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Sunday Sermonettes: “Why Are You Crying?”

Sunday Sermonettes #035

God Cares for You

The risen Jesus asked Mary Magdalene: “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are seeking?” It shows that the Risen Lord Jesus has the same compassion as he had when he walked on earth as a human being. He is still even now concerned about you. He sees your tears. Yes, there is someone who sees your tears.

Jesus is asking you today, “Why are you crying?” God sees your pain. He promises his presence and strength. You situation might be looking hopeless and beyond repair. Yet Jesus will not leave you alone. He will walk with you through those lonely roads.

God says, “I am concerned for you and will look on you with favour.” The problem of pain is that each one of us feels that there is no one who cares, no one who understands, no one to stand with us. See, even our best friends and closest family members cannot fully carry our burden. But God can and will. The starting point is the question, “Why are you crying?”

Mary thinks that Jesus is the gardener and asks him to tell where he has taken the body of Jesus. In reply, Jesus called her, “Mary.” It was a moment of recognition. The same voice. The same tenderness. The same compassion. She cried out, “Rabboni,” which means Teacher.

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Your Love for God Will Be Rewarded

The second question to Mary was: “Who is it you are seeking?” She had come to anoint the dead body of Jesus with spices and perfumes as the cultural custom of those days. But she failed to realize that Jesus is risen and was standing right before her.

Let us remember that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a living ever-present reality with us. He can walk in even when we have locked ourselves behind closed doors and hiding in fear. You can enjoy his presence and peace through the Spirit of God whom he has poured out into our hearts.

Mary was at the tomb early in the morning because of her love and devotion to Jesus. Therefore Jesus met with her and gave her the ever-gladdening news that he is alive forever. God in human flesh who bled and died; now risen from the dead. What good news! You too can have the joy of the resurrection in your hearts if you know the answer to “Who is it you are seeking?”

Then like Mary, you too can share the good news, “I have seen the Lord.” She came crying. She saw an empty tomb. And the risen Jesus.

So also for you. God has heard your prayers and seen your tears. He will meet you in a very personal way as he called Mary’s name with great compassion.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV Bible

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Sunday Sermonettes: When the Last Chapter Ends Life Begins

Sunday Sermonettes #034

The End

Have you ever watched a thrilling movie and missed to see the climax at the end? Have you ever read a touching novel only to discover that the author had left the last chapter of the story unwritten?

Beginnings are good but it is the end what matters most. For each one of us the end will come. Death is that reality each one of us will face.

But if death be the end of all, then surely life has not much meaning. We are then just pawns on the chess board someone is moving at his will and pleasure.
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The Gift

See, the last chapter in the life of each one of us is death. It is this reality that should make us think. We cannot worry about it and keep it away. It will come at a time none of us can foresee.

The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV Bible).

Wages is what is deserved. And death is what we earn because we sin against God. There is no goodness in any one of us that can earn us an exemption from death.

Then there is the gift. That gift is given free of cost. That gift is a sacrifice of love paid in the blood of Jesus on the cross. Nothing more is needed for your salvation. But the simple faith in him who died to take away your punishment.

The Hope

If Good Friday was the end then we would have no hope. But Easter came on Sunday morning. Jesus rose from the dead.

Look at the reactions of his disciples: They found it difficult to believe. They were filled with fear. But joy also. Some worshipped him while others doubted. It took some time for them to really believe that Jesus is indeed alive.

Like Jesus, your last chapter can be different too. If you believe in him, the risen life of Jesus will flow into your life as well.

God who raised Jesus from the dead with extraordinary display of his mighty strength and power will give life to your dead bodies and raise you up to be with him for ever.

The blood of the cross of Jesus is sufficient to wipe your past clean and his risen life is the sure hope for your future with him. May the Spirit of God make your heart overflow with this hope with his great might and power.

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Sunday Sermonettes | The Glorious Hope of Seeing You in Jesus’ Likeness

Sunday Sermonettes #029

What Is this Glorious Hope

If you ask me, what is the glorious hope ahead, without doubt I can answer that it is the hope of seeing you and me in the likeness of Jesus. It is the most awaited and anticipated event in God’s timeline for the end of human history.

It will also be the beginning of the glorious and never-ending companionship of Jesus with his brothers and sisters; for Jesus shared in our humanity having flesh and blood.

For then we shall see God face to face and he will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

When and How Is this Glorious Hope Going to Happen

Resurrection of the dead is what happens in the twinkling of an eye sometime soon. It will happen when God makes a trumpet call and those who are dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, Jesus. Instantly they will live and be changed.

This mortal body will be clothed with immortality, what is perishable will be transformed to what is imperishable, what has no honour now will be crowned with glory and honour.
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For Whom Is this Glorious Hope

This promise and certainty of faith is for those who have put their trust and hope in Jesus and his shed blood on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins.

This promise reassures us that we who have borne the likeness of the first man, Adam , who was of the dust of the earth, will one day soon bear the likeness of the man from heaven, Jesus.

Each one of us will bear our own individuality and personality; but at the same time when God looks at each one of us, he will see Jesus in us.

Your body will be released from all its earthly limitations; its weakness changed to power; and it will be glorified like the resurrected body of Jesus.

Why this Glorious Hope of Jesus’ Likeness

The truth is God created men and women in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27). But that likeness was marred and smudged and blurred by sin, disobedience and rebellion against God.

And there came an immediate separation that prevented God from having friendship with us anymore.

But Jesus restored that friendship through satisfying God’s demand for an appropriate sacrifice through his blood on the cross. It was innocent blood shed for the sins of the whole world.

Where this Glorious Hope of Jesus’ Likeness Becomes Reality

This resurrection of the dead will be sudden and universal. Out of tombs and graves, out of ashes, out of the depths of the earth and the oceans; God will bring back to life all those who have put their hope in him.

