The Sign of Christmas

Sometimes, I wonder why the angels did not appear in the manger and present an angelic choir performance there. Wouldn't that have been pretty comforting to Mary and Joseph. After all, they had to endure a long journey, a bumpy ride, with no place to stay. And now, they were inexperienced, lonely parents of the heavenly Child.

I wonder if Mary had this question, "The angel's visit to my place about the birth of Christ through me was awesome news.. I got conceived as a virgin..that's a miracle. In spite of being in a scandalous situation, almost at the verge of being stoned to death, my fiance - Joseph accepted me as his wife- that's even a greater miracle. But here we are trying to find a place to give birth to God's Child. No place in the inn, and all that we could find was a place with animals. Why can't God provide ? It's His Son after all."

But Mary as we know was a woman of absolute surrender, so these questions did not discourage her.

There were shepherds living out in the fields and watching out their flocks at night near by where Jesus was born. Near Bethlehem, on the road to Jerusalem, there was a tower known as Migdal Eder, or the watch-tower of the flock. Here , was the station where shepherds watched the flocks destined for sacrifice in the temple. *

Jesus was chosen to be the One, who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. So, it needs little explanation to understand why God chose these shepherds to witness the new born child.

But I wonder if the shepherds had this question, "OK, we're banned people in our community, we're not even allowed in the temple, yet we get to see a glorious angel. That's amazing enough. But wait.. the sign given to us, is to find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.. That's confusing...

We don't deserve it and all. We've received great favor to hear this good news. But all that He's showing us is a manger. Is that a sign ? Is that a sign to recognize a God-child? . We're completely thrilled with the angelic visitation, but you're leading us towards a dark, dirty place to see an ordinary helpless infant wrapped like every other child in swaddling clothes. "

These shepherds did not have these questions. Instead, they said, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." ^a

I'm not like Mary or the shepherds, and these are pretty much the questions I have about life.

Like Mary and Joseph, I receive the glorious promise of God and I have a great vision to accomplish, but unlike them, I get absolutely discouraged when I have to take a long bumpy ride to see it fulfilled.

Like the shepherds, I realize how unworthy I am to receive God's favor. But unlike them, I fail to act immediately.

Christmas reminds me that being in a place of lack does not deny His promise. He provides what we can never achieve. But sometimes, He lets us cross small hurdles by ourselves. Nevertheless, it's all a part of His plan.

Our temporary lack of providence cannot deny the permanency of His promise.

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and the sign that was given was this,

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" ^b

God's purpose can be revealed in the humble circumstances of life. Don't let the difficulties in your way stop you from reaching your God given goals.

Jesus came to save all people from their sins.

God accomplished what He promised.

Merry Christmas

With love,
Callie Ariel

Image Courtesy
http://stjamesclougherlisle.ca/childrens%20page.htm
* Vincent Word Studies
a Luke 2:15
b Luke 2:12

But when I pray - The Model - Part II

[Please click here to read the first part of this entry]

All our worlds are filled with many people who have several needs. A friend sinking in secret sin, a family in debt, a dysfunctional home, a threatening disease, an abusive spouse, unruly children. And the list is endless...

The voice of my friend still rings in my ear, she called up to chat about college, and with time she started opening up, "My dad has a severe heart condition, but he just won’t quit smoking and drinking, my mom and me are tired of crying and begging him to change. But he just won’t give it up. He blames my mom for his disappointments and says that alcohol makes him forget his bitter failures." She said this, and she began crying. "How can I change my father??"

Each one of us must have faced times such as this. When someone knocked our door for help, and we were helpless ourselves. Despite our incapacity, just like the guy in the story, we need to be determined to help. Times like this call for our knocking at Heaven's door. Rest assured that there is no lack there.

It is necessary that we look deeper inside the story to understand the point that Jesus was trying to make. It is not about God’s insensitivity to need, it is not that He is reluctant to help. But he desires to delay, in order to help us overcome our uncaring attitude. He longs to see us function in love. We won’t be persistent about something that we don’t care about. Our shameless pleading is an indication of our deep love for the other and unshakable confidence in His power. I believe that this is what God wants to achieve in our lives.

Intercession is not a ritual; it is not to help you score points with God. Rather, it is a spiritual exercise designed by God, to enlarge our love tank and our faith tank.

I have often thought that Christ’s death for me was the display of the highest form of love….until I found this verse.

Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 (NIV)

Isn’t it amazing that Christ Jesus who suffered the worst form of humiliation on the cross, still persistently pleads for our cause?

When Jesus talks about shameless persistence, He expects us to imitate Him. Our perfect model for intercession…

Let us learn to love, before we learn to pray.

Callie

But when I pray - The Model - Part I

When I first heard the word intercession, it sounded like INTERMISSION. So I thought it's like having a break in the middle of a prayer. :)

Way back in college, I had a friend called Gayathri. She was our spokesperson. When we wanted to postpone tests and assignment submission deadlines; she was the one, bold enough to talk on our behalf to our staff (who were always ready to devour us!!!) ....Awesome girl!!

Intercession is just like that, talking to God on behalf of others.

Jesus tells us an interesting parable ^a relating to intercession, that goes like this.

There was a guy who was disturbed in the middle of a night by a hungry stranger. In Jewish culture, hospitality was very important. It was mandatory that the host must feed the traveler who has come to his house to spend the night. Unfortunately, he had no leftover food and nothing to offer this hungry traveler.

Nevertheless, determined to feed his guest; this guy went to his other friend in the village and knocked his door . "Don't bother me man", replied his friend. "It is really very late and I've locked the doors. I don't want to make a noise and wake my kids up. I'm sorry, I can't get up and give you anything."

But this guy is just so persistent. He is not ready to give up. He kept knocking shamelessly. Jesus wanted us to learn this guy's persistence. When we go to God on behalf of others, Jesus asks us to imitate this kind of unswerving attitude.

