Day 24 - An encounter with God

Every  Sunday  people  testify  how  God   is  working  in  their  lives.Today five  young  people  declared  their  faith in  Christ. Their  faces  reflected  such  happiness  and  joy.

Others  came  seeking  God,  desiring  deliverance  from pain ,  suffering  and  bondage.Asking  for  prayer  is  their  first step  of  faith.

Simla ,  a  young   woman asked for  prayer  tonight. She   is  among  the  poorest  of   the  poor.  Disease   has  ravaged  her thin  emaciated
body. She  has   a  myriad  of  medical  problems which  she  was  unable  to  describe   properly. Five  years  ago  her  husband  threw  her  out of the  house. She  is  living  with  her  parents  who  treat her like  a  leper. It  is  bad  luck  and   a  curse  to  have a  married daughter  return  to the  house  of her  birth. They  are   illiterate  poverty crushed  people unable  to  bear  the  extra  burden of  a  sick  daughter and  prisoners  of  superstition  and  false  beliefs.

Simla  came  to  the house  of  God  with  hope  in  her  heart .  Pray  with  us   for  this   poor  oppressed  woman.

"All  who are  oppressed  may  come to  Him. He  is  a refuge  to them  in  their times  of  trouble. All  those  who know your  mercy, Lord will  count  on  you  for  help. For  you  have  never  forsaken those  who  trust  in  you."
Psalm 9;9.10 TLB (BIBLE)

Day 23- Made For Him

In  Russia many  people lived in  an apartment  house. The basement  of the  building  was  filled  with  the  junk of   all  the  families.Amongst the  junk was a  beautiful  harp, which nobody had  been able to fix.

One  snowy night a  tramp  asked if  he    could sleep in the  building. The people cleared  a space for him in  a  corner  of  the basement, and he was happy to  stay there.

In a while  the people heard   beautiful music  coming from  the  basement.The owner of the harp rushed  downstairs and found the tramp playing it.
"But how could you repair it? We couldn 't." he said.

The tramp smiled  and  replied,"I made  this harp years ago and when you make  something you can also repair it."

(A story told  by  Corrie Ten Boom)


"All  things  were  made  by Him and  without Him  was not  anything  made that was  made." John 1 ;3 KJV (BIBLE)

Only God  can  fix  and  repair  me, proving His  presence  in my life.

Enjoy this beautiful harp  music

Day 22- Lights Out

Power  rostering  is  a  daily affair  in  our  country. The power  sector  is  unable  to  meet  the  demands  of  the    burgeoning  population, and booming  industrialisation. Several  weeks  ago  due  to  over drawing  the  whole  northern  grid  gave  out and  several states   were  without  electricity  for  a  couple  of   days.  We  were  fortunate   to just  be without  power  for  12  or  13   hours  only.

A  3 hour  power  outage is  a  daily  occurrence  here . We  have  resigned   ourselves  to  it and  sort  of  plan  our  activities  around  it,  but  often  the  lights  go  off without warning  at   any  time  of the  day  or  night which   is  very  frustrating. Anyone  who  can   afford  it   owns  a  battery operated  inverter  (generator) which  can  run  your  ceiling  fan  and  light   for  a  few  hours , depending  on  the  strength of  the  battery. But  you   can 't  run  your  fridge, heaters, ovens or air conditioners  on it...these  can  be  operated by   diesel or petrol run  generators, which   only  the rich can afford. I  have   a    battery inverter  without which I  could not survive.

Alternative  energy  resources   like solar  panels are  few  and  far  between because    they  are  very expensive  to  install. Some government  projects and  NGOs  have  sponsored  them  in  rural areas.

Today  we  were   having   some plumbing work  done in our  church and  the   men  were  working after  dark.  When the lights  went  out plunging  everything in darkness I saw  tiny flashes of  light like   fireflies  zig zagging  in the  work area. Later  on when I asked  the  plumbers  what  were they  doing  in the  dark,  they  said  they  were working with the  lights  from their  mobile (cell)  phones. (So now  you  have   another use for  your  cell  phone).

Life  doesn' t  stop in  India,  lights  or  no  lights and  no  one  complains We  get  irritated , groan  and   click   our  tongues  and  carry on.

The  purpose  of   this  post  is  to  say how  great  it  will  be  in  the  new   Jerusalem the  new  heavenly  city  in which those  who belong to  Christ  will  live.  There   the  light will  never go  out  and  no external light  source   will be required because  the Lamb ( Jesus Christ)  is  the  light.
His presence is  Light. We  will  live in the  radiance  of His glory...no  shadows there.

