These are a few neighbours who decided to drop in for a visit at midnight. But they were quite rude....they started nibbling on the bananas without even asking us...
Saturday, October 17, 2009
surprise...surprise
These are a few neighbours who decided to drop in for a visit at midnight. But they were quite rude....they started nibbling on the bananas without even asking us...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
......dreams......visions..... ;-)
Praise the Lord!
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams" (Acts 2:17, NIV)
This is a passage familiar to most of us. Great and inspiring as it is, its seldom seen (or seldom witnessed of) nowadays. I had a very wonderful and soul stirring experience today which i would like to share with you.
I have a Christian friend. We are very close friends, and became friends for the very reason of our faith. But during the course of years, it became more of friendship and less of a faith relationship. Whenever either of us tried to boost up the faith part, i would just glow for a moment and go cold again. It went on for so long, that the faith life was almost dying out.
Recently, with the struggle with exams and preparations, we realised suddenly that, our relationship with Him was very vital to our very existance. Its in tough situations in life that we realise many inner flaws. I immediately set out to straighten it, and so did she. The previous two blogs can be attributed to God's wonderful response and support to this effort. But there was a small glitch. She started realising, there was some things in her life that she could not give up to God.
The Word of God, repeatedly implies in many places that we have to surrender/deny our self and take up our cross and follow Him. But however much i tried, and she made efforts on her own part, she couldn't just give up a few things. This became a matter of constant stress between us. I was confident that, after realising that there is something that needs surrendering, not surrendering it to Him, will only be seen as a lack of complete surrender and trust. I kept insisting that, without completely trusting in Him, you cant expect His work in you to be complete either.
This went on for a few months and reached a peak a couple of days ago, sending her into a severely upset state. I too was very much saddened by this. Day before yesterday evening, as i was in this state, i read Proverbs. 3:5,6, that commands us to, not lean on our own understanding and to trust in Him, in everything. Before going to sleep, i prayed, committig her to His grace and deciding that i would not pressurise her on this issue, but that i would continue praying that He speak to her.
Looks like my surrender and yielding was the spark that was needed to set of the gunpowder. She had a dream, which can be seen as nothing less that a divine revelation and vision.
She saw herself standing on dry barren land. Above her the sky was dark blue. Around her stood a crowd of believers clothed in white. These believers were all people whom God had used to speak to her many a time. It included her family, me, and many of our christian friends. Then she saw that, all these people around her were staring at a very bright light in the sky. It was the glory of God revealed to them and they were praising Him for His wondrous grace. But, however much she tried, she could not look up. After trying repeatedly in vain, she started asking everyone for help. Everyone told her the same thing, 'Just look up to Him, and your heart will be filled with unmeasurable joy and the peace that surpaseth all human understanding.' But she just couldn't do it. Finally she came to her mother who told her, 'Dear child, you have to do it. You have to look to Him. You have to run away from all the barrenness around you, from this world of sorrow and hopelessness and pain. Then you'll reach Him. Then you'll know what joy is in us'. In pain and despair, she started weeping and crying 'Jesus, please save me. Only you can save me. Please help me'. As she cried, He spoke to her and she lifted her head and saw His light, and she was transformed. The relief she experienced, she describes as, the relief of a quenched thirst, of satisfied hunger etc.. She experienced the joy of the redeemed.
She woke up yesterday morning as a different person. Though satan tried very hard to pull her back, and forget the vision, by His grace, she surrendered her whole heart to Him witholding nothing. And she experienced the joy that cannot be described by words.
It was a day of great rejoicing and she got to share it with our church, her mom and her sister. It was a day of celebration for all of us. Its a prayer answered, and all that cost was, trust, and letting Him do the work. He commanded Abraham to leave everything and set out to recieve His blessings. He commands us, in Luke 14:26, to do the same.
This is a festival of rejoicing, and you too, come join in our joy, lets praise the Lord, the Lord of Hosts. The Lord who speaks to us through His word, through dreams and visions.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Amen!
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams" (Acts 2:17, NIV)
This is a passage familiar to most of us. Great and inspiring as it is, its seldom seen (or seldom witnessed of) nowadays. I had a very wonderful and soul stirring experience today which i would like to share with you.
