We are at the end of the penultimate month. And this ushers in the beginning of the end — the end of 2025! For many around the world, this is a time of planning and preparation for the holiday season that lies ahead. Still for many, the believers particularly, this is the season of wonderful anticipation of Christmas.
I want us to pause for a moment, to reflect on our present standing with God. For some, this may be an uncomfortable question, which means there is no better time than “now” to ponder over our spiritual status. Our fast-paced world has succeeded in keeping us busy. Being busy and productive may not be in itself wrong; however, can we face God in good conscience at any given moment? If not, we need to step back a bit and introspect. As we go about this, let us learn to approach God by understanding His tender heart towards us.
“Come to me…” When Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” He is not extending a seasonal greeting. He is issuing a standing invitation. One that doesn’t require qualifications. One that doesn’t demand you clean yourself up first. One that echoes through every Advent season, down every century, into every trembling heart. The Lord who spoke these words isn’t repelled by sinners—He is drawn to them. Not because He overlooks sin, but because He heals it. Moreover, Jesus explains the purpose of his coming — “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32)
In Him, shame meets compassion; guilt meets mercy and sinners become sons and daughters!
The Invitation Today
This season of Advent is not just about celebrating that Jesus once came. It’s about returning to Him again today. It’s about remembering that He invites sinners—not theoretical sinners, but real ones. People like us.
Maybe you are battling a secret sin. Maybe you are numbed by routine faith. Maybe you are found carrying regrets and you think God is tired of hearing about.
Wait and listen to His voice. Not because you have earned the right to come. Not because you promise to never fail again. But because He still welcomes sinners. Because His grace is deeper than your guilt and His rest is stronger than your weariness.
A Season for Returning Advent is for sinners. It is for the weary, the guilty, the unfaithful, the ones who have run too far or failed too often. It is for people who desperately need a Savior—and for people who don’t yet realize they do.
So if you feel unworthy, take heart: You are exactly the kind of person Jesus came for — Wide open. Nail-scarred. Full of mercy.
The Open Door Furthermore, Jesus’ gracious invitation continues into the future: “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). This gives us a compelling picture of Christ’s eagerness to reach us and his willingness to fellowship with us. What a glorious privilege it is to sit and fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords! And so, may we lay aside our doubts, our hesitation, and come before him with child-like awe.
Let us seize God’s open offer, now!
“…whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37).
Family life is a beautiful gift, but it’s not without its storms. Between juggling responsibilities, resolving conflicts, and facing unexpected hardships, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, these challenges can subtly—or not so subtly—pull us away from our relationship with God. The demands of parenting, a strained marriage, or financial pressures can leave us distracted, exhausted, or even questioning our faith. But the Bible offers us hope, wisdom, and practical examples to stay rooted in God, no matter the season.
Here’s how we can navigate family challenges without letting them distance us from the Lord, with lessons drawn from Scripture.
1. Recognize the Pull and Refocus on God’s Presence
Life’s pressures can make us feel like God is distant, but often it’s our focus that shifts. Take the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was busy serving, distracted by her many tasks, while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him. Martha’s frustration boiled over, and she even questioned Jesus: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?” (v. 40, NIV). Jesus gently corrected her, saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v. 41-42)
In family life, we can become like Martha—caught up in the chaos of schedules, bills, or sibling squabbles. It’s not that our duties don’t matter; it’s that they shouldn’t eclipse our time with God. When you feel the pull, pause. Refocus. Even a short prayer or a moment of gratitude can recenter you on His presence.
2. Lean on God’s Strength, Not Your Own
Family challenges can drain us emotionally and physically, tempting us to rely solely on our own grit. But Scripture reminds us that God’s strength is available when ours runs out. Look at the example of David in 1 Samuel 30:6. His family had been taken captive by the Amalekites, and his men were ready to turn against him. The Bible says, “David was greatly distressed… But David found strength in the Lord his God.” Instead of despairing, he sought God’s guidance and went on to recover everything that was lost.
When your family faces a crisis—whether it’s a health scare, a rebellious child, or a fractured relationship—turn to God first. Philippians 4:13 declares, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” You don’t have to carry it alone; God’s power is bigger than any challenge.
3. Guard Against Bitterness with Forgiveness
Family life can breed hurt—arguments with a spouse, disappointment in a child, or tension with in-laws. If unchecked, resentment can creep in and harden our hearts, pushing us away from God’s love. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is a powerful example. Sold into slavery by his brothers, he had every reason to grow bitter. Yet, years later, when he faced them again, he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
Ephesians 4:31-32 urges us, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” When family strife tempts you to pull away from God, lean into forgiveness instead. It’s not easy, but it keeps your heart aligned with Him.
4. Prioritize Prayer as a Family Lifeline
When life gets hectic, prayer can feel like just another task to squeeze in. Yet, it’s our direct line to God, especially in tough times. In Acts 12, Peter was imprisoned, and his situation seemed hopeless. But the church—his spiritual family—“was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5). God answered dramatically, sending an angel to free Peter from his chains.
In your family, make prayer a habit, not an afterthought. Whether it’s a quick prayer over breakfast or a deeper time of seeking God together during a crisis, it invites His peace and guidance. Philippians 4:6-7 promises, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
5. Trust God’s Timing and Purpose
Sometimes family challenges—like a wayward child or a prolonged struggle—make us doubt God’s goodness or timing. The story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 15-21 shows us how to hold on. God promised them a son, but years passed with no answer. Sarah even laughed at the idea in her old age (Genesis 18:12). Yet God fulfilled His promise with Isaac, proving His faithfulness.