O Lord  let your  presence light up  my  life  today and forever.
²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Revalation  21;23 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 21- India Prays

The  Lord blessed me   with  a  great  day ,  no  stress  or tension. I  shared  happiness  and  hospitality  with  many.

He  led  me  beside waters.
 On  days  like  these  I  feel   God  is giving  me  a  day 's  vacation  in   the  original Garden of  Eden. (smile).
Even the  extra  power  cut   and  slight   cold   doesn' t bother  me

Thank  you  for praying  for  Tara about  whom I  wrote  on Day 17
I met  her  last  night  at  the  mid week  Bible  study and  she  told  me  that  her  husband  had  arrived   yesterday for  a  short   holiday  and  he  even  dropped  her  off  at  church  for  the  Bible  study!!!
How  great  is our  God.

Oct. 2nd is  Gandhi 's birth  anniversary. Christians have  reserved   this national holiday  to fast  and pray  for our land.

Friends  around  the   world can  join  us. You can  visit  their  web site  or  like  them on  Facebook - search for  India Prays. Here is  their  latest  posting on Facebook.

India is still an under-developed country. We see poverty and the life conditions of fellow humans; begging, illiteracy, unemployment, short-sightedness, hunger, diseases, child labour..., women abuse, high rate of infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, crime, injustice, oppression, desperation, discrimination etc.


How do we tackle this challenge? It is the duty of everyone and of the governments to alleviate and erase it. A number of legislation are made to empower the poor. It requires effective implementation.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:8,9).

Pray that:

+ As Individuals, we will be selfless, considerate and creative in sharing our lives and resources with the needy

+ Indians will see the value of each small step and not be immobilised by the great extent of needs

+ Good and just leaders rise up across India, who fully understand the heart of God for those who are oppressed

Day 20- Heights and Depths

Today  I  have  reached  the  half way point  of   my  40 day  challenge, talking  about the infallible proof  of God' s  presence in my  life.

I   don 't  have  to have  a  mountain top experience  to feel  the hand  of  God in my   life.   I can  have  a bottom-of -a lake experience, or a  shoreline  experience if you like. God  is  working  behind  the  scenes 24/7

God  bumps  into me  in the  narrow corners  of  life. Like  today, I was in another   part  of  the   city  , far  from home and needed  transport  back A cousin gave  a  lift at the  time  I   needed  to  reach home. He  usually  starts 4 or 5  hours  later but  today he  just    was early.

I don' t  take  it  as  a coincidence. It was  God arranged.
So don 't  think  you  will  find  God  in  something  big,flamboyant and spectacular. He is present in  the  most insignificant realities of  life.

"I am with you  always..." Matthew 28;20 TLB (BIBLE)

Day 19- Foot Washing

The  first thing  I  do   upon  returning home  from  a  trip  outside is  to wash my  feet  and  sandals. Get  rid  of   the  dust.  Wet feet  also  cools  you  down.

People also  take  off  their  shoes  or  sandals  before  they  enter  a home  they  are  visiting. I  was  told  they  do  that  in  Canada  too.  Good  way  to  keep  your  floor   and carpet  clean. In  India  footwear  is  shed  before  entering a  religious  building as  a  mark  of  reverence. In my  church  they  do  that.

Come  into  the  presence of  God  barefoot - leave  the  grime  of  the  world  outside.
Jesus  the   Servant King  and my  Elder  Brother  is  ready  to wash  my  feet.
I  need to have  my feet  washed  everyday.

²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews  10;22  (BIBLE)

.

"Look at your feet. They’re wet, grace soaked. Jesus has washed the grimiest parts of your life."- Max  Lucado

Day 18- God' s Fitting Room

In God' s  kingdom one  size  does  not  fit   all,

just  like  in  the  physical  world.

 Each  one  of  us  have   been

created  a unique  indivdul,

  having  our own   private  finger prints,

uncertain  number  of  hair on   our  heads

(uncertain because   everyday  we  lose  hair,

at  least  I  do)

clothes sizes  which  shrink  more  than   hang loose  LOL.

(We  should  blame  our  clothes not  our 

weight   right?

 They  (clothes)  seem  to  have  a  mind  of  their  own.)

Our  inmitable  personalities  are  n 't stamped out  in

a coin   mint  either.

