Brotherly Love

What makes up brotherly love? Brotherly love isn't confined among siblings..but is also inclusive of relations in the family of God.

My family has been blessed in that we share this love and grow stronger in the Lord because of our friendships. The thing I like the best is their inspiration on us towards good things, pure thoughts and refined selves.

We answer to the same authority.
We know and love our Lord Jesus.
When we fall, they pull us along and hold our arms up in prayer.
We are headed the same way in our aspirations and purpose.
They hunger for us to experience the same spiritual expereinces they have had.

In other words, they have got our back and know with full assurance we have got theirs! :D

Afterword on jealousy

Did you know jealousy rots your bones (Proverbs 14:30)? No amount of calcium is gonna save you there!!?

When you are jealous, you end up tearing down all your earlier efforts to love and encourage others....He has been really talking to me....and can you believe it thru 'one of my daughters storybooks on good behaviour? :D

Three verses stand out:
Romans 12:2- Do not be shaped by this world;instead be changed within by a new way of thinking..
2 Corinthians 10:5-Proud thoughts raise themselves against the knowledge of Christ..capture these and make it give up and submit to Christ.
Philippians 2:2-4- Get happy by thinking about Christ' love and share in his spirit...don't let pride be your guide..instead be humble and give more honor to others..don't give more importance to yourself than others

God really did some simple talking straight to me there!
Forget about the rest of the world, they are not important. Be Humble. Get happy.( put all those wicked thoughts under Christ' lock and key!)

You know what else? The more I hear his voice and realize my purpose here, the less prone am I to envy and jealousy. Towards the end of today, I was like,"Huh? So who's jealous here?"

HALP! Invasion of the Green Eyed Monster

OK, I could be really spiritual here and claim jealousy is for lesser mortals, but I'll be truthful instead. I mean,” Come on! I am yours! She ain’t even as close to you as I am. How come You leave me out then? How come she excels and succeeds at work without You by her side?”

In business, phrases like "friendly competition" and "may the best person win" are bandied about quite often. But how many of us actually mean that? When you have won that project, it is easy to sing Give God the Glory and mean it! But what about when you lose the project? And that too to someone who’s around to rub it in your face everyday? Yes siree, sometimes the truth is less honorable.

I can of course twist my words around…I amn't jealous! Just, uh … competitive, feeling left behind, feeling sorry for myself.

But the thing is in business and work, when competitiveness is combined with paranoia, you get wrong business ethics…in simpler words. You end up doing things you’d be ashamed to admit anywhere. Satyam becomes Asatyam.

Today I found myself in a difficult situation. Very Difficult Situation. A “friendly” competitor was moving in the kill faster than I could. To top it all, they are encroaching on what they know is my area of expertise. Heck! They are even using my artillery to push their proposal forward. Now one part of me wants to go after the prize myself. But you got to admit they were in the right place at the right time!

So then what are my ulterior motives? Sabotage? Dog in the manger?

:( I’m still working my way out of this mess. My arguments start and end with, ”But Still! How could they? Are you telling me I should let them get away with this?”

He’s telling me this much loud and clear(and I m not even in my QT yet!)

1) “"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" Luke 12:48. Sometimes less is already enough to worry about!

2) Do you honestly thing something that is wrongfully gained would be God’s plan for you? When Abraham and Lot had to part ways, (unjealous) Abraham gave Lot the first choice. Lot chose what he saw was good. Abraham chose what God saw was
right. And who ended up bringing up two daughters right at the threshold of the two most evil cities of their time?

3) What others do is My business, not yours.

…..will keep you posted on this battle…Do write in and tell me what you found most effective…At the moment I’m breaking the first commandment in our household, "Thou shall not whine!”

HALP! Invasion of the Green Eyed Monster

OK, I could be really spiritual here and claim jealousy is for lesser mortals, but I'll be truthful instead. I mean,” Come on! I am yours! She ain’t even as close to you as I am. How come You leave me out then? How come she excels and succeeds at work without You by her side?”

In business, phrases like "friendly competition" and "may the best person win" are bandied about quite often. But how many of us actually mean that? When you have won that project, it is easy to sing Give God the Glory and mean it! But what about when you lose the project? And that too to someone who’s around to rub it in your face everyday? Yes siree, sometimes the truth is less honorable.

I can of course twist my words around…I amn't jealous! Just, uh … competitive, feeling left behind, feeling sorry for myself.

But the thing is in business and work, when competitiveness is combined with paranoia, you get wrong business ethics…in simpler words. You end up doing things you’d be ashamed to admit anywhere. Satyam becomes Asatyam.