When your family feels stuck, cling to Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Trust that God is weaving even your hardships into something redemptive.
Staying Close to God Amid the Storm
Family life will always have its challenges—messy, beautiful, and everything in between. But those struggles don’t have to pull you away from God. Like a compass in a storm, Scripture and prayer can guide you back to Him. Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” When the waves hit, He’s not far off—He’s right there, ready to steady you.
So, take a deep breath. Look to these biblical examples. Lean into God’s Word and presence. Your family life, with all its chaos and joy, can be a place where your faith grows stronger, not weaker.
“I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me” ( John.6:38 ).
Jesus tells us here in His own words what He came on earth to do. And in this one sentence we have a description of how Jesus lived every single day of His entire life on earth. The thirty years of Jesus’ life in Nazareth are referred to as hidden years. But here Jesus reveals what He did during every day of those 30 years. He denied His own will and He did His Father’s will.
Jesus was tempted in different situations for 30 years in Nazareth. It is written about those hidden years that “He never pleased Himself” at any time ( Rom. 15:3 ). He always denied Himself. Thus He pleased the Father at all times. Pleasing oneself can be done in many areas of one’s life – for example, in the area of eating. Consider a situation where, even when you are not hungry, you decide to spend some money to buy some tasty snacks to eat. There is certainly nothing sinful or wrong in that. But it speaks of a certain way of life. Because you have money, you buy what you like, whether you need it or not. You do what pleases yourself. If you feel like buying something you buy it. If you feel like going somewhere, you go. If you feel like sleeping late, you just sleep late. What is the end result of living like that, even if you go regularly to the meetings and read your Bible every day? You may not lose your salvation, but you will certainly waste the one life that God gave you to live for Him.
When Jesus was with the Father in heaven from eternity past, He never had to deny His own will, for His own will was the same as His Father’s. But when He came to earth in our flesh, that flesh had a self-will that was diametrically opposed to the Father’s will at every single point. The only way in which Jesus could do His Father’s will then was by denying His own self-will all the time. This was the cross that Jesus bore throughout His earthly life – the crucifixion of His own will – and which He now asks us to bear every day, if we are to follow Him. It was the consistent denial of His own will that made Jesus a spiritual Man. And it is the denial of our self-will that will make us spiritual too.
Consider a situation where you are visiting your home after a tough day at work and you are tempted to say something negative about a certain person in your family. What do you do? Will you yield to that temptation and backbite, or will you deny yourself and keep your mouth shut? Many imagine that such a sin will not destroy their lives. But, it is only in eternity that many brothers and sisters will realize how every time they pleased themselves, they destroyed themselves a little. Then they will regret the way they wasted their lives on earth.
Spirituality is not something that comes through one encounter with God. It is the result of choosing the way of self-denial and of doing God’s will CONSISTENTLY day after day, week after week, and year after year.
Mature Christians are those who “because of practice (in exercising their will in the right direction through many years), have their senses trained to discern good and evil” ( Heb.5:14 ). Determine that you will become a true man/woman of God.
Prayer:
Loving heavenly Father,
Help me to yield to your will at all times in my life. Help me to deny my self and walk in your will always. Show me the ways in which I should walk. Help me to make the right decisions. Give me the strength to overcome every temptation that makes me please myself. And Lord, give me the wisdom and courage to walk consistently in your will. May only your will prevail in my life.
Prayer is not only speaking to God but listening to Him as well. And listening is more important than speaking to Him. Consider: If you were speaking with an important person whom you know is much elder and wiser than you on the phone, you would listen much more than you speak, isn’t it. So, must it be in true prayer – you must listen to God much more than you speak to Him.
If you are very keen on doing something, you can easily deceive yourself that it is the will of God, by praying about it briefly just to ease your conscience, and then saying to yourself that you feel “at peace in your heart” about doing it – and go ahead and do it! That way you can miss the will of God completely.
The more important the decision you have to make, the more you must wait on God before you act.
There is as much difference between your way of thinking and God’s thoughts as there is between earth and heaven (Isa.55:8, 9). God’s way of doing things is far higher than yours. That is why God wants that we must submit to Him – to get His best.
You may not have much time to spend in prayer. But you must have the attitude of waiting on the Lord in making your decisions. And so, discipline yourself to spend a few minutes with God every day. God wants to communicate with you every day. This is the message that comes across from the first page of the Bible, where it says: “ On the first day, God spoke…. On the second day, God spoke…….On the third, ……..fourth, ……..fifth and sixth days, God spoke ”. Something happened each day when God spoke, and the final result was “ Very Good”. So, it can be with your life too, if you listen to God every day. Jesus said, “ Man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4).
God always wants to answer our prayers. But we must earnestly wait on Him for an answer. Sometimes His answer may be ”No.” Sometimes it may be “Wait”. Like the red, yellow, and green traffic lights.