The  complex  network of  our  mind,  emotion and  will 

 weaves 

us into   singular  personalities

on God 's  unparallel  loom.

Each  person is  God-stamped whether 

he  appreciates  it or  not.

An  impersoal  force  or  mindless   machine

would  have churned us  us  out  like

choco  bars  in Willy  Wonka' s  factory.

But  God  infused us with  His

unequivocal colours

which give each one  of  us our

unmistakable  size, shape  and stirring.

"I will  give  thanks to Thee,

for  I am fearfully and wonderfully

made"

Psalm 139;14 (BIBLE)

Here  is    poem by  Susan Locke which speaks

about  accepting  one another.

"In the  fitting  room

of God 's big family

do we force-fit shoes

yet claim they fit amply?

Do we find  a  church job

that 's about size seven

then cram in a foot

that  needs  an  eleven?

Do we fit new  Christians

who have  barely begun,

in huge  heavy work boots

instead of size one?

And when the fit' s good-

one just right for the  foot-

are we  busy elsewhere

when the  toe and shoe  meet?

When will we  learn -

a foot  that 's well  shod

has just  enough growth room

to run well for God."

.

Day 17- Tara , The Star

I  had a  wonderful  time worshipping the  Lord  and   communing with  God 's  people.
A  lady named  Tara  provided  lunch for  everyone after  morning  service.  It  was rice  and  chick pea  curry  called  cholay (chole) and   salad.Tara  is  a strong  believer  in  Christ, but  I  am not  sure  if  the  rest  of her  family is. Her  husband  Ravi  works  in Gujarat  state,  far  from  here.She  is  praying  that  he   may be transferred  back  to  our state (U.P.) Today  was  Ravi 's birthday  and  she  hosted the  lunch  in  his  honor. She  did  not  tell him   about  this because  he  is an  unbeliever .They don 't  have  children   and  that  has  also  caused  tension  between  them and  her in-laws  too.

Tara  is  an  arts  teacher  in  a high  school. She   requested  prayer  for  her  husband  Ravi and that  she  may  conceive  and  have  a  child she  so longs   for. Please  add   your  prayers   with  ours.

Tara  in  Hindi  means  star. Pray  that  this  beautiful   lady  may shine  for  the  Lord  as   is  her  desire.

Ephesians  2'10
For we  are  God' s  workmanship, created  in Christ  Jesus to do  good works which God  prepared  in  advance  for  us  to  do.
(BIBLE)

Day 16-Throwing Out The Junk

Today  was  junk  riddance  day.I  called   a  junk  man  known as a

kabadi  wala and  sold  him  all  the useless stuff  lying around  gathering  dust  and  rust.Irreparable  things...bits  and  pieces  falling apart.

I  also  gave  away  the  things  someone  said  they  could  fix.

The  kabadi  walas  or  junk  collectors  patrol  the  city  streets  on  the  lookout    for folks  wanting  to  get  rid  of  their  rubbish..

Old  newspapers, books  ,  toys ,  furniture and  appliances  , 

just  anything you  don 't need  anymore is  taken off  your  hands

usually  after  a  lot  of haggling  over  the  price.

The  junk man  takes  the  stuff  to  his  junk  yard  where  he  disposes  it  off  as  scrap etc.

There  is  another  kind  of   junk  which  I  need  to  get  rid of 

 and  I  don 't need  a  kabadi wala for  it. 

It  is  done  through prayer,  repentance  and  submitting  to  God.

Over  time  I  collect   junk 

like  old  memories  which  disturb

unforgiving  thoughts

carnal  attitudes

failures

worries 

and  anxieties.

They  cloud my  thinking

making  it  easier  for  Satan  to  shoot

is  fiery   darts at  me (Ephesians  6)

O  Lord  remove   all this  junk

from   my  heart  and soul

so  that  I  may  live  a sanctified  life

pleasing  to  you.

Ephesians 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ephesians 4:30-32  NIV  (BIBLE)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12; 1,2 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 15-Give Thanks

This  is  a  day  to  give  thanks  to  the  Lord , He  has done  and  wonderful  things  for  me  and  I  rejoice  in  Him.
The  Lord has  given me  plenty  of  reason   to  celebrate  His  goodness and  lovingkindness.
Today  I  miss  my  parents  , who  now  live  in  heaven and  my  family  who  all  lives  far  from  me. Oh  how I  wish  everyone  was  physically  present  in  this house.