Catch up with the continuation... to get a hang of what this parable has got to do with intercession.

Scripture Reference
a Luke 11:5-8

Image Courtesy
http://www.siouxcityfirst.com/templates/System/details.asp?id=28062&PID=364397

But when you pray - First Note

[This is the first post on my series "But when you pray". To catch a glimpse of the background of this series please read When I didn't pray. ]

Today morning I left home angrily after losing a verbal spat with my mom. Quite obviously I forgot my umbrella and raincoat. As I reached the ground floor, I saw the gray clouds floating above;"The clouds are always fooling around, it won't really rain", I told myself.

After boarding the bus and traveling close to 10 kilometers, I heard the the sound of rain pelting hard. The sound which would have otherwise been music to my ears, now alarmed danger. I need to walk for 15 minutes from the bus stop to my office, "OHMYGOSH, It's raining so hard.. I would reach office dripping wet now!"

I sat there staring at the rain, observing the dimensions of every drop. I twisted my head sideways-upwards to catch a glimpse of the obscure skies through the rain splattered windows. My brain did some probability calculations trying to figure out when the rain would stop. For once, I really wished that the bus would slow down and reach the destination a little late.

I eyed every person with an umbrella or raincoat enviously. For me, right now, they were the happiest people in the world.

And then I started talking to God, "Oh please...I'll change....but stop the rain now". But the Master had another lesson in store.

It struck me that a praying life is quite often like an umbrella we carry.

An umbrella can't stop the rain, but it sure can cover you through the storm.

The providence of God in times of pain reaches us through prayer. We receive His promise, build our faith and stay rooted in steadfast hope through prayer. We can't control the flood or the storm by praying but we can weave a water tight basket for ourselves and others to stop us from sinking.

I am yet to experience a prayer life that can influence the will of God (if it can). But prayer for sure, helps us experience His cover of Grace and love through all difficult paths. Praying for others is like holding a bigger umbrella, covering many who are unprotected and trembling in cold. And that is the power of intercession. Going that extra mile, to enlarge our umbrella , strengthen it and extend our boundaries so that we can drawi many hurting people inside the cover of God's love.

The Bible rightly says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Ephesians 6:18. I like how it says "all occasions", because you never know when its going to rain. Sometimes we get busy and leave prayer behind, and then wonder why we're drenched in anxiety.

Don't ask me how prayer works. That's for each one to find it for themselves. But one thing is for sure, it works.

Don't be like me.
Carry your umbrella today,
Before you can go
Just stop and PRAY.

Callie

P.S I'm excited about how the Master started off this series, and waiting anxiously for the rest of the lessons I'm gonna learn. It would be awesome to learn together and pray together..share your lessons too.

Image Courtesy
http://img3.visualizeus.com

When I didn't pray

I was tired of sitting silent in prayer. I had lots to talk to God, when it concerned me. But when it was about others, I was rambling a senseless string of words and very soon I was finished. People who know me, will agree that I am a person of many words. I know it sounds odd, but I kind of use different people as targets to aim my words at.

My amma gets my words of fury and nonsense, my younger sister has no choice but to endure my boring 'insights' about life and my friends have to face my bland and predictable humour. Though prayer is about talking to God, I painfully realize that in prayer, my many words mean nothing.

It is the heart, the persistence, the faith and the desperation that connects to the heart of God. It's that crushed and broken spirit that can knock the doors of heaven. Intelligent words and graceful oration can make our prayer sound great, but God makes no sense out of it. This truth kept hitting me a lot and I was pushed to the point of frustration, when I scribbled these words..

Time is running
But I am not.
Haven't turned a soul to You.
The things I've been denied
Never hurt at all..
But it pricks real hard
When I think of those that I am due.
I wonder if it's my guilt
or..
the devil...
WHAT'S PARALAYSING ME ?
That I cannot move forward and heal the pain.
I'm longing for a future
That I have no hope to see
I'm longing to transform that life
That I don't know how to reach
Help me Lord
I don't know how to pray..
I don't know what to ask...
But I won't give up..

I guess God heard this and opened my eyes to some opportunities at church to commit a certain hour of prayer for intercession. I heard him tell me, "Baby, you ain't gonna learn to pray without actually praying! just like you can't learn swimming from a book..." So I have decided to dive in..

I am writing a series of posts on praying, these posts are retold versions of several teachings from books, sermons and studies.

I've titled the lessons to resonate Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray"

I write these posts hoping that it would help me practise prayer the way it should be. Hope you find them useful in your prayer walk too.

Still learning,
Callie

The Friend of a Kind

Friendship is the least complicated relationship, a few hi's, a few lunchs together, a few conversations, answering a few "hey, can you help me out on this" calls and bang! you get a friend. With social networking today, I can be a friend to a friend's intersesting friend. All I have to do is to click a button.

Friendship comes with no strings attached, and makes you feel accepted outside your home. Good friends help us discover who we are and propel us into our destiny. But, the other kind of friends manipulate us and make us lose our identity.

Staying away from bad company is a lesson we've been hearing a lot. That's a choice; we can choose whom we wish to have as friends. But the other part of the lesson is not about a choice, but a challenge. A challenge --- to be a good friend.

Your friendship started off in a great note, probably you studied together, shopped together, helped at an orphanage, prayed and had fun together. All of a sudden, things are changing color in your friend's life. You are God fearing and so is your friend. Now, things are a little different, your friend begins to do things you don't appove of. You're not really sure, but very uncomfortable, what do you do ?

"A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends,.."

The interesting part of this verse follows..

"..even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty." - Job 6:14

Now, that's a tough lesson. I interpret this Scripture as God illuminates it to me. Write to me, if you have your concerns.

