“Have mercy on me O God according to your unfailing love.” This is how the well-known prayer of King David starts in Psalm 51. He is confessing and repenting of his sins in this prayer.
Three Players
“Have mercy on me O God according to your unfailing love.” There are three players here.
One, is me. Someone who is a sinner. Someone who is in need of God’s mercy.
Second, there is God. He alone can show mercy.
Three, there is “hesed,” the Hebrew word which is translated variously as unfailing love, steadfast love and lovingkindness. This word cannot be fully translated as it talks about the richness of God’s love which talks about God’s loyalty towards his people even when they have failed. He keeps his side of his promise to love his people and you as an individual. And he is faithful.
2 Unchanging and 1 Changing
“Have mercy on me O God according to your unfailing love.” Again, in this prayer there are 2 that doesn’t change and 1 that changes always. You and I change. But God and his unfailing love (hesed) does not change.
There is no need to guess. You and I know how quickly we keep changing. And we keep falling. Therefore mercy is needed.
There is no need to look at our goodness. It won’t ever measure up to God’s standards of holiness. So we are in need of God’s mercy.
Come to God
“Have mercy on me O God according to your unfailing love.” Yes, come to God with the burden of your sins; the shame of them and feelings of guilt. He is willing to forgive and cleanse you from all your sins. The blood of Jesus on the cross will do that for you. What a joy it is to be forgiven.
If this is your prayer from.a broken heart, God will listen and answer.
Mercy is something none of us deserve or can claim. And only God can show mercy. We cannot earn it in any way.
Only a realization of our sinfulness in God’s sight will move us to pray like this.
If our hearts are hardened like clay in the sun we will turn a deaf ear to the Spirit of God showing us our sins.
But if our hearts are sensitive, it can melt like wax and yield to the Spirit of God’s penetrative light revealing our hidden motives and actions based on pride.
Pray
So let us pray: “Have mercy on me O God according to your unfailing love.”
Like David, let us hold to God’s steadfast love, unfailing love or lovingkindness. It won’t let go of you even when you have sinned and rebelled against God. It won’t let you go even when you have failed.
God’s hesed or unfailing love will give you yet another chance to repent, turn away from evil, be forgiven, and have a brand new beginning in life once again.
David is pinning his hope for forgiveness entirely and fully and completely on God’s hesed towards him. It is God’s mercy alone not our goodness. So let us put our hope entirely on God’s unfailing love. He will show you mercy today and now.
My dear friend, you are no failure if you can tell God, “I love you.” It was Peter who said “Lord, I love you.” after his dismal failure. And it happened thus: It was early morning by the seashore of Galilee.
“Come and have breakfast,” said the Risen Jesus as he invited 7 of his disciples to the breakfast of fish and bread on a fire of burning coals he had prepared for them.
A great drama was to follow. Jesus confronted Peter because of his failure. Peter had denied knowing his Master after Jesus was arrested and taken to be crucified to bleed and die for you and me.
But surprisingly there was no condemnation in the voice of Jesus. Only the question, “Do you love me?” Peter said “Yes Lord, I love you.”
God is simply looking for love. What God values is your heart. Your simple expressions of love. Just tell him, “O God, I love you.” It doesn’t matter how much you have failed. Simply say: “I love you.”
You might be hurt and broken. You might not feel like saying it. But say “O God, I love you.” You might be afraid of God for many reasons. It doesn’t matter, just tell, “O God I love you.”
You might not be sure whether God will accept you. He certainly will. Just go ahead and tell him of your love for him; however feeble or weak it is.
Jesus had earlier called Peter to help others to experience God’s love for them. In Jesus’ own words, Peter was called to be a “fisher of men.” But Peter was discouraged by his failure. Peter’s heart was broken by that one look from Jesus before he was led away to be crucified.
Peter had gone outside and wept bitterly that night. But Jesus, after rising from the dead, had sent a special message to Peter and met with him one-on-one to encourage him. Yet he went back to his old trade of fishing in the sea and took 6 of his friends along with him.
But that night they caught no fish, nothing. Though they were experienced fishermen they had nothing to show for their labour. Jesus called out from the shore and said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” They did so and caught a huge number of fish.
It was only then they realized it was the Lord who was standing on the shore. That reminded Peter of an earlier miracle which was similar. By the shore of the same sea, Jesus had called him. This was the place of his first love when the holiness and love of God he saw in Jesus had compelled him to forsake all and follow him.
Now Jesus was reminding Peter of his first love. It had grown cold. He was an utterly broken man thinking that God cannot love him anymore.
See, Jesus has nothing to do with people who are full of pride and full of their importance and having no need of God in their lives. But he came to touch broken men and women who are full of sorrow and shame because of their sins, mistakes, and failures.
He is simply asking you, “Do you love me?” Peter was hurt when Jesus asked the same question to him the third time.
But it was love that made Peter say, “I love you Lord,” three times for he had denied his Master thrice. Jesus forgave Peter and got love in return. For Jesus himself had said on an earlier occasion that he or she who is forgiven much, loves much.
Peter was restored to a place of leadership and usefulness. The cowardly Peter, later touched by the Spirit of God, became a bold firebrand for Jesus.
And he truly became a fisher of men because he dared to say, “O Jesus, I love you.” Yes, friend, your life is no failure if with all your heart you can tell God in your brokenness, in your shame, in your defats, “O Lord, my God and my Saviour, I love you.”
Featured image courtesy: Photos by Danny Greenberg on Unsplash and Dark Indigo on Pexels Microsoft Designer
This Post is based on the incident recorded in the 21st Chapter of the Gospel of John in the Bible.
Sometimes, you are tired of living. Troubles everywhere. No one seems to care. Everybody is busy with their own lives. You have no one to turn to. Then remember, you have God whose compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Like dewdrops that appear each morning bringing in fresh hope and renewal.
It is good to note what David the king and poet has described. He says that God remembers that we are but dust formed from the ground of the earth. So God has compassion on those who fear him just like a father has compassion on his children. There is a gentleness that is reflected here. God has a perfect understanding of your brokenness in life; and he visits you with compassion.
Yesterday you might have failed. You might have sinned against God. You might have made mistakes that you regret today. Yet do not give up. For God will show you compassion. Morning brings word of his unfailing love. He gives you a fresh start today. For his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Just accept that in faith even as you trust in him.
Remember, your failures are opportunities for God to show his grace to you. Grace means undeserved mercy. He wants you to get up and not lie down in despair. He is showing you what you can be in Jesus. Your future has been sealed with the precious blood of Jesus shed on the cross. Therefore God is showing you compassion today.
