to call the near and dear before they remove the ventilators. The doctors have declared him clinically dead.

We received this message from his relatives and made necessary travel arrangements for both Arun and his wife Verita. In the meantime we called some of brothers and sisters who were available at that time with the family’s consent and spent time asking our Father for his mercy and healing. The Servant of God declared the faithful works of our Lord Jesus, he assured Brother Arun to claim his father’s life in prayer. Everyone with great burden cried out to our God to release the power, healing and life on our dear Uncle.

Both Arun and Verita travelled to India on Tuesday and reached on Wednesday morning. As soon as they reached Bangalore( as they travelled via Bangalore to Hyderabad) they received a call from Dr Sony (sister of Verita) who informed them that uncle Albert is recovering amazingly and doctors at the Oxygen Hospital marvelled as they don’t have any clue of why these things were happening with him. They simply said that it is impossible and witnessed that they haven’t seen any one rising from dead. They tested his lungs, heart and kidneys and declared that all are functioning perfectly well. Today they have removed the ventilators and Uncle Albert rejoicing with his son and daughter in law.

The latest information is that uncle is drinking milk and requested his family that he wants to walk around the hospital. I fall short of words to explain our Lords works, except remembering once again the loud shout of our Lord Jesus saying “ Lazarus come out” .This situation has rekindled our failth and I say with boldness that the righteous prayer availeth much. Our Lord is Healer and all things are possible for those who believe him. We will rejoice with the family and declare that our God is prayer answering God. Brother Arun and Verita sent greetings from India and thanked the Nazarene prayer Fellowship for their burden and compassionate heart in uplifting Uncle in their prayers. With humility and humbleness I thank everyone who supported this ministry and sent encouragement letters (please see letters on our website). May God Bless you and you Bless God.

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Devotion Inspiration Meditation Message

Which stage have you stopped at?

God anointed Elisha with a double portion of the anointing that Elijah had. This was God’s seal of approval on Elisha’s life. But before God anointed him thus, he had been tested.

As in the case of all true servants of God, Elisha too was called to the ministry while he was faithfully doing his secular duties.

“Elijah found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.”(1 Kings 19:19).

Thereafter, Elisha spent many years doing menial jobs for the prophet Elijah. He was known as the one “who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”(2 Kings 3:11b).

He did not seek great things for himself, but God had great plans for that young man.

Before Elijah went up to heaven, Elisha had to be tested. And so Elijah told Elisha to stay on in Gilgal, while he himself went on to Bethel. Elisha refused to stay back and was determined to go with Elijah. At Bethel, Elijah again tried to shake off Elisha by saying that he had to go to Jericho; but Elisha stuck on like a leech. Finally, at Jericho, Elisha was tested once more in a similar way. Again, Elisha passed the test of persistence and accompanied Elijah to Jordan. It was thus that he got the double portion of the anointing – God’s best for his life (2 Ki.2:1-14).

What is the message here for us? There are various stages in our spiritual development at which God tests us to see whether we are satisfied with what we have already received or whether we will press on to God’s highest.

Gilgal stands for the place where our sins are forgiven.

“The Lord said to Joshua, `Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.”(Josh. 5:8-9).

Many Christians get thus far and stop there.

Some press on till Bethel (meaning ‘the house of God’) – which stands for fellowship with believers in the family of God.

“And Jacob called the name of that place Bethel. Then Jacob said, `This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house.'” (Gen. 28:19,22).

Some stop here.

But a few go still further to Jericho – which stands for the manifestation of the supernatural power of God.

“The people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat…..and they took the city (of Jericho).”(Josh. 6:20).

This is as far as most Christians ever go.

Very, very few go all the way to Jordan – which stands for identification with Christ in His death, as symbolised in baptism.

“Then Jesus arrived at the Jordan, coming to John, to be baptized by him.”(Mt. 3:13).

Very, very few are willing to walk the way of the cross – “the new and living way that Jesus has inaugurated for us through His flesh.” (Heb. 10:20).

But it is these few, who are wholehearted enough to press on to total death to self, who receive the double portion – God’s best.

The Test of Perseverance by Zac Poonen

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Meditation

Treating a living God as an idol?

Are we treating our ‘living’ God as an idol? It can be a question or a disappointing truth for many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We all are well aware of the commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3). But what if we are treating the living God himself as an idol? Now you might ask, how can ‘one’, treat a living God as an idol? Well, lets look at our ‘morning prayers’. Most of us tend to thank God for all that he is doing in our lives, submit our petitions before him for the day, and we are off to work or to do something else. Now lets take a look at the ‘non-believers’ who worship the idols. They get up, pray to their idol gods, thank them for what the idol gods have ‘supposedly’ done in their lives and head off to work. Sounds similar?