Prayer :
Loving Heavenly Father,
Help me to wait for you before making any important decisions in my life. Help me to not get carried away by my own fleshly desires and worldly pressures. Help me to always depend on your wisdom, pray and seek counsel from you. Guide me through your Holy Spirit who is within me to face the challenges outside and surrounding me. Thank you Lord, for you are a loving God and Father who always listens to your children and gives them your best. May your best happen in my life always.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come
2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB
Happy New Year beloved reader. I wish good health and prosperity to you and family!!
Wow its already 2023 and another year has passed. And in the midst of so much chaos around the world. We are finding ways to live and move on with our lives. But for all of us a new year brings new hope and desire for something bigger and better than last year.
Some of us try to retrospect what we do right and wrong in the previous year. Areas we improved or need to improve. Successes and failures. And after all that we do try to come up with new year resolutions which sometimes or always gets resolves to an end by themselves. If you understand what I mean 🙂
So, in light of that, I want to put forth that this devotional is not going to be encouraging to start coming up with new year resolutions neither it’s going to be asking us to retrospect the last year. But I do want you to ask this question?
Would believing in Jesus still make a difference in 2023?
With so much uncertainty around every area of our lives, be it family, job, finances, relationships etc. Where does Jesus stand or makes sense? What can he do? Is it even logical to believe in Jesus today? We do trust our leaders of our respective countries to make a difference. Democratic or Republic or Kingdom. Yet some problems are bigger than the human race. Think about all the natural disasters, pandemic, moral wrong doings, terrorism, deaths, forgery and wars we had or are going through. Yet some of them are getting hard to be resolved by all of our strengths combined. Don’t you think we all are working to resolve these issues for so many years now? Inventions, regulations, unions, governments, rules, militaries, weapons and still the issues are not getting resolved.
Therefore, that brings us to the question What is the real problem? The bible says the below,
If you can just ponder for some time on the origin of all the issues, we face today. It comes from the evil of our hearts. We talk so much about failures of governments, humanity, morals, military and leaders. But we fail to realize that the issues we face today are not born out of these institutions we humans created for service of mankind. But mankind itself created the issues.
Let’s see an example, why do people steal? Is it because they want to, or the lack of something. It’s hard to distinguish, isn’t it? Because it’s not always the lack. It may be other moral motives, like lust, power, greed, selfishness, laziness etc. or it could be just sheer want for something to live. But the origin of all this is the thought that originated from an idea that came to the mind of someone. And when they gave into the idea, the body performed it. We could apply this to almost every issue we face.
We human race have evolved over the years and have resolved many issues. But let’s admit we cannot change a human heart. We don’t have a cure. Thats where Jesus comes in.
Now you may ask, how can a person or spiritual entity bring a change in a human heart? How can that be possible? I love the below bible verse which says
.... Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7 GWT
How can God look into our heart? It’s pretty simple. He is the one who created us. Just like we can look deep within something we created. We know ins and out of our own inventions. God can see through what he invented. We are his priceless creations, whom he loves no, matter who we are. “For God shows no partiality” – Romans 2:11.
You know what, I can give a thousand reasons to believe Jesus. But it just takes just 1 step to know for yourself. It’s like you can hear a thousand reasons from others on how good a dish is but you can’t tell for yourself if its good until you taste it yourself. Can you take that 1 step? Like we try and see so many things in our lives before taking a decision. Can you try Jesus? Give him just 1 chance look into your heart. He can cure as he himself said … I am the LORD, who heals you. – Exodus 15:26. He is the best doctor we have for all of our issues. And he is the best bet for humanity. The only obstacle to us having to know Jesus is first to admit we need a cure and second how to know him. Thankfully for us there is open an invitation for everyone. Jesus said,
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. - Revelation 3:20
This new year, you may want to try out many things. But try out Jesus too. You will never regret. I am a testimony. Life has never been the same after I accepted Jesus. Many can testify with me. We may miss many things in our lives. Let’s try our best to not miss and chance to experience Jesus.
Once you make a decision just say this prayer
Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself only. I am sorry, and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. Come into my life and change me.
If you have said the above prayer. Congratulations. The next step for you is to know God and his word. Grab a bible and read any Gospels to start with. You will get to know about Jesus more. If you need a bible. You can contact us and we will send it to you for free. Try to join a local church and enjoy a fellowship of co-believers just like you. If you wish, reach out to us for help, we will be happy to help and guide you to the next steps.
If you are a believer of Christ, please do share this devotional to someone who may need it, prayerfully. And if you feel there have some areas in your life which needs Jesus to help you rectify. It’s not wrong to just ask Jesus to come into your life again. It’s never too late.
A proper definition of the subconscious mind would help at the outset. According to Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the subconscious mind is “the part of your mind that notices and remembers information when you are not actively trying to do so, and influences your behaviour even though you do not realize it.” Who is God? According to the Bible, a simple explanation would be: God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe—the Supreme Being. The above definitions help us make a proper distinction between our mind and God: Our subconscious mind is part of us and it is us. While God is altogether another Being with His own mind existing outside of us. Books are great if we pick the right ones. Anyone can write anything and self-attest them. We need to find out on what these truth claims are founded or based on. Stating that the human subconscious mind is God doesn’t make much sense when we understand who God really is. As the Creator of all things, He is beyond all created things and cannot be contained within His creation. The book’s statements about prayer must be tested before they’re accepted. There are several claims about prayer, mind, subconscious mind & God that are problematic and even contradictory.