And they all will be caught up in the air to be with God forever.

All those who are alive and have put their trust in Jesus will also be caught up to God in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.

What a glorious and joyful gathering it shall be. Hope to see each one of you then. Changed. Transformed. Made brand new in his likeness.

“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven .” (1 Corinthians 15:49 Bible)

But What About Those Who Say No to this Glorious Hope

Then what about those who say No to Jesus now? Hope is lost for them for ever.

For even God cannot offer any hope to those who deliberately walk away from his love that sacrificed his Son Jesus on the cross.

But they too will rise from the dead. This is called the second resurrection at a later time and date.

It is for judgement and hell and unquenchable fire, where there will be darkness and weeping, gnashing of teeth and worms which never die and agony and never-ending torment. Jesus while on earth had warned people of this sad reality.

Those who go there are separated from God for ever. There is absolutely no second chance.

“If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

What About You Who Have This Glorious Hope

Know that God never created hell for man. It was originally meant for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41). It is only because men and women reject God’s love that they go there.

For this is the heart of God:

“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, ‘declares the Sovereign LORD.’ Repent and live (Ezekiel 18:30)!”

For the Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).”

So, do not reject this hope and promise given to you.

Who Is Present and What Is Absent in this Glorious Hope

The glorious hope is that you will see God face to face and you will be in the likeness of Jesus.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2 Bible).

The Spirit of God will complete this transforming work. And we will live with God for ever in a place where there will be no more sin, no evil, no disobedience or rebellion, no sorrow, no suffering, no sickness; no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Heaven!

What a glorious hope of being in Jesus’ likeness for ever and ever!

Featured image courtesy: Photo by Joëlle Moreau on Pixabay | Pixir Fotor

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Sunday Sermonettes | You Are No Failure If You Can Tell God, “I Love You!”

Sunday Sermonettes #022

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.”
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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.

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Sunday Sermonettes | #OpenToWork | Tips to Find Your Destiny from the Search for Lost Donkeys

Sunday Sermonettes #021

The Context

Saul, in response to a request, went in search of his father’s donkeys that were lost. He was an impressive young man, without equal in that land. He went for an ordinary task. But that led him to his destiny. He met with the Prophet Samuel to whom God had already told to anoint the young man coming to meet him, king. This post from Sunday Sermonettes has invaluable tips to assist you in your job search as you are #OpenToWork.

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Be Enthusiastic

When you are #OpenToWork, always be enthusiastic about the work you currently have a chance to do. It might not be something spectacular. But when you do it with diligence and mindfulness, it will lead you to better opportunities.

Believe in Possibilities

When you are #OpenToWork, always believe in possibilities. How can you know if some ordinary task you are doing will not lead you to find a greater purpose in your life? Even after Samuel told him about the kingship, Saul was not fully convinced. When the time came and the people gathered together to greet the new king, Saul was not seen. Finally, they found him hiding behind the baggage.

Your inferiority or insignificance is no barrier for God to exalt you in the time of his choosing.

Seize Opportunities

When you are #OpenToWork, be ready to seize opportunities. It might be a half-chance or might not even have anything to do with your true calling in life. You might get an opportunity for something as ordinary as looking for lost donkeys. But like a goal-scorer in football who anticipates where the ball might come in the penalty area; you should anticipate opportunities to come your way.

Be Aware of What’s Happening Around You

That brings us to the next point. When you are #OpenToWork, be prepared. It requires constantly updating yourself and also having a big picture of trends and changes happening in your domain. As far as Saul was concerned, the political climate of that time was that people were clamouring for having a king like the other nations around them. Even though he least expected it, he became their first king. But you should make yourself aware about what is happening in the job market to be prepared for your opportunity.

Travel with Hope

When you are #OpenToWork, travel with hope. There came a point in their journey Saul was discouraged in his search for donkeys. It was his servant who encouraged him to go and meet the seer (the prophet was called seer in those days because he had a God-given ability to see into the future). His servant told him that the seer would tell them what way to take. As R. L. Stevenson wrote in his essay El Dorado: “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”

Sharpen Your Skills

Again, when you are #OpenToWork, sharpen your skills. If your axe is not sharpened, all your efforts at felling trees is not going to be effective. And King Solomon shares his wisdom encouraging you to be skilled in your work: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings, he will not serve before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29 Bible)

A Change of Heart

Perhaps, one more thought from the episode of Saul being chosen king is that you and I need a change of heart. Often when you search for a job, you might be rejected multiple times. That can lead to discouragement, resentment, and even a sense of failure. Saul, in response to Samuel informing him that he is to be king, says that his family is one having the least social status in their land. So God had to change his heart to prepare him for his destiny.

Similarly, you too have to realize that your worth and significance come from your value as an individual in God’s eyes. You need to see yourselves from his perspective.

When you are #OpenToWork, do not allow being fired from your work, being laid off, networking without results, enduring long periods of silence when you don’t hear back from your potential employer, or your applications being repeatedly rejected even after many positive rounds of interviews define you or your worth. They are just layers on the core value of who you are in God. He values you for who you are and not based on your performance.

“Follow Me” to Your Destiny

The big lesson to learn is that the lesser things will be taken care of. The donkeys for which Saul went searching were later found. Saul had no role in finding them. But he had found his destiny.

When Jesus asked a man to follow him, he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” What he meant was that he will finish all his household duties and after everything is settled he will come and follow Jesus.

To this Jesus replied, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” What Jesus meant was that those who are not having God’s life in them will take care of the ordinary tasks. You don’t worry about the routine and lesser things of life. But think of the destiny that God has planned for you. Act on it now.