Friendship calls for fierce loyalty. Maybe that's why Jesus called his disciples friends. And it is also striking that it was actually Job's friends who showed up to see Job at his point of distress. Of the many reasons existing, I think God was pretty mad at Job's friends, because they tried to enforce a 'spiritual opinion' on Job instead of genuinely trying to help him in his crisis.

We do that sometimes too. In our misdirected zeal, we sometimes say things that are of no use. We rebuke our friend by blowing our own trumpet of self righteousness. In moments like this, I think God wants us to work together with Him to help our friend out. Anyone can sympathize with someone in a difficult situation, but it takes a good friend to empathize. Others would write off our friend as someone in a hopeless situation, only we can go the extra mile and put ourself in the shoes of our hurting friend and help him or her out.

When people are in wrong, or in some kind of internal conflict, it is natural for them to get defensive. They generally get over-sensitive and tend to mistake even a casual remark, as something that is directed towards them. In this process, we could find them saying something mean and hurtful at us. But remember, you are a friend and not just good company. Right at the moment, you are her/his only confidant. If you're going to turn hostile, you're leaving behind your friend who is in desperate need of you (but ofcourse she will deny that she needs you).

Jesus said that the greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. That's why He died for his friends when they were yet rebelling against Him. Similarly, genuine friendship sometimes calls for death of self respect. But that's the only way to show real love. The real test of friendship is not in the good times when we're doing stuff together, but when our minds are miles apart. The story of Jesus does not end with his death but in a glorious resurrection, because of the depth of his love. Even today, Jesus is able to win the hearts of many rebels (including me), because of that enduring love.

Never judge your friend, you have no idea what he/she is going through. Love your friend for who she/he is and not for what you want her/him to be. The journey would be long, you may sometimes feel lonely. But no relationship goes anywhere without effort to help each other in times of pain.

C'mon she needs you. Show her your devotion to your friendship and work with God in helping her walk in the light.

With love,
Callie...

Did You Know?

Provoked..

Some people are habitual complainers. They try and evade truth and action by raising objections over every trivial matter. If you are in a position of responsibility, such people can really be annoying. However, good leaders ignore them and reproach them only when required.

When faced with a certain crisis, the presence of a bunch of professional grumblers can really push our buttons. Eventually, we resurrect buried anger and pounce on them.

I admire people who can articulate wrong attitude with with insightful insults. Like Jesus called the 'holy hypocrites', "whitewashed tombs". Those are great words, isn't it?

Getting angry is seldom the problem. But getting angry at the point of provocation has consequences.

Simply because, at those times, we tend to speak hastily and act without much thought.

I'm reminded of a story,

History speaks of a guy who had to face a mamooth task of rescuing people from mass slavery and transporting them to a promising place, where they could have a future. The distance between the two places was almost close to 100 kilometres. Under normal cicumstances, this journey would have taken only a month by foot. However, the people this guy had to lead were fussy, uncooperative, ungrateful and negative, so it took them 40 years. No kidding.

At a particular point during their journey they faced with the crisis of water scarcity, and the people start whining again.

In the course of finding a solution, our leader-guy acts prudently at first. He contacts his boss, the greater Leader who's incharge of the whole project, and asks him for directions. Nevertheless he does not follow the exact instructions given to him because he's terribly mad at the people. In view of him being provoked, he overstepped the instructions, causing permanent damage to his leadership career.

The people got their water, but this unparalleled leader had to bear the brunt of his angry reaction. His boss who had always kept him in high regard, gave him a punishment that he would regret for the rest of his life.

We are most likely to be provoked when facing a low. So, it helps to stay away from the trouble makers in those times. Starve your temptation to talk. Hasty words pave way for hasty action. Focus on the problem, and after it is solved, maybe you can call for a mind-piece-giving meeting. Do not do it the other way round.

And now for the story in the original version,

The people cried out to Moses, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!". Moses cries out to his Master for help, God says "Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water."

Moses was frustrated and fed-up, he looks at his team and says, "Listen up!! rebels..I'll show you, how I can get water from this rock," and, he struck the rock hard twice. The water gushed out, and so did God's anger.

In God's response to Moses, he says, "You didn't trust me enough to honor me..."

A bunch of provoking negative people can destroy the fullness of our trust in God. We begin to react to them, instead of focussing our energy on solving the problem.

I leave you with something to chew on.

If you're facing a low point in your career, relationship, energy levels or health; Get blind to the fingers pointing at you, go deaf at the voices accusing you, and turn away from those discouraging you. It was God's plan to bring water out of the rock (without breaking it) and quench the thirst of the multitude. God has a purpose for all the rocks, in your life too. Pray about the rocks carefully, and find the solution within.

Find the blessing in the lost relationship, the poor health, the painful separation and the change in job roles. Don't strike your rock, don't get provoked and turn bitter towards people. A move that seems stupid to the rest of the world may be the only way to showcase your complete trust on God.

Until next time..

Keep listening........

*References

Numbers 20

No Funeral

Hi, MMV didn’t have a funeral. It’s alive and well, on its way to take a new avatar.

I’m a scatterbrain, and my thoughts about my blog also began to scatter. So I started 3 other ones but could not proceed further.His Servant’s Voice was not bad though, I managed to scribble some poetry. But the other attempts were dead in my head itself.

There are always two things warring in our life, competing with each other for our energy and attention. One being the have-to-do’s and the other being the want-to-do’s. Writing for me is a want-to-do.

The energy and enthusiasm that drives me towards the have-to-do’s is directly proportional to the energy that I spend on writing. The more I write, the more enthusiastic I am about my job, my studies, my friends, my family and my world.

Don’t neglect what you want to do, just because your responsibilities are mounting. Write that story, paint that potrait, design that dress, cook that meal, publish that website, write that song, create that band, play cricket, and go and meet those friends.