I have a Christian friend. We are very close friends, and became friends for the very reason of our faith. But during the course of years, it became more of friendship and less of a faith relationship. Whenever either of us tried to boost up the faith part, i would just glow for a moment and go cold again. It went on for so long, that the faith life was almost dying out.
Recently, with the struggle with exams and preparations, we realised suddenly that, our relationship with Him was very vital to our very existance. Its in tough situations in life that we realise many inner flaws. I immediately set out to straighten it, and so did she. The previous two blogs can be attributed to God's wonderful response and support to this effort. But there was a small glitch. She started realising, there was some things in her life that she could not give up to God.
The Word of God, repeatedly implies in many places that we have to surrender/deny our self and take up our cross and follow Him. But however much i tried, and she made efforts on her own part, she couldn't just give up a few things. This became a matter of constant stress between us. I was confident that, after realising that there is something that needs surrendering, not surrendering it to Him, will only be seen as a lack of complete surrender and trust. I kept insisting that, without completely trusting in Him, you cant expect His work in you to be complete either.
This went on for a few months and reached a peak a couple of days ago, sending her into a severely upset state. I too was very much saddened by this. Day before yesterday evening, as i was in this state, i read Proverbs. 3:5,6, that commands us to, not lean on our own understanding and to trust in Him, in everything. Before going to sleep, i prayed, committig her to His grace and deciding that i would not pressurise her on this issue, but that i would continue praying that He speak to her.
Looks like my surrender and yielding was the spark that was needed to set of the gunpowder. She had a dream, which can be seen as nothing less that a divine revelation and vision.
She saw herself standing on dry barren land. Above her the sky was dark blue. Around her stood a crowd of believers clothed in white. These believers were all people whom God had used to speak to her many a time. It included her family, me, and many of our christian friends. Then she saw that, all these people around her were staring at a very bright light in the sky. It was the glory of God revealed to them and they were praising Him for His wondrous grace. But, however much she tried, she could not look up. After trying repeatedly in vain, she started asking everyone for help. Everyone told her the same thing, 'Just look up to Him, and your heart will be filled with unmeasurable joy and the peace that surpaseth all human understanding.' But she just couldn't do it. Finally she came to her mother who told her, 'Dear child, you have to do it. You have to look to Him. You have to run away from all the barrenness around you, from this world of sorrow and hopelessness and pain. Then you'll reach Him. Then you'll know what joy is in us'. In pain and despair, she started weeping and crying 'Jesus, please save me. Only you can save me. Please help me'. As she cried, He spoke to her and she lifted her head and saw His light, and she was transformed. The relief she experienced, she describes as, the relief of a quenched thirst, of satisfied hunger etc.. She experienced the joy of the redeemed.
She woke up yesterday morning as a different person. Though satan tried very hard to pull her back, and forget the vision, by His grace, she surrendered her whole heart to Him witholding nothing. And she experienced the joy that cannot be described by words.
It was a day of great rejoicing and she got to share it with our church, her mom and her sister. It was a day of celebration for all of us. Its a prayer answered, and all that cost was, trust, and letting Him do the work. He commanded Abraham to leave everything and set out to recieve His blessings. He commands us, in Luke 14:26, to do the same.
This is a festival of rejoicing, and you too, come join in our joy, lets praise the Lord, the Lord of Hosts. The Lord who speaks to us through His word, through dreams and visions.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Amen!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Another wonderful experience in Faith!
I was at church today evening and was not feeling good at all. I couldn't concentrate in church during worship. My mind kept wandering off, however much i tried to concentrate.
But the preacher was a big help. He was shouting so loud that i had to listen. I thank God for this, for it was an answered prayer to my asking Him to help me concentrate somehow. It was a nice message about Joseph's five cloaks:
1. The multi-coloured one that Jacob gave him.
2. The one he left behind as he ran away from Potiphars wife as she tried to seduce him.
3. The one he left behind in prison, as the soldiers gave him new clothes to put on to meet the king.
4. The new one that he wore to see the king.
5. The one that the king adorned him with as he became 2nd in command to king of egypt.
Well, you might be wondering as to whats the big deal with the cloaks. Actually- nothing. The message was about Joseph waiting patiently and faithfully for the fulfillment of the visions God had shown him as a child.