The story of Saul’s search for donkeys and rise to the throne is found in 1 Samuel 9 and 10; and Jesus’s conversation with the man is found in Luke 9:59, 60.

Image courtesy: Luciana Evrard on Pexels and OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

#OpenToWork #JobSearch #Networking

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Sunday Sermonettes | The Audacity of Hope in God Who Does Not Disappoint

Sunday Sermonettes #014

Audacity is courage or confidence of a kind that other people find shocking. We are now talking about that kind of courage or confidence to hope in God. It becomes shocking as you continue to hope in God when people are against you and perhaps all circumstances look negative. For the Bible confidently declares, “I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

The audacity of hope in God is what you can hold on to when you lose control over your life, when people turn against you for no reason, when fortunes take a plunge downwards, and money to make both ends meet seems hard to come by. Hope encourages you to persevere in the midst of troubles of various kinds including illness, depression, and burnout.
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Hope is the expectation and the confidence you have about the good that God is capable of bringing out of adverse situations and circumstances you find in your life. It takes a long-term view rather than being shortsighted and having a grumbling attitude in life. It gives you the courage to wait for God to act on your behalf.

In other words, the consumerist world we live in encourage us to grab things now, gratify our desires now, lust for more now, and instantly do things now; be it on credit. That kind of greedy attitude does not work with God. For he delights in those who hope in him and are willing to wait for his perfect time to act on their behalf.

The audacity of hope in God helps you rejoice even when you’re defeated and down. It is not positive thinking but something deeper that expresses its confidence in God even when outward circumstances are gloomy, and dark, and seems to be hopeless. For God is the source of all hope and he is the One who can cause you to abound in hope or overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit given to us.

The Bible speaks about Abraham, who is known as the Father of faith, believing in hope against all hope, and holding on to what God had promised him. And he was rewarded for his expectant faith in God after waiting long years for it. That perhaps is the secret: Looking to God with expectation and anticipating the good that he is going to do in spite of nothing-seems-to-be-happening days, months, or years.

Here we stand on sacred ground. The promises of God seem unbelievable when people and circumstances are against us. There might be delays. And there might be no indication from God that he is going to do something far above what we have asked or imagined. It is at these moments of silence that our faith is tested. Yet let us believe on in hope.

When you keep on praying and no answer seems to come by, it is the hope that God will listen and answer that gives you the ability to ask, seek, and knock without losing heart and courage. Persistent prayer and untiring enthusiasm to seek God’s face is what turns hope into reality.

The audacity to hope gives you the boldness in prayer to claim God’s promises. It says, along with King David, “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28). For it is when darkness surrounds us that we need to hope and trust in God all the more.

And it is when you have this kind of a buoyancy in hope or have optimistic faith that you see a small cloud the size of man’s hand rise on the horizon. It is just a small sign of the abundance of rain that is coming. And you can be assured that your prayers are being answered in response to your hope in God.

Yes, believe that hope in God will not leave you disappointed. You’ll certainly be a better man or woman for holding on to hope when despair clouded your mind. Yes, God is able to do immeasurably more than you ask or imagine.
And when the object of your hope is Jesus and his precious blood he shed on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, there is the overflow of hope not only for this life but also for the life to come which is eternal. He is the greatest dealer and leader in hope the world has ever seen.

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” — Romans 5:5

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Sunday Sermonettes | Not Rejected and Forgotten but Loved and Accepted as You Are

Sunday Sermonettes #013

So many walk away to the edge because they have failed in life.
So many give up because no one seems to care.
So many find it difficult to handle rejection.
So many are unable to escape the mistakes they made while young.

There are others who have been cheated after having been given false promises. Life is a mess for many. Unable to break habits they are slaves to, many groan and cry in despair.

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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.

You are accepted just as you are no matter how much a mess you have made your life to be. He offers no easy answers. But he shares your pain. And he says, “My peace I give you.”

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.

Sunday Sermonettes | When You Feel Forgotten by God

Featured images courtesy: Collage of images by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke, Вероника Сбитнева, Nick_the_Photographer, Foundry Co, Alexandra_Koch by Pixabay.

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Sunday Sermonettes | When Your Boat Is Caught in the Sudden Storm

Sunday Sermonettes #006


Life is like that. The calm of life is suddenly broken by the unexpected changes that come. And it is quite natural that we become afraid when our boat is caught in the storm.

Remember it was the same sea Jesus and his friends had travelled many times before. But the challenge of the storm this time was totally new. And all the wisdom of past experiences failed to give the friends courage in the sight of this present danger.

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As we look at this incident; there are many simple lessons we can learn from it:

One, just because Jesus is in the boat with you and me, doesn’t mean that the storm won’t come. Life’s struggles are common to all. Some storms do threaten to drown us. And being afraid is a normal reaction at such times.

Even though the friends of Jesus who were with him in the boat were experienced fishermen; they were afraid. They came to Jesus, sleeping on a cushion, woke him up and asked, “Teacher, don’t you care, if we drown?” For the waves threatened to sink the boat.

Second, Jesus sleeping is no sign that he does not care. Often, we expect him to do something in our desperate situations. And he seems to be totally not available to attend our frantic prayers and calls of distress.

At such times, it is quite natural to find fault with God for the troubles we face in life. But don’t ever forget that Jesus, the Son of God, is with us in our boat; even in the storm.

Third, we find the disciples waking Jesus up. It was after talking to the crowds and teaching them during the day that Jesus was sleeping. He, as a human being, was just like us. He became tired, hungry, and thirsty like any one of us.

But Jesus did not become angry with his friends for waking him up. He immediately got up and took care of the storm. So don’t you worry to call him 24 x 7 in any of your crises in life. He understands. And he helps because he too was caught in the storm.

Fourth, we find Jesus having authority over the winds and the waves. There is no situation or difficulty in our lives he is not able to handle.