Consider this claim: “we trust and pray to our subconscious mind which is very powerful”
Response: The author seems to generalize the concept of prayer as if everybody prays to their own subconscious mind. In prayer, people often tend to reach out to a “higher power” for help and clarity. As Christians, we pray to the eternal God knowing and believing that with Him, all things are possible. We don’t pray to ourselves (subconscious mind).
Claim: “we make them God because we humans can’t trust in ourselves”
Does this not contradict the previous claim? Why do humans pray to their own subconscious mind when they can’t trust themselves? Since humans can’t trust themselves and are fallible (from the author’s own statements), our only safest and trustworthy option is the infallible Word of God— the Bible! We would encourage you to take God’s Word over man’s word. Many worldviews have their own theory about prayer. According to Bible, prayer takes many forms. But prayer at its simplest is “talking with God.” Prayer can go beyond this but it is never less than this. In the Bible, Jesus promises to answer the prayers of those who put their faith in Him because He is loving and almighty!
Here are few other ideas from Joseph Murphy’s book, “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind,” which are not logically correct:
1) You Receive Answers To Prayer Because Of Mental Acceptance About What You Pray ‣ We don’t receive answers to prayer by accepting what we pray for. We receive answers by putting our faith in God who alone is capable of helping us with our needs. For example, I mentally accept that my body has a sickness but I am in no position to heal it. My brain cannot heal it. Or what if our brain also has a sickness? Then who will provide the answer? So my faith must be based on Someone beyond my physical limitation—God, my Creator!
2) Your Subconscious Mind Has The Answer To All Your Problems ‣ No, it does not. If that were the case, we should be having our problems solved in our sleep. But in reality, we end up with many issues in life when we work with our conscious mind, our behaviours get deposited into our subconscious mind which in turn converts those behaviours into habits. In this way, our subconscious mind gets influenced and corrupted. Now, do we want to put our trust in something corrupt?
3) Faith Is The Only Universal Healing Principle Operating Through Everybody ‣ Murphy says in the book “faith is created by accessing and harnessing the power of our subconscious minds. Illness, physical ailments, and even traumatic experiences can be healed by repeatedly submitting thoughts of healing to our subconscious minds. “It is very important to understand the foundation of our faith—what is our faith based on? On God who is infallible or on our fallible self? Murphy points us inward. But we are not the source of our healing. Even with the best of medical science, humans are still desperately struggling with various sicknesses from Cancer to Covid. ‣ But in the Bible, God declares in Exodus 15:26 “…I am the Lord who heals you.” In fact, one of the other names of Biblical God is ‘Jehovah Rapha’ (the God who heals). We are called to put our faith in God for your healing. When we understand the evidence and facts that show us the validity of the Bible, it can help us trust what the Bible says about prayer better. Everyone can have different opinions about it, everyone can have their own convictions and self-made truths. However, this doesn’t affect the quality of the truth. And of course, truth is not affected by our surroundings, traditions, cultures, or social trends. It is constant. Truth is exclusive, and it cannot be altered with time. Prayer is a conversation with our Creator God and not a mind game. It’s a dialogue and not just us constantly talking to our minds without any response from the other end. God witnesses Himself to us through miracles and wonders in life so that our faith in Him is strengthened. He is not a figment of our mind but rather the One who created it along with everything else we see and beyond.
Claim: “The laws and rules we follow can be of social conditioning too??” Response: This is a very broad statement. Yes, there are laws and rules that we have created for ourselves in society (social conditioning). Ex. Legal laws (Indian Penal Code), Labour laws (work ethics), Traffic rules etc. Can you imagine a society without these in place? As history has proven, a lawless society will break down into chaos. So God allows these rules to be instituted to help regulate human behaviour. These laws help people understand what is right and wrong. But these laws can vary across societies. However, there are also moral laws given by God in the Bible which is universally binding and unchanging just like His nature (Ex. the 10 commandments in Exodus 20). The problem with mankind is disobedience to God’s Laws. God is the ultimate Law Giver and His Laws reflect His perfect character. We are by nature lawbreakers as history repeatedly proves. In the Garden of Eden, God gave only one commandment to Adam and Eve and they broke it (first sin). Then God had to give 10 more commandments because sins have already begun to multiply. In total, the Old Testament contains 613 commandments (Mosaic Law). God considers breaking one commandment as amounting to breaking all of it (James 2:10)! So, is there any hope for us? Thanks be to God! He has provided His Son Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life on our behalf and taken up our own punishment upon Him on the cross. If we put our faith in Him, God has promised to forgive us of all our lawlessness (sins).
In conclusion, prayer must always involve at least two persons—there is the one who prays (us) and there is the other who receives the prayer (God). Just as conversations with people help build our relationship with them. Prayer helps us to connect with God intimately. This is the chief purpose of prayer—to grow in our relationship with God.
Laws and rules have good purposes and are meant to maintain order in society. Human laws are imperfect. But God’s laws are perfect. They provide light to our path and life to our soul. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus summed up the entire Old Testament Laws in these two statements: 1-Love your God with all your heart, soul and mind. 2-Love your neighbour as yourself. Humans have the habit of breaking laws. And we always tend to find a way to escape punishment for breaking civil laws in society. But we cannot escape from God for breaking His commandments in the Bible. God has fixed a day in the future (2 Corinthians 5:10) to justly deal with all lawbreakers. But for now, God is extending a lifeline, offering mercy to all lawbreakers who believe in His Son Jesus Christ.
