A Message by Billy Graham

One day I went for a walk to meditate. As I watched a bird sitting alone on a fencepost, I thought about a passage of Scripture found in the 102nd Psalm: 


“I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop” (Psalm 102:6-7).

Loneliness has never been a respecter of persons. The world’s greatest artists, writers and composers, kings and queens, carpenters and plumbers have experienced loneliness.

Are you lonely? There are many lonely people today. Loneliness is one of the supreme problems of modern society.But when you are with Christ, you have Jesus as your Lord and companion.Jesus came to a man who was lonely and sick and paralyzed. For 38 years the man had sat in the same spot, lonely and tired, without a friend. This bundle of loneliness and human pain had been buffeted by the surging tides of thousands of people, but Jesus singled him out. He became the man’s friend, and He healed him (John 5:1-9). Jesus will become your friend if you will let Him. Check out http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205&version=NIV


Loneliness has an inner dimension. It is a thirst of the spirit, and the roots of loneliness are within each of us. A poll revealed that fear and loneliness can take over a child’s life when a parent suddenly vanishes from the scene—whether a mother or a father, whether from divorce or death—and the child crumbles.

So, first, there is the loneliness of sorrow. The older I get, the more funerals I attend as friends die. Jesus wept at the funeral of a friend. On that occasion He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). Think of the hope in that statement. Spiritually we will never die. If we come to Christ, we will be alive with Him forever.

Why We Need Each Other

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV

A mouse looked out through a crack in a farmhouse wall and was distraught to discover a mousetrap. When he went to tell his buddies, the chicken said, 'Sorry, pal, not my problem.' The pig said, 'I'll pray for you.' The cow was busy and said, 'Come back later.' Dejected, the mouse was left alone to handle his problem. That night, a poisonous snake got caught in the mousetrap and when the farmer's wife went to investigate she got bitten. She developed a raging fever, and everyone knows you treat a fever with chicken soup. So the farmer took his axe to the barn for the main ingredient! As his wife's condition deteriorated and neighbours gathered, he had to butcher the pig to feed them. Finally she died. So many people came to the funeral that he ended up slaughtering the cow to make dinner for them all. In the end, everybody lost!

 ¹ We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^[a] 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

(Romans 15:1-7 NIV)

Before deciding somebody else's problem has nothing to do with you, read this: 

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

(1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV) 

You can't sit on the sidelines while someone's hurting; tomorrow it may be you! We are told to 

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

(Galatians 6:2 NLT) 

When one of us is threatened we're all at risk.

Our lives are woven together for a reason; each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry.

Regards,

Samuel Machado

Do you know what is in the center of the HOLY BIBLE

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?  A: Psalms 117  Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?  A: Psalms 119  Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?  A: Psalms 118  Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118 Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118 Add these numbers up and you get 1188.  Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?  A: Psalms 118:8  Q: Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?  The next time someone says they would like to find  God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to  be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word!  "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."  Psalms 118:8  Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?  Jesus is our perfect example. He never trusted in man at any time.  He always held on to God the Father Even when it came to the cross… It is the same kind of faith God expects from us. "Father God bless my friend in whatever it is that you know  he/she may be needing this day! And may his/her life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with You. In Jesus Name. Amen"  When things get tough, always remember...  Faith doesn't get you around trouble, it gets you through it !!  God Bless You!  Regards, Samuel Machado

Read 1 Corinthians 13 and John 3:16

See http://www.poemsource.com/Christian-valentine-poems.html for some amazing Christian Valentine Poems by Joanna Fuchs

And its that time again when people go crazy trying to express their "love" for the ones in their lives.I ask you, why do you need a special day to express ur love? Coming to the more important point, we should realise that no one loves us like God does (John 3:16). He has been there with us since our creation, at every step of our lives, helping us out. Thus, we should give Him more priority and love than anything/anyone else in our lives.

May Jesus Bless u all...

Kiran

God & the Geese

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about faith and religious holidays. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Christ, despite his disparaging comments.           

One snowy Eve, his wife was taking their children to service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused. "That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That's ridiculous!" So she and the children left, and he stayed home.

A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of  wild geese.

Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed. 

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. 

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud.Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms, as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn - and one-by-one, the other geese followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!" Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. 

"Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

                                                                         

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese--blind, lost, perishing.  God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us. As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. 