The point I am trying to make is, many of us tend to treat our living God as some kind of idol who doesn’t respond to our petitions and thanks giving. Many of us don’t give our living God, a chance to have that ‘deep’ love relationship. It is ‘crucial’, if I could use that term, to pause and listen (psalms 27:14) to what God has to say to us each day. It with great regret and heavy heart, that I admit that this was the story in my life too, until God by his grace, took that blind screen off my eyes. So, I encourage you brothers & sisters, start regarding our wonderful savior, the God eternal as indeed a ‘living’ God. He cares for you, loves you and desires for you to be completely his.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

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Inspiration Message

Wisdom of God

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2: 6)

The Dhinakarans Wisdom is the divine nature found in Jesus Christ. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of the knowledge” (Proverbs 1: 7). In whom (Jesus) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2: 3). Jesus became wisdom for us from God (I Corinthians 1: 30). When Jesus, who is perfect in wisdom, comes into you, automatically His wisdom will descend on you. What kind of wisdom is it? He has the wisdom to see what the father does. That is why Jesus has said in John 5: 19, “The son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the son also does in like manner.”

Many years ago, a particular country was hit by a severe drought. During that time no business could flourish. A young engineer in that country was struggling to come up in life. One night, in his dream, God showed him a diagram of a modern ploughing machine. In the morning, he recalled it and drew it on a piece of paper. The next day, when he took the diagram to the scientists, they were amazed to see it. They said that it was a new and modern ploughing machine which nobody possessed so far.

The young engineer got the patent for that machine and he began to manufacture a number of the modern ploughing machines. There was a boost in the sales and he earned millions of dollars. Even during the time of drought, he received immense blessings from God. Such is the wisdom shown by God. Similarly, God is going to open your mind’s eye. When you keep looking at Him and do things as per the wisdom shown by Him, you will receive perfect blessings.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

Your wisdom is more precious than rubies and better than gold. It will protect me from the ways of the wicked. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in You. Kindly bestow me with the heavenly wisdom and help me know Your ways.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.

Dr. Paul Dhinakaran @ Today’s Word of Blessing

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Devotion Inspiration Meditation Message

LEARNING NOT TO DESPISE PEOPLE

“Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt” (Lk.18:9).

There are various reasons why people view others with contempt. They may have been taught by their parents from childhood to look down on others who are inferior in social status, or wealth, or education, etc. Or, if you are very intelligent and top your class in school, you can begin to view others in your class with contempt. If, in addition, you are unfortunate enough to have foolish parents who make you imagine that you are a genius, then matters could be even worse.

Let me plead with all parents: If your children are intelligent, please don’t ruin them by boasting about them. I made it a rule in my house that my sons were never to tell anyone about their rank in class or the prizes they got anywhere. I knew that if they became proud, they would lose the grace of God immediately. Then they would fall into sin, and never be able to fellowship with ordinary brothers. I fear that many parents have ruined their children thus.

It is a common habit among children to make fun of someone who cannot speak English (or whatever their mother-tongue is) with a good accent. Beware of encouraging that in your home. Did any of us come out of our mother’s wombs speaking with a good accent? We should thank God for any ability that we have. But we should never be proud of it. Do you know what accent they speak with in heaven? The accents of humility and love. Let us learn those accents clearly.

Perhaps you are a woman who keeps your house spotlessly clean, with everything in its proper place. Then you see someone else’s home untidy and slipshod – and you despise her. You are then a Pharisee; while the person whose house is untidy may be a godly person.

Some brothers have very poor music sense, and if they start singing a chorus in an open time of praise in the church, they will invariably sing totally off tune. Don’t despise them, because God doesn’t listen to the music; he listens to the words. And that brother singing the wrong tune may be more sincere than you, who can sing the right tune. Personally, I have thanked God for such brothers, because they humble all the clever musicians in the church. It is Pharisee musicians who destroy the church, not the non-musical brothers. God loves non-musical brothers just as much as anyone else – but He rejects Pharisees. Many a surprise awaits such Pharisees when the Lord returns.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t come first in your class, or that you shouldn’t keep your house tidy, or that you shouldn’t sing in tune-Not at all. By all means let us do all these. But let us be humble about them – and not despise anyone else who cannot do what we can.

There are many areas like this where we can despise others quite easily. It says in Job 36:5 that “God is almighty, but He doesn’t despise anyone”. The more we become like God, the more we will value people and never despise anyone – for anything.

So let us cleanse ourselves and learn to look at people as God looks at them. “What do you have that you did not receive from God? How can you boast then about anything or despise anyone else?” (1 Cor.4:7).

– By Zac Poonen (Christian Fellowship Church)

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Meditation

Meditation on Matthew 1

Today morning, I was meditating upon the first chapter of Matthew. I found some interesting facts that I have never realised all these years while reading through them. I have a tendancy to skip over the long genealogies and frequently read passages to get to one or two verses that touch my heart for that day. But this time, I have made an effort to read the genealogy of Jesus. I have discovered that there were forty two generations in total from Abraham to Jesus (Matthew 1:17).