When frightening situations seem to overwhelm and destroy us, our emotions will give us no rest. We will be tossed about on the rising waves. Yet, let us find courage in this true incident that Jesus is in control even when the circumstances are all against us, and threatening to drown us.

Again, one word from Jesus, the wind died down and it was completely calm. He stood up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet, Be Still.” The storm is not the end of the story. The command of Jesus is.

He, with you and me in the boat, is the greatest assurance we can have in life. He won’t throw you or me away. But will act when it is needed.

Finally, his question to his friends, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” is a challenge to each one of us. His friends had seen him do a lot of miracles. They had seen impossibilities turn to triumphant possibilities with Jesus. Yet the storm drove the wits out of them!

But when calm had come, the friends were terrified and they asked: “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” The storm had rocked their boat; but it also made the friends of Jesus get a real glimpse of who he truly is.
—
Based on Mark’s Gospel Chapter 4: Verses 35 to 41
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Sunday Sermonettes: Let There Be Light

Sunday Sermonettes #002

The first words God spoke: “Let there be light.” He can speak that word again in your darkness. It might be chaos at the moment in your life. There might be despair. And you might be losing hope. It happens like that sometimes. But when God speaks, there will be light.

We, who are used to seeing the darkness, often tremble in fear. But that is precisely when the Spirit of God hovers over you just as he did over the waters and darkness that was over the surface of the deep at the beginning of Creation. He prepares the circumstances so that when God speaks the word, there will be light.

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Light that God causes to shine will dispel all your doubts. It will reassure you of his unfailing love for you. It will guide you. It will never shine a beam across the years; but enough light to guide you one step at a time.

Light that God causes to shine in your life will cancel all negativity. The more you have been in darkness the more your thinking has become tuned to failure and defeat. You might have counted yourself useless and might have lost your self-esteem. All these will bow down to the might of the light that God speaks to come to pass in your life.

Therefore hold on to hope. No darkness in your life is beyond God’s light. The Bible says about God that even darkness is as light to him. I read somewhere of a time when a cave inside the ocean depths invited the sun to come and experience the power of darkness inside it. One day, the sun came and stepped inside the cave and asked: “Now, where is your darkness?” Oh, it is just like that when God steps into your situation of darkness!

The night might have stretched long for you. But joy comes in the morning. Light will break. Invite God to speak a word of hope in your life: “Let there be light.” When God said those words, the Bible says, “And there was light.” God is unstoppable.

You need to believe that God is willing to help you. Don’t dictate how he should do so. Leave the methods to him. He is a God of creativity and joy. Let him speak light to blaze in your darkness in a way that surprises you; beyond all that you could ask or imagine or pray for.

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Sunday Sermonettes: In the Beginning

Sunday Sermonettes #001

The opening verse of the Bible does not introduce God. He needs no introduction. He was, is, and always will be.

He created everything out of nothing. He created everything with a purpose.

The heavens are vast. They are beyond the stretch of human imagination and its ends beyond discovery.

But the earth he created for you. That you may know him and love him. He does not yield to your intellect. Because your intellect is like a spoonful of water beside the oceans. You cannot know him with your intelligence.

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Like every kingdom has a currency; the kingdom of God too has a currency. It is faith. Therefore the Bible says that “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

This faith is more personal when it comes to the cross of Jesus. When the world demands that we find God through knowledge and wisdom; God says find me through my message of foolishness.

The cross of Jesus is the message of foolishness. Why? Because the cross says you can have a new beginning in your life by simply looking to Jesus in faith.

He shed his precious blood there for you; that you might find peace with God. Yes, you can be friends with God right now as you look to the cross and put your faith in the Son of God who bled and died for your sins.

When you trust in him who lives forever, he makes you a brand new creation. It is a new beginning for you. For he puts his own life within you.

Circumstances might not change but the power of this new life will give you the lift to fly above all that pulls you down. You too can enjoy this new beginning in life.

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Overflow with Hope

Soaring Eagle

Hope is in short supply in today’s world. But let me remind you of how to overflow with hope. If you are feeling tired and having no strength; if you feel powerless and weak; hold on. Even if you think God has forgotten you; don’t give up. For this promise of God from Isaiah 40:31 is for you:
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

What does this promise mean to you today? First of all, it reminds you to focus on God and not your problems. You have to hope in the Lord. You have to make a deliberate effort to turn your eyes away from all your troubles and failures and focus on God and his great power, mighty strength, and infinite wisdom.

Secondly, when you hope in the Lord, you will start to expect God to act in your life. Faith will begin to rise in your hearts. For the Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” This kind of hope is not wishful thinking. Instead, it is based on God’s promise and assurance in our lives that he will not leave us nor forsake us.
Blood Jesus Cleanse

Thirdly, when you hope in the Lord, there is bound to be action. There will be renewal of strength. You will soar on wings like eagles; you will run and not grow weary, and you will walk and not be faint. Therefore, cheer up. Take heart. Make God the focus of your thoughts. And strength will flow into your lives.

Finally, many people lose hope today as they focus on their past sins, present failures, and future worries. See, the blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse you from all your past sins, redeem your life from present failures, and keep your mind in perfect peace as you hope and trust in him.

So be filled with hope today. As Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Let your cup overflow with hope today. God has heard your prayers and seen your tears. From the ashes of your defeat, hope will rise. And God will act on your behalf. Therefore, look to the God of hope today.

Read “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed,” on LinkedIn.
Isaiah 49:23
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Featured image:
Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.

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January 2024 Inspirational Words & Images

Treasure box

January 1, 2024 | Hope

Welcome 2024 with hope in God. Out of loss in previous years; there can yet come a sprout out of the stump left.