So, rise up. Each new dawn is God’s way of saying: “Go on in the strength I will provide. Do not look at the threatening circumstances and lose heart. Do not look at your sins and give up. Instead look to me. I will show you mercy. I will give you yet another chance. Turn away from all evil. Then you will find that my compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
Therefore when you wake up, thank and praise God for there is hope for you. No matter what you feel, the compassion of God is real, authentic, genuine and true. It will not fail. You can trust in its newness every morning because it comes from God who is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
When you wake up, if your heart is burdened, just think of God’s compassions as a soft bed on which you can sink into and still find it holding you up with needed strength. God promises you today that his love for you will not be shaken even if mountains are shaken and hills removed because he has compassion on you.
Featured image courtesy: Photo by Pixabay on Pexels | Microsoft Designer.
Into this brokenness there walks in someone who was himself rejected, despised, wounded, bruised and forsaken.
To those who find it difficult to forgive themselves, he says, “Your sins are forgiven.” To those who are rejected, he opens his arms wide like when they were stretched out on the cross.
After all, at the end of the day, you need someone who understands; don’t you? Do not shun him thinking you are beyond help. There is no one else like him who comes to your help when you are hurting.
He never said, “I love you!” But Love was never on exhibit more plainly than when he was lifted up on the cross. He bled for you that you may belong to him. His promise to you is not an easy life but his presence with you in your troubles.
Yes dear friend, he walks in when everyone else has rejected you and walked out on you. His name is Jesus. He is your glorious hope who will make life shine bright once again for you.
Featured images courtesy: Collage of images by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke, Вероника Сбитнева, Nick_the_Photographer, Foundry Co, Alexandra_Koch by Pixabay.
God knew you before anyone else knew you. It is an amazing foreknowledge. You were seen in his radar before any scan could see you.
I know you by name.
God calls each star by name. Such is his immense wisdom and power which holds them. And he is longing to be friends with you. To have a personal relationship with you. He, therefore, calls you by name and says, “You are mine.”
I know your thoughts.
When your heart is proud and unresponsive, he knows it. When your heart is broken and you are humble in your attitude, he knows it. He knows when you feel like a failure and he knows when you are nesting evil thoughts. Everything in your mind is laid open and bare before him.
I know your deeds.
Our system of evaluation is based on what we see. God’s standards are different. He weighs our deeds on a different scale. He looks at our motives and judges our deeds accordingly. Will you and I pass this test?
I know the plans I have for you.
When God’s people were in exile and captivity because of their sin, rebellion, and disobedience; he sent them a message through a prophet. God made a promise that after several decades he would bring them back to their own land. The plans he had were for their good; to prosper them, and not to harm them. His plans for you are also for good; to give you hope and a future even when your circumstances look hopeless today.
I make known the end from the beginning.
God often spoke through prophets and predicted events in the future. As he knows what lies ahead; it is wise to ask him to lead and guide you. He will not only guide you continually; but to the very end. His counsel is always wise and best. Therefore listen to his voice. You will hear him say, “This is the way, walk in it.”
I know your love for me.
The old fire has gone out. The romance is no longer there. You are doing lip service to me but your heart is not in it. What wrong did I do to you that you have forsaken your first love for me? Therefore return to me. I have loved you with an everlasting love. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken,” says your God.
I know your secret sins.
I know that you have tried to avoid them but have failed time and again. Your good deeds will not save you. Trust in the blood of my Son Jesus shed on the cross for you. You are clean and purified because of faith in his blood. Your heart is washed whiter than snow. So don’t be disheartened. Don’t be discouraged. Rise up from your bed of defeat. Walk away from evil. And be clothed in garments of praise.
I know your prayers.
God says: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.” He sees your unspoken desires; your inaudible groans, and silent lifting up of your heart to his throne of grace. He listens to your every sigh; and even what you are unable to share with your most intimate friend. Therefore do not lose heart. He is near you. He is with you. He is in you. And he is for you. He answers when you call. And he will show you great and mighty things you do not know in response to your prayers.
—
Featured image by Traveler stories photos on Pexels | Microsoft Designer
Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” People were crowding around Jesus. So his friends had lowered him on a mat before Jesus from an opening made through the tiles in the roof of the house. They had faith that Jesus would heal him. And they were desperate to get him to Jesus.
It was clear to all that the man needed physical healing. Some of our needs are obvious like this. But when you come to Jesus, he often confronts you with a deeper and greater need than the physical. It is a need that nobody can help you with. It is your need to find forgiveness and peace with God.
When Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven,” the religious people who had gathered there began to think, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” They were right. Only God could forgive the sins of any man or woman. But they failed to understand that Jesus was God in human flesh.
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus asked them whether it was easy to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up , take your mat and walk?”
It brings us to the question of authority. The government or a bank can decide to cancel debts that individuals or organizations owe them. This is because they have the authority to do so. But when it comes to sins; no human agency or individual has the authority to forgive. It is an act of God’s mercy alone.
That also tells you there is nothing you can do to earn God’s forgiveness. No self-punishment, no pilgrimage, no acts of charity, no good deeds are enough. But if your heart is broken and you humbly seek God for his mercy; he will certainly forgive. Remember, no man or woman on earth can forgive sins. Only God alone can forgive.
And there is no limit to God’s forgiveness. There is no sin, however greatly it has stained your life, that God cannot forgive. Jesus shed his blood on the cross so that all can find forgiveness for their sins. He not only forgives when you tell your sins before him; but his blood also cleanses you from all sins.
Sometimes, you look at your own goodness and think there is no need for God’s forgiveness in your life. But is that true? The Bible declares, “There is no difference, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” And all of us know that there are thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions that are not right in my life and your life as well.
The point is that when such wrong things happen in our lives, you and I owe God a huge moral debt that not one of us can pay. The only solution is to take it to God and seek his forgiveness. Then, if you are truthfully earnest, God will tell you. “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” That settles it forever.
God hurls your sins into the depths of the sea and sweeps away your offenses like a cloud when he forgives you. Even though he has kept your secret sins in the light of his presence, when he forgives; he will remove them from you as far as the east is from the west. How sweet and comforting to hear Jesus tell you: “Friend, your sins are forgiven!”
—
Read more on the healing of the paralytic man in the Gospels of Matthew 9:2–8, Mark 2:1–12 and Luke 5:17–26.
Featured image courtesy: Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay on Pexels | Fotor |img2go
No one in all human history has been introduced to the public in this fashion. The forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist, cried out when he saw him: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The question is what does this intro mean to you?
First of all, it is an invitation. To look closely at this person.
He is described as a Lamb. Gentle. Not rebelling and crying out against all the sufferings inflicted on him as he was led to the cross. To bleed and die for all of us.