There are three significant truths that can be observed from Matthew 1:18-24.

Firstly, I believe “Righteous acts in your life save you from disgrace” – Matthew 1:19. Joseph was said to be a “righteous man”. It does not mention if he was righteous man of God or righteous man of this world. Either way, because of the righteousness in him, he did not expose Mary to public disgrace. It says in God’s word, that he had in his mind to divorce her quietly. Later on, we know that Joseph realised that the baby Mary had in her womb was of the Holy Spirit. His righteous acts saved him from his own disgrace in the public. If he had put Mary to disgrace in the first place and later took her as his wife, he would have been in continual regret for the public’s view on him and his wife. Or, he would have been disgraced by public for his lack of recognition that the baby was conceived of the Holy Spirit. The whole scenario could have been a whole lot different to what we read today.

Secondly, “It is good to seek the Lord before he seeks you” – Matthew 1:20. He seeks after you to comfort you in times of trouble, to help you, to save you from trouble, to give you rest; all because of his unconditional love. The bible says, Joseph “considered” to divorce her quietly. It does not say that Joseph sought the Lord when he realised Mary was carrying a child (Matthew 1:18-20). The Lord sought after Joseph to tell him about the child (Matthew 1:20-21). Do you think the story would have been different if Joseph sought the Lord first? I certainly think so!

Thirdly, “Obedience to God is one of the main keys to living a righteous life” – Matthew 1:24. Joseph didn’t doubt, question or rethink about what God spoke to him in the dream. The word says, “Joseph woke up…did what the angels of the Lord commanded him…” (Matthew 1:24). He took Mary as his wife, had no union with her till she gave birth and gave the new born child,  the name “Jesus”. He did ‘just’ as the angels of God commanded him. Are you doing ‘just’ what the Lord is asking you to do? Joseph was declared as a “righteous” man and I believe his key towards living that life was ‘obedience’. Are you obeying to God’s word in your life?

It good to ponder upon these things and correct our lives that we may one day become just like him, his children. Is God speaking to you today? Are you ready to be used as God’s chosen vessels like ‘Mary’ and ‘Joseph’?

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Multimedia Video

Faith as small as a mustard seed?

Luke 17:6 – The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!

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Message

Break the walls of Jericho and Build the walls of Jerusalem

We all have the walls around us at all times of life. We’ve all built them either for holding God in the midst and separating ourselves from the wickedness of the world or trying to hide ourselves inside a wall to cover up our sins. They are unseen, yet they effectively hold us back from being the person we should be or should not be. Brick by brick we build our wall. Some are higher than others. But we should be able to recognise what sort of a wall is there around us. They can be either spiritual walls or worldly walls. Spiritual walls relate to the strength and stability of our Christian testimony. They relate to our capability of defending the faith, moral strength in time of temptation and also relate to our ability to separate from the unbiblical values and attitudes of this world’s system. If we have this wall of salvation around us then we are safe and secure. The walled city will be much stronger and more easily defended. The wall clearly sets the city apart from the surrounding countryside. God wants a spiritual wall to surround us but not a wall that doesn’t allow Him to enter. God wants to see strong, solid believers with a testimony that is plainly visible in this dark world. He wants to see Christians with a consistent lifestyle that is distinctly Biblical even if it means a painful separation from the values and the attitudes of the surrounding world. If we do not have this there is always a possibility that the world gets in to us and becomes a wall between God and us (Isaiah59:2). Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land God commanded them to destroy the walls of Jericho so that they can have a break through. We are living in days of battle and spiritual struggle. We need to know how to fight. We need to know that our God is able to give the victory. Just as Israel faced the formidable walls of Jericho, we face walls and obstacles in our lives as well. We need to know how to over come them as we march towards the victory. When we face these obstacles we must learn not to look upon our obstacles as dead-ends, but as opportunities for the Lord to work in our lives.

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News

Special Meeting – Rev. Gerie Martin

Hi All,

It is a pleasure to let you know that Rev. Gerie Martin will be ministering at our home this Wednesday. She is from the Faith Community Church in West Covina, California and is known to be an anointed woman of God. She is the founder and the President of Loaves & Fishes Ministries and has addressed Women’s Aglow meetings. It will be a blessing for us to receive God’s message through this servant of God.

Please do come with your family and also feel free to invite others especially non- Christians.

Meeting starts at 7 pm and Jesus will be there.

God Bless

Cobb Samuel
“Attempt great things for God
Expect great things from God”
“There is victory in the Name of Jesus”

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Multimedia Video

God’s Trademark!

Do you believe in God? Do you think there is a creator behind all the wonders of this world? In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…Genesis 1:1…”I know thee by thy name..” – Isaiah 43:1-2…See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..Isaiah 49:16…God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them – Genesis 1:27…No god of this world said these things but the one and only creator…we hear so many news everyday and we don’t question their credibility but when we hear the messages from the creator, credibility becomes the foundation of our belief…