Standing before Kings

 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before Kings Proverbs 22:29

The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and He hath set the world upon them. I Samuel 2:8

The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

That He may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. Psalm 113:7,8

David's life story is amazing and truly a great motivation. For from being a shepherd boy, he rose to stand before kings.But even before becoming a king, there were two instances in his life where he stood before kings.

What was he doing as a shepherd that he stood before Kings?

1. He knew the scriptures.

Well, if you see Psalm 113:7,8 is a repetition of I samuel :8 .There are many Psalms telling the story of Genesis and Exodus. He had been a good meditator of God's word as a shepherd.

2. David plays harp

Bible shows he has used his free time, devotion time in playing harp and singing songs to the Lord.This was his hobby. How did this make him stand before kings?

It is interesting to read about it in I Samuel 16:14-23. Saul was tormented by an evil spirit sent by the Lord and so they searched for a person playing harp. When they knew David played harp Saul asked Jesse to send his son to the palace leaving the sheep (or shepherd work)

3. Being a shepherd

He did a sincere work as a shepherd. He loved his sheep more than his life. That is why when bear or lion came he was able to kill it. How will taking care of sheep make him stand before kings? And this story is all time favorite for all sunday school children.God is amazing!!

Well, the jist of this blog is no matter where you are (maybe in desert just seeing the sheep or butterflies) , what you are doing ( playing tabla or just tapping on the table and making music), GOD can make you stand before Kings.

Nothing matters for God. Only your faith matters

Remember.....What to remember ?

Dear friends in Christ, 

 It is always important to remember who we were when Christ chose us.Of course it is true we are new creation in Christ. Old things are gone and all have become new. This remembrance of us, is not to make us like dogs eating their own vomit. But instead it is to humble ourselves in Christ and boast only about Him.Pride is the greatest enemy that completely destroys us. Satan knows that , since he has experienced God's wrath because of his pride. 

I would like to show examples from bible, of how one person forget who he was before God chose him and had to experience terrible death and of another person who remembered who she was before God chose and choose to humble and obey. 

 Well, the first person is Saul the first king of Israel. When Samuel chose him as King, although being the tallest there was not a pride in him. 1Samuel 9:21 says, Saul said to Samuel "I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?" .But when he started cherishing people's voices , he completely forgot how he became a King. Or Who made him King. God was forgotten in his life. So God allowed all the spirits which made him more worse. In the battle with the Philistines, Saul was defeated. And so he took a sword and fell upon it [1 Samuel 31:4]

The other person is Esther the Queen. There are many people in the bible who humbled themselves till death after Christ chose them. But I would like to show what Queen Esther did. She was floating in favorism. There is no count of the virgins with whom she competed. King Ahaserus reigned from India unto Ethiopia over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces. From all these provinces beautiful young virgins were sought out for the King. Sure there must have been more competition. She got favorism from everyone around her. She understoon that it was the Lord's doing. That is why even after she became a queen, she choose not to trust in her beauty and charmness. But listening to Mordecai she remembered "God is everything".

May God always help us to remember that we are formed from the dust of the ground and remember God's doings in our life that it was "GOD".

Choose happiness during Death

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might

Ecclesiastes 9:10 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

Jochebed - do you know who she is

She is the mother of Moses. Pharoah on seeing the growth of Israelites ordered execution of all male children. On hearing this, Jochebed didn't keep mourning on the plight of her son who was born. But she did with all her might to save the child in whatever ways she could. Hiding her son's birth was not an independent task too. She trained her daughter too in hiding the message of her brother baby at home.Instead of letting him be murdered, she took a basket and coated the bottom with tar, to make it waterproof. Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. At that same time, Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river. One of her maidservants saw the basket and brought it to her.

Miriam, the baby's sister, watched to see what would happen. Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. She was told to do that. Miriam fetched her mother, Jochebed -- who was also the baby's mother -- and brought her back.

Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for the boy, her own son until he grew. Then she brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him as her own  .

Not only was her son saved, but she was paid to nurse for her own baby. Amazing.
When trouble comes, lets not sit and lament. Instead do whatever our hands can do by trusting in God. Amen.

