Spiritual Nuggets 4 U

I will praise You, O Lord , with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
Psalms 9:1 NKJV

Today my son turned 7!!!

It has been 7 beautiful and wonderful years for us as a family. It’s just not a day of celebration for us but a day to be immensely thankful for giving us a son and for keeping both of us alive.

This day always brings back fresh memories of Feb 6th of 2012. I thought of sharing it, especially because it was a life and death experience for both my son and I.

It was the early hours of a snowy Monday morning, 3 weeks before the actual due date. My waters broke and I was taken to the hospital for a normal delivery. Just when I was about to push the baby out, mistakenly I was given a painkiller. Due to this, my head started to spin like crazy and my baby’s heartbeat showed NILL on the monitor. The emergency alarm was triggered and around 15 people turned up in the room. Until then, it was just my mom, my husband, and 1 mid-wife were there in the room. The baby was in a serious condition and hence they had to use forceps to take the baby out alive. The situation was so crucial that the things that would usually happen in a normal delivery never happened like recording the time of birth, dad cutting the umbilical cord or even weighing the baby. By GOD’s immense grace and mercy our baby was alive and well.

During this process, they did a 3rd-degree tear and I lost a significant amount of blood and was rushed to the Operation Theatre for surgery. None of us knew the severity of the situation. Never in my wildest dream had I thought that I would be battling for my life after my child’s birth.

They just wrapped our son and left the baby with my husband and mom.

Inside the theatre, I was surrounded by atleast 10 to 15 doctors and nurses. As I was lying there I heard someone speaking on the phone and screaming on top of their voice to get O-ve blood.

There was complete chaos and even in my half conscious mind, I told the doctor standing next to me that my blood group is O+ve and not O-ve. He assured me that I can still be given O-ve blood and its ok. After this I wasn’t aware of what was going on, except that I was drifting off to a deep deep sleep, a sleep like I never felt before, so peaceful.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4 NKJV

I had been in the hospital from midnight and hadn’t slept the entire night, so I thought I was obviously tired. Even in all this chaos I was constantly reminded of  my son’s chubby face that I just saw few minutes ago.

After a while, I suddenly felt like someone was calling my name in a distance, and slowly the voice started getting louder and now I could also feel someone pushing the oxygen mask harder and harder on my face, it started to hurt and someone saying there’s no pulse, there’s no pulse. So, I suddenly opened my eyes and pushed the mask away, to my shock I saw a lady’s face just an inch away from my face and she was screaming my name “Alpha” on top of her voice. As soon as I opened my eyes she moved her face away. I saw all these people staring at me as if seeing someone die. The look on their faces was so grave that I took out my oxygen mask and asked “Am I very serious?”. No-one replied to me except that someone pointed out and said “Look colour is returning to her face”. At the same time, 2 people on both sides of my bed were piercing my hands with needles and looking for pulse. After about 2 and a half hours I was brought out of the theatre. Later I came to know that I lost 2.5 litres of blood i.e. nearly half of the blood in my body and was literally about to die. My haemoglobin was 4 and they couldn’t find O+ve blood and hence had to give me O-ve in order to save my life.

I heard of the trauma my husband and my mom were having, as they were clueless about what was going on in the theatre and the chaos they saw. At one point they both thought I was dead.

A few months later at a prayer meeting, 1 of our friends saw a vision where he saw an Angel of death standing next to me and how the BLOOD of JESUS pleaded for my life while I was battling life and death in the operation theatre. JESUS saved my life.

“… You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.”
Psalms 9:13‭-‬14 NKJV

GOD in HIS immense grace and mercy kept me alive to this very day, so I could share with you all, that we are alive for a purpose and not for our own. Unless you and I finish it He will not call us home.

Today know that “You are alive and breathing for a divine purpose and not your own”. When the petty things of day to day life pulls you down, be grateful that you are still breathing and you have a mission to accomplish.

I am so very grateful for the lovely 7 years of my son Anael (meaning ‘Grace of GOD’) and the amazing 7 years of motherhood and the very life GOD has given me.

Be grateful for everything in your life and know that you are alive for HIM and for his Divine purpose!

I found out more things I can actually implement this year in Romans chapter 12, here are few pointers, although the 1st 2 are from Luke.

1. You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind
2. Love your neighbor as yourself
3. Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them
4. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good
5.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other
6. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically
7. Rejoice in our confident hope
8. Be patient in trouble
9. Keep on praying
10. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them
11. Always be eager to practice hospitality
12. Bless those who persecute you
13. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them
14.  Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep
15. Live in harmony with each other
16. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people
17. And don’t think you know it all!
18. Never pay back evil with more evil
19. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable
20. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone
21. Never take revenge, leave that to the righteous anger of God
22. Help your enemies
23. Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good

Personally I am going to take a printout of this list and hang it in a place somewhere I can read it every morning. It will be a wonderful reminder to start your day.

As you can notice I have taken a verse from Luke: 10:27 and topped it in my list because there’s nothing more important than loving our LORD and making it our top priority.

Have a blessed and fruitful day! GOD bless!

Happy New Year!!!

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. Lamentations:3:22-23(ESV)

New Year begins with new hopes, new expectations, new goals, new habits for some of us and for others its just the same routine with another new month. Many of us start making resolutions which we strive hard to keep while some of us don’t bother making resolutions when we know we might fail keeping them.

