Friday, March 22, 2013

Behind every tear there is a story...



Hi..Family and friends....

Greetings from India....
God speaks in ways that are amazing..
 I read this poem written by: 
Raymond Anthony Fernando and was so..blessed..
I learnt a valuable lesson. 
Here is the poem:
Today, if someone is rude or impatient 
I will continue to maintain a healthy relation 
Today, if someone discriminates 
I will not engage him in a debate 

Today, if I come across fair weathered friends 
I will treat them as past tense 
In my heart, I will silently ask God to bless those who are insincere 
Even though their hurtful actions bring to my eyes many a tear 

Today, if someone spreads gossip or slander 
I will stretch out my hand to him like a brother 
For today, I will not strike back or retaliate 
For in God, I have full faith 

Today, I will share the sorrow of any individual 
For today, I yearn to find ways to make this a better world 
Today, I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way 
For today, I must make someone’s day 

Today, I will give them my smile, my support 
Even though, in the past, my kindness, many forgot
Today, I will praise the Lord with all my heart and soul For His mighty hand can create miracles, the bible has told 

Today, I will thank God for the food on my plate 
And ask that he always keep me in a healthy state 
Today, is a so special to me and my wife 
Because for 27 years, Doris, you have given me such a fulfilling life 
Sincerely, 
Raymond Anthony Fernando 
.copyright raymondfernando

Isn't that good?

Yes behind every tear is a story, some may 
be genuine and some fake but when we judge quickly we wound the hurting...:(
How often we listen to stories about people 

and pass it on to others without even trying 


to find out the fact.
How many hearts we may have 

wounded by spreading false rumours without 

stopping by to find out if the message we 

heard was true.
How many hearts we broke because 

we choose to listen to the "lie" of the 

enemy.
There are some out there who have been 

hurt and abused.

Their life has a story we are not aware of.
We have not walked their path so we really 

don't know the facts.
Instead of reaching out to help we are 

quick to judge and label


It's sad...
So in future let's think twice before we accuse a fellow brother or sister. Our false judgement and accusation can end up as a costly blow to that person for no fault of his/hers.
Even if they are struggling with sin we need 

to see how we can help them get out of the 


enemy's snare.

We can pray with them and for them.

But if some one keeps sinning repeatedly,we 


ought to warn him!
We need to be careful not to talk about and uncover past sins or mistakes  of our fellow believers which our Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven and forgotten long back.

"Lord give us your love in our hearts to love 

everyone like you loved, to pray for those 


who persecute us, not be quick to judge 


others as we may not really know what the 


truth is.

Love you Lord,

 In Jesus Name,

 Amen!"


Change our hearts O Lord...
Be blessed
Julia

Those without sin cast the 1st stone...


Hi ..family and friends..
Greetings...
Starting with a prayer..
Lord give us your love in our hearts to love everyone like you loved, to pray for those who persecute us, not be quick to judge others as we may not really know what the truth is. Love you Lord, In Jesus Name, Amen!"
O how easily we publicize or criticize a fellow brother/sister's weakness, judge, condemn instead of praying for them...!
Sorry Lord for the times I've done that...
If  someone we know is struggling with a weakness we need to first pray for them, then see if we can talk to them and help them out.
Let's not be quick to judge things by what we see and hear for it  may not be what we think it is!
If we have doubts a fellow sis/ bro is doing something wrong it's very important we find out the exact truth. For our eyes and ears may deceive us.
Proverbs 25:7b and 8a it's said.."....what you've seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court....."
Proverbs 25:9b " ...do not betray another man's confidence..."
How would Jesus deal with this....?
When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Him (JOHN 8:1-11)
1) He didn't listen to her accusers and condemn or accuse her. He loved her though He hated the sin she was involved in.
He asked her accusers,
John 8:7 " If anyone of you is without sin let him be the first to throw the stone at her."
We need to love those the world tramples and help them steady their faltering steps, pray for them and not be quick to condemn them.
2) Jesus without condemning her, just by showing His love unhooked her of her past. She no longer was a prostitute.
We too got to forgive and release people of their past.
When Jesus forgives He immediately forgets and let's that person follow him.
http://www.passionup.com/images/colstar.gif3)He gave her back her lost dignity.
He accusers called her a 'prostitute' but Jesus forgave, forgot and calls her 'Woman'.
John 8:10 "Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you? Then neither do I condemn you. Go now & sin no more."
John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
We need to be imitators of Jesus...!
We need to have the Father's heart...!
So in future let's think twice before we accuse a fellow bro/ sis. Let's not laugh at a struggling fellow traveler who slipped and fell.
It may drive them further down the pit they fell, instead of pulling them back.We are all, as our Pastor always says, "Sinners saved by Grace walking towards perfection."
And let's not uncover past sins or mistakes  of our fellow believers which Jesus had forgiven and forgotten long back. Let God's love rule our heart at all times.
When we turned to Him as sinners He picked us up as we were, looked upon us with mercy and compassion. He didn't look at our past and accuse us.  When we turned to Him from our sinful ways, He did not cast us out or abandon us, He lifted us up from the dirt and filth of sin, dusted off the dirt, looked past the shame of sin and looked lovingly into our eye's and said
" I love you as you are" "I died that you may live, you are mine I'll make everything new for you. I will bring glory to my Name through you. And it doesn't matter what people say, I'm able by my blood to wash you clean. I will make you white as snow".
He cleansed us with His precious blood and clothed us with His righteousness.
That's God's love.
Let's imitate Jesus Christ our Lord.
YSIC
Julia

" God's unfailing love for us is too big to understand, but it's not too big to share."
"We can never untangle all the woes in other people's lives. We can't produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul, or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart."