Photo courtesy: Engin Akyurt on Pexels

January 2, 2024 | Treasure Hunt

Life is a treasure hunt. You need to restrain restless pursuit of the things of the world to find things of true value.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 3, 2024 | Taste

What adds taste to life is not salt, sugar, or pepper; but love and togetherness. Even in simple dishes, they add abundance.

Image courtesy: Microsoft Designer

January 4, 2024 | Mirrors

Mirrors don’t tell truth; they only tell us what we like to hear. We look at mirrors that show us our smiling best; but shun God’s Own Mirror which show us as our hearts truly are.

Photo courtesy: Andrea Piacquadio on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 5, 2024 | Prayer

We pray to God to change our negative circumstances. But God often gifts you grace and courage to rise above them. He first of all makes you bold before he changes difficult situations. Therefore never lose heart; never lose hope. Keep on praying. God hears. God answers.

Image generated by Microsoft Designer.

January 6, 2024 | Failures

Do not wallow in self-pity when you fail. Instead, look up and rise up now out of your bed of despair. Trust God. There is hope for your tomorrow.

Photo courtesy: Robert Kozakiewicz on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 7, 2024 | Be Still

There are moments in life when the best thing to do is to remain still and trust God to do the impossible. Then it becomes Himpossible.

Photo by Ken Cheung on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 8, 2024 | Space Exploration

Each scientific discovery tells us how small we human beings truly are. The stunning progress of Science and Technology, especially in Space exploration in recent years; should move us to worship God the Creator, who gave us life: for his holiness, greatness, wisdom, mighty power, majesty, and glorious splendour.

The vastness of unending Space; its marvellous beauty; its stillness and laws that govern the perfect order in which stars and planets move; speak volumes of God’s incomparable greatness.

It is not scientific spirit that rejects God or deny his existence; but simply our pride that does not accept our smallness.

Photo of Solar Eclipse by Bryan Goff on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 9, 2024 | Hope in God

God says, “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

Click here to read full article, How to Overflow with Hope.

January 10, 2024 | Gossip

When we listen to gossip, it can crush someone like this beautiful and innocent butterfly. Say a deliberate NO when people tell you negatively flavoured stories of others. Imagine if the story is about you. How would you feel? You can make this world a better place by refusing to listen to gossip. Yes, you can!

Image courtesy: Petr Ganaj on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 11, 2024 | Winning

Winning at the highest level of competitions is all about: One, a burning desire to win, and Two, staying calm under pressure. Without these two; all hard work, game plan, practice, and fan support will go wasted.

Image courtesy: Microsoft Designer

January 12, 2024 | Professional and Personal Growth

God’s best work of art in us comes through cutting away like how grape vines are pruned to produce luxuriant fruit. What are we willing to put the chisel to in our lives that even when producing pain will enable growth and fruitfulness?

Photo courtesy: Kai-Chieh Chan on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 13, 2024 | New Every Morning

We all fail miserably at times. And then we feel like giving up and calling ourselves failures. But God is willing to gift you yet another chance; always. For “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”

Image courtesy: Photo by pressthebutton on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 14, 2024 | Your Look Matters

So many of our thoughts start with seeing. Therefore it is important to keep an eye on what we look at. If we look too long at what is not rightfully ours; it can lead to coveting. And that can explode like a volcano; destroying trust and relationships.

Image generated by Microsoft Designer

January 15, 2024 | Smile

Never forget to smile; never fail to shine a ray of hope with your smile. For you are counted richer than a billionaire if you can gift a smile.

Photo courtesy: Dharun dloves on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 16, 2024 | Mockers

Many sit in the seat of mockers in today’s world. They try to outsmart their competitors by laughing at their expense and making fun of them. But it won’t last long. Mockers will surely fall one day.

Photo courtesy: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 17, 2024 | Simple Words

Simple words can have great impact in communication. “I have good news for you,” need not be said as; “The report that I am going share with you is profound and impactful.” Simplicity in choice of words hides greatness within it. So, go for simple words when you communicate.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 18, 2024 | God Remembers You

When troubles come; it is easy to lose heart and get discouraged. But the Hebrew Poet and King David found comfort that God stores all his tears in a bottle, writes them on a scroll, and keeps a record of them. Let us be thankful that God values each one of us as individuals; and he remembers our tears.

Image AI generated | Microsoft Designer

January 19, 2024 | Do Not Be Apologetic

You might have heard many speakers begin saying, “I’m not thoroughly prepared,” or “I am not knowledgable about this topic; but will still try to say a few words,” or something apologetic like this. Why spoil audience expectations like this? Instead, start positively and with joy and the audience will echo the same to you quickly.

Image AI generated | Microsoft Designer

January 20, 2024 | God Cares for You

So many of us worry to death each day. The only antidote to worry is to trust in our Heavenly Father who cares for even a sparrow no one is worried about a bit at all.

Photo by Frans van Heerden on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 21, 2024 | Postpone Death If You Can

Almost anything can be postponed; except the day of death. That surely is a compelling reason for mindful living today.

Photo by

January 22, 2024 | The Blood of Jesus

The blood of Jesus on the cross is the greatest hope ever gifted to all.

A poem written on Good Friday, April 6, 2012.

January 23, 2024 | Running On Track

It is not speed, power, or efficiency; but what is more fundamental is whether you are running on track? Planets, stars, and galaxies obey heaven’s laws and follow their God-ordained orbits and there is order, harmony, and peace. So run on the track assigned and find success.

Photo courtesy: Photo by Tony Staub on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 24, 2024 | Follow Up

Call it leadership, management, or plain common sense, “follow up” is what gets things done. Neglect it at home, office, or anywhere else; and you’re undone.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 25, 2024 | We Speak What Our Hearts Are Full Of

Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We have felt the power of angry words bursting forth at us from someone.