People  who  come  to  visit  me often  ask  me  if  I  am  ever  afraid  living  alone.  Does  the darkness  scare  me? Do I  feel  lonely?
And  I  can honestly  answer, No  I  have   never  once  felt   fearful or  alarmed  . I  do  feel  lonely but   not  alone
The  Lord' s  presence  is  with me  .  His  angels protect me. He  sends help at  the right  time.
A  few  weeks ago when  I  was  sick   with  viral  fever  ,  too  ill   to  even get  up  and get  a  glass  of  water, I   felt  God 's  hand  holding  me  up  during the long  restless  nights.

The  Lord  replied, 'My  presence  will  go  with  you and  I  will  give   you rest." Exodus  33;14  NIV (BIBLE)

Listen to this  song  by  Don Moen.

And  now  let  the  weak say   I am  strong 
Let  the  poor say  I  am rich
Because  of  what  the  Lord  ha s done for me-
Give thanks

Day 14- Clean Sweep

How  do  I  forget  so  easily. God, who  has remained  faithful  in the  past  is  still  the  same.He   cannot  change.
And  here  I  was fiddling  my  troubles  on   my one  string  violin.

The  day  which broke  bright  and  sunny  suddenly  became    overcast  with  clouds  of  anxiety. Raindrops came  falling  on my  head.

I  knew  all  the  Bible  verses,  remembered  all  the teaching  on  how  to  cast  all  your  care  on  the  Lord  because  He  careth  for  you.
But  still  I  tried to  take  shelter  under  my  leaky  umbrella.
After  agonising  over it for  a  while,  I  surrendered the  problem to  the  Lord, promising to   remain  strong  and  trusting , come  what  may.

I lay down to  take  forty winks  and when  I awoke  the  Spirit  prompted  me  to  seek  help from one  particular person.
I rang him up  and  the positive  assurance  I  received  from  him made  a clean sweep of  all  the  cobwebs of  my mind.
I was  ready to  celebrate instead of  gathering  up  the  broken pieces  of  my  day.
Jesus  said ,"Ask and  it  shall be  given   to  you,  seek  and  you  shall   find knock, and it  shall  be  opened  to you." Matthew  7;7
NASB (BIBLE)

Jesus  did  not  tell  us  to  agonise, scream and  kick box when  problems come  our   way.But  ask,  seek  and   knock.

Remember it is the very time for faith to work when sight ceases. The greater the difficulties, the easier for faith; as long as there remain certain natural prospects, faith does not get on even as easily as where natural prospects fail. --George Mueller

Day 13-Slow Down

A young  man  came  forward  to  share  how  the  Lord  saved his   life  last  Sunday. He  admitted  he  was  nervous  and  our  Pastor  encouraged  him  to  tell  his  story to  the family  of  God.
He  had  been  to  church  for  the  very  first  time  the previous  week and  had  heard  about  the  works  of  the living  God.
A few  days  later he  was driving  his  boss on  a  busy  highway. In  India  , highways  are  full  of traffic very  unlike  the  West,  where  you  don 't pass a  soul for  miles  I  am told.In  a  densely  populated  country  like  ours ,  there  is  heavy   traffic  on  the  roads .

As  this  man  was  speeding  down the  road  a  voice  inside  him  told  him  to  slow  down. Noticing  that  the  vehicle  was  slowing  down,  his  boss asked  him  why   he  was  doing it obviously irritated. Perhaps  they  had  to  reach  their  destination  quickly in  time for  an  appointment. But  the  driver  said  he had  to.
Suddenly  there  was  a  loud  explosion  and  one  of  the  front  wheels  of  the  car  burst without  warning. Because  they  had  slowed  down the  driver  was  able  to  control  the  car  and  bring  it  to  a safe  halt. One can  only  imagine  what  would  have   happened  had they  been  driving   at  the  speed  they  were  going earlier. They  would  have  not  survived and  perhaps crashed into passing  vehicles.
The  young  gave  thanks  to Jesus for saving  him  from   harm  ,  even  death.

Thine  ear  shall  hear  a word  behind  thee  saying,This  is  the  way  walk  ye  in it, when ye turn to  the  right hand, and when ye  turn  to  the   left. 
Isaiah  30;21 KJV (BIBLE)

Day 12- The Atheists Speak

Knowing  God  is  foundational to  living  a  life  of  purpose and   meaning

When we  try  to   operate apart  from Him,we   end  up  trying  to  fill  our  emptiness  with  busyness, temporary  highs and  cheap thrills.But  nothing temporal can  satisfy our  need  for the eternal.Even  atheists have acknowledged this. The French atheist Albert  Camus recognised  that

"nothing can discourage the  appetite  for divinity in the   heart  of man."