LOVE CLINIC (Based on Christian Faith)

Do you know what is the height of spiritual maturity. Is is not speaking in tongues. It is not prophesying. It is not healing the sick. It is not receiving the power to vanish or to bring to life the dead. It is LOVE.

1.Forgiving our enemies - One o the greatest aspect of LOVE.

Luke 174
             "then said Jesus, Father , forgive them , for they know not what they do."
Jesus spoke the above before dying on the cross. The death on the cross is the most terrile death. He wouldnt have endured pain on the hands and legs alone but on the whole ody. And that pain would have been more because of the gravitational force.And in such pain he says, "Father forgive them ".

Acts 759,60
            And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying , Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. And He kneeled down and cried with a loud oice , Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when He had said this, He fell asleep.

One thing is needed - That Good part which cannot be taken away from us

Luke 10: 38 –

38. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word.

40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

41. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42. But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Dear All,

 Greetings in the precious name of Jesus Christ. It’s been long since I wanted to write this. May God our father help us to choose that good part, which is needful and which shall not be taken away from us.  For many days, I didn’t know what that good part was. I used to think, why Jesus had been harsh to Martha. Just imagine a relative has come to your house, and you just sit with them and keep chatting, without preparing any meals for them. What would be the thought of that relative Uncle. Just put your uncle in Jesus place. What would your uncle have answered? He would have obviously asked your sister to come and help you. Is it not?. So what’s wrong? Why did Jesus answer so? What is the good part that Mary chose? What is that thing which cannot be taken from her?

Well, it is the PRESENCE OF GOD. Jesus doesn’t want any of your servings or meals. He longs for your presence. He just wants to chat with you and love you more and more. We may keep going after work, doing this and that. They are all temporary. They will one day avanish. You have to stop working one day. But it is only the presence of God that is permanent if chosen. Yes, only if you choose it. And His Presence delights you. Blessed, blessed, blessed are those who have experienced this delight.

Had Martha also delighted in Jesus presence like Mary, they would have eaten together a very special meal miraculously created by our Lord Jesus.  Even we too might tell(This message is esp for me, bcoz I am just like Martha. That is why Holy Spirit revealed to me be like Mary and I wanted to share it with you) that we have a project to finish, we have a meal to cook, we have got to clean the house, we have got to constantly watch our kid. But I tell you, that if we are going to take a decision and spend our little time with Jesus, He will start giving us more time to sit with Him by handling all of our chores. Yes, just start spending your time with Him and just see the transformation around you.(Believe it or not, this is the truth).

Few verses which describes, how David experienced God’s presence.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 15:11

Surely you have granted him unending  blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

Psalm 21:6

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Psalm 51:11

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.

Psalm 89:15

7Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark  to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Ps 138 7-12

July 7^th, I was urged to write. But I too got distracted and alas by God’s grace I have obeyed to that urge to complete it. 

What BIBLE tells about Drinking

I was urged to write this for long time. Many people think, drinks are given in churches and Christians have fun time there. Also for all celebrations , Christians drink and enjoy as a family. Well let me illustrate you the verses in the Bible, which teaches on drinking. Then you will understand what type of teaching is there in the Bible for yourself.

Instructions given by God for His workers(who are dedicated to Him like today’s Pastors ,Deacons and believers)

Numbers 6:1-4

1. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, 3he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.

Instruction given to a Mother on how to grow up a child (who was called to be dedicated to God)

Judges 13:3,4

3.Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4.Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

1Timo 3:2,3,8

2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3. not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 8. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money.

Instructions to Kings on Drinking

Proverbs 31:4

4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

Consequences of Drinking

Proverbs 20:1

1. Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Proverbs 21:17

17.Whoever loves wine will never be rich.

Proverbs 23:19-21

19.Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. 20.Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21.For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:29-35

29.Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30.Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31.Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32.At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33.Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34.Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35."They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?

Isaiah 5 :11,12,13

11.Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them! 12.The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands. 13.Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst.

Isaiah 28:1,2,3

1.Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine! 2.Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3.The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot;

Hosea 4:11

11."Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.