Often daily, we too hurt others with words. These are no accidents. It is coming from what we have stored up in our hearts.

Let us try to store good so that what spills out from our mouths even in angry moments are gentle words. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it impossible? No. Let us give it an honest try even though we have failed multiple times in this regard in our speaking.

Images courtesy: Photos by Clara and George Desipris on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 26, 2024 | Authority and Power

Authority and power are given. It is wise to use them with humility; for it is God who changes times and seasons.

Image by Stephanie Albert on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 27, 2024 | A Matchstick Can

You can be a simple matchstick. Yet you can light many torches. Do not look at your insignificant appearance. But look at what God can do through you.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 28, 2024 | Valentine Gift Heart Love

There is power in love. Not many forget the first time you met true love! Here’s a story of love lifting up someone from the slimy pit; and restoring that person to dignity. Lavished love! Amazing love! Everlasting love!

Read it here: My Heart I Give to You, Oh, My Valentine!

Image by Michael Winkler from Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

January 29, 2024 | Failures Come Because You Don’t Aim High

Some failures, though not all, happen because your goals are meek. Set your standards higher than normal. And that will help to bring out the best in you. Even if you fail then, you would have outshined your previous best. No failure is final when you have the guts to dare an audacious goal.

Image courtesy: Photo by BOOM on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 30, 2024 | Take a Short Break

Long hours of intense coding can break you. Take short breaks in between. For your code matters; but your life and health matters most.

Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 31, 2024 | Forgiven Much, Love Much!

Forgiveness is the true colour of love. When God forgives, he asks no questions why you sinned or failed? He only asks, “Do you love me?” If you are forgiven much, you can love him much more!

Peggy_Marco on Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

 

These are inspirational words & images originally published on LinkedIn in January 2024. They are short snippets of wisdom motivating you to better living. They are words of hope.

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When You Feel Anxious

Man Mirror Acoustic Guitar

There is not one who does not feel anxious at some point in time. For a student it can be just before an exam; for a professional it can be some pending work or a meeting with the boss. For many others it is fear of the future; health issues; financial insecurity or being late to catch a train. It is natural to feel anxious. But let us try to look at how to manage it.

First of all, look to God.

He is a strong tower, a mighty rock, a shade and shelter, a comforting mother, a helping hand ever present, who lives for ever and never sleeps. He is watching over you all the time. Even when you are struggling he is seeing it and is moved with compassion for you. Cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you says the Bible1. So look to God. Make a conscious effort to think about God.

Blood Jesus Cleanse

Secondly, try to declutter your life.

See when we organize poorly; when we accumulate little things over the years; when we say yes to all unimportant requests from people; when we refuse to say No to activities that blurs our focus on what is important; they all lead to anxiety. So take time to remove the weeds that mar the beauty of the garden of your life. When you declutter it will make life simpler.

Thirdly, talk to your friends.

Just admit that you feel anxious. Talking things with your friends can relieve anxiety. They may or may not give advice. What they say might not help or be practical in your situation. But still talking with friends will relieve anxiety. Do not be like a dam with all shutters down; but open the spillways with trusted friends.

Finally, travel with hope.

Life might not be easy. It is natural to fear and feel anxious. But hold on to the firm hope that you will emerge strong in spite of all your anxiety; God-helping you. Never give up hope. Miracles do happen. It might not be like a burst of lightning always; but like the simple ordinary blooming of a flower bud more often.

You can read When You Feel Anxious on LinkedIn

11 Peter 5:7
Featured image courtesy: Photo by Roy Reyna: Pexels.com

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The Mistake in Public Speaking I Remember the Most

I share with you this classic mistake I once made in my speech which I remember the most. The occasion was a sermon I delivered in my Church.

It was a few weeks after the Tsunami had struck South East Asia in December 2004. So I started off talking about it. In the third sentence of my sermon I said, ” A few days later the . . .”

At that point my mind went blank. I was standing in the pulpit. It was a raised platform. Around three to four hundred people were looking intently at me. I had no sermon notes with me. I simply had to go on.

Blood Jesus Cleanse

I knew I had to say a word starting with the letter M. But it was not coming to mind. So I substituted with another word starting with the letter M. And this is what I said:

“A few days later the magnanimity of the tragedy struck us.”

The moment I said that in my mind’s eye I could see blue and red lights flashing and hear alarm bells ringing. But I couldn’t stop to analyze. I had to go on.

The sermon went ahead well with a few more mistakes but not as classic as the one I just mentioned. Truly “magnanimity” was a disaster.

The magnitude (which was the word I should have said) of my mistake is clear because magnanimity means generosity!

Truly a classic mistake.

But the point is that it did not stop my journey as a public speaker. I continue to speak even now.

So also can you. There is no need to fear mistakes. It can come to anyone; to the best of men and women on the best of their days.

Therefore you need not fear mistakes. Let them come.

Often there is nothing much I can do to correct the mistakes made in speech as with the case of “magnanimity” of the tragedy.

So I understand that it simply shows me as a human being capable of making mistakes, maybe time and again.

But beyond that I see that I can trust him who hung on a cross and bled for me to integrate my life’s failures and mistakes into what he is shaping and moulding me to be.

So be encouraged today to speak. Mistakes need not prevent you from achieving the best that God has kept in store for you.

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You Are Invited to LIFE

Why should you be invited to life? Aren’t you living already? Or is there life beyond life as we know it? These are important questions. The answers can impact your life more than you can imagine.

Let me invite you to look at this grand statement of truth in the Bible which says: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”1

Blood Jesus Cleanse

In Jesus was found true life. That means the life of God himself. A life that showed to us that there is hope when everything around us is filled with despair; joy even when there is heartbreak; light in the midst of thick darkness; forgiveness we do not deserve; and life that death cannot steal.