Today I found myself in a difficult situation. Very Difficult Situation. A “friendly” competitor was moving in the kill faster than I could. To top it all, they are encroaching on what they know is my area of expertise. Heck! They are even using my artillery to push their proposal forward. Now one part of me wants to go after the prize myself. But you got to admit they were in the right place at the right time!

So then what are my ulterior motives? Sabotage? Dog in the manger?

:( I’m still working my way out of this mess. My arguments start and end with, ”But Still! How could they? Are you telling me I should let them get away with this?”

He’s telling me this much loud and clear(and I m not even in my QT yet!)

1) “"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" Luke 12:48. Sometimes less is already enough to worry about!

2) Do you honestly thing something that is wrongfully gained would be God’s plan for you? When Abraham and Lot had to part ways, (unjealous) Abraham gave Lot the first choice. Lot chose what he saw was good. Abraham chose what God saw was
right. And who ended up bringing up two daughters right at the threshold of the two most evil cities of their time?

3) What others do is My business, not yours.

…..will keep you posted on this battle…Do write in and tell me what you found most effective…At the moment I’m breaking the first commandment in our household, "Thou shall not whine!”

Are You busy as a bee?

A friend of mine as a fridge magnet that reads: " DON'T BE B.U.S.Y." alongwith a graphic of a woman who has a briefcase in one hand, a nursing baby tucked in the crook of the same arm, a vaccum cleaner in the other hand as well as sauce pan bubbling away on the stove nearby -a very familiar scenario to me..all that was missing was my laptop!!

And what does B.U.S.Y mean? Being Under Satan's Yoke.

We've really underestimated that little imp Satan. He's gotten us so highly focussed on being an achiever that we forget he has ulterior motives. We are so busy making our plans and our own goals and then pray and ask God help us achieve them. Have I actually stopped and asked God whether this little diversion of mine was what he had actually had in mind for me?

Life on this earth without God's Plan is hollow. Satan has many cunning deceptions - fame, fortune, power, sexual desires, busy cares of the world, hobbies, leisure activities and many more.

God has another plan for the you. It is a Plan of meaning, a Plan of purpose. A Plan of life forever in an abundance of peace. We need to get reconnected to God mercy and love.We as sinners are separated from God's Kingdom, by our own lifestyles and choice, not God's.

The best part is it's FREE! No membership fees, no advance payments, no EMIs, no cacophony,... just a free invitation to an abundance of peace and purpose in God's Kingdom. All you need to do is stop a while from the business you call life and ask yourself whether whatever it is that occupies your time now is gonna get you credit points to Eternity. (don't misunderstand me here...it's not good deeds that get you to heaven!)

Do you think you are making the best use of your time and are you really a good steward of your time and life?

This is what God has to tell you today," Without Me, you can do nothing." John 15:5
But With Him, we can mount up with wings like eagles Isaiah 40:31

Letters to my sister

My youngest sister is highly accomplished- she’s barely 21 and she’s got a hotshot job in Google and climbing the corporate ladder with aplomb! In all that she sets out to do, be it singing, drama, writing, whining (ok, she does that one only to her elder sis’)- you name it, there’s none like her!

Rebecca’s determined that before she has to settle down in life she’s been there, done that. That way she has no regrets in the staid (or so she thinks) married life that’s to follow. Miria and I are extremely proud of her- I don’t remember being this focused or level headed when I was her age. (Any reader who wants to comment on me at that particular age, please refrain! :D, yea yea, I know it’s hard!)She knows all the pressures and troubles she could face and she stays steer clear of them.

But then, it’s hardly a surprise...I remember the seven year old Rebecca whose solution to everything was prayer. The best part of it was hers used to work better and quicker! It was like she had a direct hotline with God! And oh her voice-all the Sunday school songs that I’m trying hard to remember, I seem to recollect in her voice alone!

Yes, indeedy, God’s been faithful. He’s blesses her abundantly for one so young. She’s studying (and passing her tests with the highest marks!), working (and ranked among the highest performers), acclaimed drama artiste (you haven’t sent me the paper clipping yet, Becky!) and one of the Most requested singers in the Goggle TWIF!! And oh, did I mention she got her license recently??