Secondly, lambs were used for sacrifice. An innocent animal’s blood had to be shed for God to turn away from punishing someone who had done wrong. The Bible calls all wrongdoing and rebellion against God, sin.
When the forerunner said, “Look, the Lamb of God,” he was saying to the people that all those animal sacrifices in the past were looking forward to this Man sent from God to die for all.
Thirdly, he was like a sacrificial lamb roasted over the fire as God’s judgement and wrath against all our sins fell on Jesus on the cross.
In that sense, Jesus is your substitute. He died in your place. The punishment for all your sins that should have rightly come upon you; the whole of it came upon him. Yes, the Lamb of God has taken away your punishment.
Finally, in the sacrificial system, a lamb that was to be sacrificed had to be without blemish, without spot, and without defect of any sort. So the priest would examine a lamb carefully to make sure it is perfect before sacrificing it.
The invitation to you is to look and examine this Man closely. What is the fault you can find in him? If you can’t find any; look to him in faith. It was sacrificial love for you that took him to the cross. If that doesn’t prove that God loves you; nothing else will.
One look of faith is enough to fall in love with him.
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Above all, we are called to look beyond time and into the heavens to see and experience the mighty thundering songs of praise, adoration, and worship that belongs to the victorious Lamb of God who has triumphed:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise.”
Yes, in heaven, the songs of praise revolve around the Lamb who bled and died to remove our sins from us.
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” “Amen.”
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns,
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come.”
—
This post was last updated on 6th February 2025.
Featured image: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
A young woman in England was troubled in her mind. She felt herself unworthy to come to Jesus. A Swiss evangelist, Cesar Malan who was visiting the town told her, “Come just as you are.” But she was not willing then to come to Jesus. It was only 12 years later that those five simple words would impact her.
She became invalid and was confined to her room. And then one night in 1834 the burden of the lost condition of her heart and soul became unbearable and she, Charlotte Elliott, thinking on those five words, “Come just as you are” came to Jesus.
She simply came with her sense of unworthiness and uselessness. That night she wrote the words of the hymn Just as I am. She said in that hymn that she was coming to Jesus not because of any claim she had to make. Instead, she was trusting the blood of Jesus the Lamb of God which was shed for her and his invitation to come to him. She said that she was not trying to clean herself but instead she was coming to the blood of Jesus which can cleanse all dark spots.
Just as I am, without one plea,
but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bid’st me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
to rid my soul of one dark blot,
to thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
My dear friend, would you like to come to Jesus today? Bring your sins, your guilt, your shame, your sense of unworthiness; bring it all to him. He has not only invited you to come, but he is also eagerly waiting to see you return to him. Will you come? Will you return to his love today?
See, God’s love is not about emotions. But it is practical and sacrificial. He showed his love for you on the cross where Jesus bled and died for you. This is the central truth in all human history.
You have to look to the cross and the blood of Jesus to come to God. There is no other way. It is a narrow way. Many people reject this way because they want a way to God which is easy and popular and based on their own goodness.
But there is no other way to God. For the Bible says, in Hebrews 9 and verse 22 “and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (NIV) And again, the night before he was crucified, Jesus said, in Matthew 26 and verse 28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Yes, the blood of Jesus has tremendous power to cleanse and to forgive. Because it is sinless blood;
because it is innocent blood;
because it is the blood of the Son of God fully and willingly surrendered to his Father’s will;
because it was poured out as sacrifice to the very last drop;
and because it speaks words of forgiveness even today,
it has in it the power to cleanse and forgive all your sins.
There is not one sin in your life, however great and evil it is, that the blood of Jesus cannot wash clean.
Your every secret sin, every act of disobedience, every act of rebellion against God; all their bright red scarlet stain can be washed as white as snow in the blood of Jesus. Just come to him with a sincere and broken heart; ready to turn away from evil and darkness to the light of God.
In 1 John Chapter 1 verse 7, the Bible says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (NKJV). “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” My dear friend, there is cleansing power in the blood of Jesus.
The one thing you need to do is to walk in the light. Do not run away from God when the Spirit of God convicts you of sin in your life. Like King David, agree with what the Spirit of God is showing you and say, humbly say, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
When you thus confess your sins before God, the Bible says in 1 John Chapter 1 verse 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Let me read that again: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So, you can find forgiveness with God and cleansing from all your sins by the blood of Jesus.
You can come again and again to the blood of Jesus every single time you become conscious of a wrong thought, a bad word, or a sinful action from your side. For the blood of Jesus is a cleansing fountain as said in Zechariah Chapter 13 and verse 1. You cannot exhaust its cleansing flow and power.
Therefore, do not hesitate to wash yourself in the blood of the Lamb of God. Yes, do not hesitate to wash yourself in the blood of the Lamb of God. That is the only way you can enter the holy presence of God. In fact the Bible says in Hebrews Chapter 10 verse 19 that we can have confidence to enter the presence of God in the most holy place in heaven by the blood of Jesus. With boldness and freedom, we can definitely enter the presence of God by the blood of Jesus.
It further invites us to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. That means you need not doubt. God will welcome you for sure when you come to his presence through the blood of Jesus. This is the significance of the curtain of the temple being torn in two; from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross.
For the blood of Jesus removes all barriers and opens the way for you to come to the presence of God. The door in heaven is open for you. The curtain, the body of Jesus, was broken for you. So come boldly; come with boldness and with confidence that Jesus your high priest in heaven is bringing you near to God by his precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary.
Yes, the blood of Jesus has permanently opened a new and living way for you to approach God. Do not hesitate when you become conscious of sin. The moment you realize you have sinned; come to God confessing your sin and be cleansed and forgiven by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus makes it possible for you to have access to God at all times.
Do you find it unbelievable? Then think on what Pastor Stuart Silvester had to say about this. He once had a conversation with a friend of his who frequently flew his small private plane in and out of Toronto International Airport. He asked the pilot if he ever faced problems taking off and landing a small craft at an airport that was dominated by so many large jets. His friend responded, “My plane may be small, but I have the same rights, the same privileges, and the same access to that airport as anyone else—even the jumbo jets!” “the same access to that airport as anyone else
Yes my dear friend; don’t think yourself small or insignificant when you to come to God through the blood of Jesus. You have equal access to the throne of grace just like any giant of faith you might know. You are always welcome to go to God crying out Abba Father, crying out My Dearest Daddy, through the Spirit of God dwelling in your heart.
So draw near to God now. For the blood of Jesus has the power to make you stand before God having your past wiped clean. Come to God with a heart that is truthfully and sincerely hurt by all your sinful attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Ask God to help you turn away from all that is wrong in your life. The Bible calls that repentance, and it is godly sorrow that leads you to repentance.