It’s your life, and you wont have another chance to live it. Stop reading this and get going..and hey! no facebook on the other tab.

Before you go, tell me what is that you really want to do, chose to be anonymous if you wish!

The new prayer

Hi there,

I wanted to pause my writing for a while, to try and figure out how to make my work better and more useful.

I read at-least 10 different books and whole lot of effective blogs, to try and improve my style. At the end of this, I learnt a very valuable lesson.

If you want to work for God. Depend on God. Nothing works better than that.

If He's the Master, then I am the servant. A servant needs to receive an order, fulfill it to the Master's pleasure, and, then wait on Him for his next task. The moment I stop listening to God and obeying commands, all my work amounts to nothing.

When we do certain things for a while, we seem to think "Hey! this comes naturally to me." After some time, it becomes routine. In a while, we become so 'experienced' in our 'calling' that we don't find a need to depend on God. This is where learning stops, and so does real progress.

I badly wanted to take my writing to the next level. Therefore I decided to take a break and wait on God. However, I just ended up doing the contrary. I made God wait. While I was busy working up my own mind; with too much of baseless foresight and wasteful thinking. That is where I got stuck.

All through history, God chose inadequate people to do great tasks. Because, God knew that they would find it easy to depend on Him and follow orders. They won't try to act smart, work on their own and mess up God's perfect plan.

During the past few months, I was deeply wounded by my own thoughts and questions. At the end of a rather very unpleasant ordeal I learnt a new prayer.

"Master, with my abilities, I am always short of Your best. To rely on You, is the only way to perfection."

Will you pray with me?

The King has come

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

Zephaniah 3:14-15

God promises His perpetual joy and security for His people. The world we live in is uncertain, times surprise us unpleasantly, and everything is a risk. But in the midst of all this, God affectionately calls out to His people saying, “Be glad and Rejoice with all your heart”.

When God says "Rejoice"; you better mind it: because is not some cheesy phrase put there, whose effect will wear out with time. God asks you to celebrate because He has reasons. And when you experience the truth of what He has accomplished for you, New Year celebrations don't end with the few days in January.

“he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;” Psalm 103:10-11

We mess up big time. We've done things we should'nt and not done things that we should. In the course of our actions, we put lots of things under strain. Our words, our thoughts, our emotions and our actions ---- everything is bruised.

And we end up having a place inside, where there's so much of guilt piled up, mistakes of the past, and unbroken high places. There's another picture of me that the world sees, but I know, that there's a luggage that I'm always carrying beneath.

And when I am alone, it drains up all my strength. Most of the times, we're just so tired with the amount pretense and masks in our life. We cringe in fear, when we think about the consequences of letting the world have a glimpse of our misery inside.

You started off with zeal, but somewhere down the road, your distractions led you somewhere else. Now you find yourself in a place quite not like something that you can show around. You are drowning inside, realizing how hopeless life can get everyday.

When there's hardly any reason left to survive, God says, “Rejoice”.

That's because His plan for your restoration is already in store. God has scored off your punishment. God says, “You don't have to receive what you actually deserve”.

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:12

God would at no point, endorse the sinful things in our life and in no way compromise on His stand. Nevertheless, He is not going to leave things the way they are, and abandon us either.

His command to rejoice, is because of His promise for redemption. God's verdict is not going to be life threatening, rather life transforming. The joy of the divine, can replace the suffering of the carnal, if you believe and receive the promise of restoration that He has for you today.

Examine yourself. Recognize the ways in your life that are detestable in God's sight, Repent and Reconcile. Ask Christ Jesus to purify you, so that you can receive the fullness of His promise. We repeat this process so routinely, that now it sounds just like another religious rambling.

God commands us to rejoice, because this is the easy task. He has done the difficult one for us on the cross. We need to receive the power of Christ's forgiveness in every area of our life continually.

I would like to quote Selwyn Hughes, "In John 13:10, Jesus said to His disciples, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet". You may have indeed experienced repented fully at your conversion, but daily contact with the world, the love of self, and tactics of the enemy means that you need to have Jesus "wash your feet". Repentance is a daily attitude."

I have to repent of my sin, my slackness, my indifference and my willful overstepping of God's commands. We don't have to carry this burden for yet another year. We can boldly approach God's throne of grace, and ask of Him to give us the joy He promised.

The punishment threatening your life, and the enemy with his plan of destruction is no longer there. The presence of everything dangerous and harmful has been replaced with the strength and security of your King. Maybe the crafty serpent wriggled into your life and swallowed up your peace and joy.

But now the Sovereign Lord reigns is in your midst, preserving your life from all harm and giving your enemy a run for his life.

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart.

Happy New Year! :)

On the way to Damascus

(This entry is inspired by the Word of God spoken on 31st December 2009 at Philadelphia Church Villivakkam)

He had just finished overseeing the murder of a Christian martyr, and was not satisfied. He was still planning threats and murder against the disciples of Christ.

"circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. "- Philippians 3:5-6
Paul was proud of his ancestry, being born in the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. He also believed that being a Pharisee, he belonged to a group that was highly devoted to preserving the Word of God.

Paul's place of birth - Tarsus, was home to one of the best universities of the times. In addition, to his Roman citizenship; without doubt, he would have experienced world-class education.

When his Hebrew faith was threatened by a group of followers of Jesus, Paul was not content being an arm-chair revolutionary. Instead, he sprung into action. He chalked out a systematic persecution plan, and began implementing it religiously.

When it came to legalistic righteousness, he was also totally faultless. If the Law condemned him about something, he would offer a sacrifice and clear it up. He tried in every way to walk upright before the Law.

Paul had the best in the world, he was educated, successful, and highly respected. He was also zealous about God. Paul thought that his life was perfect.

