Sly sneaky attack | Sis. Bala Solomon | Bro. Suresh

Sly sneaky attack!

Joshua 9:4”….on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended.”

You may be aware of a frontal attack but not so when it is sly, sneaky, surreptitious and snake-like attack!  Are you listening to me?  There are men who would upfront approach you for a date and tell you on the face ‘this is not for long term, though; however, there are those slimy, creepy, smiling gentlemen who would make umpteen promises for marriage and then ditch you royally.  There are still some who would spin sob stories about the atrocities and wickedness of his wife, buy you coffee, drive you home; yet, he eventually looks for a relationship outside marriage!  These gentlemen are snakes! Are you listening? Beware!   Don’t be naïve, just because he carries a big fat Bible, don’t give your heart to him, think!  Friend, don’t be carried away just because she said that she teaches in Sunday school, think!  Most important, do not be impulsive, pray, pause and ponder!  Do you hear me? ! Circulate this message far and wide! This is the season of deception, let us warn people of the creepy snakes!

The clandestine approach of the Gibeonites to the great commander Joshua is a very important  subject for all of us to think and learn.  Joshua was no ordinary man, he was the second-in-command who rubbed shoulders with the iconic leader Moses.  Joshua was witness to awesome miracles like the dividing of Red sea and also he routed the army of many great kings like Og and Sihon along with Moses.  Did Satan know of the power of Joshua and his God? Oh, yes! Look what the Gibeonites said: “ we know about the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of Him, and all that he did in Egypt..” (Joshua 9:9) Did you hear that? The devil’s strategy of attack is always sly and he would attack you when you are vulnerable and least expect! Caution!

Well, satan discovered a ‘softer side’ of Joshua and he planned to take advantage of that.  While all the other kings  who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country came to attack Joshua as one, the Gibeonites used old sacks, old wineskins, old and patched sandals, dry and moldy bread instead of weapons.  Are you listening to me?  Beyond their deceptive appearance, the Gibeonites simply lied.  They said, “We have come from a far country” when of course they had not. They coaxed Joshua to make a covenant of peace with them, while Israel was forbidden to make peace with any of the tribes of Canaan (Exodus 23:23-24).Alas! Joshua fell to the trick!  When the Leaders err, it is not a personal loss, the whole gamut of followers suffer! Are you listening? When the fathers err the family suffers, when the pastors err the whole congregation and their family suffer, when  Youth leaders err many young people suffer.  Here comes a caveat to be careful, wise, with mental acumen and discernment.

Devotion for Today - December 18, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Nebuchadnezzar: Power and Pride Humbled

Read Daniel 4

I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. Daniel 4:34

The Moody Bible Commentary describes Babylon as “the most glorious city of the ancient world . . . Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder and expanded the city . . . He also beautified it with magnificent buildings, temples, and palaces . . . On the northwest corner of the king’s primary palace sat one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon. . . Perhaps it was on the roof of the Hanging Gardens with a view of his glorious city that Nebuchadnezzar became filled with pride.”

God had warned Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that his pride would be humbled. He even specifically warned him that he would have the “mind of an animal” (v. 16). Through God’s judgment, the prideful king, pictured as an enormous tree, would be chopped down and learn the hard way about God’s greatness (vv. 17, 25). Daniel interpreted the dream and advised Nebuchadnezzar to “renounce your sins” and seek God’s mercy (v. 27). The king may have responded in the short term, but a year later he arrogantly asserted his own glory and brought judgment upon himself (vv. 29–32). For seven years, he suffered mental illness, apparently “boanthropy,” before he learned his lesson and was restored to the throne. 

Today’s reading is a letter from Nebuchadnezzar narrating these events, and he intended it to be read throughout his empire. It’s essentially a public confession, no doubt influenced by Daniel. Praise for God opens and closes the letter, emphasizing His impressive attributes of eternality, sovereignty, and omnipotence (vv. 2–3, 34–35). The Old Testament repeatedly emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all nations, as we’ve seen throughout our study this month. As Nebuchadnezzar’s case shows, not even the ruler of an empire can oppose the King of kings (vv. 37–38)!

Moses Manifested the Spirit of Christ | Zac Poonen | Sis. Asha

God tested Moses when he made the tabernacle to see whether he would make it exactly according to the pattern that he had received on the mount. The glory of the Lord coming on that tabernacle was the visible indication of God's satisfaction with Moses' work.  How is it with us in what we do and build for the Lord? Is it exactly according to the pattern found in the Scriptures? Or have we modified it with some of the wisdom of this world? If so, then that must certainly be one reason why the glory of the Lord is not found in our lives.

God tested Moses later in another area. Twice God tested him to see whether he would seek his own honour at the expense of the Israelites. In both cases, Moses passed the test with flying colours.

The first occasion was when the children of Israel had rebelled against God through making the golden calf. God then told Moses, "Now let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation." (Exod. 32:10)

The second occasion was when the Israelites refused to enter Canaan. God then told Moses, "I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they." (Num. 14:12)

On both occasions, God told Moses that He would destroy the Israelites and make Moses and his descendants into a great nation. Moses had the opportunity then to become the inheritor of the promises made to Abraham and to the twelve tribes of Israel.  Lesser men might have failed in that test, but not Moses. On both occasions, he pleaded with God to spare the Israelites. On one occasion, he even went so far as to be willing to die and to spend eternity in hell if only Israel could be saved.   "Moses returned to the Lord, and said, `Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin - and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou has written!'" (Exod. 32:31,32). Truly, Moses had the spirit of Christ Himself - Who was willing to be forsaken by the Father on the cross in order that we might be saved. God was so delighted with Moses' unselfishness that thereafter He began to speak with Moses very intimately. "The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend…" (Exod. 33:11).

God even gave Moses the unspeakable privilege of seeing His glory. When Moses prayed saying, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!", the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen" (Exod. 33:18-23).

The most important qualification for a servant of God is that he does not seek his own.  Seeking our own gain or honour is so deeply rooted in all of us that God has a difficult task to free us from it. He arranges our circumstances so that we can see our self-seeking spirit, so that we might judge ourselves and cleanse ourselves from it. He speaks to us through His Word and is constantly speaking to us through His Spirit (if we have ears to hear) urging us to cleanse ourselves from this self-seeking spirit.

And yet, in spite of all this, very few make the grade and qualify for God's certificate of approval. Moses was one such. Paul and Timothy were two others.  There are not many, but there are a few.