I can’t wait to see what God has in plan for her. He’s given her the opportunities to be molded into someone who can be really powerful for Him. Our lives were created by God to glorify His name. Others may look at us and see the abundance of blessings that come from Him. He knows His purposes for us and how he wants us to live them out. Our very life belongs to Him. Rebecca, my desire for you is to walk in wisdom and make the most of your time and life (Read Colossians 4:5 and Ephesians 5:15). We maybe living one day at a time, but for each of them we are accountable for eternity!

God Bless you, my Love!Remember you are an arrow for Christ!

....God's Army and the Farmer

The prayer warrior’s work is not finished with the moving in of the ground assault. Once Ground assault starts then air force (intercessors, prayer warriors) become subject to them. Prayers are directed as missiles to the areas that Ground Assault draws our attention to.

We need to ensure that not only are principalities cast out, but that they are displaced as well. We must send out teachers and leaders to hold the ground that has been won. To build temples that Our Lord can inhabit where earlier Powers of darkness ruled. If we leave it empty then another principality will come to roost and we would be launching never ending attacks.

Let’s get rid of the war analogy and take it down to the farming analogy our Lord was so fond of using:
The ground is prepared and plowed (intercessors, prayer warriors) and awaiting the sower (field workers, evangelists, church planters.) After the seed is planted, then comes the care and fertilization(pastors, teachers.) The harvest is ahead of us. Our Lord's coming soon!

God's Army!

I am sure all of us know the song about never being able to march in infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot with the artillery…but Oh Yes Sir! I am in the Lord's Army.

1990-1991
Ajman, UAE.
I was 11 during the First Gulf War. The TV constantly updated us on the status and the various sophisticated weapons that were to be deployed. Our school issued warnings. We were urged to silicon seal our windows to prevent gas attacks. Many panic stricken aunties preferred to stock up on even salt among other essential commodities rather than fly back home and face a life of drudgery in Kerala.

My dad never let us panic among all the other negative influences around us. But with his enthusiasm, he made sure we know what was going on and what to be doing at any situation. In fact we kids were more fascinated and humored than scared. (It was only later in college when I became fast friends with a girl who traveled the deserts of Saudi Arabia on her own, got separated from her family and then reunited after 9 months back in Kerala that I realized the Provident hand of protection over me and mine.)

Anyways in the Gulf War, the first things to happen were the air strikes and then the ground assault. Apply that in the context of our ministry. If you want to testify or share the Good News with someone, first launch air warfare. Pray that the contraries are bound in heaven before we move on Earth. Unless the enemy is bound in Heaven, he can't be bound on Earth. And what is loosed in Heaven is released on Earth.

Our cavalry (Field workers, church planters, evangelists) can accomplish more if we move in with our Stealth Bombers first (prayer warriors). Once the cavalry has taken ground then it is upto us to hold that ground down as ours. We need to put our claim on that land. This is where our artillery comes in ( pastors, care cell leaders.)

What am I doing in the Body of Christ?

Last week in Church our pastor mentioned the conducting of classes on intercession in the coming month. To me, it seems as if he was talking to me specifically. It was just the day before that I was lamenting on my mechanical, drab joy-less prayer life. Oh sure, it’s done with great thankfulness. But something is lacking. I know not what. I'm hoping to find out what could be corrected in the coming classes.

I can not honestly call myself an effective Christian and it's this knowledge that's urging me forward. Yes, I have taken the first step. But salvation doesn’t make me unaccountable for my inaction. Salvation is just the beginning, we have the more important task ahead- The Great Commission. It's not enough that we take a decision but that we add to it through our actions. Every useless thing is discarded-so it is in nature.

Even the smallest part of our body works in conjunction with others to produce an effort. A uselss thing ends up a problem maker (ask your appendix if you don't believe me!)

All of us have a role to play . We just need to ask Him to show us where and what we must be doing in the Body of Christ.

Sisterhood In Christ

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."-Colossians 2:2-3

Ok this blog is mainly gonna be a monologue to my sisters...(not just blood ones!!) ASK ANY of them!It's what I do best..TALKING! ;)

I think I “talk” so much cause I have to express all that emotion to someone! Sometimes I need a sounding board to work out how I actually feel, how I must react, or Prayer Support. We need to tell someone how we feel and it’s not acceptable saying those things to the actual person…so we tell somebody else.

It takes two people to make any relationship. What makes a good friend? Talking about the common things we like and doing the things we like to do? When I think of a good friend/sister, it’s one I can count on when I mess up, one I can honestly tell when she's messing up etc. Many of my sister friends tell me that its uncany - we often end up doing or saying watever the other is thinking!