He was a passionate and focussed man. And now, he was on his journey to another success target - to arrest the Christian fugitives who had taken refuge in Damascus. "Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" - Acts 9:6
But what he didn't know was, that his plan was just about to change. As he was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him, and God gave Paul his new mandate, "Get up and enter the city, and it will be told what you must do". [Acts 9:1]

A guy, once with dangerous intentions, now moves into Damascus to be filled with Holy Spirit and get baptized.

Through these years, you would have probably acquired lots of things that make you proud. Accumulated wealth, a couple of credentials on your resume, a list of flashy achievements, honor in the society, and a near perfect life. Like Paul, you're just pursuing one target after the other.

But all you need, is a light from heaven, and a Word from God, to change the course of your life.

You're probably stepping into your next phase, with an agenda in mind. When you meet with God on your way, your assignment, your perspectives, your focus and your passion will change forever.

All the influences on your life, has probably given you an identity. The whole world, recognizes you that way. Saul, was an intellectual, go-getter, and a heartless persecutor. But God did not see him that way. God saw Saul as the carrier of traits essential to make disciples of the nations. When God saw Saul, God saw His plan.

Many of us have become what the world expects of us. With time, we're given various labels. God does not care about the labels. He knows the person you, and He knows the real life for which He lent His breath.
To hear God's Word, was an unlikely event those days. Today, you have an opportunity to hear God's Word through so many ways. It is yours for the asking.

Probably you're walking earthwards; meeting with God, can move you heavenwards.

"Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. " Acts 9:8

It feels the same sometimes, we would receive God's Word and His promise for the year, yet we cringe in darkness and stagger forward, placing each step in fear and doubt. When it seems like you are blindfolded, and walking a rocky path. Don't worry, things may seem hazy for a while. But God has placed his resources out there, to safely lead you from your point of blindness to your point of revelation.

There, God will restore your physical sight, and bring to light the vision for your life. All you need is to receive God's Word in your life today, and commit yourself to obey without restraint.

God's Word changed a man who went from place to place murdering Christians, to a man moving across nations, building people's lives and turning them to Christ.

All of us are on our way to Damascus, with an agenda in mind. We need God's intervention, and the direction of His Word at this point.

Do you want to receive that encounter today ?

God is waiting...

Eucharistia..

"But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God; Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number." Job 5:8,9

I've always 'known' that God knows me. 2009 was a year when I experienced the reality of that truth in my life.

"The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7)

Everyone has an unsearchable part in life. Tucked deep within, safe from the external. The things you long for spring forth from this 'restricted' area of our personality.

Though this is the strongest part of your personality, the tugs and pulls of the world are stronger enough, to push these desires to the back seat and turn your focus on things called, 'priorities'.

This year, I was so worked out, and emotionally exhausted working on my 'priorities'. I was thankful to God about many things, but consistently longing for something more. I was so moved when God showed up in most unusual ways defending my desires.

It was His way of saying, "Daughter, I have searched you and I know you". ^a

And I tell my Master in return,

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ... What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign LORD.

For the sake of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have shown them to me." ^b

I pray to strive harder in the years ahead, to seek my Master in a way He desires, and fulfill the desires of His heart.

Eucharistia.

a Psalm 139:1

b 2 Samuel 7:18-29

Merry Christmas ! :)

You and I know the significance of Christmas in our lives. We’ve heard it so many times, and we experience the privilege every moment. I thank God for that.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Christmas is the message of love, reconciliation and joy. It is the message of hope to the dying world. True….

But for you and me, who already know the Way, the Truth and the Life. Christmas is more than that.

Christmas is a challenge set before us.

On Christmas, God moved the supernatural like never before, so that He can come to man’s rescue. The birth of Christ was a radical move that changed man’s destiny forever.

God stepped out. He stooped down.

He became one with man, so that man will trust Him, through which He can save him. What an awesome God!! What an incredible plan!!!

Christ left His glory, His majesty and splendor to be born among us. His mission was accomplished. Today, through His life, He lets us to be reborn, so that we can accomplish God’s vision for the rest of the world. That’s Christmas.

If we are overwhelmed about Christ’s sacrifice, we ourselves need to be ready to surrender to sacrifice. That’s Christmas, and that’s the challenge.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” – John 15:16

True, many of us have ordinary lives. But the part we forget, is that, no matter how ordinary it is. It always has an extraordinary goal attached to it.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”-

2 Corinthians 4:7

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on our goals, we are preoccupied with meeting our needs, which is infact taken care of by God.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:31-32

Its time we get out of our comfort zones, out of our own glories, and step out, just like Christ did on Christmas. Being wrapped in swaddling clothes, or being born in a lowly manger, did not deny His Kingship. God did not stoop down because He gave up, but because He was about to proclaim victory.

I believe that we have arrived at a point in our world’s lifetime, where each of us has to make a radical move to make a difference in our place of calling. We need to go that extra mile, to build relationships, meet people at the point of their need, and turn their lives to Christ.

“For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:10

I am not a person with a great evangelistic zeal, I don’t have many Christ-like qualities. I have not led any to Christ. But this Christmas, I want to take this challenge.

I pray that God enables me stretch my potential, enlarge my boundary, build relationships, fill my love tank and make a difference in the world around me. I am going to spend the few days before 2010 prayerfully considering ways that I can do this.

The world’s clock is ticking fast. We need to be laboring hard. People need to recognize us as people of faith and action. We need to let God work in us and through us. We need to kill the tendencies of mediocrity and strive to give God the BEST.

We keep the Christ-Centered Christmas to ourselves, and let the world enjoy their own versions. Shouldn’t this change ?

We celebrate Christmas because Christ completed His assignment. When we pursue our assignment, the rest of the world can celebrate Christmas too.

Can we take the Christmas Challenge together ?