As the message finished with exhortations from the preacher to trust in Him and His promises, the Pastor of the church came forward to encourage us and to lead us in prayer before pronouncing the benediction. As he was praying, he started worshipping God and started speaking in tongues. And as he was finishing, he told about a revelation he just had while praying and told that, there was someone here who was worried about his or her personal relationship with God, being not able to maintain a strong and constant personal relationship with Him. Then he said that, it was God's command to that person that, he should not lean on his own understanding but trust in His mercies. That he should surrender his plans and his life to God. And God's promise to that person was that, He'll exalt the person to places beyond what the person planned for himself and take him to greater heights than what he saw himself attaining.
Well, this divine revelation is completely, completely -- ME. If the revelations at the begining weren't astonishing enough, His commands and promise are just, just....i cant find words to describe my joy.
Though i liked the sermon very much, i dint quite understand what it meant. Well it was just the pizza base. God was exhorting me to trust in His promises, not to despair and to hold on firmly by the strength i have by the presence of His Holy Spirit in me, that has been poured out without limit on all who trust in Him. And that being done, He added the topings. He just gave me the promise to hold on to.
Isn't that just awesome. Only yesterday morning i was despairing, when He gave me joy in knowing He was right there inside me. And now He is literally talking to me, giving me personalised promises and instructions and exhortations on how to hold on to His precious promises.
I love You Lord!
Praise the Lord!
But the preacher was a big help. He was shouting so loud that i had to listen. I thank God for this, for it was an answered prayer to my asking Him to help me concentrate somehow. It was a nice message about Joseph's five cloaks:
1. The multi-coloured one that Jacob gave him.
2. The one he left behind as he ran away from Potiphars wife as she tried to seduce him.
3. The one he left behind in prison, as the soldiers gave him new clothes to put on to meet the king.
4. The new one that he wore to see the king.
5. The one that the king adorned him with as he became 2nd in command to king of egypt.
Well, you might be wondering as to whats the big deal with the cloaks. Actually- nothing. The message was about Joseph waiting patiently and faithfully for the fulfillment of the visions God had shown him as a child.
As the message finished with exhortations from the preacher to trust in Him and His promises, the Pastor of the church came forward to encourage us and to lead us in prayer before pronouncing the benediction. As he was praying, he started worshipping God and started speaking in tongues. And as he was finishing, he told about a revelation he just had while praying and told that, there was someone here who was worried about his or her personal relationship with God, being not able to maintain a strong and constant personal relationship with Him. Then he said that, it was God's command to that person that, he should not lean on his own understanding but trust in His mercies. That he should surrender his plans and his life to God. And God's promise to that person was that, He'll exalt the person to places beyond what the person planned for himself and take him to greater heights than what he saw himself attaining.
Well, this divine revelation is completely, completely -- ME. If the revelations at the begining weren't astonishing enough, His commands and promise are just, just....i cant find words to describe my joy.
Though i liked the sermon very much, i dint quite understand what it meant. Well it was just the pizza base. God was exhorting me to trust in His promises, not to despair and to hold on firmly by the strength i have by the presence of His Holy Spirit in me, that has been poured out without limit on all who trust in Him. And that being done, He added the topings. He just gave me the promise to hold on to.
Isn't that just awesome. Only yesterday morning i was despairing, when He gave me joy in knowing He was right there inside me. And now He is literally talking to me, giving me personalised promises and instructions and exhortations on how to hold on to His precious promises.
I love You Lord!
Praise the Lord!
A God filled state of mind!
I was lying down, sleepless and restless at night, which is very much justifiable as i slept through half the day. I resorted to listening to music- first from the FM player and then from my christian mp3 collection. I do this on such sleepless occasions, as it keeps me distracted and i sleep off. As i lay tossing and turning, trying to relax and sleep, my mind started wandering and i caught myself doing something which i had not done in a couple of weeks.
