A Decision to follow Jesus

READ | Luke 5:27-28
 
Scripture answers the question, Who is Jesus? Once we have that information, we must decide what to do with it. Some may desire to ignore the truth of what they have learned, but that’s actually not an option. God calls us either to accept or reject Jesus as Savior; avoidance is actually a form of rejection.
 
How, exactly, can we accept Jesus in our life? We must believe in Him. This means placing confidence in the person of Christ, knowing that His death on Calvary’s cross paid for all our sin. This is not merely an intellectual understanding; rather, it is a total surrender to Jesus as the only One who can forgive our sins, thereby bridging the gap between us and the Father. When we receive the Savior, we immediately become children of the King!
 
Believers must also follow Christ’s ways. Allowing Jesus to live out His Lordship through our lives means yielding our will and desires to His. In addition, Christians are to worship Him. We ought to be so overwhelmed by His presence that our hearts and lips overflow with adoration.
 
One last thing, of course, is that we’re to share the truth with others. Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded His followers to spread the good news of salvation to the entire world (Matt. 28:19-20).
 
We are blessed to have God’s Word readily available. And this benefit leaves no excuse for ignorance regarding the person of Jesus Christ. Once we know who He is, we must decide whether we will surrender our lives to Him. He longs for an intimate, personal relationship with you. Will you let Him?

Heaven's Citizens Living in the World

Believers are set apart. The Greek word for “church” is ekclesia—ek meaning “out of” and clesia meaning “called ones.”
While we live, work, and play in human society, our allegiance and devotion is directed correctly toward Jesus Christ instead of the ruler of this world, Satan.It’s important to know what our separation
doesn’t mean.

First, the church must not isolate itself. As Christians, we are to be like light in our dark communities (Matt. 5:14). Light reveals the safe way to go; without it, we feel cut off and fearful.
 
Second, believers cannot rely on their own efforts to overcome the world. Following a list of spiritual dos and fleshly don’ts will wear a person out—and usually results in failure anyway. We are victorious through faith in Jesus Christ. God takes the newly saved out of Satan’s realm and places them in His own kingdom.

Although God and Christ have done the  hard work, their followers cannot continue to do what comes naturally. We must live in this world without conforming to it.

Instead, we’re to be transformed through  the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). If our mind is still camped in the world order, our body cannot help but follow it— then we end up dirtied by corrupt choices, and our relationships and testimony suffer.
 
Learn what it means to be set apart. Others should notice a difference in our character and conduct when comparing us to the rest of the world. What they ought to see are biblical principles at work. But we can look like kingdom dwellers only when we are
training our minds to think like the King.

The Priority of Prayer

READ | Mark 1:35-37

Our Father does not consider prayer an optional part of the Christian life. The Bible tells us that two-way communication with God is essential.

The discipline of prayer includes . . .

An expectant attitude. We must believe that God has something important to say to us. It could be a strengthening reminder of His love, insight into our situation, or the answer to a petition. With such an outlook, we’ll be listening more than we are speaking.

A focus on our heavenly Father. When we praise the Lord, our minds will let go of worldly things and center on Him. Thinking of His perfect character and sacrifice at the cross readies us to hear from Him and obey.

A willingness to see ourselves the way that God does. The Holy Spirit works in us to produce Christlikeness. That means uncovering what is unholy and replacing it with righteousness. It also includes recognizing when we demonstrate godly character (Gal. 5:22-23).

A surrender to His leadership. When we submit to Him as Lord, our petitions will be more in line with His will.

A regular “appointment.” Developing a strong faith-life takes commitment. Daily activities will crowd out time with the Lord unless we set a time and place to pray.

Everywhere Jesus traveled, the multitudes approached Him with their needs. Even though there were many people to help, our Savior regularly took time to pray. He’d step away from the demands of the crowd to interact with His Father (Mark 6:45-46). Won’t you give prayer that same priority?

The Riches of God's Grace

READ | Ephesians 1:3-9

Imagine an elderly couple living in a dilapidated farmhouse. They can barely afford a few groceries and the medicines they need. There isn’t even enough money to keep the heat on all the time.
Then a short while after they both have died, a huge deposit of oil is discovered on the old homestead. All their years of poverty were lived out sitting on top of untapped wealth.