Merry Christmas.

Love
Callie.

My sister has a post on Christmas as well, drop in at Nothing but a lovely life!

Ruined Houses

My alarm rings at 5:00 in the morning. My hands anxiously search for the mobile phone all over the bed. I find it either under my pillow or under the bed. I thank the creator of the snooze button and go back to sleep. It rings again at 5:15 am and then at 5:30. From now on, it is no longer an alarm to my ears…. its music.

A loud bang rings… this time it is not the alarm, but my head, and I wake up with a start. I stare at the clock glaring at my face. It is 7:00 am; I’ll just have time to finish my morning routine. I jump out of the bed….

I mumble a careless prayer, that hardly lasts for 3 minutes and read my bible portion in a glance, and then I hurry my way to work.

I’m sitting on a bus and I can’t remember a thing…just what did I read today morning? ….no clue!! So, I take my bible from my bag to help me recollect. I try to memorize a few verses, so that I can meditate through the day. The chill breeze blows on my face…and puts me to sleep. With the bible in my hands, I close my eyes. I finally awake, when it’s just time to get off the bus.

My day is almost over, and I realized that I’ve exceeded my clock hours. I walk out of the building and am on the way to the bus stop. My ears are plugged with my ipod, blaring loudly my favorite Christian Rap. I suddenly realize that I don’t remember what I read in the Bible today morning.

After a rather unpleasant ordeal, I finally find a place to sit in the bus. My ipod is still plugged in my ears. I have every intention to take my bible and read, but my eyes are too tired. I had a stressful day after all. Besides, I need some diversion. I continue listening to Toby Mac. And when he sings, “I need some time with God, and a mental vacation”, I cringe in guilt. I promise myself to spend some quiet time with God the moment I reach home.

I am finally at home. I pounce at food. If you look at me eating dinner, you’d think I’ve been starving. While I am eating, I need some diversion. I browse through my facebook page, lazily looking at the photos of my friends. (My eyes are not tired now!!)

I’m done with food now, and every single cell in my body starts crying out in exhaustion. I need sleep. What about my quiet time? Hey, c’mon you can’t pray and listen to the Master’s voice when you are tired; you’ll doze off. Its better I get some sleep and postpone my quiet time for tomorrow morning.

I set the alarm for 5:00 am.

You don’t have to be a prophet to tell what would happen tomorrow.

There were people like me in Bible times too. People like me, who resolved to rebuild the temple of God, as soon as they returned to Jerusalem. They were determined to return to God his rightful place in their lives.

But shortly after their arrival in Jerusalem, things changed. They laid the foundations for the new temple. But the Persian king ordered the work on the temple to cease.

Later the barriers were lifted by another king. But even then, the people lapsed into spiritual lethargy. They were not idolaters, but they had lost their early passion for the worship of the living God.

And just like me, their excuse was, ‘The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’ (Haggai 1:2)

While they didn’t have time to build God’s house, they had all the money and the resources, to build homes that rivaled that of the kings. And God asked them, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house(God’s House) remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4 emphasis added)

God asked me this question too.

When we say that we are the temple of God. It does not stop with God just staying in us, sitting in our hearts and looking around. It means that God considers our lives to be a source of His comfort. He wants to confide with us. He has a heart that He wants to share. But we are usually caught up with our own priorities, building our own houses, decorating our own imagination, and living our own fantasy.

Today we do too many things at once. We’re running everyday, working against time and we’re infact not living, but racing our lives. Quiet times, have become a thing of the past. When we read the works of great men and women of God, we shrug and say, “They have no clue about life today”. To add to our slothfulness, we now have Christian leaders, proposing 2 minute devotions and quick prayers for busy people. Pitiful indeed.

God’s message to the Israelites was, “Consider your ways!” I guess, that’s the same message to us as well. Most of our habits and activities make no sense to God, and we’d slowly realize that all our preoccupations finally take us nowhere.

“You have planted much, but have harvested little.

You eat, but never have enough.

You drink, but never have your fill.

You put on clothes, but are not warm.

You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” (Haggai 1:6)

Today, we have many attractive man-made principles of faith. Principles that have the audacity to limit the powerful works of an awesome God to some repetitive utterances assumed to be “authority from God”. But our Savior proclaimed the only true principle central to our faith.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)

We don’t need quiet times to win God’s favor. God does not evaluate our lives by the lengths of our prayer or scripture reading portion. But He longs to make Himself known to us through these quiet times. Quiet times are for us to know God and understand His voice.

The more, I denied myself some time alone with God. The more I felt miserable. It was then that I realized, that spending some private time with God, enables me to see more of Him and less of myself in every situation that arises through the day.

Most of the times, we don’t move away from God because of some shameful sin. We just starve our hearts without Scripture and prayer and ruin God’s house. Spiritual lethargy is how we get separated. Consequently, the sweetest communion of all gets wrecked.

“Oh the pure delight, of a single hour

That before, thy throne I spend

When I kneel in prayer

And with thee my Lord,

I commune as friend in friend”

God did not reconcile with man, through His paramount sacrifice on the cross, so that He can manage to have 5 minutes in our busy schedule.

God sacrificed everything so that He can live in me and reach out through me.

Will my sacrifices be any harder?

Have we left His house in ruin ?

YokeBreaker Sessions – Exploring Sexuality as God created it

Our sexuality is our complete expression of maleness or femaleness. Our sex is determined by God, but how we express our sexuality is a decision that we make.

Unfortunately, the world provides us with way too many opportunities, to get our sexuality assaulted. Remember, sexuality is the way we express ourselves, so it is we who are accountable, when there’s an assault on it.

Wounded Sexuality

You’ve gotten into what seemed like an innocent friendship but then started becoming emotionally dependent on the person. Emotional Dependency is a bait. When you become emotionally dependent on a member of the opposite sex, you become vulnerable to manipulation and injury.