The great lack of a spirit of intercession for others, such as even Moses had under the old covenant, is mainly due to this one fact that almost everyone, at the bottom of his heart, seeks his own in some way or the other. We gain no honour when we pray for others secretly. That's why few believers ever do it. Here is where we are tested by God - for He cannot commit Himself to those who seek their own.

Everybody is doing it | Sis. Bala Solmon | Bro. Suresh

Everybody is doing it!

Exodus 23:2”Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd”

Wrong does not become right just because everybody is doing it! Are you listening? Friend, I often hear this slogan:  “I am doing it because everybody is doing it.”  This message comes with a caveat, not to tread the dangerous path that others dare to tread!  I met a call-center employee, who said: “there are many who take loans from the company and leave the organization without repaying the loan; though a court case is filed against them; yet the procedure takes a long time.  Some pay back in installments but many do not repay the loan.” When I questioned her about their callous behavior, she retorted back at me saying, ‘so what?’ How many feel guilty and thoroughly bad, when I write about pirated soft wares and illegal music sharing? Very, very few! Illegal copying of soft wares continues to flourish.  Who would want to shell out thousands of rupees to buy soft wares, when they can just get it free in a jiffy? ! Tell me?  Someone tells me, “when politicians are minting millions of rupees, why do you harp on us for this petty theft?”  Nevertheless, it is a theft, even if everybody is doing it! Are you listening?  We have forgotten to even spell the word INTEGRITY!

There are celebrities, movies stars and many others, who dodge the tax officials and refrain from paying the honest amount.  They say: everybody is doing it!  When it comes to bribe, can businessmen say, “ I am absolutely honest in my dealings? They excuse themselves saying, ”everybody is doing it!”  Today if a married man is seen with a woman who is not his wife in some odd place, there are no raised eyebrows; because everybody is doing it.  If someone is riding his bike in a one-way route, nobody rebukes him for it, because everybody is doing it. Friend, hear me out today, dare not to go where everybody is going!  Young people!  I write this with tears! Discipline your life!

Living in sin will blind you to true reality, and cause you to start believing a lie.  Fear of lifestyle change has blinded people into believing a false reality? They feel, “since everybody is doing it, I am not wrong or wicked.”

Jesus categorically tells us: I am the way!  Isaiah 55: 8: “Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. The ways of the world are not our ways.  We need to live differently and we need to be unique.  When the devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he whispered to Jesus, “worship me, I will give you all this.” Guess what Jesus did? He said ” Away with you, Satan!” Do we have the grit and power like Jesus to look at the devil when he comes to tempt and allure us with the choicest and best goodies and say, ‘away with you, Satan?’

Devotion for Today - December 17, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Devotion for Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014

Naaman: Simple Obedience

Read 2 Kings 5:1–19

If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? 2 Kings 5:13

Big goals and ambitious dreams can be exhilarating and inspiring. It’s easy to get passionate about “changing the world” or “reaching this generation for Christ.” But what about faithfulness in small things and everyday responsibilities? Can we get excited about those?

The story of Naaman teaches us that simple obedience is important to God. Naaman was the military commander of the Syrian army. Though acknowledged as a valiant warrior, he won his victories because God had empowered him (v. 1). Tragically, he had leprosy (Hansen’s disease) or another skin disease. At that time, there was no cure.

Naaman took two important steps of faith in today’s reading. First, he listened to a Jewish slave girl, believed her, and did as she advised. This young girl, who had been captured in a border skirmish, generously and boldly told her mistress, Naaman’s wife, about the power of God to heal through His prophet (vv. 2–3). Though Naaman’s attempt to go through normal diplomatic channels led to a rather comic misunderstanding, he acted in good faith and God honoured that (v. 8).

Second, Naaman listened to his servants, accepted their correction, and went to dip himself in the Jordan River (vv. 13–14). Perhaps flustered by what had transpired with the king of Israel, Naaman felt offended and angered by Elisha’s unexpected instructions (vv. 9–12). But when his servants argued, in essence, “What have you got to lose?” he set aside his pride, did as Elisha said, and was healed. Naaman then gave glory to God and indicated that he would worship the Lord from now on. Taking soil from Israel on which to build an altar signified that he intended to worship Israel’s God, despite the fact that as part of his official duties he might be obligated to attend other religious ceremonies back home (vv. 15–19).

Has God called you to a “small thing” that you’re resisting? Perhaps it’s being a faithful employee at work, or being a tender parent, or being a faithful prayer warrior. Whatever God has given you to do, resolve to do it in obedience to God. Who knows what miracles God may work through your obedience in the small things?

UV 1272/10,000 ABLE TO HELP | Prateep V Philip | Bro. Suresh

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 2 v 18

                Jesus was made in every way like all of us who are of flesh and blood.  He therefore understands and empathises with our troubles and temptations, our weaknesses and failings, our feelings and fears.  He is now a merciful and faithful high priest before God Almighty on our behalf, to plead for our help and to intercede for our souls.  He is not only atoner for our sins in His death but He is now our chief interceder.   Since He himself suffered temptations of flesh and blood, He is able to help all of us who are being tempted or troubled.  HE IS ABLE TO HELP US IN ALL OUR UNIQUE OR DIFFICULT OR PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES.    He is our enabler.  He is our  Ebenezer or Helper.  We can expect, claim and receive divine help in every aspect of our lives.

                Though Jesus took on our lowly bodies, He is now raised on high, higher than heaven. He is holy, blameless, harmless, separated from sinners  and undefiled.  He will ensure that nobody will be able to pluck us from the Father’s hand.   He will give us laser-sharp focus and crystal-clear clarity in all the complicated situations or complex issues of our lives.  He will help us fend ourselves from tempations to be obsessed with the seen and material world,  the temptation to test and doubt God, the temptation to be lured away from God by the attractions and rewards that the world has to offer.   He will remind us of the appropriate Word to strengthen us from within.   If we fall, He will help us rise and walk again.

              IF He does not deliver us from a temptation or trouble, He will give us grace to help overcome or grace to bear the suffering.   He is able to present us faultless before the glory of God with exceeding  joy of victory.     He will provide a way of escape in our troubles.  He sends the Holy Spirit to give us word of wisdom or counsel on what we need to do and to comfort us.  He sends His angels who could be messengers in flesh and blood as well as spiritual beings to our assistance.    The key words to remember always  in this uni-verse   is : He is able to help us. His hand  is not too short. He is not wanting in strength or power or resources or the willingness and desire to help us.     He is always ready to help us.  He is only one prayer away.  He is at arm’s length.  He helps us overcome temptations from within and troubles from without.