Sadly, many Christians go through life like that elderly couple. These believers have distilled Christianity down to its most basic parts: God saved me and someday I’ll go to heaven. Jesus Christ offers an abundant life now (John 10:10), but they aren’t living it. Spiritually poor Christians fail to tap into the reservoir of God’s grace. Eternity begins the moment we are saved; there is no reason to wait until heaven to start enjoying the Lord’s riches.
God has lavished His grace upon believers. We receive righteousness, freedom from legalism, and an unbreakable union with Him. In return, He desires that we invest time and energy in our relationship with Him. When believers open themselves to God, then everything He has to offer flows freely into their lives. Our connection to Him makes it possible for us to live joyful, contented lives rich with blessing.

True wealth isn’t measured by our bank account or automobile. Believers, as joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), have access to God’s riches, which include unspeakable joy, unconditional love, and peace beyond understanding. Invest in your spiritual life, and enjoy these blessings of grace.

Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered on anything short of God and His will for us. When we make anything else our goal, frustration and defeat are inevitable. Turn your eyes on Christ; worship Him. He will never fall or fail. He gives life balance, security and peace.

Don’t misunderstand me—anxiety in itself is not wrong. Certain types of anxiety are natural and normal. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, warned us not against anxiety, but against the wrong kinds of anxieties. He said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:25–33).

We create our own troubles and then try to cure them without God. But mankind’s self-sufficiency is playing out. We are awakening to the fact that our spiritual infirmity can be cured only by the Great Physician, and that the remedies He indicated are as valid today as they were when He prescribed them. Christ says: “Come unto me … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. (John 7:38)

But while it is true that many people manufacture reasons to worry, millions have every reason to worry, because their lives are so tangled by selfishness and twisted by sin. They need Jesus Christ.

The Bible also indicates that the Christian life is a life of conflict and warfare. Many people offer a false peace of mind and promise that faith in God removes all troubles and difficulties. This is not true. God has never promised to remove our difficulties.

But God has promised, in the midst of trouble and conflict, a genuine peace—a sense of assurance and security that the worldly person never knows (John 16:33). God has also promised new resources and new strength through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

However, millions of people, including some Christians, harbor wrong types of anxieties and worries.

First, anxiety exists when our basic needs have not been met. You can’t quell a baby’s anxiety by giving her a rattle when she is hungry. She will keep crying until her hunger is satisfied by food. Neither can our souls be satisfied apart from God. David described the hunger of all men and women when he said: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1).

Keep on saying this every Morning .. You will feel satisfied

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is flawless, He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

A starving person’s chief need is food. A thirsty person’s chief need is water. A wounded person’s chief need is a physician. And a lost person’s chief need, whether he or she realizes it or not, is God.

You will never be the man or woman you ought to be—no matter how many remedies you try—until you hear and heed Jesus’ words: “Do not worry … but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31,33).

A man or woman away from God can be expected to be plagued by phobias, fears and complexes. Because men and women have not had their basic need met—the need of being reconciled to God—they are unpredictable, untrustworthy, worried, anxious creatures.

You may say, “But I know professing Christians who worry and are filled with anxieties.” You are right! We have anxiety when we try to carry life’s burdens alone. The Bible says: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).


Billy Graham 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Some Christians have not learned that life is a partnership between God and individuals. Christ said: “Take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29). When we are yoked with Christ, pulling as a team, life’s burdens are easily borne.

But our sin separates us from God. The anxieties and burdens of life rest so heavily upon men and women because their souls, made in the image of God, cry out for God; and their souls will never find rest, as St. Augustine said long ago, until they rest in God. And they can never find rest in God until they come to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sin and shed His blood that sin might be forgiven, so that men and women might have peace of heart and soul.

Christ, being God as well as man, could by His redemptive work on the cross mend the broken partnership between God and mankind. For all who have been born again by accepting this finished work of Christ, God walks with them, talks with them and lifts the load of care from their weary shoulders.

A message by Billy Graham..!!

It is the Holy Spirit who draws us to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our need of Christ. There is only one way of salvation, and that is Christ. It is a dangerous thing to resist the Spirit. “Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28–29).

I am asking you to give in to the call of the Holy Spirit. I am asking you to say, “I want Christ in my life, to be my Lord and my Savior.” I know thousands of churchgoers who need to come to Christ, led by the Holy Spirit. You need to say, “I want Christ in my heart.” Say, “I want to know I am going to Heaven. I want my sins forgiven. I want to start a new life.”

St. Padre Pio

Check out http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/ENGLISH_index.htm

Novena of St. Alphonsa

Oh, Blessed Alphonsa, you have been graciously chosen from our midst to be united with Jesus Christ, our savior, in the misery of his passion, death and resurrection. You have grown to the heights of holiness and have been crowned with heavenly glory.