I suddenly realised that i was thinking of how i would celebrate the victory i am going to achieve in the coming exam, with my friends. [For those of you who dont know, i'm in Delhi, the capital of India, taking coaching classes, preparing to write the Screening test for Foreign Medical Graduates(FMG's), to be held on the 27th of september 2009.] So, as i was saying, i was planning the celebration of passing the exam that 2 months away. Statistics show that, on an average, there is only a <10% pass percentage for this exam.
Well the irony of the story is that, for the past 2 weeks, i've had thoughts about the exam results, but always in the opposite direction. My thoughts would often wander off to think of what i'll do if i fail the exam- details like where i'll stay, who'll be my room mates, will i still talk to my friends often, etc. Even today morning, i was talking to Katie and i told her, i had fears of whether i'd pass this exam in the first go. But then, if that was my attitude towards the exam till today morning, what change came over me.
As i pondered over it, this wonderful realisation came to my mind that made me so happy that i lost the little sleepiness that i had. I realised the fact that, the last two weeks when i was away from my Father in heaven, due to my own sins and wrong ways, my thoughts were all directed towards defeat and hopelessness in life. I can even remember thinking that i had some deadly disease, when all i had were symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection and an upset stomach.
But today morning, i decided that i wanted to be with Him and that, its in Him that my life finds fulfillment. Its in Him that i live. I'm reminded of words from a Petra song The Prodigal Song (or is it son)- something to the effect that- 'everyday that goes by without speaking; i live like i dont need You. But in my heart i recognise the lie. My every breath i draw from you'
So i realised, how my subconcious mind changes its thought process in tune with the inner life in me. For, when i'm away from Him, i'm as good as dead. There is no hope, no joy, no light- its all darkness; and all the thoughts of my subconcious direct me to the land of defeat and death. But as He comes into my life, there is new Life in me. There is strength, joy and peace that surpases all human understanding, and my subconcious mind is at peace- and it directs, even my lazy thoughts in directions of joy and victory.
He truly is my life. There is no life apart from Him.
I know, this is the experience of all our lives, as we live with Jesus everyday. But i just wanted to share it with you all.
Praise the Lord!
Have a nice day :-)
I suddenly realised that i was thinking of how i would celebrate the victory i am going to achieve in the coming exam, with my friends. [For those of you who dont know, i'm in Delhi, the capital of India, taking coaching classes, preparing to write the Screening test for Foreign Medical Graduates(FMG's), to be held on the 27th of september 2009.] So, as i was saying, i was planning the celebration of passing the exam that 2 months away. Statistics show that, on an average, there is only a <10% pass percentage for this exam.
Well the irony of the story is that, for the past 2 weeks, i've had thoughts about the exam results, but always in the opposite direction. My thoughts would often wander off to think of what i'll do if i fail the exam- details like where i'll stay, who'll be my room mates, will i still talk to my friends often, etc. Even today morning, i was talking to Katie and i told her, i had fears of whether i'd pass this exam in the first go. But then, if that was my attitude towards the exam till today morning, what change came over me.
As i pondered over it, this wonderful realisation came to my mind that made me so happy that i lost the little sleepiness that i had. I realised the fact that, the last two weeks when i was away from my Father in heaven, due to my own sins and wrong ways, my thoughts were all directed towards defeat and hopelessness in life. I can even remember thinking that i had some deadly disease, when all i had were symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection and an upset stomach.
But today morning, i decided that i wanted to be with Him and that, its in Him that my life finds fulfillment. Its in Him that i live. I'm reminded of words from a Petra song The Prodigal Song (or is it son)- something to the effect that- 'everyday that goes by without speaking; i live like i dont need You. But in my heart i recognise the lie. My every breath i draw from you'
So i realised, how my subconcious mind changes its thought process in tune with the inner life in me. For, when i'm away from Him, i'm as good as dead. There is no hope, no joy, no light- its all darkness; and all the thoughts of my subconcious direct me to the land of defeat and death. But as He comes into my life, there is new Life in me. There is strength, joy and peace that surpases all human understanding, and my subconcious mind is at peace- and it directs, even my lazy thoughts in directions of joy and victory.
He truly is my life. There is no life apart from Him.
I know, this is the experience of all our lives, as we live with Jesus everyday. But i just wanted to share it with you all.
Praise the Lord!
Have a nice day :-)
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