Judge not!


"Lord give us Your love in our hearts to love everyone like You loved, to pray for those who persecute us, not be quick to judge others as we may not really know what the truth is.Love You Lord, In Jesus Name,
Amen!"

Hi.....
 God's word says.."Judge not..."
Luke 6:3 [ Judging Others ] "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
But...how easily we judge people.
In the body of Christ there are people with different level of faith. Some are just babies in Christ, still learning to walk. so they fall and stumble.
The stronger brothers and sisters need to help the struggling and weak. They need to teach them, discipline, rebuke and correct them and pray for them and with them.
That's why God's Word says in..
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
The stronger you grow in the Lord our walk gets steadier and we are well equipped to resist the enemy.
But the strong and standing too need to be careful...
1 Corinthians 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
We are not all perfect..
We are all sinners saved by Grace and walking towards perfection.
HE IS PERFECTING US DAY BY DAY.
He's moulding and making us into a beautiful vessel of His choice.
He'll refine us in fire.
LET US BE YIELDED VESSEL IN HIS HANDS.
He clothes us with robe of righteousness
Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The Bible says...
1 John 3:2 "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
Then there are others who have wandered away. We need to pray for them and see if we can help in leading them back to the right path.
Let's not point fingers and scoff at the weak and struggling.
Let's not judge and label people.
Max Lucado writes....:
You’ve judged. You’ve labeled. You’ve slammed the gravel and proclaimed the guilt before knowing the facts. If that is you, go back to John 9:4 and understand what the work of God is: “While it is daytime we must continue doing the work of the one who sent me.”
        What is the work of God?

Accepting people.
Loving before judging.
Caring before condemning.
        LOOK BEFORE YOU LABEL.
~Max Lucado~
Let's not laugh at the weak and foolish, for God can choose them and make them mighty men and women of God.
1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."He detests the proud.
Proverbs 16:5 "The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."
As we grow stronger in Him..we walk steadier and we will know to flee from sin and temptation.
He will help us in our weaknesses...
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Let's think thrice before we act or speak...!
Let God's love rule our heart at all times.
Jesus expects us to be like the good Samaritan.
Let's be willing to learn, eager to grow and keep serving the Lord with gladness.
God Bless each of you..
Good Night,
Julia

Let us be slow to judge(compiled)


Prov 25:7b & 8a it's said.."....what you've seen with your eyes do not bring hastily to court....."
1 Cor 4:5,"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time...wait till the Lord comes....HE WILL BRING TO LIGHT WHAT IS HIDDEN IN DARKNESS & WILL EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF MEN'S HEART......."




A COLLECTION OF ATTITUDES FROM
THE LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE.
To the Lawyer the wounded man was a subject to discuss.
To the robbers the wounded man was someone to use and exploit.
To the religious men, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided
To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved.
To the innkeeper, the wounded man was a customer to serve.
TO JESUS ALL OF THEM WERE WORTH DYING FOR.
Jesus used the story of the good Samaritan to make clear what attitude was acceptable to Him!


Judge Gently... 
Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps 
Or stumbles along the road 
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears 
Or struggled beneath his load

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt
Though hidden away from view
Or the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble too

Don't sneer at the man who's down today 
Unless you have felt the blow 
That caused his fall or felt the shame 
That only the fallen know

You may be strong but still the blows 
That was his if dealt to you 
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time 
Might cause you to stagger too 

Don't be too harsh with the man that sins
Or pelt him with word or stone
Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -
That you have no sins of your own.


For you know, perhaps,
If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray
It might cause you to falter too
-- Author Unknown


Mark 9:  38"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
 39"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,
 40for whoever is not against us is for us. 
Philippians 1: 15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.
18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Set a guard at our mouth O Lord...





Hi family and friends,
The Bible says in..
Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips."
Foolish, loose talking, cracking coarse jokes seems 

to be OK in today's world.

But God's Word warns us in..
Ephesians 5:4 Nor should there be 

obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are 


out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Paul warns us that improper language should have 


no place in our conversation.

How can we praise and worship God and with the 


same mouth crack coarse jokes? Even listening and 


being entertained by such jokes sure offends the 


Holy Spirit.

It's time to draw a line. It's time to take a check of 


what comes out of our mouth.
Matthew 15:11 What goes into a man's 

mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what 


comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 


'unclean.'"
So it's time to watch what comes out..

Are our words pleasing to God? Let's be careful 


not to speak carelessly.
Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will 

have to give account on the day of judgment for 


every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by 


your words you will be acquitted, and by your 


words you will be condemned."

WORDS REVEAL WHAT'S IN OUR HEART.

May our prayer be in line with what the Psalmist 


said..

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O 
LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Abba Father guard our mouths and lips from, 


foolish talks, coarse joking, criticism, 


condemnation, gossip, slander, evil speaking, 


complaining, lying, false teaching, murmuring etc...


Help me to watch my words..

Set a guard over my mouth O Lord...

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen

YSIC

Julia