Isn’t it sad that you still trust in your self-righteousness? Now what does that mean? You think by going to church regularly, by prayer and Bible reading, by giving tithes, by your church traditions, by your good deeds, by going on a pilgrimage, doing penance, and so on you can earn access to God. Impossible. It is your pride that makes you think so. The cross of Jesus is where man’s pride ends. No one can come to God except through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
So humble yourself before God. The Bible says in Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” The Bible says again in 1 Peter Chapter 1 verses 18 and 19 that we were redeemed not with perishable things such as silver and gold “but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” “but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.”
The sacrifice of Jesus was costly. As I mentioned earlier, Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 22 says, “And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” The blood of Jesus has purchased your pardon and freedom. There is absolutely nothing in you or your possessions with which you can clear the debt that you owe God to clear you from all your sins. Only the blood of Jesus redeems. So come to this cleansing fountain now itself.
When you do so, God justifies you. For the Bible says in Romans Chapter 5 verse 9: “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him.” “Since we have now been justified by his blood.” Now what does it mean? It means that God will not count your sins against you. In simple terms, it means you have a clean new beginning in your life; a brand new beginning in your life. It means that as God looks at you through the lens of the blood of Jesus, it is as if you never ever sinned.
Dr. Warren Wiersbe talks about Dr. Roy Gustafson who has the finest illustration of justification he has ever heard. It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday. While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, “I’m having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?” Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.
As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, “How much is this going to cost me?” So when he got back to England, he wrote the people a letter and asked how much he owed them. He received a letter from the office that read: “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” That is justification!
It results in you having peace with God. In Romans Chapter 5 and verse 1 we read, “Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is “through faith in his blood” as is made clear in Romans 3 and 25. So if you trust in the blood of Jesus, God’s anger against you is turned away from you because of Jesus’ blood. Romans 3:25 is a very important verse which specifically mentions the object of faith which saves. That is faith in the blood of Jesus is what saves. Many non-believers accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, a divine healer, a worker of miracles, and a powerful prophet. That is all true. But that kind of faith is not enough to save. What saves you from eternal hell is your faith in his blood! So come to this cleansing fountain of blood and find peace with God.
And he will heal your wounds which were caused by sin. The Bible says in Isaiah Chapter 53, “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” He will also restore you to friendship with God. For, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. All the sin of the world was placed on Jesus the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. Why? To reconcile us to God. It simply means that through the blood of Jesus, God is telling you and me, “I will be friends with you.” Will you believe that? Come to the cleansing fountain of the blood of Jesus.
When you trust his blood for your salvation, sin that separated you and God is removed. The shame and guilt of sin is also taken away. That brings you into close connect and fellowship with God. Instead of enmity with God, there will be peace with God.
God has also brought you out from Satan’s dominion and darkness and evil and given you the power to lead a life that becomes increasingly holy. See, Jesus took the punishment for sins that should have come upon you and me on his body broken on the cross, to set us free! Does that mean we will never sin again. Not at all. But the blood of Jesus puts in our heart a new attitude which hates sin and evil.
In spite of that, a sinless life might not be possible, for we all sin against God from time to time knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore we need repeated cleansing by the blood of Jesus from day to day and moment by moment. So when you allow the blood of Jesus to operate in your life and submit to the powerful influence of this cleansing fountain, there will be a gradual dying to all the wrong desires as God gives you a stronger desire to be holy like him. In Hebrews 13 verse 12 we read: “So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood.” The Bible calls this sanctification. It is the process by which we consistently turn away from all that is evil and become increasingly holy in our lives.
Sanctification refers to the moment by moment cleansing we all need through the blood of Jesus. Imagine you taking a walk on the road. When you come back home even though you didn’t deliberately touch any dirt, lot of dust and other matter will have accumulated in your body mixed with your sweat; isn’t it? Likewise as we live in the world things we happen to see and hear defile our mind and spirit.
Often this defilement discourages us. Then we need to consciously seek the cleansing through the blood of Jesus. We also need to separate ourselves from all known sin in our lives. And then there are matters that make our consciences unclean. We may not be aware of all that. Yet if we consciously seek the cleansing by the blood of Jesus he will do it for you.
After mentioning about the outward cleansing achieved through the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those ceremonially unclean in Old Testament times, the writer points out the inward sanctification as well: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” Hebrews Chapter 9 verse 14. Let me read that again for you. “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.”
How does sanctification happen in your life? Let us listen to what Jesus said in John Chapter 6 verses 53 to 57, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” Even the disciples of Jesus who listened to him say this found this a hard teaching and they were offended. So what does this mean?
Drinking his blood simply means that we allow the blood of Jesus to have an unrestrained and unrestricted influence in our lives. When we allow that to happen, it leads us to the deepest and intimate union and closer walk we can have with God. Therefore there is a great sense of nearness to God’s presence when you go to him in prayer through the blood of Jesus. From now on, practise the presence of God through the blood of Jesus even while you work or study or play or drive your car. Thus you can always experience God near and have his joy in your life. But like that disciples even today many are offended by the mention of the blood of Jesus. It certainly is not popular.
And when you allow the blood of Jesus to have an unrestrained and unrestricted influence in your life, you also have victory through the blood of Jesus. As the Book of Revelation Chapter 12 verse 11 says, “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” That means there is victory over sin and Satan, and protection and deliverance from all forces of evil and darkness in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Saviour. In today’s world filled with all kinds of evil, temptations, distractions, worries and anxieties, depression and discouragement; your means of victory over all of it comes through the blood of Jesus. So look to Jesus and his shed blood on the cross. That is the banner of your victory. Wave it high.
Let me end with the story Billy Graham told of a boy who lost his way. a police officer was on night duty in a city in northern England. As he walked the streets, he heard the sound of a quivering sob. Shining his flashlight into the darkness, he saw a little boy in the shadows sitting on a doorstep with tears running down his cheeks. The child said, “I’m lost. Please take me home.” “I’ll be glad to take you home. Where do you live?” the officer replied. But the little boy was so tired and so scared that he couldn’t remember his address. The policeman began naming street after street, trying to help the boy remember where he lived. He named the shops and the hotels in the area but the little boy could give him no clue. Then he remembered that at the centre of the town stood a church with a large white cross that towered high above the rest of the city. The policeman pointed to the cross and said, “Do you live anywhere near that place?” The little boy’s face immediately brightened up. He said, “Yes, sir. Take me to the cross and I can find my way home.”