His life shows you that God is merciful, compassionate, good, and kind-hearted. His life is always a welcome to you to reach out and grip his nail-pierced hands which bled on the cross for you.

There is something about Jesus that is full of life—abundant life, eternal life, and joy-filled life. There is peace in his life that is not absence from activities but the calm and serene authority in the midst of being busy at the marketplace.

And he is your invitation to life—life which has the expectant hope of some day being like him and enjoying the presence of God.

This life is not an end of oneself or dissolving of oneself or nirvana or rebirth of oneself. But it is knowing God and being able to love him just as you are now; and in a far better way when your death is conquered by his life in you.

Therefore choose life. And it will become the light in your life. It means that in Jesus you’ll find a true knowledge of God as your Father in heaven who cares for you.

Let me end by saying that you should not miss this opportunity to life by being busy with the worries of your daily earthly living. Choose life—life that is found in Jesus!

1John 1:4

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School Assembly Say No to Drugs Speech

Red Lighted Candles Christmas GiftRespected Principal, Beloved Teachers, Dear Parents, and my fellow students,

Introduction

I stand here at this school assembly looking at the faces of young students who are the future of our country, India. There is much potential, talent, and energy in all of you. With discipline and creativity, imagination and enthusiasm, dream and drive; there is no limit to what each one of you can achieve. But sadly, today, there is a cloud that seems to darken this brightness; it is the menace of drug addiction. So let me start off this campaign by having all of you say no to drugs.

Blood Jesus Cleanse

The other part of that slogan should be, “Say Yes to Life.” When saying yes to life, let me share a word of wisdom to all the stakeholders here.:To teachers, parents, as well as students.

Teachers

First of all, let me talk to our teachers. You constantly shine a light on our paths. You encourage us. We are grateful to you for that. But beyond this let me ask one more thing from you. Do not compare us with others. Do not compare our marks or our appearance.

What we expect from you is a word of appreciation. A good word of encouragement can go a long way in building our self-esteem. Give us a word of hope that in spite of our failures and mistakes we are going to make it. Perhaps the confidence you can give us, the trust you show us can in the long run help us say no to drugs than anything else.

Parents

Now let me to talk to our parents. You have made life possible for us. You have given us love and care and affection. You have given us great learning opportunities. We are here today only because of you. But there is one mistake that many parents make. You give the best toys and gadgets for your kids. You give money for their needs.

But how much of your time do you give them? Do you know the best gift you can give them is your unhurried time; your willingness to listen to them; and maybe play with them when you get a chance. Young children grow fast. And when you realize that time has flown; they will be already adults like you. Then it will be too late.

Many children turn to drugs because they seek love and acceptance they did not get at home. So they find it difficult to avoid the peer pressure and fail to say no to drugs.

Students

Now at last, let me to talk to you my friends. There is only one life. When you are young it is the springtime of life when everything is in bloom. But there are predators everywhere. They are those who seek to drain away the nectar of your life by luring you with the temptation of entertainment, pleasure, easy money and the like.

Always know that drugs come into your life to steal, kill, and destroy. It will hook you, addict you to a path of misery, and make a wreck of your mind, body, and soul.

Those who peddle drugs will make it look attractive and even innocent. But hidden behind could be the arm of mafias and terrorist outfits who have no respect for life. Know that their only aim is money by making you compromise your bright future by trading it off for illegal enjoyment the present moment.

Therefore think long-term. Think of the people who love you. Do not bring them to tears. Say no to drugs.

Conclusion

Let me end now. Even when you’ve made a mistake by chance or choice or by being forced, there is always a U-turn possible. Keep up hope. It takes courage to return and you can. It is like the prodigal son returning home to his father’s love after having wasted all his possessions in wild living.

Therefore, let me urge you once again, if there is anyone who has taken the wrong step already; it is not too late. Say no to drugs and return to life and there will certainly be a future for you.

2 Minute Speech on That One Word Every Young Girl Should Be Bold to Speak!

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Your Emotional Healing Will Happen in God’s Mercy

Has someone hurt you bad. It might have been years since it happened. The pain hasn’t gone away; has it? Is there anything beyond counselling help and the support of friends? Possibly yes. Your emotional healing will happen in God’s mercy.

Blood Jesus Cleanse

The first and foremost thought about emotional healing is that of your true value. It has to be restored and brought back to its original design. As God had planned for you. The scars have to heal and perhaps the shame of yesterdays wiped away. But can that happen? Oh, yes! If you allow it, God can do it for you to heal you emotionally.

Secondly, emotional healing is about having hope for your future. You need not allow negativity of what had happened to dictate how you want to take your life forward. With God everything can become new in your life.  What has been lost, God can bring back in ways you have not imagined. Thus emotional healing holds within it hope for your future.

Thirdly, emotional healing is about finding forgiveness with God. Even though you were the victim of the situation, you might be finding it difficult to accept God’s forgiveness in your life. Somehow you feel yourself responsible and guilty for whatever had happened. You might feel someone accusing you all the time.

But don’t let all this discourage you. Come to God and find healing of your emotions and forgiveness. For he accepts you just as you are and makes you brand new.

Finally, emotional healing is about believing the promises of God; two of which I mention here:

One, the Bible says, “by his wounds you have been healed.”1 Yes, the basis of your emotional healing is found in the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for you where his body was broken for you.

And second, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”2

Let me conclude by saying that Jesus came as One sent by God to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour.” 3

The purpose of his coming includes setting you free from fear and from all that is oppressing your mind. Your emotional healing is part of this purpose. So come to him. And seek his face continually. And Jesus, in his mercy, will make your emotional healing a reality in his own good time.

You can read this article on Emotional Healing in God’s Mercy on LinkedIn.