But there are times when I mess up being a sister/friend. When I am not around and or even not encouraging them in their love for Christ. I often find myself happy being in the dependent position rather than being the one depended upon. Maybe it's that I dont want to appear pushy. So mostly I delude myself into thinking they need their space and just pray. Being passive isnt always good.

I realize though the biggest thing that holds me back is myself. I myself am not transparent enough. Like being a leader. You shouldn’t have to tell people to follow you. You should act like the person they should follow. If I’m not acting like a good sister, then how can they be one too? I think a huge part of it is major pride issues and admitting that you are flawed…

I know I m blessed to have so many sisters around me. You guys encourage me, guide me , correct me and love me unconditionally. I hope and pray that I can be the same to you and to many more. There may be many times I ve let you down. But Yea, I m striving to correct and collect myself back so that together we can sit at the right hand of Christ.

P.S. If I m leaning on you too much and you think I could be standing on my own by now, tell me. Your faith in me is gonna definitely bolster me!!
And if you think you could do with a helping hand and shoulder to lean on, COME ON OVER!-mine's waiting for you!

Obedience 2

Just googled the same song... turns out there's a verse I didn't know....

We want to live pure, we want to live clean.
We want to do our best.
Sweetly submitting to authority, leaving to God the rest.
Walking in the light, keep our attitudes right, On the narrow way.
For if you believe the Word you receive, You always will obey!

Hmm...... there's a bit of swallowing words I need to be doing here.. lets see if I can learn it well enough to teach the kids soon.....

This verse actually does drive home the fact that this isnt just a kids song. Its an eye opener for adults too...Obedience to the faith is the only way for salvation. You must obey God’s way, by putting their faith in Christ, in order to be saved. Secondly, it is an act of obedience on our part to act in faith and carry His word to all nations (The Great Commission). Thirdly, it is certain that true faith is going to produce obedience to the faith in our lives.

Obedience!

Eureka!
There was this song I had learnt long time back in Sunday School... there's was just one line I had missed out in memory.. had been praying over it... and I GOT IT!...HERE IT IS.....

The OBEDIENCE Song
Obedience is the very best way, to show that you believe.
Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily.
Action is the key - do it immediately, joy you will receive. (this was the line I 'd missed!)
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.


:D...Guess I know what I 'll be doing next weekend!! I often make sure at least one or two of the next generation know the songs I learnt.. It's a quest I've been on for a while...gather all the kids I can get... and teach them the same.

Procrastination

I’ve been worried about a particular character trait present in our family- Procrastination.
Ephesians 5:16 instructs us to "Redeem the time, because the days are evil."

God doesn’t bless me with something I needed yesterday. He takes care of my needs before I even know I need it…He send His Son to die for my sins even before I was born!! In fact, that would be proactive. So to procrastinate would be the total opposite of what God wants to see in our life.

When we procrastinate, we are actually undermining the purpose of God in our lives—we fall out of sync with His plans and purposes for us today. In fact, we end up rejecting many of His blessings coz we were too lazy to grab the opportunity He extended.

Coupled with Time mismanagement, procrastination is turning out to be the most effective weapon in satan’s arsenal against my family. Would you help me find promise verses and prayers I can say over my household to break down satan’s stronghold?

Good Morning, Beloved!!

My God has the most original sense of humorI 've ever encountered! In a daring turn of events today morning, God used BMW to tell us,"Good Morning, My darlings! I'm right here taking care of you today!"

There I was running thru' getting the kids rushed off to school. Now in our daily morning race to get both Sharen and Jo ready for school, duties are clearly delineated. I am in charge of breakfast and tiffins, school packs, swim wear, signing off any circulars, hair, ironed uniforms and all that kind of paraphernalia. Hubby dearest is in charge of cleanliness and appearance.

Usually everything goes according to clockwork. We can do it in our sleep (which we usually do!).
Today, however, I saw all three of them hunched over something on the floor. The boys had identical shell-shocked looks on their faces while Sharen was squinting at something a wee bit out of their focus.

I rushed over and there it was!
A centrefold of the latest BMW. Sleek and gleaming with lush interiors. My husband was all but drooling. Anyone who knows my husband remotely well knows that it has been his desire to buy an E class by the time he's 38. The E class got strict competition today morning by the BMW.

Sharen finally managed to read the sentence she was struggling over. A quote by Jonathan Swift(yea, the same guy who made my undegrad life miserable by writing the epic, "The Battle Of Books" )..."Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." It was smack in the midddle of the ad.