This day let me point you to the cross and the blood Jesus shed there for you. That is the only way home to God and to heaven and to life eternal.
The blood of Jesus shed on the cross has the power to cleanse you from all your sins.
The blood of Jesus sanctifies you by giving you power to live a holy life.
The blood of Jesus redeems you by delivering you from the power of Satan and darkness and evil.
The blood of Jesus justifies you giving you a clean brand new beginning in life
The blood of Jesus heals you especially from the brokenness of your heart caused by sin.
The blood of Jesus gives you access 24 x 7 to the throne of grace in God’s presence.
The blood of Jesus gives you victory in your fight with the world, with your sinful nature and with the devil.
The blood of Jesus gives you protection from the evil one.
And the blood of Jesus reconciles you with God and let you be friends with him.
So come to the Lamb of God. Wash your robes white in the blood of the Lamb and as recorded in Revelation Chapter 5 sing the praises of heaven saying:
“Because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise.”
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power for ever and ever.” Amen!
Do you know the good news?
Jesus came to bleed and die on the cross.
He died in your place taking your punishment upon him.
But why should you be punished at all if you are good?
Well, even a good person will say that not everything is right in his heart and in this world.
There is something gone wrong with all of us.
There is the shadow of death everywhere.
But why is this so?
Because sin or rebellion against God came to this world through our first parents.
And we have inherited that tendency to disobey God.
Our hearts are deceitful; not loving the truth.
We need God’s mercy and forgiveness.
And God offers it for you at the cross where Jesus bled and died.
So, turn away from all wrong and look to him.
Because Jesus lives, we too can find life in him.
It is God’s free gift to you!
That is the good news of God.
If I were to tell you, “I will not forget you,” the chances are that I will. Life is busy and when other priorities get the upper hand, you will soon be forgotten once you are out of my sight.
But when God says, “I will not forget you”, there is absolutely no way he is going to forget you, ever!
First of all, God loves you and cares for you. Therefore he will not forget you. Do you doubt whether he is interested in all the small things of life that trouble you? He is concerned for you and looks on you with favour.
Secondly, God remembers the love you have for him. He knows the times you stumbled. He has seen your earnest tears. He values your thankful heart. More than all these, he appreciates your spending time in his presence. Yes, God will not forget you.
Thirdly, God uses an unforgettable argument to make you remember that he will not forget you. He asks whether a mother can forget the baby at her breast and show no compassion on the child she has borne? Even if she forgets, which is highly unlikely, God says “I will not forget you.”
So if you are feeling lost and helpless, forsaken and misunderstood, lonely and without hope, this is God’s message for you today: “I will not forget you!” Read this post on LinkedIn
—
Bible references: Isaiah 44:21; 49:15, Ezekiel 36:9, Hebrews 6:10.
Many years ago, I delivered a sermon in CSI Mateer Memorial Church, Thiruvananthapuram. The sermon was based on Isaiah 49:15. It was the month of March. And this is how I began and concluded the sermon.
Sermon Introduction: “This is the month of March and it is the festive season of autographs.” [In a few quick sentences I explained how in Schools and Colleges, Students write autographs for their friends and in the coming years what is written is soon forgotten.]
Sermon Conclusion: “This is the month of March and it is the festive season of autographs. And God in a fresh new page of your autograph book writes in the blood of his Son Jesus, ‘I will not forget you.’ “
“Search me, O God, and know my heart,” is a prayer that should rise out of every sincere heart. There are several possibilities of this prayer.
One, there might be hidden sins in our hearts that only God’s penetrating search lights can reveal. It will give us a chance to confess and renounce them and find God’s mercy.
Two, there can be worries and anxieties in our heart which shows lack of trust in God, our Heavenly Father. When God’s search brings them out, it gives us a chance to ask God to give us grace to believe in his goodness and care towards us.
Therefore “Search me, O God, and know my heart,” is a prayer that requires honesty as well as courage. It demands a willingness to change and also take action. It also shows trust in God who knows all about us—all our innermost secrets, fears, worries and hopes.
So let us too pray in the words of the Psalmist David,
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
When people misunderstand you and question your good motives, what do you think you need the most? Perhaps a compassionate heart, an understanding touch, a word of comfort; isn’t it? But the question is, “Who will show me compassion?”
When all call you a failure, when your best work is criticized, when you in spite of all your prayers and efforts are unable to succeed in the eyes of others, and you feel like there is no one to stand by your side; the question still is, “Who will show me compassion?”
When hope flickers and despair creeps in, when you feel like you cannot live another day, when you ask “Why am I going through all this?” the question still is, “Who will show me compassion?’
But after passing through all these, is human compassion enough? Even if someone weeps with you, who is powerful enough to heal those deep wounds in your heart and mind?
Therefore consider God. He is full of compassion. He remembers that you are nothing but dust of the earth and shows compassion like a father shows compassion to his child. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. So look to him. Seek his face. He will show you compassion today.
He has seen your tears. He knows the pain of your broken heart. He feels your godly sorrow over your sins. Just run to him and his loving embrace. Yes, God will certainly show you compassion today.
***
Bible passages referred to: Psalm 103:13, 14; Lamentations 3:22, 23; Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 6:34, 8:2–3.
You might be suffering from guilt. Now how can your guilt be taken away? Will due punishment take it away? It cannot! You still will hear accusing from your conscience and often from the devil himself. Is there an escape? Oh yes, there is! Come to the fountain!
What is this fountain? It is the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. The Bible says the blood of Jesus is a fountain of cleansing. All our sins, when we confess them before God and repent of them with sincere and true and broken hearts, are forgiven. Its shame and guilt is taken away. So come to this fountain.
Come to this fountain with all your failures, mistakes, and sins. There you will find pardon and forgiveness in abundance. For God is compassionate and merciful. He is ever willing to forgive when you come to him broken. He does not want you to live in guilt and shame. Therefore come to this fountain.
When God forgives, he also restores. He brings you back to a right relationship with him. He brings you out of darkness into his light, from death to life, from lies and deception to truth, and from despair to healing.
Therefore do not lose your life to guilt trips. But find God’s unconditional love and forgiveness by coming now itself to the fountain of cleansing from sin and impurity. End your guilt trip today. Come to this fountain!
Sometimes you feel all alone. You lose hope. There is nothing but despair.
But before you give up, consider: Night and darkness do not stay permanent. Light and joy comes with the break of dawn.
So you need to wait. Not just wait, but wait in hope. Why? Because focus on the negatives can make you lose sight of help standing by.
Yes, there are many situations in which no one else can share the burden of your anxious thoughts. But then hope is there because God has promised, “I am with you.” He also said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
You can trust what he has said because God doesn’t lie. He remains true and faithful to what he has promised. Therefore you are never alone. God is with you. Do you believe it?