1Isaiah 53;5, 1 Peter 2:24.
2Psalm 34:18.
3Isaiah 61:1b, 2a.
[All the above quotes are from the Bible NIV 1984,]

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Inspirational “I Will Not Forget You” Speech

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!

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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
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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.’ “

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If Faith Moves Mountains, Then I Can! The Power of Belief!

There is great power in belief, especially the belief, “I Can!” And there is great danger too in the belief that faith in “I Can” is a kind of a magic wand that can bring rabbits out of an empty hat. But still we need to look seriously at what Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 1

Now let us look at some of the fascinating lessons the small mustard seed size of faith offers us.

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First of all, look at the contrast. The mustard seed is small. The mountain is big. Moving something huge like a mountain with something small the size of a mustard seed is improbable. Jesus was talking about you facing difficulties that look imposing like a mountain in your life. The key is not to look at the mountain but to look at what you have; even it be the size of a small mustard seed. Let that look be one of belief; one of faith; and with that stance of undoubting trust. Then mountains will move.

Secondly, look at faith itself. Faith as I said earlier is no magic wand. It cannot operate on its own. It needs an object. See, the point is, your faith can be as small as a mustard seed. That doesn’t matter. It can still move mountains if that faith, even when small and looking seemingly insignificant, is placed in God who is able to move mountains. So what Jesus meant is not us doing some magic; but what he meant us to understand is where or upon whom to place our belief on. Our faith should be in God himself.

Three, look to God who moves mountains. There will be plenty of mountains to be removed in the lives of each one of us. No doubt they will look threatening and impossible to overcome. Do you know why they are there? Do you know why God doesn’t take them out of our way? Surely there has to be a purpose! They are there to help us exercise our faith; to make us come out of struggling with the clouds of doubt to the sunshine of faith in God who is the God who makes the impossible, possible.

To conclude, let me spell out the mighty lessons of faith contained in this statement Jesus made. Jesus wanted us to know that faith, even when small like a mustard seed, can accomplish great things even when facing mountains of difficulty when that faith is in God for whom the impossible is always possible. Therefore, you too can say with St. Paul, “I can do everything through him [Jesus Christ] who gives me strength.”2

Therefore, do not look at your faith that is small like a mustard seed and feel insignificant and weak; but be made strong in faith by looking to God and expecting him to move the mountains for you. It is not the popular positive thinking mantra, I can, but instead it is, “With God, I Can!


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Four Reasons Why Your Prayers Can Go Unanswered!
1Matthew 17:20 Bible NIV 1984.
2Philippians 4:13 Bible NIV 1984.

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Who Will Show Me Compassion?

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?”

Blood Jesus Cleanse

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.

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End Your Guilt Trip! Come to the Fountain!

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!

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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!

—
References: Zechariah 13:1 1 John 1:7

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Motivational Speech: The Simple Act of Getting Up!

Have you ever closely watched a baby learn to walk? Now you got it before I even said it. The baby gets up each time it falls down. This simple act of getting up is what life is all about.

There are a few things we need to remember about getting up:

The first thought is that falling down is natural if you wish to learn to walk. There is nothing to be ashamed about mistakes and failures that happen when you try to master something. What you need to do is get up every time you fall having learned the lesson it was meant to teach you.

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The second thought is that what keeps you moving and able to get up time after time again and again is a burning desire to learn to walk. There is no time to despair over falling down, there is no time to spend on regrets, and there is no time at all to weep over lost opportunities. Just get up and start walking again.

The third one and the final thought is that God encourages us when we try to get up and walk. Often he sends people to us, very unexpectedly at times, to help us find strength in God. They come like angels, lift up our spirits, remind us that God has not given up on us and he will still bring his promises to fulfilment in our lives in his time.

So let me conclude reminding you that falling down is a natural thing that happens when you learn to walk. You need to have a burning desire to move forward and you can look forward to God encourage you to get up and walk.
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“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their laboUr: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” — Ecclesiastes 4:10, 11 Bible NIV

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You Are Not Alone

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.

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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?

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Unloved | Rejected | Confused | Life Can Get Better!

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!

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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.

Remember, darkness simply does not go away. As Amy Carmichael said: “God is willing to enter into the heart, as light is willing to flood a room that is opened to its brighness.” So simply open the doors of your heart and let the love of God pour in. God specializes in those who think themeselves failures and in those whose friends and family have labelled as failures!
Read Sunday Sermonettes #013 for more on Rejection.

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A Short Meditation on the Precious Blood of Jesus

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.

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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.

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“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.”

— I Peter 1:18, 19 Bible NIV 1984.

7 Sayings of Jesus on the Cross from a Public Speaker’s Perspective!

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365 Words One Long Sentence Speech: Your Ultimate Destiny!

Ultimate Destiny

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.

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The Message of “Whoever” in John 3:16

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.”

— John 3:16 Bible NIV 1984.
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Our Helper in Prayer

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!”

—
Lavender Skies: Inspirational Free Verse Poem

“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.”

— Romans 8:26, 27 Bible NIV 1984.

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Link Page to Read Along Motivational Sermonettes and Speeches

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Just Believe. A Free Verse Motivational Poem for Those Ready to Give Up!

When you think you’ve lost the battle,
And in despair you plan to quit;

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.

Read the poem Just Believe on LinkedIn

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Lavender Skies: Inspirational Free Verse Poem

Link Page to Read Along Motivational Sermonettes and Speeches

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Jesus Is Coming Soon!

Jesus Is Coming Soon

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.

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A Sudden Coming

Sudden Coming Jesus
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

Jesus 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

Jesus 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

Jesus 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?

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Link Page to Read Along Motivational Sermonettes and Speeches

Featured image courtesy: Allen Cai (Unsplash)