  

He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:

"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"

Regards,

Samuel Machado

The Birth of the Song: `Precious Lord'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1rsZenwNc

Br. Thomas Andrew Dorsey wrote this song Back in 1932,

I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago's South side. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn't want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis.I kissed Nettie good-bye, Clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan Breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66.

However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, I had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peace-fully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music case.

The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST  DIED.

People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was' Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead.'       

When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that same night, the baby died.I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn't want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well.

But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died.      

 

From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, once into my head they just seemed to fall into place:

'Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, and let me stand!

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm,

through the night, lead me on to the light,

take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.'       

The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest From God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home.

- Thomas Andrew Dorsey

An Anonymous Phone Call

Isn't it amazing how God works in our lives! 

On a Saturday night several weeks ago, the pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let the phone ring many times. 

He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few

minutes. When he tried again she answered right away.  He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the man was talking about. Then the man said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife.

The man said, "That's, OK.  Let me tell you my story.

You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.' At that point my phone started to ring. 

I looked at the caller ID, and it said,

'Almighty God'.  I was afraid to answer!"

The reason why it showed on the man's caller ID that the call came from

"Almighty God" is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!!...... :-)

Our Lord cares for us at all times...

Bollywood Comedian - Johny Lever's Testimony

This is Johnny Lever's testimony on how his life changed & how the Lord revealed Himself to him.

" Johnny Lever - Humor Icon of Bollywood, King of comedy, Junior Charlie Chaplin, India 's gift to the nation, extremely talented Aslam bhai - these are the few words go by in addressing Johnny Lever. Covered more than 300 films he has 2 prestigious Filmfare awards to his credit.Today Johnny is one of the most highly respected and highly paid comedians in Indian film industry.

Johnny shares the goodness in knowing Christ in an exclusive interview with C.B.N India.

"I am originally from South India . My father used to work for Hindustan Lever Ltd so we got settled in Mumbai. My actual name was John Rao and I've done my schooling from Andhra Educational Society. Though I was not a very bright student I used to manage to get through my exams. Ours was a Christian family but as far as I am concerned I was just a nominal one. I was a Christian mainly on Christmas and Easter days. Jesus was just a friend for me, remembered only in times of trouble.

Right from my childhood I was a very free and friendly person. I never took life seriously. I was more a social person and I used take every God as my God and every festival as my festival.

Freaking out with friends was one of my favorite pass times and as a result my father found that I was slowly losing track in life. So he put me in a job at Hindustan Lever Ltd as an employee.

Even at my work place I was always making fun, cracking jokes and also used to do some plays for my co-workers at lunch breaks and other free times. Many used to watch me doing those plays and at the end they would all come and congratulate me. Most of them said 'Johnny you are extremely talented why don't you try your luck in films' this statement started to ring in my mind very often.

I signed my first movie in 1975 and in the year 1981, I left Hindustan Lever Ltd.

I changed my name from John Rao to Johnny Lever and from then I never looked back. Success after success followed and finally it became my surname. I made a lot of money and had a big network of friends. I have a status in the society. I along with my family live a costly life, enjoying everything on earth. I had so much of network that once I did a play on National Anthem, which was actually against the law, and as a result I was arrested and put to prison, but believe me that I had a royal treatment. Many of my fans stepped in; the police received many phone calls from film and political celebrities asking them not to touch me. I personally received many wishes and flowers asking me not to worry. On the third day I got the bail and I was out.

After such incidents I always felt that my money, my status and my network of friends can help me at every situation of life. Every day we had a party irrespective of the reason. It came to such an extent that if I was out of work I was with a bottle. Life went on just the same with success and party but everything got spoiled on one note i.e. when my son Jesse was diagnosed with tumor on his neck.

I took him to every Famous Specialist but they all said f we operate we can't guarantee if his right part of the body will function. I was ready to spend every penny on my child but was of no use. My wife Sujatha went to different temples but they all said 'If you get your son operated he will die'.

We tried every source but nothing was in our favor. The only that was left was to come on to our knees and pray to the Living God. We sent prayer requests to every church we know and everyone started to pray for my child and at last the operation was successful.

Today, my son doesn't have even a trace of tumor in him. From then I slowly started to read the Bible, and every word I felt so strong and true that I repeatedly read it. Every word from the Bible seems to be talking to me.