Christmas & New Wishes - 2014 | Bro. Baron

As this year draws to a close and a New year to dawn in couple of days, I would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year 2015!!!  God bless. 

Tune In | Gloria Copeland | Bro. Suresh

"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." (1 Corinthians 14:2)

Have you ever looked around at your own life or the life of the Church and wondered why it's taking the Lord so long to get things in order?

If so, let me tell you something I learned a few years ago. He's not the One who's slow. We are! It's not God's fault that the Church still has spots and wrinkles. It's not His fault that we're not living in total victory. He's always ready. He's the great "I AM." We're the ones who fall short.

Compare it to turning on a radio. If you don't have it tuned to exactly the right frequency, you won't be able to hear the station. It's not the

station's fault. It's sending out signals perfectly. The problem is, you haven't tuned in to it. That's what's happening with you and me. We haven't fine tuned our spirits enough to pick up the voice of the Spirit. Oh, we pick up a few things now and then, but mostly we just fade in and out. We don't stay on God's wavelength all the time.

How do you adjust your spiritual tuner?

By praying in the Spirit. Praying in other tongues is the fastest, most effective method I know of to tune in to God--because instead of praying your own thoughts and plans, you're praying His! The Bible says that when you pray in tongues, you're speaking mysteries to God. In the Spirit, you're calling forth parts of God's plan you don't even understand with your natural mind. By the unction of the Holy Spirit, you're praying the perfect will of God.

You see, God knows how to deliver His people. He knows how to turn us into the glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. He has a plan that

will do it. And if we'll tap into that plan and start releasing it into the earth by praying in the Spirit, praying according to His will and not our own, this age will draw to a close quickly. If we'll all get our minds and hearts in tune with what God's doing, there will be an explosion of the power of God that will turn this world around!

Start adjusting your spiritual tuner today. Spend an hour praying in other tongues. Set your spirit on God's wavelength and just see how

quickly the spots and wrinkles begin to disappear from you.

Gloria Copeland

SCRIPTURE READING:  1 Corinthians 14:1-19

LEARNING NOT TO DESPISE PEOPLE | Zac Poonen | Sis. Shumadhi

“Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt” (Lk.18:9).

There are various reasons why people view others with contempt. They may have been taught by their parents from childhood to look down on others who are inferior in social status, or wealth, or education, etc. Or, if you are very intelligent and top your class in school, you can begin to view others in your class with contempt. If, in addition, you are unfortunate enough to have foolish parents who make you imagine that you are a genius, then matters could be even worse.

Let me plead with all parents: If your children are intelligent, please don’t ruin them by boasting about them. I made it a rule in my house that my sons were never to tell anyone about their rank in class or the prizes they got anywhere. I knew that if they became proud, they would lose the grace of God immediately. Then they would fall into sin, and never be able to fellowship with ordinary brothers. I fear that many parents have ruined their children thus.

It is a common habit among children to make fun of someone who cannot speak English (or whatever their mother-tongue is) with a good accent. Beware of encouraging that in your home. Did any of us come out of our mother’s wombs speaking with a good accent? We should thank God for any ability that we have. But we should never be proud of it. Do you know what accent they speak with in heaven? The accents of humility and love. Let us learn those accents clearly.

Perhaps you are a woman who keeps your house spotlessly clean, with everything in its proper place. Then you see someone else’s home untidy and slipshod – and you despise her. You are then a Pharisee; while the person whose house is untidy may be a godly person.

Some brothers have very poor music sense, and if they start singing a chorus in an open time of praise in the church, they will invariably sing totally off tune. Don’t despise them, because God doesn’t listen to the music; he listens to the words. And that brother singing the wrong tune may be more sincere than you, who can sing the right tune. Personally, I have thanked God for such brothers, because they humble all the clever musicians in the church.  It is Pharisee musicians who destroy the church, not the non-musical brothers. God loves non-musical brothers just as much as anyone else - but He rejects Pharisees. Many a surprise awaits such Pharisees when the Lord returns.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t come first in your class, or that you shouldn’t keep your house tidy, or that you shouldn’t sing in tune-Not at all. By all means let us do all these. But let us be humble about them – and not despise anyone else who cannot do what we can.

There are many areas like this where we can despise others quite easily. It says in Job 36:5 that “God is almighty, but He doesn’t despise anyone”.  The more we become like God, the more we will value people and never despise anyone – for anything.

So let us cleanse ourselves and learn to look at people as God looks at them. “What do you have that you did not receive from God? How can you boast then about anything or despise anyone else?” (1 Cor.4:7).

A Powerhouse of Protection | Kenneth Copeland | Bro. Suresh

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17)

No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Isn't that great news! Isn't it good to know that no sickness, no circumstance, no problem that rises against you can successfully bring you down? Some years ago, one of our friends was facing a lawsuit. He and I prayed together according to this scripture and agreed it was the final word in the situation, not the allegations against him. We stood in faith, believing that lawsuit had to fail.

Sure enough, when my friend went to court, they just couldn't beat him. He didn't win that case because of his keen and witty lawyers. He won because he was innocent and because he had believed that powerful promise of God. Follow his example. When the devil attacks you in some area of your life, don't sit around crying and begging God to save you. Open up your Bible to Isaiah 54:17 instead. Remind yourself of what God has promised you. Use that promise to strengthen you against sin and every other evil work the devil would like to use to keep you bound.

Then establish yourself on it through prayer. Say, "Lord, I refuse to be afraid of this weapon the devil has brought against me because I know that according to Your Word, it cannot prosper. I trust You to protect me, and I thank You for it now. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Don't let the powerhouse of God's protection go to waste. Put it to work in your life. It is your rightful heritage as a servant of the Lord.