Thank you for writing to us with your questions. We hope this clarifies some things for you. You are always welcome to reach out to us in your continued pursuit of truth.
Karma sounds like a fair deal every time we hear about it.It is easy for our minds to comprehend and agree with the law of karma. If a person does bad, he is held responsible for what he did and reaps bad in the next birth out of the bad he sowed in the previous birth. This cycle of rebirths continue until one has come out clean – moksha.
But we see that the Bible clearly states that we will all die once and after that stand in front of God’s throne for judgment. This shows that the law of karma where by people take rebirth into something based on their previous life is not true. We all have one life to live and we will be judged on that – whether we lived wisely or foolishly.
Hebrews 9:27
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
2Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us(K) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Does the above verse mean that we will be saved by doing good? – by no means.
But the judgment mentioned in the above verse is for already saved believers to give an account of what he did with his life here on Earth. Whether he used this life to do good works or spent it foolishly and he will be rewarded accordingly but this does not decide his eternal destiny.
If we were to be saved based on all our thoughts and deeds then, I would say – God save us!
And most fortunately, that is what He does – God saves us from all our sins!
Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
The Bible puts forward a truth that is contradictory to the law of karma. Here, we see Jesus paying the price for the sins of all mankind with His own life once and for all. Love so great seems incomprehensible to our minds and rightly so.
Because why would God care to take away the sins of wretched men?
Moreover, why would God pay it with Heaven’s best, His only Son – Jesus?
The answer is found in John 3:16
John 3:16
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.
God
– The Almighty Authority
So loved the world
– the mightiest motive
That He gave His only begotten Son
– the Greatest gift
That whoever
– the widest welcome
Believes in Him
– the easiest escape
Should not perish
– the divine deliverance
But have everlasting life
– the priceless possession
This is the unmerited grace of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
We have been saved by the incomparable riches of His grace. All we must do is humbly accept this gift of God that was offered to each one of us at the cross of Calvary.
There Jesus bled and died to make atonement for the sins of all mankind. He was stripped, spat on, flogged, whipped, mocked, struck, a crown of thorns was set on His head and when He could hardly stand, they placed a heavy cross on His back to be carried from Jerusalem to Golgotha, where He was to be crucified.
Finally, they nailed Him to that cross and crucified Him. The all-powerful God took upon Himself the most pitiful death for you and me. But with this sacrifice He nailed to the cross the power of sin and death. He knew it was impossible for us to save ourselves, so He took our place on the cross. Forgiveness from sins and adoption as God’s children is offered to us for free because of the price Jesus already paid.
To ignore this greatest gift of grace – salvation, would be to ignore the real essence of life.
Accept His grace over your life and live life knowing that you are forgiven and accepted by God. There is no sin He has not paid for. Repent of your sins and humbly accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers for those who believe in His finished work on the cross.
Don’t worry if people condemn your life and actions as beyond forgivable, because there is a God who paid it all just for you. He can transform every broken relationship that is beyond cure. He can change situations for you because God sees what man cannot see – He sees your heart.
1Samuel 16:7
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
This new year accept Jesus as your personal savior and Lord.
Romans10:9
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
“Grace” is only another word and can never be explained completely in words unless experienced in life.
Livethis life knowing that you are forgiven, accepted and dearly loved by God – this is the real deal!
Heresy and Hypocrisy are plagues that rock the foundation of Christian living and morals if not addressed properly. Both of these moral failures have brought down some of the finest men and women in Christianity today. However , if we are asked to choose between them- which one would you choose? Or would you even want to choose?
What is it meant to be heretic and hypocrite?
A hypocrite is a person who knows the truth and believes the truth, but doesn’t live by it.
A heretic changes the truth according to how he lives.
Let us look at some examples of hypocrisy and heresy in churches or Christendom today to understand it better.
Hypocrites may fornicate, murder and steal, but they would never teach that fornication, murder and stealing are good. That’s what a heretic would do.
A hypocrite may have sexual misconduct with someone else’s spouse, but he/she knows it is wrong. A heretic has sexual misconduct and says, “It is necessary for the church to be welcoming and ignorant to those who have experienced difficulties and pain in keeping their marriage bond.”
A hypocrite may experience same sex attraction and have sexual relations with another man/woman, but he/she then goes to confession and realizes that what he/she has done is wrong. A heretic says, “The church needs to be more up to date in understanding of human sexuality.”
A hypocrite never gives money to the poor, hoards all his wealth, and plots to get as rich as he/she can, but when he/she looks in the mirror and in the bank account he/she has a twinge of guilt and knows he/she is a greedy and a hypocrite. The heretic says, “God has blessed me! I can enjoy as much I want with what God has blessed me with , there is nothing wrong in it.”
The hypocrite has a chance of repentance for he/she still knows that what he/she has done is wrong. The heretic condones his sin, calls evil good and good evil and prides himself on his brave and daring decision.
The heretic challenges biblical teachings. The hypocrite is challenged by the teachings.
The hypocrite follows biblical teachings even when he fails to follow the teachings whereas the heretic never follows the biblical teaching while pretending that he does follow the teachings.