What happened next was one of my HSI (Holy Spirit Inspired) moments.
Now, what I was doing there with a correction pen at that moment of time, I do not know. But I quickly scribbled a few additions, struck out the words Vision and Jonathan Swift:

Dear Renjith,
Faith is the art of seeing things invisible.
Yehovah Yireh.

With the quirkiest kind of humor I've seen, God sure chose the best way to say Good Morning to us today morning!! He affirmed our belief that our God surely knows our hearts desires and he used BMW to tell us nothing is impossible for him.

Both of us had been talking earlier in the morning but whether we would really be able to tackle all the tasks God is gonna assign us. I was telling him in particular about yesterday's post where I affirm that if I'm plugged in to recharge at the right place, only good will flow out of me. God's power can strengthen us to do the impossible.

Today in our infancy we consider the BMW a wisp of fiction, the impossible...as we mature in Him, and it gets more attainable, we will know better to give it only as much importance as it deserves. But Yes, this was definitely God telling us to Keep The Faith! Nothing is Impossible for Him! He gives us all things according to His riches in Glory. The recorrected poster's stuck at our bedside so that hubby remains motivated.

BTW, did any of you realize how out of place the original quote is on a car ad? NOW do you see why I said God really used BMW to send us a Huge Good Morning?

Uninterrupted Power Supply!!

One of our primary business concerns is the distribution of branded Home Inverters or UPS. These ensure uninterrupted power supply to any home.

The demand after a recent ad was unbelivable. Everyone wants one.They find it uncomfortable being without electricity for even half an hour. I stay in a flat, like many other flats in Kerala. The current cuts here are not as severe as in many other states of Kerala. Yet, there's a huge demand for this product.

This got me thinking. We are all engaged in the distribution of the most powerful and FREE! energy source in the world. The parallels I can draw between our chosen product and our Great Commisssion.....I can go on and on...

But let me just explain it in as brief as possible.
When you are baptised you are given access your own jack to the God's Power Supply. You can recharge to your hearts content here.

God is like electricity. The Holy Spirit is like the wire that delivers the current and God is the power source. When we "plug into" the Spirit we are energized by the power of God.
We are plugged into the jack to allow the anointing to flow through us continually. Electricity(anointing) flows thru the 11KV wires(Holy Spirit) right into your temple.

From the time Jesus ascended into heaven, we have been given this FREE supply of the Holy Spirit and the POWER to do all the miracles he did.

All we need to do is Yield to the Spirit!!

.....And for Sharen Too!

To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the Lord. Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.Proverbs 1:7 (KJV)

The Bible talks about the "fear of God"in many places. I have taught you this before- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. By Fear it is not that you have to be scared of your God. No, it's more of respecting Him for all that he has done for you. In spite of all your sins, He loves you and is willing to take the blame for you. He is interceding for you (that means he's telling Yehovah, Father, Please forgive Sharen Mol. She knows she has done wrong and will definitely not repeat it.) HE HAS BOUGHT YOU WITH HIS BLOOD!

What is wisdom? Wisdom would be understanding. Understanding of what a thing or person actually is. When you love and respect your God, He sends your special helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with you. You will be able to make out the difference out between who is real and true and who has evil thoughts and ideas in their head. You will gain knowledge as to what's right for You, God's Child.

Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run. Proverbs 4: 13 (GN)
We should talk to God, tell others about God and think of God as the most important being everywhere. Through learning to love God and learn about Him by reading His Word, the Bible, we will begin to know what true wisdom is. Proverbs 2: 6 says Its the Lord who gives wisdom, from him comes knowledge and understanding..

Something For Johann

When sinners tempt you, my son, do not give in. Proverbs 1:10(GN)

There are LOTS of people in this world who do not love our God, who choose not to listen to Him. They do things that don't always please God. And many a time they will try to get you to do things that don't make God happy too. Even if it a small white lie or a big, fat whopper, remember- Jesus will hurt that you sinned.

But because you love God you should listen to God and be deaf to those that don't love God. You should do what is right and do things that make God happy. By doing that, maybe others will choose to do the same.

Talk about slow!

It' been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, created dry land, planted a garden, created animals and fish... all before creating a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food. Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion,Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

The Old and the New

At a care cell recently, we were having a discussion on the importance of meditating on the Word of God recently. One of teh young asked why do we still have bibles with the Old Testament? Sice it's just stories and geneology, can't we give it just as much as importance as you would a fiction novel?




The Holy Spirit helped me answer this one with a profound statement that I must testify came from the Heavens. I said," How could you possibly have a testimony without the past?"