Help us in our trials and tribulations. Oh! Daughter of sufferings, obtain for us the grace to lead a holy life, following your example, in total submission to the will of God. Be with us, transforming all our sorrows into a holy sacrifice in union with Christ Crucified, in reparation to our sins, for the sanctification and salvation of the whole world.
 

Amen

Why we celebrate Good Friday?

The Bible teaches us that tomorrow is promised to none of us and that each day is a gift from God. When you die, your body will go back to the dust of the earth as God mandated, but your soul, the part of man made in God's image is eternal. Where your soul spends eternity is a choice each individual who lives will make during their life. It is God's desire that ALL come to repentance and none be lost. He sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of all mankind so that thru faith in Jesus man could be reconciled back to God and have the assurance of everlasting life with his Creator.

My friend, nobody who is honest will dispute that they will die one day, and nobody who is honest will dispute they commit sin. We ALL sin and fall short of God's glory and it is our sin that separates us from a holy God. GOD LOVES YOU! He is willing to forgive you of your sins if you will simply ask Him. There is nothing you have done in your life that God won't forgive you for if you ask Him. He does not want to see your soul perish for eternity, but wants you to spend your eternity with Him.

Please, take a few moments, the most important few moments you will ever spend and read the following few paragraphs. These words can literally change you for all eternity. I am praying for you!

For God so loved the world, HE GAVE. Today is the day that we celebrate one of the greatest events in human history. We celebrate today the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God's gift to the world. Today is truly a day of rejoicing. Because of this gift from God, we can be forgiven of our sins and reunited with our Creator for eternity. So much of what I deal with each day in this Devotional is to help you walk through this short journey here on earth victoriously and productively. But we must never forget that our time here is very short, and there is an eternity waiting for us when this journey is completed.

I want to focus for just a minute on this most special day, to that split second when our life on this earth is finished and we are launched into eternity. Do you have the assurance this very moment that when your life is complete, your eternity is going to be spent in Heaven with God your Creator?

If the answer to that question is anything but a resounding YES, then let me just share this simple truth with you. You see, our God, our Creator so loved this world, so loved His creation, that He sent His Son, His only Son to be part of this world. Jesus had one mission in this life. It wasn't to be a great teacher, though He was a great teacher. It wasn't to be a great prophet, though He was a great prophet. It wasn't to be a great miracle worker, though He did work many great miracles. No my friend, Jesus came to this world to perform only one job...to die.

You see, the reason it was vital for Jesus to be immaculately conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin was so that He was not infested with the same problem you and I are born into this life with, sin. Otherwise, the best He could have done was to die for His own sins. Jesus lived on this earth for some 33 years before it was time to complete His work - That work was finished on a cross on the hill called Calvary where He hung, and then died as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of this world. That is why, whosoever believes in Jesus, shall not perish, but have everlasting life!

Believing in Jesus is the only way to be saved because it was Jesus who died for our sins. There are no other ways to be saved, no other roads to God, there are no other plans of salvation! This is God's one and only plan to reconcile His fallen creation back to Himself. This is the only way that you can escape eternity apart from the God who created you in His own image. It is through His grace and by your faith in Jesus Christ!

There are many incredible mysteries in the Bible. There are many doctrinal issues that will never be fully understood until we are in Heaven. But God made the most important decision of this life very easy and simple to understand. He gave every one the same opportunity to have their sins washed away and be assured of an eternity in Heaven. That is why we celebrate Good Friday today. That is why we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

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The Way of The Cross

These are some of the posts related to "The Way of The Cross" on my blog.

"Mary's Way of the Cross", narrated by Angelina, written by Richard Furey

Way of the Cross (For Children)

Way of the Cross (Malayalam)

Thank Jesus, my Class XII CBSE exams are over and all went well. Now the next annoying thing is the roster of entrance exams heading our way!

My blog is turning 1 year old!
1089+ hits from all over the globe...

If you didn't already know this, I started the blog on April 23, 2009 with the first post about Palm Sunday.

Now I'll give links to the posts of Palm Sunday, Mondy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter right here in this post...

• Easter
• Good Friday
• Maundy Thursday
• Hosanna Sunday

I'll keep blogging whenever I get the time... And if anyone has anything to be posted on this blog, do mail me at kiran.kmj@gmail.com

"Mary's Way of the Cross", narrated by Angelina, written by Richard Furey

The first video's embedding has been disabled by request. So when you click on the first video, there will be an option to view it in Youtube. Do click on that.

Way of the Cross (For Children)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR1cZINg0cs (Please click on the link to the left to watch the first part of the series)

Way of the Cross (Malayalam)