From this moment, ask God to help you know and experience with certainty that he is with you. God’s presence with you gives you the strength needed to face the giants in your life. You are not alone when God is with you; are you?
If you are young and probably in your teens, life can turn difficult from being rosy as quickly as lights are switched off. You can feel unloved, rejected, and confused. The longing for acceptance can be met with scorn. People can even make fun of you. But let not your hopes be dashed: Life can be better!
The question is whether you should allow negative feelings to determine your worth? If you allow others to decide how you should feel; then all through your life you will be at other people’s mercy. Your trying hard to please everybody and saying yes to everything will surely create unpleasant experiences for you.
There are no simple solutions I have to offer when you feel unloved, rejected, and confused. The only thing I can remind you of is hope. Hope in God comes first and following that hope of a better tomorrow. You might wonder how God fits in to the whole situation you are facing. Probably you are feeling like a failure already and doesn’t want God to come to play the game of your life.
But let me tell you a simple reason why you should consider God. He is someone who is willing to accept you just as you are. What does that mean? It simply means that God loves you the way you are right now. He loves you even when you feel unloved, rejected, and confused. He does not find fault with you for your doubts. He is not angry when you rebel against him; but is patiently waiting for you to come to him. For he believes that your life can be better with better hopes, better dreams, and better tomorrows.
You are reading this probably because you are going through a period of low self-esteem. It can happen due to a lot of reasons. But it need not stop you from moving ahead successfully in life.
There are many external causes for low self-esteem. Being unable to do what you are good at, lack of finances, words of criticism, emotional or physical abuse during childhood, rejection from loved ones, breaking up of relationships, ill health; can all contribute to low self-esteem.
The chances are, low self-esteem you feel is based on others’ negative opinion and false estimates about you. When someone says, “You’re an utter failure,” or “What benefit do you get when you help others?” it is bound to make you feel low and down.
But are those estimates true? Maybe that’s how someone feels about you. Their ideas of success might be totally different and influenced by the crowd they mingle with.
Whatever it be, feeling low on self-esteem is painful and can take away the enthusiasm to do anything purposeful. There are three things you should keep in mind when you go through a period of low self- esteem:
One, God values you and sees infinite worth in you so much so that he sent his one and only Son Jesus to shed his blood on the cross and die for you. Believe God’s truthful estimate about you.
Two, patiently keep doing your good work knowing that its fruit and reward will come someday without fail. Do not mistake slow-moving phases of life as failure.
Three, the pain of low self-esteem can make you a better person. It can make you more creative, more compassionate, and more humble before God. In due time, God will exalt you. Trust in his perfect timing for you.
So when low self-esteem troubles you, pour out your sorrow before God. He will listen to you, for he is compassionate. You can lean on him for strength in times of low self-esteem. The night is darkest, as it is said, just before dawn!
Let us look at the most important decision of one’s life. As you think about it, you should also know that some people look at life as a joker’s circus, a traveller’s journey, or a pilgrim’s progress. Some seek pleasure, others knowledge, and a few truth.
But life does not wait for anyone. It goes on. Acts and scenes come and go in the drama of life. Some are too busy that they have no time to think.
At the end of the road they look back and wonder what life was all about. But then only few get a chance at that last hour to make the most important decision of their life.
What could be that decision? It is the decision about making peace with God and dying in hope. What else matters at the end? Maybe there are other concerns but nothing greater than peace with God.
A meditation on the precious blood of Jesus can bring you near to the presence of God. For the blood of Jesus removes all barriers and opens the way for you to come to the presence of God. So come boldly and with confidence that Jesus himself is bringing you near to God by his precious blood shed on the cross of Calvary.
Come to God with a heart that is truthfully and sincerely hurt by all your sinful attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Ask God to help you turn away from all that is wrong in your life. The Bible calls that repentance, and it is godly sorrow that leads you to repentance.
Seek God’s cleansing in your life through the blood of Jesus. This is another point for meditation. Yes, the blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse and purify you from all your sins. It has the power to make you stand before God having your past wiped clean.
The forgiveness and pardon you get through the blood of Jesus is so real that you stand before God as if you never ever sinned against him. It means that God will never use those sins that were forgiven, to punish you. The Bible calls this justification. It is a kind of legal term showing that you stand acquitted before the court of God.
Another thought for meditation is how God becomes friends with you through the blood of Jesus. See, when you trust his blood for your salvation, sin that separated you and God is removed. The shame and guilt of sin is also taken away. That brings you into close connect and fellowship with God. Instead of enmity with God, there will be peace with God. The Bible calls that reconciliation.
God has also brought you out from Satan’s dominion and darkness and evil and given you the power to lead a life that becomes increasingly holy. See, Jesus took the punishment for sins that should have come upon you and me on his body broken on the cross, to set us free! The Bible calls that redemption.
A sinless life might not be possible, for we all sin against God from time to time knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore we need repeated cleansing by the blood of Jesus from day to day and moment by moment. So when you allow the blood of Jesus to operate in your life and submit to the powerful influence of this cleansing fountain, there will be a gradual dying to all the wrong desires as God gives you a stronger desire to be holy like him. The Bible calls it sanctification.
This happens only through the blood of Jesus which gives you a new desire to say NO to temptations. The battle is the Lord’s and the victory over the devil is through the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah (that means Praise the Lord.)!
Let me end by saying that you might not understand all about how the blood of Jesus works effectively in your life to save you completely. But just like you drive a car effectively without knowing all about its mechanical or electrical functioning; just like you use a computer without knowing much about chips, algorithms, processors, artificial intelligence and so on; you can meditate or think much on the precious blood of Jesus, and God will draw near to you.
Take a few moments deliberately while you work, play, study, or are busy in the kitchen, or driving to think on the precious blood of Jesus. I can say with full assurance that this meditation will help you know God’s everlasting love for you and make God’s joy complete in your life.
—
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
“Where are you?” God is asking you this question today. It means that he cares about you.
When God is asking, “Where are you?” it is to help you realise that life without him is miserable. He earnestly wants you to come back to him, even if you have rebelled against him.
When you do so, you’ll find God, full of compassion and mercy, waiting to lead you home. In Jesus, who on the cross bled and died for you, you’ll find what you’ve been seeking all along.
In him, you will find unconditional love and acceptance. He is the one who understands your pain, your loneliness, your weaknesses and temptations, your search for meaning, and above all who has experienced rejection first-hand more than you do.
When he is asking, “Where are you?” he sees your heart and all the doubts you have. Just come to him. He is willing and has the authority to forgive you if your heart is burdened with sorrow over sins you’ve done.