Kenneth Copeland

SCRIPTURE READING:  Isaiah 54:10-17

Devotion for Today - December 10, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Ruth: The Power of a Right Choice

Read Ruth 1:1–18

Your people will be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16 What it means to be a devoted disciple of Christ is summarized clearly in the lyrics of the beloved song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”: “I have decided to follow Jesus . . . / No turning back, no turning back. / The world behind me,the cross before me . . . / No turning back, no turning back. / Tho’ none go with me, still I will follow . . . / No turning back, no turning back.” In today’s passage, Ruth epitomized this spirit of wholehearted commitment. She chose Naomi, her people, and her God, and there would be no turning back. Ruth was a Moabite, that is, a descendant of Lot. She had married into a Jewish family that had come to Moab during a famine. While it wasn’t forbidden for an Israelite to marry a Moabite, it was problematic (see Deut. 23:3). Then all the men of the family died, and the mother, Naomi, and her two young daughters-in-law tragically became widows. Under the circumstances, Naomi told them they were not obligated to return with her to Bethlehem but should stay in Moab and marry again. Why did Ruth refuse this offer (vv. 16–17)? No doubt she sympathized with Naomi, who was bitter about her suffering (v. 13). Perhaps she was a woman of kindness, loyalty, and courage. But there was more than that to her choice: Ruth had seen something in Naomi’s family that led her to choose God and His people above her own people, culture, and gods. Remember that this was during the godless days of the Judges, when “everyone did as they saw fit” (Judg. 21:25). Even during such times, it’s encouraging to know there were Israelites who still followed the Lord. It is no accident that Ruth, her eventual second husband Boaz, and his ancestor Rahab (see yesterday) became part of the genealogy of Christ (see Matt. 1:5).

In the narratives of Rahab and Ruth, the magnitude of God’s grace is clearly on display. They became part of the spiritual heritage of David and of Jesus. What about your own spiritual heritage? Did some on your family tree show you the way of pilgrimage? Or did God save you despite an unbelieving family? This issue is worth some reflection and prayer today.

Moving Forward or Slipping Back? | Kenneth Copeland | Suresh, PCR

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."(Hebrews 2:1)

It's happened to all of us. We get a little of the Word of God under our spiritual belts. We have a few victories. Our lives are going great for

the first time in years. Then suddenly we slip and it all falls apart. We find ourselves having to start all over again. Hebrews was written to a people like that. They made such great spiritual progress that they got to the place where they should have been teachers. Then they slipped back so much, they needed baby food again. (See Hebrews 5:12.)

What caused them to fall so far? They let other things get in the way of their faith. They let the promises of God slip, so they slipped. That's happened to a multitude of believers in the last several years. "Well, Brother Copeland," they said, "we're tired of that faith stuff." Or, "We just don't have time to spend that much time in the Word." They turned their attention away from the promises of God. It's not that they didn't believe them anymore. It's just that they directed their attention to other things. They let their Word level drop and since low Word level equals low faith level, they soon began suffering defeat in areas where they once had victory.

Don't let that happen to you. When things are going well, don't just ride the tide of God's blessing. Dig deeper into what God has for you.

Give more earnest heed to the promises of God. Concentrate on moving ahead, on becoming so strong in the Spirit you can not only get your own needs met, you can meet others' needs as well!

Remember: Low Word Level = Low Faith Level = Slip.

Don't get so busy enjoying today's victory that tomorrow ends up in defeat. Look into the things you've learned. Give the Word more of your

attention--not less. Keep moving from faith to faith. Instead of trying to trip you up, Satan and his bunch will be crying, "Oh no, that faith

man is coming after us again!"

Kenneth Copeland

SCRIPTURE READING:  Hebrews 5:11-14, Hebrews 6:1-12

Phoster 'The Radiance of HIS Presence' The Light has come | 05 December 2014, Friday @ 7pm

Worship, Word, Fellowship & Celebration

Worship - Pas. Nirmal Kumar, Hightway Tabernacle Ministries
Word - Bro. Joshua Madhan COO -Covenant Consultants

Christmas carols, Gifts sharing, Mission updates and much more

Venue: Railway Auditorium, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai

(Highway Tabernacle Ministries)

Glory to the Lord [Testimony] | Pandiaraju, Shumadhi

I want to share a testimony with you, that will encourage your Christian faith and renew your zeal for the lord.

This is a testimony of how the lord gave me my current job. It’s almost a year I’m here. 

The “Manna Today” that you see below is what I received on July 21 last year. I was exactly in the same mindset as written there, during that particular time. The Lord’s word spoke with me that day and made me realize ‘I have a Master in heaven, who knows my heart and he will create new beginnings’. I surrendered my situations and took courage in the lord. The Lord’s word was so comforting for me, that I sent my testimony the next day to the ‘Manna Today’ team.

The Prayer answering god miraculously opened the ways, and within a week I got an opportunity to attend an interview with my present company. And on the next week I got the offer. 

Today when I look back I realize, I had no symptoms of a new beginning on July 21 but within a 2 weeks time, I really had a beginning blessed by the living god.

Our Lord is an awesome god. Today while reading this you might not have a hope or any clue about your future. But remember, our Lord is an author of new beginnings. He will never let you down.

He knows everything and as the bible says “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me”. He knows the right time to give each and every blessing to his children.

May our lord enable us to wait for him with a complete faith.

Imitate the Faithful | Kenneth Copeland | Bro. Suresh

"Remember your leaders and superiors in authority,[for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living...and imitate their faith." (Hebrews 13:7, The Amplified Bible)

Apart from the Word of God itself and prayer, nothing can do more for you than watching and imitating a real man of faith. I found that out in a big way many years ago when I was a student at Oral Roberts University. As co-pilot on the airplane that transported him and his staff to his healing meetings, I had the opportunity to study Oral Roberts up close. I followed him around. I heard him preach. I watched him lay hands on the sick.

I'll never forget the day I had the opportunity to put some of what I'd learned from him into action. I'd just been to a few of his meetings.
Spiritually, I was still as green as a gourd. But I'd been assigned to help the people in the invalid room get ready for Brother Roberts to lay
hands on them. I was standing there for the first time surrounded by every kind of sickness and disease you can imagine. And when Brother
Roberts came in, instead of laying hands on the people himself, he caught me by the coat sleeve and said, "You're going to do the praying.
You're going to lay hands on them."

I know all the blood must have drained out of my face because I'd never prayed for anything like that in my life. I might have considered praying for a headache or maybe a serious hangnail, but that's it! The first lady we came to had cancer of the stomach. She weighed less
than 80 pounds. She was just the picture of death. I walked over toward her and before I could open my mouth, I heard a voice from behind me say, "In the Name of Jesus, take up your bed and walk." She instantly spit that cancer out on the floor. Then she jumped off that bed and screamed, "I'm healed," and started running around the room.