You speak to a person of the opposite gender and you find him or her extremely understanding. Consequently, you feel very comfortable sharing your problems with him. Slowly, your conversations start becoming very personal and you start complaining about your family and your friends to him.

He doesn’t criticize you, he tells you that you are the best, he tells you that you don’t have to change for anybody. He asks you to go for what you want, and not bother about the others. You are encouraged, and the next time you are in pain, the first person you think of is him. You want to run to him and share your sorrow with him. If you can’t speak with him, you feel miserable, and you are desperate. Your communication with your family, friends and others gets totally cut down and the only person you want to express yourself to, is him.

This is emotional dependency. As a matter of fact, emotional dependency is exciting in the beginning. It feels all very magical. You begin to feel that the guy or girl is a godsend. But what you don’t realize is that, in the process of getting emotionally dependent, your sexuality gets wounded. You allow your emotions to be controlled by the person of the opposite sex. You talk in secret, and then lie in public. When you are chatting long hours, or sometimes late hours, your conversation slowly drifts towards talking unnecessary, offensive stuff.

Slowly, you begin to change yourself for the person concerned, many girls become anorexic, to impress their boyfriends with their size zero figures. And many guys, devour their parents’ pockets to gift their girls with things, they believe could sweep them off their feet.

Its not always necessary that you need to be emotionally dependent on a single person to get your sexuality wounded. Using perverse language, the constant urge to keep talking to people of the opposite sex, are all symptoms of wounded sexuality.

In addition, to this, visiting porn websites, reading offensive literature, watching vulgar cinema (Do we have good cinema today ?), and all of this are deadly weapons that assault our sexuality.

Prolonged emotional dependency on a person, would lead you to do anything for him. You can’t tolerate, if he ignores your call, or if he scolds you for something. I’ve heard a story of a girl who sent 500, “I am sorry” messages to her boyfriend, because she missed taking his call. You begin to believe that he’s the only reason you’re alive. You can’t think of a life apart from him. You dress the way he wants, you jeopardize other relationships, and you change your entire self for his sake.

Diseased Sexuality

If you don’t take care to treat your sexuality while its being wounded, it goes to the next stage of getting diseased. This is the stage of addiction. You are addicted to porn, perverse language, flirting, or to the one guy or girl of your dreams.

The addiction that you have for the boy or the girl can be so damaging that you can even lose yourself in the process. Whether you are a guy or a girl; when you allow yourself to get physically defiled, it gets your spirit, soul and body diseased.

It is not only a physical assault that can get your sexuality diseased. Getting intensely attached to a person, that you just can’t stay away, even if it means risking the love of your parents, your hard earned career, your education or sometimes your ambition; even this is a symptom that your sexuality is diseased.

Dead Sexuality

Sadly, in this stage, the person has no control over his or her desires. The state when you have no control over your expressions, your insane drive to fulfill your sensualities. This is dead sexuality. And this is the most deadly assault on your sexuality.

Amidst all this noise, the Master has a voice. A sexuality that belongs to God.The sexuality created by God.

The Holy Sexuality.

God created us holy and pure, and he expects us to preserve our sexuality in the same way. Remember, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, ” then the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked.” When our sexuality is disturbed, we will allow ourselves to compromise with sin. Opportunities that drive our impulse, will begin to chase us.

Most importantly, our sexuality has to be kept holy so that we can bring forth a Godly offspring after holy matrimony.

God gives us many gifts, that He intends us to open after Holy Matrimony.

They are

1) Covenant Love

2) Intimacy

3) Sex

4) Children

5) Celebration

The gifts have to be opened and experienced in the exact same order. Many married lives, don’t have the gift of celebration, just because they opened the other gifts before their holy matrimony.

What I’ve written above, is what I’ve been taught.

But, if I have to share with you what I have experienced, all of it is nothing but the Grace of God. For, I do not have a Master who is unable to sympathize with my weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just like me, but was without sin.{Hebrews 4:15}

When I look back, and wonder how I’ve been able to be safe, It was not my “righteous” decisions rather it was the faithful Master who kept me safe by His Grace.

There’s a war on our sexuality. The devil wants to defile it and believe me, we cannot handle it by ourselves, we need the strong arms of Jesus. I have been saved of so much of unnecessary tears and emotional trauma, not because of my self control, but because of the love of God. It was a simple, childish prayer I said, 9 years ago, “God, I have wasted 13 years of life already, please accept me into your fold.”

Ever since, the Master Shepherd has been passionately taking care of me, and preserving my sexuality. I can firmly testify. there is no miracle more powerful than salvation. And no refuge greater than an absolute surrender to the Master.

YokeBreaker Sessions – Honoring Parents

I smiled sarcastically, when I read this session’s topic. C’mon! this one can’t be for me.

My strategy with parents has been very simple, “Shut up and nod your head”. Then take your complaints to God. Argue with Him, fight with Him, and throw your tantrums before Him. He’ll listen; He’ll wait till the fumes subside, and then He’ll show me where I am wrong. Sometimes, when I have messed up real bad, He’ll take me in His arms, and help me face the music.

I love my folks, and I’ve poorly described the effect that they have on my life, in the posts, “My Maker as my Mother” and “Celebrating my DaDs”. But frankly speaking, I have my share of complaints and frustrations too.

In this YokeBreaker session, my Master told me something about myself that I never knew.

In the parable of the prodigal son, I have always identified myself with the prodigal son, because I have my own personal story of eating the pig pods, and then running back to the Master’s arms.

But this time I saw myself in a different light. I wasn’t the rebellious prodigal son, I wasn’t the son who ran away breaking my father’s heart, I wasn’t the spendthrift who wasted all my father’s money on some wild fascinations.

