Knowing in parts requires discernment

2 Corinthians 11 (KJV)

1Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Reflection:

We who are given authority over God's flock need to be "jealous" over them. Yesterday I was ministering at a cell and interestingly I spoke about the unity we need to have in the Body. God places authorities over us and there is no need to compare or compete with them or even amongst them whom He places over us. Each of us have a part to play, as in the normal human body, and there will be no two similar parts even though our mind may tell us otherwise.

Our desire to want someone else's role is similar to the temptation which Eve fell into. God will give us another role as we journey with Him but it will not be exactly the same as the role we had desired of the other person. We are all made uniquely by Him and there is no "identical twins" in this world.

Amongst our flock that God has given to us to oversee, there will be the more matured ones, who can and will have to minister to the less matured ones. These less matured ones are the ones who are starting this "Christian" journey and may have a greater worldy mindset which will naturally encourage mumuring and complaining. The role of the more matured Christian is to jealously guard the unity of the Body.

Does that mean we must submit to all authorities, good and bad? The answer to this question is, yes! Our battle is in the spiritual realm, not againtst flesh and blood, more so against our Christian brothers and sister (even if they don' t live up to our expectation) and therefore we need to battle on our knee in prayer for God to change them.

Any negative fruit that is displayed in our lives is derived from a bitter root, which if we let God reveal it to us and work in us, He will show us. We then need to work to rid of this bitter root of judgement and expectation. We can pray in Jesus name for this bitter seed to be destroyed and replaced with the seed that bring life and unity to the Body of Christ, the church. This is the only option we have as Christians - love and serve God and love and serve one another.

Let me conclude with what happened in the cell yesterday. We prayed for God to forgive us of our sins and to restore unity to and in His Body, the church and partook the Holy Communion together. Just as they did in the early church in the Book of Acts we had fellowship over food.

Can my faith in Him grow?

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2

Faith as a mustard seed. (Matt 17:20); Faith that moves mountains (Matt 21:21-22); Faith to see other saved, healed and delivered (Mk16:17-18)

Father, please undergird my faith and empower me to trust You in everything I do or say. Help me to rest in the assurance that You will finish what has already begun in me. In Jesus name, Amen

(Give me 40 day by Freda Bowers)

Dependent upon Him

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and shall walk, and not faint. Isa40:31

Reflection: Do I trust Him, delight in Him, praise Him, love Him, hear Him, seek Him, follow Him , obey Him and surrender all!

Reflection: too much...too little...His plan?

too much...too little...His plan?
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

II Corinthians8: 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. II Corinthians

15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

What is Your plan for me?

Is My pain greater?

1Co 6:14 And God has both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

1Co 6:15 Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid.

1Co 6:16 What? know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, says he, shall be one flesh.

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

1Co 6:19 What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own?

1Co 6:20 For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

John Maxwell's wisdom

The wrong decision at the wrong time = disaster
The wrong decision at the right time = mistake
The right decision at the wrong time = unacceptance
The right decision at the right time = Success


People change when they hurt enough that they have to change;
learn enough that they want to change;
receive enough that they are able to change!


Reflection : Am I ready?

DSC01715.JPG Give me 40 days - Freeda Bowers

DSC01715.JPG
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

Heaven and earth shall pass away;
but my words shall not pass away Lk 21:33

Praying scripture aloud:
1. Ps 51 - Repentance
2. Nu 6:24-26 Blessings
3. Ps 23 Protection
4. Mat 6:9-13 The disciples' prayer
5. 1 Cor 13 Love
6. Pro 3: 5-6 Direction
7. Ps 107:28-30 Deliverance

Put your name in the prayer as you pray the Word
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgiveth all ___________'s iniquites;
Who healeth all __________'s diseases;
Who redeemeth _____________'s life from destruction;
Who crowneth _________'s with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth _________'s mouth with good things;
so that ___________'s youth is renewed like the eagle's ...Ps 103:1-5

DSC01715.JPG Devotional thought

DSC01715.JPG
Originally uploaded by chandrangopalan

II Corinthians

6 1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

1. Did Paul suffer? Did Jesus suffer? Do we need to suffer?
2. Were they in a rested state in their suffering....doing His will and glorifying His name?
3. How do I reach that level of contentment?

Second writing

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 
Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. 

Reflection:
Why do we have outburst of anger and vain imaginations?
Who do we get counsel from when in need for any direction in our life?
How does a Creator react to a rebellious creation, does He have a right to react?
Where is this Creator placed (priority) in our day to day existence, do we give thought to Him?
When can we declare His ability to save us and who does He want to save and what is He saving us from?
What will our reaction be to our creation (children) if we were a creator (parent) when they are foolish and don't follow instructions?
Do we trust anyone or is there anyone we can look to who empowers us to love and serve others?

second writing

first writing

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Reflection:
How can we be blessed?
Who are the ungodly, the sinner and the scornful?
What do we delight and meditate on day and night?
Which rivers of water feeds our source?
When do our fruit show or do our leaf heal?
Where does the chaff rest in the end?

My first posting

Today is my first day at blogging and I got Joshua to help me learn how to blog. I wanted to connect with my friends out there and this seems to be the way to do it.