Let me tell you, that moment changed me. When I stepped up to the next person and raised my hands, I could see the healing coming. I'd seen Jesus heal through Brother Roberts, so in my mind's eye, I could see Him healing through me.

You can do the same thing. Find someone who's operating in more faith and power than you are and learn from him. Watch Jesus in them and then copy Him. Sooner or later, others will start seeing Jesus in you.

SCRIPTURE READING:  2 Kings 2:1-15

Occupy Till Jesus Comes | Kenneth Copeland | Bro. Suresh

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:13-17)

The Bible teaches that as believers, you and I are to occupy until Jesus comes. Occupy is a military term meaning to hold possession, or control, of conquered troops and territory. If we're to do that effectively, most of us are going to have to change our attitudes. We're 
going to have to recognize that Jesus has already won the victory.

That's right. Satan is already defeated. He was whipped at Calvary. We're not on the defensive, he is! What's more, Jesus has given you His very own armor and sword to use to keep that defeated devil in line. You may be a 90-pound weakling on your own, but if you'll put on  God's armor, the devil will never know it. He'll run from you just like you were Jesus.

Think about it. What would you do if you were the devil and you came face-to-face with some fellow wearing God's armor and God's helmet with God's weapons in each hand? As long as that fellow only spoke God's words, you would think that must be God inside there!

Don't neglect any of the armor you've been given. Wear it all. Keep the devil on the defensive--and occupy till Jesus comes!

The X Factor | Prateep V Philip | Bro. Suresh

The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!  Deuteronomy 1 v 11 

When we are faithful to God through many generations, the Lord will multiply us.  He is the X Factor of History, Biology, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, you name it. The use of the term X Factor implies that He is invisible, mystical and mysterious.  Yet He is clearly present in our lives and makes His presence evident in many ways.  He multiplies us even as He blesses us.  Increase comes from the Lord.  Addition and multiplication is God’s math while division and subtraction is satan’s math. As long as we acknowledge with gratitude the hand of the Lord upon us and our families, the Lord remains faithful to His 10,000 plus promises.   He fulfills these promises in our lifetime as well as in our succeeding physical and spiritual generations.   Each of us has a physical generation, the biological offspring as well as a spiritual generation, the spiritual heirs of our faith.
                            We can legitimately expect and ask for a thousand fold blessing upon us in terms of our health, our longevity, our spiritual growth, the fruit of the spirit, our finances, our influence and impact in this generation.  Abraham was a lone man with no physical heir. But today, he is hailed as the father of faith who pioneered the path of believing even before receiving.  He has thousands upon thousands of  successors or heirs, both physical and spiritual in all nations on the planet.  He had been given the promise, “ Out of your seed, shall all nations be blessed.”  This was fulfilled as Jesus, the promised Messiah of the Jews as well as of all nations was born in his lineage. 

                          It is rightly said that we can count the seed in an apple but only God knows the number of the apples that come from each seed.  Faith not only blesses us in our generation but it blesses thousands in succeeding generations.  He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one who is consistently faithful to a thousand generations of those who fear, love and obey Him.  Yet the way in which God blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was different and unique.  Their life stories took many turns, many detours, ups and downs.  He not only blesses and multiplies us a thousand times but He also blesses and multiplies us in a thousand different ways.  We have ten thousand reasons to be glad, ten thousand reasons to be thankful to the Lord and ten thousand praises to sing.  Our lives short as it is is long enough for us to express these ten thousand expressions of thanks and praise in ten thousand different ways.

Devotion for Today - November 26, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Righteous Thinking
Read Philippians 4:8–9 


If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 
South Africa has a tourist attraction in Mpumalanga called “God’s Window.” Standing on the edge of a cliff, one can gaze down into an exotic ravine. Mpumalanga has many breathtaking views, but this panorama of a wildlife reserve makes observers feel as though they are looking as far as the eye can see. Painters, photographers, and people from all over the world have spent hours reflecting on this beautiful view of God’s creation.
Today’s passage is not a list of things to do or ways to act, but an encouragement to dwell in God, to spend time admiring and gazing upon the beautiful qualities that are part of His eternal nature. Paul begins the passage with “Finally” (v. 8). He is approaching the end of his letter, which has encouraged the church to stand firm, remain committed, and rejoice in suffering.
This particular section reminds them of the beauty and wonder of the God we serve. Paul used the words: “true,” “noble,” “right,” “pure,” “lovely,” and “admirable.” Paul emphasizes the wide scope of beauty and praise available to believers—anything that is excellent and praiseworthy is something that we can enjoy and give attention to. From nature to the arts to worship to relationships, the loveliness and beauty around us should remind us of God’s outpouring of His own truth and beauty in our lives and in our world.
When we dwell on the beauty and wonder of God, we are drawn closer to who He would like us to be. We are to remember what we have learned about God from His Word and practice these things. We are to be conformed to the image of Christ, and all the good and positive things reflected in His character. This is one way that the “God of peace” will be with us (v. 9).

  What is your mind dwelling on today? Are you thinking about concerns, worries, problems, anxieties? We have been told instead to refocus our mind on what is pure and good and true. Reject the tendency we have to be mired in earthly troubles and try to refocus your mind on the things of God. Then, we will discover God’s peace dwelling in us. 

Jesus Our Bridegroom | Zac Poonen | Sis. Shumadhi

In Song of Solomon Chapter1:1, we notice that this is Solomon’s song – the Bridegroom’s song – primarily, and not the bride’s. That means it is our Lord’s song to us primarily, and not our song to Him. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 Jn.4:19). We did not love Him first. He loved us first. It is only because He sang this song to us first that we can sing a song to Him now. Never ever begin by thinking of your love for the Lord. Our starting point must always be His love for us. Then we won’t go wrong. And we won’t ever get discouraged or condemn ourselves!

The Bridegroom then says, “My darling, come along with me.” He invites His bride now to come away from the world. “The winter is past…the flowers have appeared…” (Song. 2:11,12). The approach of summer is likened to the nearness of the Lord’s return to earth (Mt.24:32,33). We are now living in that time when summer is near. The Bridegroom then says endearingly, “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, let me see your form, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your form is lovely” (Song. 2:14). The Rock here is Christ in whose sight we are hidden. These words show the intensity of the Lord’s love, affection and care for us. If we believed this, it would remove all insecurity and fear from us totally.