I was the good, obedient son who remained with my father, working for him in his fields, and following all his orders.

It wasn’t my wayward brother’s return that hurt me. I was happy too, to see him back alive. But that’s when I realized that I wasn’t being recognized. Yeah! that’s the point.

No matter; how good I am, the need and the expectation to be recognized and appreciated keeps growing within. And at one point it shows its face. The guy in the parable felt his shot, when his father arranged a feast for his younger brother.

For me, it could be anything else. But it all drills down to this..

Do they recognize my efforts?

Do they realize, that it’s not just them, but I have made sacrifices too?

To this, I heard the Master’s Voice, “My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours.”

I felt foolish and dumb. When God had an eternal inheritance in store, I was looking for a goat.

Maybe, you’re looking at yourself and your eyes are all blinded from seeing the good things your parents have invested in your lives. And all that you can see is that you have become hybrid robots, aping them, obeying them and losing yourself. Believe me, your parents are not in control of your life, neither has God given the controls to them. God is in total control.You are not living to fulfill their desires, you are fulfilling God’s dreams.

A deep transformation took place in the heart of the prodigal son, so his focus changed and he sought to honor his father. This transformation, was something that the good son missed.

Honoring parents’ is not an action, it is a lifestyle. Out of the ordinary, we can’t get into this lifestyle. We need God to help us honor our parents in all seasons.

It is painful when parents are pushy, unrealistic and offend our emotions with their thoughtless words. It is hard to honor parents, when we know that they’re messing up big time. When your temper and tongue reaches critical threshold levels…

Whisper this prayer, “God, I wish I could give them a piece of my mind, but You do that for me….I’ll just go ahead and do what they want…”

Every time you pray this prayer, God has this to say to you, “My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours.”

YokeBreaker Sessions – The power of Revelation

• But why is the Word of God important?

The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. 1 Samuel 3:21

That’s what God’s Word does to our lives. It reveals God Himself.

We read God’s Word for encouragement, direction, comfort and people like me, to fill blog entries It’s time we realize that the primary reason God has given us His Word, is so that He may reveal Himself to us. Every other purpose is secondary.

• Have we realized this?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:1

When we received Christ Jesus as the Lord of our life, we were precious infants in the hands of God. With a musical babble, long spans of peaceful sleep, hands in our mouth, drooling all the time, throwing little tantrums, kicking the air with our chubby legs and clinging really tight to the Father’s arms. God gave us the right to become His children. He was a beaming with a large smile. He looked with pride and said, “That’s my child”!

The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. Genesis 21:8

Isaac was a long awaited son for Abraham; however, he did not feast on his son’s birthday; instead, on the day his son was weaned from milk. Abraham chose to celebrate his son’s growth rather than his son’s birth.

God does enjoy our babyish exertions. But He celebrates when He see His children grow up. All along; He does not want to see an infant who can’t understand what He speaks rather he desires to see a grown up victorious young son or daughter to whom He can say, “Come, inherit my riches”.

He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Revelation 21:7

The revelation of God in our lives retains us in holiness. For spiritual growth, being holy is indispensable. Without holiness, no one can see God.

• How does the revelation of God keep us Holy?

It helps us to overcome.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:14

It gives us clarity so that we won’t be deceived.

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14

It gives us the Grace of God.

God’s grace is very different from His mercy.

Imagine, a motorist speeding at 100 km/hr on a city road in Chennai. He meets with a tragic accident, and is bleeding to death. An ambulance passes there by chance, and seeing the guy battling for his life, rescues him. He is treated and he gets his life back, but of course, with his share of bruises, fractures, and paralyzing pain.

This kind of rescue is mercy.

But the revelation of God in our life rescues us through Grace.

Imagine if the motorist had his path diverted and never met with an accident, he would now have his life, without bruises and pain. In Grace, there are no injuries; Grace redirects our roads to the right destination.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

The revelation of God will ensure His intrusion for the sake of our prosperity, protection and peace.

Abram fought against the kings who invaded Sodom and Gomorrah and captured his nephew Lot. He pursued them along with 318 of his trained men and recovered all the goods and rescued Lot as well. After Abram returned, the king of Sodom went out to meet him.

But before this could happen, Melchizedek, the king of Salem and the priest of God Most high intruded. He met Abram, brought out bread and wine, and blessed him.

This intrusion, gave Abram a revelation.

So, when the king of Sodom came out to meet Abram and offered him riches; Abram said, “I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal”.

The intrusion of the High Priest can prevent us from touching the things of Sodom.

Next time, I hold my Bible in my hands, I am going to set aside, all my childish wants and needs and ask God to reveal Himself through the words inspired by the Spirit.

It is exciting to know that God is eager to enlighten His children about Himself.

What a loving Father we have!! A Father whose greatness cannot be fathomed, but yet longs to manifest Himself to His children.

FAQs

How much of the Bible should I read everyday ?

We can’t put a rule there, because physical appetites vary and so does spiritual appetite. Your reading of God’s Word is proportional to the hunger you have. The question here is not how much of the Bible can I read, but you need to work on growing your appetite. Babies don’t eat much, but young warriors need much food for a constant supply of energy. It is healthy to have a good appetite. And make sure that you don’t get yourself spiritually anorexic.

Sometimes, when I read a Scripture something like an inspiration rises within me and I feel led towards a particular direction. How do I know if it is from God and not my own ?

Ask God to confirm it. When God wants to take you in a particular direction, He will confirm it in many ways that you can recognize immediately. But you need to make sure that you are sensitive to His voice. Robert Murray, the Scottish preacher of deep piety and prayer used to say, “When you are reading a book in a dark room, and come to a difficult part, you take it to a window to get more light. So take your Bibles to Christ.”

Excerpts of other sessions coming soon!!!