Note that we all are vulnerable and the above mentioned scenarios of heresy and hypocrisy can be committed by anyone at all levels whether its a ministry , church , a believer or individual minister in any position or authority.
“The interesting fact to note is that hypocrites are some how seen more lovable than the heretics because, if they have any self awareness at all, they know themself as a hypocrite and know that they have failed to observe the teachings in which they believe. And since, its a question of self evaluation and awareness there sins are sometimes hidden from the eyes of the public, christian community or society. But, the heretic on the other hand is an odious, rebellious and proud character–full of his own ideas and ready to re-write the faith for his own benefit. Which makes them easily noticeable. That’s why its harder to notice a hypocrite than a heretic.“
Now with all this said, whom would you support to be better? Or is it even right to make this judgement?
I believe it is not right for any of us to give a judgement. We all sometimes fight hypocrisy in our own life and it’s something we have to overcome by the Grace of God. And we have to be really grounded and humble ourselves in scriptures to make sure we are not a heretic. In my opinion both heresy and hypocrisy are severe moral failures that we all have to be aware as Christians and be on guard all our life.
So, may i conclude this article by writing that as a believer(including me) who so ever we might be or no matter how big or small position we hold in the Christian ministry, we are accountable completely and fully to the teachings of the Holy Bible. We have no other truth to teach but the truth of the Christian Faith as presented in the Bible. We must not be biased or have opinions.But our discernment must be based only on the teachings of the Bible. However, in honesty – living in this fallen world is not easy and we might fail to live up to those teachings sometimes hence, in the process become a hypocrite. But there is a hope and chance for repentance through Gods grace and the blood of the Savior Lord Jesus Christ. And everyone of us should confess, repent and pray with this hope for the hypocrisy in our own lives and hypocrisy in others.
As far as for heresy there might not be hope if its not identified as a sin and evaluated for repentance.Heretics in that case are only pushing themselves towards judgement from the Lord and God himself when he comes back and he is coming soon. A role of a non-heretic believer should be to guard themselves from heresy and point out sin with respect and gentleness whenever possible and pray for Gods salvation to come through.
But in any circumstance, we should be very careful to not become judgemental. It is not for us to pass on judgement on others. But instead love and compassionately care with support and prayer for those who are gripped by these moral issues.
In the words of Jesus,
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Ever wondered if there was a worldview that gives men and women equal worth? Well then, the Christian faith and the God of the Bible is possibly the answer you are looking for.
God created man (male and female) in His image. (Genesis 1:27) This gives equal worth to man and woman. One is no greater or lesser a creation of God than the other. Being created in the image or likeness of God does not mean that God is in human form, but rather, that humans are in the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. Humans differ from all other creatures because of their rational structure. These character traits are deposited in men and women – the compassion of a father, the love of a mother, the care of an elder sister/brother, the possessiveness of a partner and so on.
But despite being made in the image of God, women often have this question bothering them- why does God let them go through pain and suffering?
Some kinds of pain are inevitable in every woman’s life. The pain of menstrual cycle, pain of childbirth, in the Indian culture the fact that women are expected to give a lumpsum amount as dowry to get married, lesser education when compared to a male in the family, paternal mindset of limiting opportunities for a girl child and the list goes on. So, as a woman it is reasonable to think of God as someone who does not understand the physical and emotional pain of a woman. However, the Bible shows a God who has a different standpoint on all these.
“God understands suffering because Jesus Himself suffered on the cross the most gruesome death for us. (Isaiah 53:4-7) And so He can empathize with those who suffer. He is not a God who does not understand the sufferings of mankind nor is He ignorant of it. (Hebrews 4:15) God does not necessarily end the suffering but gives more strength and grace to endure it so that one can come through it as a better version of oneself and in doing so reflect the image of God in their lives. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that through suffering and perseverance, character and hope is built. When a woman goes through the pain of childbirth, she develops a special bond of love despite the sufferings she endured. Even though pain was involved in the process the result is blissful and develops in the mother a sacrificial love for the child she bore. This is a glimpse of the love of God that He showed when He let His Son die for the sins of mankind. Even though we falter and fail time and again, God forgives us and continues to love us because of the pain and suffering that was involved in restoring us back to Him as His sons and daughters by the sacrifice of Jesus.”
Two instances from the bible where Jesus love and compassion towards the pain and suffering of a woman-
We see that at the cross Jesus told His disciple, John, to take care of His mother- Mary. (John 19:27) Even on the cross Jesus was mindful of the mother who bore Him. He made sure that she was taken care of in her old age. This shows the filial love of Jesus – how He cared for His aged mother, who was mostly a widow by then.
We also see how Jesus heals a woman who was suffering from bleeding for 12 years (Mathew 9:20-22). They were considered unclean in that society and any one whom they touch was also considered unclean. But Jesus honors her faith and heals her completely. No person/physical condition is unclean for Him. We see in some religions that women are not allowed to enter places of worship during their period. But Jesus does not condemn anyone as unclean. He accepts us in whatever condition we might be in. He is waiting for us to come to Him just as we are. ( Matthew 11:28-29)
There is no pain that is beyond the knowledge of God. He made us and He knows our weaknesses. So, if you think you are weak then God’s grace is sufficient. Where you lack, there His provision will be abundant. For His power is made perfect in your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, James 4:6)
Below is a poem written by Annie Flint, who as a young girl lost her mother during the birth of her baby sister. Later they were adopted into the Flint’s family. Annie grew strong in faith and started to write poems and hymns. After school she became a teacher and during the second year of teaching, she was contracted with arthritis and it grew steadily worse until it became difficult for her to walk at all. Soon after this her adoptive parents also passed away and now left her and her frail younger sister twice orphaned. During these times she penned some of the best pieces of her work through poems and hymns that reached out to many and strengthened them. The marvelous thing is that Annie’s faith never faltered, and that she was always able to say, “Thy will be done.” . This is an example of how God can use your weakness to make you stronger and encourage many others who might go through the same phase in life as you trust in God completely.