For you are not lost, but you belong to him. His eye is watching over you and ever asking, “Where are you?” What will be your response? Will it be, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
—-
“Where are you?” is the first question that God asked Adam in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were hiding from God after disobeying him. See Genesis 3:9 Bible. Who Will Show Me Compassion?
One long sentence begins with the thought that has crossed each of our minds when we looked up at the twinkling stars at night in our childhood and we started thinking on how it all began and how the universe came to be without man’s effort because he was not there when with just the spoken word God created the world in all its variety and beauty and order until there was that little bit of rebellion which cut off and separated man from the presence of God and it was so sad and tragic and brought death’s curse over the world which showcase God’s wisdom and power and love and care and it all seemed to end in failure when God promised that a Man would come as a child one day to bring back peace between God and sinners which became the good news for which the world waited for centuries until the Word became flesh and lived among us and faced the increasing hostility of men which finally made them nail him to a wooden cross on top a hill where he bled and died for the forgiveness of your sins and rose again from the dead the third day to live forevermore to gift eternal life to all those who would trust and believe in him which tells us that there is hope for each one of us and life will continue with you finding joy in heaven and living in the presence of God and angels and seeing the face of God only if you repent and believe the good news failing which you go to hell where the fire never stops burning and worms do not die as Jesus said which is a reality that will be your ultimate destiny if you deliberately turn away from God’s love shown you on the cross for then nothing else remains but the wrath and judgement of God falling on you which you cannot escape but can if you choose the love of God for there is no condemnation or eternal punishment for those who trust in Jesus Christ the Son of God who loved you and bled to death for you.
Let there be light.
When God speaks light into your life,
The powers of darkness will not hold its might;
For the blood of the cross washes away
Your sins; both its guilt and shame.
Being forgiven sets you free; Unbend from your stoop of low esteem.
Let there be light.
For in that flash of light
More blinding than the noonday sun
Is heard his voice:
It is hard for you to fight against the light.
So come; let the light befriend you;
And hope arise when it shines out in you.
Let there be light.
For reveal it shall; lay bare those petty things
That with monstrous roots grip within.
But in my love, says your God, no darkness resides;
Only plenteous mercy and healing besides.
For I am compassionate,
O my child; come, live in the light!
John 3:16 says, Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish. “Whoever” includes you and does not exclude any from God’s love.
He not only stated his love but showed it in action too. God gave Jesus to be made a sacrifice on the cross. He shed his precious and innocent blood there for you.
Even when someone loves you like that, you still do have the choice of accepting or rejecting his love; don’t you?
Sadly, many choose to reject his love. Thus they walk away from being a child of God to the eternal fire of hell. There is no second chance once you reach there.
Why? Because you made the choice to reject God’s love which poured out God’s great wrath on Jesus to punish him for the sins of all of us and all our rebellion against God.
Ultimately, God’s final judgement depends on whether you said Yes to his love shown on the cross or you said No to it and rejected his love.
But then so many raise arguments against God’s love. Arguments like: “What about those who never heard about this love?” “If God so loved, why is there so much injustice, suffering, violence, war, immorality, pain, sickness, death, . . . and so on in this world?” “Why can’t I earn my own salvation, because I am really good and I do a lot of good deeds?”
All these questions are valid. But then God will ask one question, just one question, to you: “My friend, what did you do with the opportunity you got to respond to Jesus and the blood of his cross?”
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Even when others might call you a failure; God doesn’t call you so. For the blood of Jesus shed on the cross was to give you a new beginning in life. So, thank God for all your failures.
Believe that God can use all your failures to make you a better person. A broken and contrite heart; and humility often comes as a result of failure.
God looks at your heart and your motives more than your failure; whatever that be. Therefore, if at all you have failed, do not give up hope.
For stars in the heavens still twinkle at night. And no failure in your life is final; if you can accept God’s help to rise up once again.
Lavender skies;
Is neither blue nor the red I knew.
The morning broke
But my heart still heaved
For the night before had seen
Yet again me go down.
Was it the pain of rejection?
Was it sheer loneliness?
That emptied my cup
Of joy, of love;
Which never ever was full.
Oh, lavender skies!
How my heart heave and sighs
As the past grinds over me
Like a cart with grain loaded;
And those merciless wheels
That crush underneath.
Like a worm;
I feel no worth.
Yet the morning brings
That word of hope:
“Lavender skies!”
It came, just came
When I’d thought all was lost.
Oh, lavender skies!
You tell me when I forget:
God’s compassions never fail;
They are new every morning;
So me can begin again
To hope, to believe,
There’s more to life
Than the moments I have failed.
Oh, lavender skies!
You’ve brought me
That splash of white
To mix with the red and the blue;
That whisper of hope
To stand up once more
In the strength
Of the love of my God;
On that mercy note
Seen on the blood of his cross.
— Note: The two words “Lavender Skies” just came to mind on Sunday morning, 5th of December 2021, as I sat a bit fatigued. It mixed with some themes that were already in mind; and I had no other choice but to allow, under divine compulsion, words to flow and pen these lines.
It is amazing that prayer often comes last in the list when we are in trouble. Isn’t it because we forget that we have a Helper who helps us to pray?
God knows that we faint when we have to stay awake and pray in the hour of our need. Therefore, he has sent into our hearts the Holy Spirit who will help us to pray.
Yes, there are moments when our hearts are too heavy that we are unable to pray. Then the Spirit of God, with groans and sighs which cannot be heard by our ears, lifts up our hearts to God in prayer. Those prayers are heard and answered, for he prays for us always according to God’s will.
When such a person is given to us; what a gift he is! And like many other gifts that God has given us; we’ve forgotten him and treated him like a stranger.
Prayer can be a joy when the Spirit of God is called upon to help you pray. He will remind you of the promises of God, and give you the boldness to pray. He will counsel you with wisdom and knowledge to take action in answer to prayer. The Spirit of God helps you to praise when there is a spirit of despair clouding your heart and mind.
He helps you look to Jesus with unwavering faith. He will help you to stand at the foot of the cross and draw near to God crying out “Abba, Father,” through the precious blood of Jesus. He will help you go to God’s throne of grace with boldness and confidence; where Jesus now alive for ever and ever, is at the right hand of God interceding on your behalf.
He makes God’s presence real to you. God’s friendship warms your heart like a lit fire on a cold day when the Spirit of God makes your heart his home.
And when you read the Bible, he makes it come alive for you. The Word of God then speaks to you not as history but as truth and as the living words of God. Guided by the Spirit of God, its wisdom becomes the answers to your prayers; a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.