Walter  Kaufmann even  admitted  that,"religion is rooted  in  man 's  aspiration to  transcend himself...Whether  he worships  idols or  strives to  perfect   himself, man is  the  God - intoxicated  ape."And  Jean-Paul Sartre,another  well  known atheist let down  his  guard when he  said, 'I reached  out for religion,I longed  for  it, it   was  the  remedy.Had it been denied me, I would  have invented  it myself."

-Chuck Swindoll in  'Growing Deep in the

Christian Life '

God  has  spoken to man  down through  the  ages, even  the  atheists   can 't deny  it. It  is  up  to  man to  respond  to Him.

²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,so that people are without excuse...

Romans 1 NIV (BIBLE)

Day 11-Joyful Noise

Our   church  services are marked  with  loud  joyful  music. Everybody enjoys praising and   making  melody  from  the  heart. Music   spills  out  on to  the  street through  the   sound  system.Our   worship  team  consists  of    talented  musicians  and singers,  of  which  I  am  a  part. Our  Pastor  himself  is  a   musician and    composer .

The  language  of  music  is  holy. The  Bible  is  full  of   music  . David,  the  temple musicians and  believers  in  the  early  church  encouraged  each other with psalms  and hymns. In  the  Bible  we  are  told  about  the continuous   worship  and celestial  music  before  the throne  of   God. And  the  amazing  thing  is  that with  modern  equipment  astronomers  and  scientists  have  recorded  the  music  of  the  stars and  heavenly bodies. I  posted  a  video recording  sometime back. The  Psalmist  wrote  about  the  stars  in  the  sky  and  hills  , mountains  and  forests  making  a  joyful  noise  in praise  of   God. The  symphony  of  the  stars  have  been  captured  , who   knows  someone  may  record  the  hills  and   mountains  clapping for  joy, as  the  Bible says.

God speaks  to  people  in the  language  of  music. This  Sunday  morning a  young  Air  Force  officer  was  passing  by  our  church.  it  was  his  first  day in  the  city.  Maybe  he felt  lonely in a  srange  place .He heard  the  strains  of  worship   music  and  it  beckoned  him  to  come  inside  and  experience  the  presence  of God. Awesome  isn' t  it.



Psalm 98:4
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
KJV  (BILE)

Day 10- Not Alone

(self photo)

The entrance  of your  words

give light.

Psalm 119;130

(BIBLE)

Day 9- Jesus Arrested Us

Some years  ago  in   the  American  school, I  taught

children from the  Royal   family  of Bhutan.

They  were  great  kids and  applied  themselves 

wholeheartedly to their  studies, respectful  towards

elders  and   disciplined  ( I never  had  to  put  them on

detention).

These  stamps  were a  gift

from one  of  them.

They  are  rare   stamps worth quite

a  bit,  I  should  imagine.

Bhutan  is  a  small  land locked Himalayan  kingdom

in the  north east  of  India.

Till  1949 it  was  completely isolated  and 

closed  to regions  beyond its  bordeers.

The  present  ruler  of Bhutan is more  open

to the outside  world  and  is  leading  his  people  towards

modernisation  and  progress.

You can  read  more  about  Bhutan at this

OPERATION WORLD LINK.

I reason I  am  telling you  this  is  because 

I want  to  share  a   mission  story with  you

from a  land  which   is  opposed  to the  Gospel.

Buddhism is  the  official religion of Bhutan.

Public  worship  and propagation of  Christianity

is illegal. There  are  a  few  Christians  there  but  they 

can only  pray  as a  family. Meeting  with  other  believers

is prohibited.

An  Indian Christian couple  living  in Bhutan  was  holding

secret meetings. They  were  very  cautious  to  change  the

venue each week and  maintain  secrecy.

One day  they  showed  a film about Jesus

to a  small  group of  people  behind  closed  doors.

When the  film  ended two strong impressive   looking

men  stood  up and  declared that  they were police  officers

and had  come to  arrest  them.

The  Indian couple and  their  friends  were  stunned and  didn' t  know how  to respond.

But the  two officers told them  not  to fear.

"We  had  come  here  to arrest  you",they  said,

"But  Jesus has  arrested us."

The men responded   in faith to  the  message  of Christ

which they heard  for  the  very first  time

in  their  lives .