Then the Bridegroom says, “Catch the little foxes quickly before they ruin the vineyard of your love while the great vines are in blossom” (Song. 2:15). This is a word that we need to hear constantly. It is easy to see the big foxes (obvious sins) that ruin our vineyard. But there are baby foxes that creep into our vineyard and eat up the grapes – and these are more dangerous, because they are less noticeable. In married life too, it’s not the big dangers that we need to watch out for, like the husband hitting his wife. Most of us may never do such things. The little foxes that destroy a marriage are usually the little irritations and the raised voice. Catch those little foxes and kill them before they ruin your marriage. Your marriage is like a vineyard. Preserve it like any wise farmer would. Your relationship with the Lord is also like a vineyard. It’s not the big sins like adultery and murder that drive most believers away from the Lord. It’s the little things - impure thoughts, love of money, an unforgiving attitude, etc. - that come between us and the Lord and ruin our walk with Him. So let us be diligent to catch the little foxes.

In Chapter 4, we hear a long appreciation of the bride from the Bridegroom. One mark of spiritual growth is that we learn to listen to the Lord more than to talk ourselves. The bride is maturing. And as she listens, she finds her Bridegroom expressing His admiration of her. He admires every part of her and then concludes by saying, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling…” (Song. 4:7).  Then He invites her saying, “Come with Me from Lebanon. Look down from the summit of Amana, from the summit of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions..” (Song. 4:8). This is an invitation to live in the heavenlies. The Lord says, “Don’t look at things from a low, earthly standpoint. Come with Me to the heavenlies and look at everything from that standpoint. The things of earth will then become small, dim and worthless, as you look at them from there.” The Lord wants to lift us to a higher plane. True, there are lions there – demons, evil principalities and powers. But we will be with the Lord there and together with Him we will overcome all those evil powers. The bride is now being invited to spiritual warfare.

The Bridegroom calls the bride “a locked garden” (Song. 4:12) – an exclusive garden, exclusively for the Bridegroom. She doesn’t belong to anyone else. She belongs exclusively to her Lord. Is your relationship with the Lord like that? Can the Lord say to you, “You are My private garden, exclusively Mine”? There are many things out in the world that can attract us like opportunities to make more money than we need, to get earthly power and fame and to earn a name for ourselves, etc. Such temptations can be compared to other men trying to seduce the bride. But the bride here is not attracted. She is taken up with her Beloved alone. She belongs to her Bridegroom exclusively.

Very few believers live in such a relationship with Christ and that is why they don’t know Him intimately and don’t understand His word. The secret of understanding the Bible is to have an intimate relationship with the Lord first of all – who better than He can explain to us what His Word means. Walk with Him like the early disciples did and long to hear Him speak to you. Then your eyes will be opened like theirs and your hearts will be set aflame like theirs. This is what I have discovered in the several years that I have walked with my Lord. 
The bride now speaks of what happened one night. “I was asleep, but my heart was awake…” (Song. 5:2). Suddenly she heard the voice of her Beloved. The Lord calls us suddenly at times. He wants us to be alert at all times to hear His voice. We read in the Old Testament that God would call Abraham suddenly at times saying, “Abraham, Abraham.” And Abraham would respond immediately saying, “Here I am” – even if it was in the middle of the night, when he was fast asleep. In Genesis 16:16 and 17:1, we read that after thirteen years of silence, God suddenly called Abraham one day. And Abraham responded at once! In the midst of his many other preoccupations, he was always alert to hear the Lord’s voice. The Lord called Samuel too in the middle of the night - and Samuel woke up and listened. That’s how we all must be.

But here we see that when the Bridegroom came in the middle of the night calling, “...Open to me, my darling…” (Song. 5:2), the bride was too lazy to dress up and open the door (5:3). She was concerned that her feet (that she had washed) would be soiled.  He tried to unlatch the door Himself (Song. 5:4). Then the bride changed her mind and opened the door, but found that her Beloved was gone. He went away because she did not respond at once when He called her.  That can happen to us too. The Lord may say to us, “Now drop everything that that you are doing. Stop reading that book. Stop that conversation. Get alone with Me and talk to Me. Let’s go for a walk together.” And we may respond saying, “Lord, just wait. I have something important to do. It will be finished in 15 minutes. Then I’ll come.” And 15 minutes later, when we have finished that important (?) work, we say, “Lord, I am ready now.” But we find that He is gone. We can’t find Him. That is the experience of many believers. The Lord tests us to see if He is more important to us than the conversation we are having with our friends, than the book we are reading, or the work we are doing, etc. He will test us to see if we are willing to drop everything and to listen to Him. Do you want to be an effective servant of God? Develop this habit of dropping everything when the Lord calls you, and of listening to Him. You will never regret it.

The Bridegroom then expresses His appreciation for His bride (Song. 6:4-10). He says that among all women, no-one is like His bride, His perfect one. I choose her above everybody else. Every husband should look at his wife like this: “There are many attractive women in the world, but there is no-one like my wife. She is Number One in my eyes.” This is what the Lord says about us. He appreciates us more than all the clever people and the rich people and the great people in the world.

Stir Up the Power | Kenneth Copeland | Bro. Suresh

"Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears....I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.... For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:4,6-7)

There are times when you know what God has called you to do, but you just don't feel you have the inner resources you need to do it. Somehow you've simply run dry. You know the Word says that "out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). But, during those times, you can't even find the creek bank, much less the river.

The Word of God tells us how to handle those situations through a clear command: "Stir up the gift inside you." YOU stir YOURSELF up! Everything you need is already in you. Jesus put it there. Everything you'll ever need to accomplish what God has called you to do has been placed inside you by God Almighty.

Faith is in there. Power is in there. Love is in there. Believe that. Speak it out. Say it to yourself now, right out loud: "In the Name of Jesus, I stir up the gift that's within me by faith. I'm stirring up my faith. I'm not going to wait until I feel stirred up. I'm stepping out by faith and expecting my feelings to follow!

"I'm stirring up the love of God that's in me. I'm stirring up the power. I'm stirring up myself and running the devil out of my affairs. I'm stirring myself up in the Spirit of the living God! I AM stirred up!"