He Giveth More Grace – Annie J. Flint
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources Our Father’s full giving is only begun. Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision, Our God ever yearns His resources to share; Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing; The Father both thee and thy load will upbear. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
John 3:16 says that God loved the world – which includes man and woman, that He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins so that we may be saved. God sees men and women as co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
The Bible shows us many examples where women played important roles along with men.
Deborah – was a judge over all Israel. The three basic functions were administration, the settlement of disputes, and military leadership. The distinctive of Deborah’s work as a judge stands firmly in battle. As a woman she would not be expected to be on the battlefield. However, she did not allow cultural norms to hinder her leadership and thereby enabled others to bring victory to God’s people. The directives and results did not originate from the sharp mind of a military or civil leader. They stemmed from the Lord Himself speaking through the mouth of the prophetess. God spoke through a woman to win a battle!
Mary Magdalene – the first person to have been entrusted with the very words of Jesus after He rose again and carried this gospel message to the other disciples (John20:11-17) This is worth highlighting in a culture where women were regarded as inferior to men. Jesus chose to reveal Himself to a woman and through Her spread the message of His resurrection, which was by far the most essential message of Christianity. (1 Corinthians 1:27) If Jesus had not risen, then Christians would be the most pitied of all. (1 Corinthians 15:19) And Mary did her job well!
Phoebe – a deaconess who helped Paul and many others in their ministry. She was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Phoebe was a woman of means, who, among other things, contributed financial support to Paul’s apostolate, and probably hosted the house church of in her home, as well as, providing shelter and hospitality to Paul when in the town.
Lydia – an entrepreneur who hosted Paul and his companions. She was the first convert to Christianity in Macedonia. The rabbis of that day where known to say, “It is better that the words of the Law be burned that be delivered to a woman.” The fact that Paul was willing to speak to the women of this place indicates he was not affirming to this view. Even though there was no great revival initially in Macedonia and only one woman got saved – Lydia, God used her greatly to aid Paul. She was instrumental in establishing the church at Philippi.
Priscilla – a missionary along with her husband Aquila are an example of how a couple can work together for God’s Kingdom and that it is not only men who are called for missions. God makes your availability for Him your ability to serve Him.
And so on …
Having said the above, God’s design for the roles that man and woman need to play are unique, but this does not make one inferior to the other. “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.” (Ephesians 5:23) This verse is self-explanatory if read in full. If he is the head of the wife, the Bile says that he must love and care for the wife as Christ does for the church which means he should be ready to even lay down his life for her.( Ephesians 5:23-25) “All through the Bible we see men climbing mountains to commune with God, but He always came down to meet with the women wherever they were.”– (God comes to the women – Heather Farrell). Differences between man and woman are meant to complement and complete each other so that they can together fulfil the purpose for which God has created them.
God loves you and you are the daughter of the Most High, don’t let anyone belittle your identity!
Not long ago we had a movie released here which portrayed miracles and healings as completely scripted and fake, everything was just showbiz and a means to make a fortune for some.It’s a sad reality that such tricksters and frauds do exist and try to deceive many people with their counterfeit miracles.
It is hence, also true that some people take the name of the Lord in vain for their own benefit.But, this is not something new that it should surprise us.Throughout the Bible, we see such people and Jesus warns us ahead of time against them.
Mathew 24:24 – For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Acts 8:20 – Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
1 John 4:1 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 – The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.
we see that such false teachers, sorcerers, wizards, witches and magicians were there even during that time, trying to mislead the people.God alone is Omnipotent – almighty and able to do all things beyond what any “gods” of this world can duplicate.
We need to be aware of the means by which the miracle happens and not blinded by the result. The end result does not justify the means, but the means should justify itself.
Let us be wise and discern such people and not fall into any such deception. 1John 4:1-3, James 1:5
So, having said the above, we come to some basic questions:
Are miracles for real or just hyped up stories that are hollow inside?
Are they the most important factor of the Christian faith and all that it comes down to?
Can we conclude about a local church solely based on the healings and miracles that happen there?
The answer would have to be – not really! There is much more to the church of God than just miracles. Miracles are God’s witness to His word. They do not replace the word nor do they subsume the word. Signs and wonders are not the power of God unto salvation, but they testify to salvation. The word of God is what brings salvation as stated clearly by Paul.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
So, if a church is all about miracles without proper teaching from the word, then something is wrong there and needs to be checked. Kathryn Kuhlman was an American evangelist known for hosting healing services. She said that the biggest miracle that she had witnessed was this – “the salvation of a soul”. When a sinner realizes the need for a savior and accepts Jesus into his life and believes that God has forgiven his sins, a miracle takes place on the inside of that person which is beyond the miracles we can witness with our naked eyes.