We  are  told  that  they  are  now  sharing  the  love  of  God

among  their  people.

This  is  God' s  work. In infallible  proof that  He 

lives  and  moves  and   interacts  with  us.

After  you  read  this do  pray  for  the  tiny

country  of Bhutan  and  its unreached people.

My words...will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire and   achieve  the purpose

for which i sent it.

Isaiah 55;11

Day 8-The Desire

 My  blog  and  Facebook  friend  David  Schmidt  shared   that  he had  made  oatmeal cookies. It  sounded  so  good  , I  could  smell  the   aroma  of  the  freshly   baked  cookies and  wanted  to  reach  out  and  grab a  bunch  of  his  goodies.
 I  also  have  a  recipe  to  make  them   from  scratch and  I  made them  ages  ago. Not  having  the  chief  ingredient  - oatmeal,  I  couldn 't  make them that  day.
But  looking  through  my  kitchen  I  found  a   packet  of Oatmeal Muffin   mix  which  my  sister Anjali  had  brought  for   me  from Canada. I  smiled  to  myself, if  not cookies ,  it will  be  oatmeal  bread instead. And  I  made  it.

Psalm 145;16 says
You (God)  open your  hand and  satisfy the desires of every living thing.
NIV BIBLE

Here  is  the  recipe  of   my Oatmeal  cookies if  anyone  wants  to  try

OATMEAL COOKIES

 1 & 1/2 cup  sugar
1 & 1/2  cup  sifted  flour
1 teaspoon  salt
1 teaspoon  soda
1/2 teaspoon  baking  powder
Cut  in  i cup  of  shortening
Add  3   cups  rolled  oats
Combine  4  beaten eggs
2 teaspoons  vanilla
Mix  well- drop  on  tray
Flatten  with  fork
And  bake  at  350* for  12 minutes

ENJOY!

Day 7- In Her Face...

... in the face of a Mother Teresa I trace the very geography of Jesus' Kingdom; all the contours and valleys and waterways. I need no other map.

... in the dismal slums of Calcutta a Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity go about Jesus' work of love with incomparable dedication. When I think of them, as I have seen them at their work and at their devotions, I want to put away all the books, tear up all the scribbled notes. There are no more doubts or dilemmas; everything is perfectly clear. What commentary or exposition, however, eloquent, lucid, perceptive, inspired even, can equal in eludication and illumination the effect of these dedicated lives? What mind has conceived a discourse, or tongue spoken it, which conveys even to a minute degree the light they shine before men?


I was hungry, and you gave me meat.
I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.
I was a stranger, and you took me in, and I was naked and you clothed me.
I was sick, and you visited me.
I was in prison, and you came unto me.

The words (of Jesus) come alive, as no study or meditation could possibly make them, in the fulfillment in the most literal sense of Jesus' behest to see in the suffering face of humanity his suffering face, and in their broken bodies, his. The religion Jesus gave the world is an experience, not a body of ideas or principles. It is in being lived that it lives, as it is in loving that the love which it discloses at the heart of all creation becomes manifest. It belongs to the world of a Cervantes rather than that of a Wittgen-stein; to Rabelais and Tolstoy rather than to Bultmann and Barth. It is for fools like me, the poor of this world,     Quoted  fromMalcolm  Muggeridge (British  Theologian)   - Jesus, The  Man  Who  Lives

Day 6- The Grace Awakening

Today  I  received  a   hands  on  experience  of  grace

which  further  gave  me  an  insight  into what  God  has  done  for  us.

In the  afternoon  I met  an  administrator to get  his 

approval of  a  request.Two  other  people  had  already passed  it

and  now  it  was  up  to  him to put  his  signature  on  it.

When I  met  him  face  to  face  , I  realised  how  closely  he  adheres  to

the  rule  book. According  to  him  I  had  not  submitted  a document

which was  required.

Procuring  this  paper  would  be  a  long and  difficult  task for  me.

I  asked  him  to  consider  my  predicament.

And he  made  me  sweat it  out  in  his plush  air conditioned  office.

But  in  the end  he  was  very  gracious  towards  me

and  signed  my   plea with a

brotherly  caveat.

This  is  what grace  does.

The  law  ,which  is  necessary  for  the   orderly  functioning of

society is sometimes  harsh and  relentless.

There are  laws  which are  unfair and  unjust   too.

But  grace   is  unmerited  favour which flows   down

to us  in  our  moment of  need.

Grace  sobers  us and  makes  our  hearts

overflow  with thankfulness.