Consider Others As More Important Than Yourself | Zac Poonen | Sis. Shumadhi

Jesus identified Himself totally with man. He was not ashamed to be a man. The Bible says He's not ashamed to call us His brothers. Sometimes we feel superior to some other human being. We feel we are more educated or we belong to a higher class of society. All this is because of the perverted pride that has infected us ever since Adam sinned. Jesus came to demonstrate that essentially all human beings were equal, irrespective of race, family, education, intelligence, culture, position in life, or whatever. He came and became one with the least and the lowest in the social level in His day, in Israel. He came below everybody because that's the only way He could be the servant of everybody. You cannot be the servant of another if you're not willing to go underneath him. If you want to lift somebody up, you got to go underneath him. That's how Jesus came. 

Now, the Holy Spirit has come to make our mind like Christ's, in other words, to make our way of thinking exactly like Christ's. What are the thoughts you think about yourself when you're all by yourself? Do you think of yourself as a good-looking person perhaps, or very clever, or fortunate to be born in a rich family or things like that? Then you can see how much of your thoughts are like Christ's and how much of your thoughts are like the devil's. If you're comparing yourself with others and considering yourself superior, that's exactly the type of thoughts that went through the mind of Lucifer who became the devil. The Bible says that we must regard others as more important than ourselves, Philippians 2:3, and Paul goes on to speak in that passage about Jesus Christ being our example. He once said in Ephesians 3:8, that he was the very least of all the saints. Paul had been so gripped by the humility of Christ, that as he thought about himself, he saw himself as the absolute lowest among all the believers. 
The Bible says in Philippians 2:3 to consider others as more important than yourself. Jesus considered others always as more important. And that's why we see Him taking a bucket of water, and washing the disciples' feet at the Last Supper. You know, that was the job done by servants in those days. If you went to a home, and the master of the home - if he's a rich man, he had slaves. Slave means people who are bought, who did not get any wages. They were lower than servants. And the slaves' duty was when a guest came to the house, to take a basin of water and wash the dust from their feet, remove their sandals and wash the dust from their feet. And so wherever there is a supper or anything, there would always be a basin of water near the door. And so when the disciples and Jesus came to this Last Supper, there was no host there because they only had an empty room, but the basin of water was kept there. Now the question was, who was going to do the job of washing the people's feet? And each disciple must have thought, "Well, I'm not going to do that." Peter may have thought, "Well, I'm just going to be the leader after Jesus goes away. How can I do such a thing?" And Matthew may have thought, "Well, I'm an educated accountant; I can't go washing the feet of these disciples." And like that each of those disciples may have thought of how they were superior to the others in some way, and therefore they couldn't possibly do a slave's job. It's better it's not done. And then Jesus took up that basin of water and began to wash their feet. Why? Because He said, "Well, you're all more important than me." They were not more spiritual than Him and He didn't think so. But He treated them as more important. He really considered Himself, genuinely. It was not an act put on just to show that He was humble, you know. There can be people who act humble, who do things just to show that they are servants and they are humble. That's all hypocrisy. God hates it. Jesus was genuine. He really took that place of being nothing before His Heavenly Father. And this is what humility really is, to take the place of being absolutely nothing before God. Lord I am nothing. Everything that I am, You have made me. Who made you intelligent? God made you. There are so many children born into this world that are retarded. You could have been born like that. You could have been born with a defective brain, or a defective body, or you could have been born with or got polio - or you could have been born with some congenital disease like many children are born into this world, and what would you be then? It really is proper for us to be thoroughly humble when we think of our condition. Lord, what do I have which I have not received? Only a foolish man is proud. 

It is written in Luke 2:51 He came to Nazareth and He continued in subjection to Joseph and Mary, and that went on for 30 years. Now were Joseph and Mary perfect? Far from it. They were no better than any couple today. Think of an average Christian home today where husband and wife fight with each other once in a while at least. Well, Joseph and Mary were like that. They were not perfect people who never sinned. There's nobody like that. They were sinners. They were imperfect. They did not know everything. And in their home lived Jesus who was sinless, who was perfect, and never did anything wrong. So who should submit to whom? One would think Joseph and Mary should submit to Jesus, right? The one who is imperfect, that's Joseph and Mary, should submit to the one who's perfect, that's Jesus. But it wasn't like that. Jesus submitted to an imperfect foster father and mother. You know it's not easy for us to submit to those who are inferior to us. Can you submit to somebody who is inferior to you? But if you're genuinely humble you'll have no problem. You'd submit to anybody because you would realise you're nothing. And humility is the secret. We have no problem with anybody when we're humble. Jesus was quite happy to be a carpenter. When He went out to ministry, He never took any title. He never called Himself Reverend Jesus or any such thing. He never wanted any position or title or anything that would exult Him above the common people whom He came to serve. He became like His brothers in all things. When they wanted to make Him a king, He ran away. He never did anything to get honor from men. If He healed a sick person, He'd tell that sick person not to tell anyone. Do you see His humility? He wanted all the glory to be given to the Father. He never wanted to draw anybody to Himself. His healings were not publicity stunts to draw attention to Himself. What a beautiful picture we have of what man is supposed to be!

ஆவியின் கனியோ.. தயவு | அனுதின மன்னா | Sis. Shumadhi

ஆவியின் கனியோ, அன்பு, சந்தோஷம், சமாதானம், நீடியபொறுமை, தயவு, நற்குணம், விசுவாசம், சாந்தம், இச்சையடக்கம்; இப்படிப்பட்டவைகளுக்கு விரோதமான பிரமாணம் ஒன்றுமில்லை. - (கலாத்தியர் 5:22-23).

ஐந்தாவது சுளை........ தயவு:

'எனக்கு ஜீவனைத் தந்ததும் அல்லாமல், தயவையும் எனக்குப் பாராட்டினீர்; உம்முடைய பராமரிப்பு என் ஆவியைக் காப்பாற்றினது' (யோபு-10:12) என்று பார்க்கிறோம். ஆம், நம் தேவன் நமக்கு ஜீவனைத் தந்ததோடு மாத்திரமல்ல, தயவையும் பாராட்டி இந்த புதிய நவம்பர் மாதத்தில் காலடி எடுத்து வைக்க கிருபை பாராட்டியிருக்கிறார். அவருடைய தயவும் இரக்கமும் இல்லாதிருந்தால் நாம் எப்படி இருந்திருப்போமா தெரியாது. ஆனால் அவர் நம் மேல் வைத்த தயவினால் இந்நாள் வரை ஜீவனோடு சுகத்தோடு நாம் நல்ல நாட்களை காண்கிறோம்.