The best in prayer is that the Spirit of truth shows us how ugly our hearts really are; and burns away, if we are willing, all that is not pleasing to God in our lives. So let us pray that the Spirit of God come and search our hearts, and give us the courage to change.
Prayer is not limited by language, when the Spirit of God prays in us. God becomes real and intimate to us when the Spirit of God is called alongside like an advocate or friend to help us pray.Therefore, let us simply call on the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Father in heaven, who was sent to us in the Name of Jesus, to help us to pray.
It does not matter if your life is like the valley of dry bones; for when the Spirit of God comes, the dry bones shall come to life in answer to prayer. So also, there shall be a revival of hope; a season of refreshing, and abundant showers of blessing, when the Spirit of God comes with mighty power like the wind, and with a mother’s comforting love.
Mighty God he is, Lord God; yet gentle like a dove. He is grieved by our sins, and our cold,complacent attitude towards him.
My friend, will you give the Holy Spirit a chance; to make things right in your life? If yes, pray continually in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Prayer is the language of love that brings together God and you; and the Spirit of God will not fail to bring you joy when you approach God in prayer.
You’re not alone! For God will not leave you comfortless and helpless; but he has promised to come to you; the Spirit of God makes that promise true. Then the peace of God which Jesus had promised will be yours and mine.
Above all, it is the Spirit of God who makes the love of God pour out into our hearts like lights flooding a stadium at night.
“Oh, Spirit of God, come and light again that first love lost, anoint me with the oil of gladness, and restore within me the joy of God!”
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself interecedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
There is a gentle whisper:
Why give up, my child?
Am I not with you?
You’re no failure in my eyes.
Just believe.
I have seen your tears.
I have heard your prayers.
Though troubles mount
And you feel the pressure much;
I will hold your hand to guide and help you,
And make you strong.
Even when things do not turn out the way you had hoped for;
I Am the Almighty; who bled for you.
I know the plans I have for you.
Your tomorrows are mine. So do not fear.
Just believe.
I will not let go of you.
My heart pounded as I heard. I battled doubts and fear.
My Lord and my God, I cried out.
I do believe,
Help me overcome my unbelief.
I heard again: I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.
Is anything too hard for me?
Just believe.
Jesus is coming soon. It is going to be a sudden coming, a majestic coming, a joyous coming, and a momentous coming. Let us look at how this next great event on Planet Earth and witnessed by all is going to happen.
Warning and Encouragement
When Jesus comes back it will be like a flash of lightning.
It will happen in the twinkling of an eye.
Those who are ready will be taken; others left behind.
When the LORD Jesus comes down from heaven,
with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel,
and the sounding of the trumpet call of God,
the dead in Christ will rise first.
When Jesus comes in the clouds with power and great glory,
believers who are left and still alive at that time,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air
and be with him forever.
Others will be left behind.
A Sudden Coming
The second coming of Jesus will be a sudden coming.
Without warning, when people least expect him,
when they say “peace and safety,”
when mockers and scoffers who follow their own evil desires ask,
“Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”
When people are busy planning, eating, drinking, and making merry;
then Jesus will come like a thief in the night,
and there will be sudden destruction and judgement by fire.
And people will not escape.
So be ready. Look to Jesus with hope;
for there is not much time left to decide where you will spend all eternity:
Hell or heaven is totally your choice!
A Majestic Coming
The second coming of Jesus will be a majestic coming.
He will come as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
And as the Judge of the living and the dead.
And his coming on the clouds of heaven,
with power and great glory,
will initiate events that will lead
to final and inescapable judgement.
So be ready. Look to Jesus with hope;
or else you’ll be left behind.
A Joyous Coming
The second coming of Jesus will be a joyous coming.
For Jesus is coming to take us to heaven;
all those who have believed in him
and in his shed blood on the cross
for the forgiveness of their sins;
that they also may be with him forever.
But if you are left behind,
the world can offer you NO hope,
for the world in the end times will witness great trouble,
never ever before seen in the history of this world.
So be ready. Look to Jesus with hope.
You who have this hope in you purify yourself;
in the precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God,
so that you may not be left behind.
A Momentous Coming
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.”
No one knows about that day or hour of his coming.
Be on guard! Be Alert!
You do not know when that time will come.
Are you ready for his coming?
Or will he find you unprepared and sleeping?
To know how you feel like in your daily struggles.
He was moved with compassion when he saw people in distress. He wept.
He met their needs.
But that was not all.
He was sent by God with a purpose.
He came to shed his blood and die on the cross.
Why?
Because there is no other way you can be friends with God.
Jesus took the punishment that is rightfully yours:
To turn away from you God’s extreme anger and judgement against sin.
To gift you God’s forgiveness.
To make you belong to God’s family.
To give you a new clean beginning in life.
Happiness of holidays cannot compare with the joy of being a child of God.
The Gift of Jesus is more precious than all what Santa Claus promises to bring to you.
For peace with God is found in the blood of Jesus; for his blood was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.
That’s the true meaning of Christmas; of light shining in the darkness.
And of the hope Jesus brought to us when he rose from the dead.
Because he lives forever, you too will live!
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 1
Looking deep inside,
I find in me a dream that says, “Someday, I will make a difference in the lives of others.”
My dear friends, today, I wish to speak to you on all that we find when we look deep inside. Now, looking deep inside is not easy. It takes courage to be honest with oneself. See, we have told more lies to ourselves than to others. We believe the stories that we’ve created for ourselves. Isn’t that true?
Yes, it is. We tell ourselves that there is still a long time left for us to do the things that we should be doing now. But sadly, that is a big lie. It deceives us to sleep in the arms of procrastination. And then one day we wake up to find ourselves without the power to act. The tragedy of having begun well showing great promise and then losing that cutting edge in life is so common.
Again, as we honestly look deep inside; we find there a pit of worms eating each other and breeding more. What is that makes such an ugly scene? Isn’t that what your heart looks like? All the hurts and bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness, envy and jealousy, the gossip and slander; make a mix of which we are sadly unaware. Today, my friends, would you care enough to have an honest look deep inside?
Finally, as we look deep inside; we find a deep longing to be loved; to be accepted; to belong. Often there is more need here than in what your closest loved one can ever be able to meet. It is here that our hearts break often. And without doubt, this is one instance when after looking deep inside; you have to look up and listen to the One who says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love!”
Yes friends, looking deep inside is no easy task. When we do so we find there a lot of stories we have to rescript to climb the stairway that will take us high. As we look deep inside, we find there a battleground that silently drains the joy and peace from our lives. And therefore; we need to hear words of forgiveness that can give each one of us a brand-new beginning in life.