Slowly I started to examine myself in accordance to the Bible and slowly asked God to help me in changing my life style. God gave me grace and today I left my drinking habit.

I had a big bar at my home, but today at the same place I conduct prayer meetings twice a week. During my travel I see that I carry the Bible and read it. Today we as a family have regular family prayer meetings. I just want to thank God for his goodness in our lives.

We have a perfect peace in our family".. "All that I would like to tell to everyone is that the peace you find in Jesus you can never get in anything in the world - TRY JESUS!"

Today, Johnny tries to reach out to every individual with the Gospel through the talent he has.

Idle Word

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judges his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judges the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." James 4:11

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief.As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone..'

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: 'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.'

The next day, the judge told the old man:'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.' The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.'

The judge then replied:

'The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything.'

"But I (Jesus) say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36

Ananias And Sapphira

We all have our ideas about God and how He operates.

It is reported that some Jew, discouraged by the persecution of the Jewish people, said

“If God lived next door, I would throw stones at his house.”

Quite often people question the very existence of God because events in the world do not match their idea of how things should go if they were God, and in ultimate control.

 A god who conforms to our human understanding is no god at all, but a reflection of our human nature.

God is God because He Is, Yahweh, creator of the universe, who has revealed himself to His people, created in His image, and called us to be united with Him by faith in His unique Son, Jesus.

We should stand in awe of God, or perhaps better, bow before Him and acknowledge that His ways are not our ways.

We should constantly bow before His power and majesty. Who are we to question the one who made us, and who gave Jesus to die for us?

Many people who come to Jesus and attempt to follow Him do not have the proper respect for the power and authority of God.

The ultimate example of the result of failing to honor God in our inner being is found in Acts 5:1-11, the fate of Ananias and Sapphira—“

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet.”

“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?

 And after it was sold, was it not under your control?

  Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’"

“And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 

The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.”

“Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’"

“Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?

Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.’"

“And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.” NASU

Why did Ananias and Sapphira die?

Because they failed to honor the power and presence of God. Instead of God, they chose to honor the presence and power of money.

They were more interested in keeping their money than feeding the helpless.

If God killed every Christian today who has held back their money from helping the helpless, because they trusted the power of money to provide for their own future, how many would be living?

But Ananias and Sapphira are an example for us, so that we should be aware of the all knowing presence of God, Who knows out thoughts. We therefore should always be honoring Him in our heart, preferring to use what He gives us to help the helpless, trusting Him and His people to give us future security.

We Christians must not quench the Spirit of God within us.

The love of money is idolatry, because one worships money in the place of God.

Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters, for we will love one more than the other. We cannot serve God and money at the same time.

 Remember the judgment scene in Matthew 25.

May we be warned by the example of Ananias and Sapphira, who loved money and praise more than they loved God and His people.

May we learn to honor the presence of God by caring for the helpless, especially among God’s people.

The Blessings of God

Read | Ephesians 1:3-14
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%201&version=NIV


Everyone experiences periods of difficulty in life. In such painful times, we may feel as though God is not blessing us. But even then, we are experiencing many of His amazing gifts, despite the fact that they might be escaping our notice.

Below are several examples of blessings that we can enjoy on bright or dark days:

• We are assured that our almighty God chose us before the foundation of the world (v. 4). He predestined us to be adopted as His children (v. 5). We can feel special and wanted because the Sovereign of the universe selected us.

• Jesus provided our salvation through His death and resurrection (v. 7). He redeemed us from sin that causes separation from God and ultimately leads to death. As a result, we receive a brand-new nature and daily forgiveness of iniquities (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 John 1:9).

• The Holy Spirit resides within us. He guides, warns, and fills us so we are never without counsel or comfort. He also seals us so that our eternity is secure (Eph. 1: 13).

• Our Father prepares an inheritance for us that is imperishable (1 Peter 1:4). We may experience momentary troubles, but we can look forward to living eternally in God’s presence, where there is joy and no suffering.

In the midst of painful situations, it may be easy to feel as if God’s hand is not resting on your life. But believers have wonderful spiritual blessings at all times. Without the four permanent gifts listed above, fear and emptiness would be overwhelming. So express gratitude, even in difficulty.


- Charles Stanley