As a  recipient of  God 's  grace

I am  more  blessed  than any other  person.

   ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

^{John 1 NIV (BIBLE)}

^{The  photo is of  the  local  Cathedral.}

^{It  was  taken   by  my   nephew  Ashish}

Day 5-Christ In You

For  today 's  post  I  want  to  share  with  you  the  following  excerpt  from    Max  Lucado 's  book  Grace .Such  an  awesome  thought  to  dwell  upon. Christ  dwells  inside  me . Enough  to  make   me  tremble. He  chose me  for  this,  otherwise  it  could   have  never  happened.

Christ In You


When grace happens, Christ enters. Christ in you, the hope of glory!

For many years, I missed this truth. I believed all the other prepositions:

Christ for me, with me, ahead of me. But I never imagined that Christ was in me.

I can’t blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to it 216 times. John mentions it 26. No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers.

Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists.

Influence? Instruct? Yes. But occupy? No.

The mystery in a nutshell is Colossians 1:27: “Christ is in you!”

The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening! We sense his re-arranging. He’s turning debris into the divine, a pig’s ear into silk purse. Little by little a new image emerges!

God’s Grace!

From GRACE

Check the MaxLucado.com

Day 4-A Memo from God

Sometimes  I  waste  too   much  emotion  on  on  particular  thing,  musing  over  it  and examining  it  from  all  angles. Maybe  its  because  I  am  alone  for  a long  stretch  of  time,  or  I  am unable  to  discuss  my  problems  with  another  person.
God  comes  handy  at  such  times, although I  wish  I  could hear  Him  talking  back to  me audibly ,just  like  Moses  and  Abraham.
Well , can  God  send    a message  through  Facebook?
That 's where  I  found  the  above  photo with  a  word  I     needed  to hear  today. This  was  God 's  memo  to  me.
In  the  multitude of  my  thoughts within  me thy   comfort delights  my  soul.
Psalm 94;19  KJV (BIBLE)

Day 3- Adventure not Challenge

This  morning  as  I  sat  reading   my  Bible  and  praying, a  thought  passed  through  my  mind.
"TAKE EACH DAY  AS  AN  ADVENTURE  NOT  A  CHALLENGE AND  SEE  WHAT  HAPPENS"
It  was  a  whisper  of   the  Holy Spirit  and it  opened  my  eyes  to  a  fresh  perspective  on  life.
The  word   'challenge'  immediately  brings  images  of   struggle,  battle,  walking  uphill and  walking  through  muddy  waters , to   mind.
Challenges  are  heavy, like  young  David trying  to  put  on  King  Saul 's  heavy  battle  armour.  He took  it  off after  a  minute -it was  too weighty.
Challenges   fill  me   with  anxiety-dark brooding  thoughts  of  what 's  going  to  ensue. Questions  like  ,"Will  I   be  able  to  make  it  or  not?"  float to  the   top   like  foam   in  a  boiling  pot.
But  what is  adventure? It  speaks  of  exploit,  experience  and enterprise. A  venture  into  a  fresh  new  day totally  depending  on God to lead  the  way.It  can  be  an  uphill   or  downhill  adventure,  remember  Alice  in  her  Wonderland?
But the  comforting  thought  is  that  all  will  turn on  well  in  the  end.
So let  me  begin my  adventure  now.

Jesus said...I have  come  that  they   may  have  life , and   have  it  to  the  full.
John 10;7-10 NIV (BIBLE)

We  celebrated  our  Pastor' s birthday

after  service  today.

The  whole  church  was invited  to  a   delicious  lunch 

and  cake  hosted  by  our  Pastor

and his  family.

Day Two-Jesus on the Mainline

Take  a  moment  to  listen to  this  foot  tapping  song,  'Jesus on  the  Mainline Tell  Him  what  you  Want ' .
I  am  sure , like  me  you 've  had   times  when  you   are  trying  to  contact  someone  but  they  are   not  answering  the  phone,  or  you  are  getting  a busy or  switched  off  signal.
No so  with  the  heavenly  line. Our  Father  in  heaven is  always  listening and  sending  answers  to  our  prayers. Might  not  be the  way  we  want  them  answered  -  but answer  He  will with  a Yes,  No,  or  Wait  a  While.
The  waiting  part  is  tough,  I  tell  you but  as  God  's  plans  and  purposes  emerge  through  the   flow  of  time we   can    say; It  was  for  the  best.