“What is more important? – that you see miracles and get what you want in this life or you learn the word of God and understand that there is more to life than this world and all its needs ?“
If everything you need is in this world and nothing beyond it, then what do you really gain? Mark 8:36- What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
So, what is it that can save you?
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
James 1:21
Can it be that there is proper teaching of the word and still no miracles happening in a church? There definitely will be miracles in a church where the word is being taught and preached in the correct way because the word of God is powerful to bring about change. We do not have to enhance it in anyway. There is nothing anyone can do to make it less or more powerful. It is what is it – the word of God! Not the skill or ability of the preacher but simply that the Word is powerful in itself!
1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” Isaiah 55:11- so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Psalm 107:20 – He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. 1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
We see Jesus was always eager to teach His disciples when He was with them. He did miracles out of compassion and love for the people, which was part and parcel of their lifestyle, but He was more focused on teaching them about the Kingdom of God and what they need to be doing to build it. Miracles were an outcome of what they were learning and practicing. It was not the focus of their ministry. The focus is to learn and have a relationship with God. Miracles can be a tool by which the nonbeliever comes to believe in God.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
John 14:11
Not to get awed and run behind miracles but rather to run behind God and miracles will follow because it is a way in which God bears witness to His word among us.
Professor Wayne Grudem defines Miracle as: “A less common way of God’s working in which He arouses awe and wonder in people and bears witness to Himself.”
As much as I can quote a bunch of miracles from the Bible (the 4 gospel accounts gives us around 37 miracles of Jesus that have been recorded and mentions that others have not been recorded because there were just too many -John 20:30, Luke 7:21), wouldn’t it be interestingif we can look at sources outside the Bible as well?
Like the Bible, the Quran mentions Jesus healing the blind and the lepers in al-Imran (3) 49. Muslim scholar and judge al-Baydawi (d. 1286) wrote how it was recorded that many thousands of people came to Jesus to be healed, and that Jesus healed these diseases through prayer only.
Roman historian, soldier and senator – Marcus Velleius Paterculus describes a scene that he allegedly witnessed, in which a prophet and teacher that he names Iēsous de Nazarenus, resuscitated a stillborn boy and handed him back to his mother.
1st-century Jewish Historian Josephus who identified with the Pharisees states the below about Jesus: “At this time, there appeared Jesus, a wise man. He was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive the truth with pleasure. And he gained a following among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. When Pilate, because of an accusation by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after Him, has not died out.”
The miracles of Jesus are the supernatural deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian, Islamic and historical texts. The majority are faith healing, exorcisms, resurrection, control over nature and forgiveness of sins.
Why did Jesus do all the miracles he did?
Fame?
Time and again we see Jesus telling the people He healed not to spread the news. Jesus did not want them to spread the news about healings because crowds of people came to Him just to get healed and their focus was only on the immediate benefits. John 6:26 – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. But Jesus came to teach and preach about the gospel and the Kingdom of God. Many a times Jesus and His disciples had to withdraw from the crowds so that He could teach them. Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. Mark 7:36 -Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
Money?
One characteristic shared among all miracles of Jesus in the Gospel accounts is that he delivered benefits freely and never requested or accepted any form of returns for his healing miracles. Mathew 10:8 – Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Jesus was moved by compassion, by the faith of the people, when He did a miracle. He never did a miracle for His own benefit but for the need of the people.
so what does all this have to do with me?
Jesus does miracles and rightly so because He is God! well, let’s try and break this down a little. If you believe in Jesus – that He died for your sins and that God the Father raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved! (Romans 10:9)
saved from? – sin – a condition where you are a slave to your flesh and its desires and not able to live life to its fullest meaning by having a relationship with the Creator(Ephesians 2:1-3)
saved by ? – grace through faith in Jesus ! – no, not by your good deeds!No good deed is or will ever be good enough to reconcile you back to God the Father, which is exactly why Jesus died for you and me.(Ephesians 2:7-9)
so, when you are saved you become a son/ daughter of God. Now this makes you a co-heir with Jesus. (Romans 8:14-15) Now if you are co-heirs then you can operate in the same Spirit and authority with which Jesus operated. Romans 8:11, NLT: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” John 14:12-14-2 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
“This means that all the miracles that Jesus did can be done through us because of the same Spirit that can work through us – The Holy Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 6:17 says , But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit The word tells us that we are one in spirit with Him. Therefore, the authority that we see in the life of Jesus is the authority that we have been given. only if we believe that God can use us – in all our brokenness and weakness, for the display of His glory. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
Miracles are not for the glorification of a person or organization, rather it is God displaying His power to us who believe in Him.
Ephesians 1:19-20
“If you believe in God, then miracles will be something you witness in your life too. It is not because of any power that you have but rather God’s power on display for you.When we experience miracles in our own lives, we must be careful. Sometimes telling others will encourage them to find out the truth about Jesus for themselves. But sometimes it will lead to bitterness when God does not give them exactly what they want. We need to have the wisdom from above to know the difference and sent out the right message – It is not the miracle we are to sought but God who does the miracle.”
Over the years, I have experienced and witnessed miracles in my life which I can share about. But what’s better than experiencing them for yourselves! Trust God to see a miracle in your life as you follow Him – The Miracle Worker!
Affirm Truth 