மற்றவர்களுக்கு நம்மால் இயன்றதை, அவர்களிடம் திரும்பவும் உதவி பெறுவோம் என்ற கைமாறு கருதாமல் செய்யும் உதவியே தயவு ஆகும். உதவி என்று யாரும் கேட்டு வந்தால் அநேகருக்கு முகம் வேறு மாதிரி மாறி விடுகிறது. இந்த ஆளுக்கு வேறு வேலையில்லை, சும்மா உதவி தேவை என்று வந்து விடுகிறான் என்று முகத்தை சுளிக்கிறோம்.

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தயவு பாராட்டுவதற்கு முதல் உதாரணம் நம் தேவன்தான். அவர் தயவு பாராட்டுவதால்தான் பாவிகளாயிருந்தாலும், நம்மை நீதிமான்களாக்கி, நம்மை பரலோக இராஜ்யத்திற்கு சுதந்தரவாளிகளாக மாற்றியிருக்கிறார்.

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வேதத்தில் எத்தனையோப் பேர் மற்றவர்களுக்கு தயவு பாராட்டி இருப்பதைக் காணலாம். யோசேப்பு தன்னை அநியாயமாய் அந்நியரிடம் விற்ற தன் அண்ணன்மார்களின் மேல் கோபம் கொள்ளாமல், அவர்கள் மேல் தயவுக்காட்டி, பஞ்சக்காலத்தில் அவர்களை ஆதரித்தார்.

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தாவீது இராஜா தன் உயிரை பறிக்க தன்னை துரத்தி வந்த சவுலின் குமாரனாகிய யோனத்தானின் மகன் மேவிபோசேத்தை அரண்மனையில் தன்னோடு இருக்க வைத்து, உணவுகொடுத்து, தயவு பாராட்டினாரே. பழைய ஏற்பாட்டு விசுவாசியானாலும், அவரிடம் ஆவியின் கனி வெளிப்பட்டதே!

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பிரியமானவர்களே, இப்படி எத்தனையோ உதாரணங்கள் இருந்தும், நாம் மற்றவர்களிடம் எப்படி தயவு காண்பிக்கிறோம்? யார் யார் மற்றவர்களுக்கு தயவு காண்பித்தார்களோ, அவர்களுக்கும் தயவு கிடைத்தது. நாம் மற்றவர்களுக்கு தயவு செய்தால், நம்முடைய தேவையில் நமக்கு தயவு கிடைக்கும். நம்மிடத்தில் தயை வேண்டி வரும் உதவியற்றவர்களுக்கு நாம் உதவி செய்கிறோமா?

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ஆப்ரிக்காவில் உசாமுசுலு மட்வா என்னும் மனிதர், தன் சிறுவயது மகனை வயிற்றுப்போக்கினால் ஆஸ்பத்திரி கொண்டு சென்றும், மரித்துப் போனபடியினால், மரித்த குழந்தையை ஒரு சபையின் போதகரிடம் அடக்கம் செய்யும்படி கேட்டபோது, அந்த போதகர், அந்த மனிதர் தன் சபையின் உறுப்பினரில்லை என்பதால் அடக்கம் செய்ய மறுத்து விட்டார்.

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பின்னர் அதே மனிதர் கிறிஸ்தவம் ஏன் ஆப்ரிக்காவில் தோற்றுப் போனது என்று ஒரு புத்தகத்தையும் எழுதியிருக்கிறார். கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் என்று சொல்லப்படுகிற நம்மிடம் இருக்க வேண்டிய தயவு எங்கே போயிற்று? கிறிஸ்து நம் சொந்த இரத்தத்தை கொடுத்து சம்பாதித்த சபையில் ஆவியானவரின் கனி காணப்படவில்லை என்றால், அவருடைய பரிசுத்த இரத்தத்தை நாம் எந்த அளவு மதிக்கிறோம் என்பது விளங்குமல்லவா?

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கர்த்தரை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டேன் என்று சொல்கிறவர்கள், ஆவியானவரின் கனியாகிய தயவை மற்றவர்களுக்கு வெளிப்படுத்துகிறோமா? நாம் இந்த உலகில் வாழ்வதற்கு மற்றவர்களின் தயவு நமக்கு தேவையாயிருக்கிறது. குழந்தைகளாயிருந்தபோது பெற்றோரின் தயவு, பெரியவர்களானதும் வேலை செய்யும் இடத்தில் அதிகாரிகளின் தயவு, வயதானவுடன் பிள்ளைகளின் தயவு என்று தயவு இல்லாமல் நம் வாழ்க்கை இல்லை. நாம் மற்றவர்களின் தயவை பெறும்போது, நாமும் தயவு காண்பிக்க வேண்டுமே!

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'ஒருவருக்கொருவர் தயவாயும் மனஉருக்கமாயும் இருந்து, கிறிஸ்துவுக்குள் தேவன் உங்களுக்கு மன்னித்ததுபோல, நீங்களும் ஒருவருக்கொருவர் மன்னியுங்கள்' (எபே-4:32) என்ற வசனத்தின்படி ஒருவருக்கொருவர் தயவாயிருப்போம். நம்மிடம் தயவு கேட்டுவரும் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் உதவிகள் செய்வோம். கர்த்தர் சீக்கிரம் வருகிறார். ஆமென் அல்லேலூயா!

ஜெபம்

எங்கள்மேல் தயவும் இரக்கமும் உள்ள நல்ல தகப்பனே, புதிய மாதத்தில் நாங்கள் காணும்படி நீர் பாராட்டின எல்லா கிருபைகளுக்காகவும் உமக்கு ஸ்தோத்திரம். எங்களுக்கு ஜீவனைத் தந்ததும் அல்லாமல், தயவையும் எனக்குப் பாராட்டினீரே உமக்கு ஸ்தோத்திரம். நாங்களும் மற்றவர்களுக்கு தயவு பாராட்டும்படி, எங்களிடத்தில் வரும் உதவியற்றவர்களுக்கு எங்களால் இயன்ற தயவை காண்பிக்கும்படி கிருபை செய்யும். எங்கள் ஜெபத்தை கேட்டு எங்களுக்கு பதில் கொடுப்பவரே உமக்கே நன்றி. இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் நாமத்தில் ஜெபிக்கிறோம் எங்கள் ஜீவனுள்ள நல்ல பிதாவே ஆமென்.