"Yes the   Lord  hears  the   good  man  when  he calls  to Him  for  help, and  saves  him  out  of  all   his  troubles".
Psalm 34;17 (BIBLE)

My  dear  friend  Zim You  can  visit  her  in  Poland  HERE,  gifted   me  this.Its  in  Russian and  mean Thank  you for  your  great  blog.

Thank  you Zim,

You  are  a  blessing   to  me.

DAY ONE-Heavenly Poke

Today I  needed   to  contact  someone. The  weather being bad I  was  unable to call him  on his  mobile phone. I kept re-dialling his  cell phone  number but  could not  get  through. I sent  up  a desperate  prayer to God. After  a  few  anxious(I must  confess) moments I saw  this  man  come  to  meet  me.
I asked him,who sent  him to  me. He  said he was with another  man who  told him it  was  time  for  him  to  see  me. This  other  guy  reminded  him of  the  appointment. I believe  God inspired  the   'poke '

The  Lord  my strength  and   the  reason  for  my song because  He  has  saved  me. I will  praise  and honor  the Lord-He is my God and  the  God  of   my  ancestors.
 Exodus 15;2 CEV (BIBLE)

Taking up a challenge

My  friend  Carol Ann  invited  her blog  reader 's  to  take  up  a  40  day  challenge to  expand  and  share their  experience  of God  in  their   daily  lives. We 've  been  asked  to  reflect  on  the day 's happenings  and  write  a  post about  how  they  felt God 's  presence in   the  day 's  events.
Read  Carol-Ann 's  post  HERE    
I  have  read  about  various  challenges and  this  is  the  first one  I  am  attempting.

40  Day  Challenge
Whether you journal your own experience privately, or share it as a comment here...the challenge is to spend a few minutes at the end of each day just reflecting on "the infallible proof" of His presence in your life that day. One "piece of evidence of His presence" ...One "infallible proof" that He is ALIVE and speaking to YOUR heart...

When Life Hurts Most

Psalm 30

"Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning."

We are self-preservers. We strive to avoid heartache, pain and suffering. And we strive for that in the lives of those we love as well. We walk around trying to keep everything in order, everyone safe, everyone fed and everyone happy. We read articles about how to reduce stress. We count down to vacation when we can finally relax, and we pray fervently that no evil will fall upon us. When suffering strikes those we know, we are relieved it wasn’t us and we continue preserving our lives.

But how does this priority of preservation align with the Gospel? Jesus told us we would have trouble (John 16:33). We would certainly have trouble. It’s never been a matter of if, but rather, a matter of when. This knowledge should shift our priority. If hard times are guaranteed, self-preservation should no longer be what we strive for. Instead we should brace ourselves for the trouble by trusting deeper in God and believing in his goodness. That way, when the trials and tribulation show up at our door, we are able to turn to the one who told us ahead of time they were coming. If He knew what day and time these unwanted guests would arrive, He knows what we need in order to endure their stay, right?

Being able to answer that question with a confident “yes” allows us to take our life’s focus off of preserving ourselves and those around us and onto glorifying God. Hours before he hung on the cross, Jesus made it clear that God should be glorified through suffering. He prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” (John 17:1).

What if next time you found yourself under the weight of difficult circumstances, you uttered those similar words: “God be glorified in my suffering.” The hard times no longer are about you. They are no longer a curse or something that would make you doubt the goodness of God. Instead, it is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Him and broadcast His love to others.

You will look a little crazy praising God after a tragic death in your family or after losing your job or your house or whatever it is. But ultimately your radical reaction to your circumstance will be the best and most genuine opportunity to show the world who Christ really is.

Louie Giglio - Hope: When Life Hurts Most (Passion Talk Series) from louie-giglio on GodTube.

Sunday Blessings- Angelina

Little   Angelina  sang  a  worship  song  in  this  morning 's  service.

She  has   a  very  sweet  voice  and  reads  Bible  passages  with

great  confidence. Praise  God  we  have  15  children  in  our  newly  constituted  Sunday  School.

I  help  lead  in   the   worship  time  in  the  morning

and  evening  services.We  have  some  great  musicians  and  singers

participate  and  lift  up  our  hearts  towards  heaven.

On   August  1st  we  started  our  mid-week  Bible  teaching  programme.

More  than  35  people  of  all  ages  are  attending 

eager  to  study  the  Scriptures.

Some  of  them travel  long  distances  on  uncomfortable

public transport  to  get  to  the  city  centre.

God  is  working  among  us.