Wherever you stand today, know that everyday is a new day and GOD’s mercies are new every morning. Even as we have completed half of January, let’s review ourselves. Let’s take time to reflect on our journey so far.

Personally I always would like to start the New Year as a fresh start for my life. I do acknowledge that I’m quite not good at keeping my resolutions, but I like to try to get better at it. One of the things I like to do is stop carrying the negative things of last year into the new year, things that bothered me, things that made me sad or slowed me down.

Heres a list of things you can focus on getting better this year.

• Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry – Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James:1:19
• Love unconditionally, specially the tough ones – But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Mathew:5:44
• Not to speak anything negative about anyone – Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. James :1:9
• Stop complaining –  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. I Th:5:18 
• Be Patient- Be patient with everyone. I Th:5:14
• Choose to be happy- Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.Phil:4:4

Try making your own list and challenge yourself to keep them. One of the things that can motivate you is to think of the reward and think about the smile you will bring to the Father GOD.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.Phil:4:13

Have a great and productive year 2019!!!

If you ask me which is my favourite verse from the Bible, I would say its Zephaniah 3 verse 17.

‘The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”’ Zephaniah 3:17 

Every time I am overwhelmed in my life because of something or someone and my faith and hope seems to have vapourised from within me, I always go back to this verse and find comfort. Just the thought of knowing that my Heavenly FATHER is singing over me brings me tremendous joy and comfort.

GOD ALMIGHTY creator of Heaven, Earth and the Seas and everything that exists is our FATHER.

HE longs for each one of us more than we could ever imagine or think of. Some of you might wonder GOD never cares for you or HE has got so many others to take care of and you are not one of them, so on and so forth. But the truth is that GOD loves you and HE longs for you and your friendship. The entire book of Isaiah speaks about the longing that GOD our FATHER has for us and the love with which HE loves us.

The crux of the love of the FATHER is put in this one verse,

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ‘ John 3:16 

GOD so loved the world beyond words could express, beyond one’s imagination or comprehension. It’s easy to deny the existence of GOD or GOD as a FATHER when we are surrounded by challenges and difficulties. We become blind and ignorant to the fact that our only help and comfort is found in HIM.

Our Heavenly FATHER has shown us HIS love by sending JESUS to die for us and saved us from death by giving us eternal life. That’s the greatest joy of a believer who has invited JESUS into their hearts and lives. But when confronted with troubles we often times forget who we are. I have come across people and I for one have done it in so many circumstances, where I felt GOD has forsaken and abandoned me and I felt I was not worthy enough for GOD to help me. One particular time when I sat in HIS PRESENCE HE so gently nudged me through HIS lovely HOLY SPIRIT saying “You are my daughter” , and that entirely changed my perspective. Just the thought that “I am my FATHER’s daughter”, “I am the KING of Kings” and “The LORD of Lords daughter”, completely changed me. No matter what happens, GOD never judges us by our mistakes, once we repent and turn to HIM, HE never brings up the past and never weighs HIS love based on our good deeds.

‘He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.’ Psalms 103:10-13 

HIS love is unconditional -Agape Love that will lift us up from the most darkest place and puts us in HIS embrace. HE is tender and compassionate.

Today my dear friend, realize that GOD loves you because HE is your FATHER and HE cares for you more than anyone on this planet earth. You don’t have to earn HIS love by being a good person. HE loves you just as you are. No matter how you feel right now, maybe you feel HE is far away or you feel you are in the deepest pit, GOD is right there holding YOUR hand and longing for you. HE is longing for you to come back to HIM.

You are HIS precious daughter and son.

Today live your life with this realisation that YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE KING!

Lets meditate on them.

1. Haughty Eyes/Proud look – GOD hates pride. Here are few verses you can meditate Proverbs: 11:2,13:10, 16:18, 21:24, 29:23

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them.Prov: 14:3

It’s better to not come under the category of a fool by being prideful. Let’s choose to be humble in all our ways

2. Lying Tongue – GOD hates lying and HE hates liars, be it black or white lie. HE says that the devil is the father of lies and when you lie you are his sons and daughters. That is pretty scary in itself. I would never ever want to be called that way, and I’m sure you wouldn’t too.

 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ” John 8:44 NKJV

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 NKJV 

Some of the other verses are Proverbs: 14:5,25,19:5,9, I Timothy: 4:2

One more surprising truth is found in the below verse,

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? I John 4:20 NKJV

Its not an easy one but if you want to please GOD, better not to hate anyone or tell lies.

3. Murderer – GOD is the giver of life and it is only HE who has authority to take it. Cain was the first murderer. JESUS tells us in I John 3:15 that those who hate their own brother is a murder. So even if you don’t kill someone physically, but you hate someone, not necessarily your own brother, you still fall under the same category of murders.

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. I John 3:15 NKJV

4. Evil Heart– In Jeremiah : 17:9, Mathew: 15:19 the Bible clearly states that out of the heart comes evil desires.

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?Jr : 17:9

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. Mt :15:19

Surrender your hearts to JESUS and ask HIM to guard your heart against all evil according to the below verse.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Proverbs :4:23
The heart is the source, if its well guarded then it will produce good fruits if not then it becomes the source of all evil.

5. Wrongdoing – Also known as quick in doing evil. Genesis 39:12 says Joseph ran from temptation. He did not run towards it but ran from it. Also GOD says in 2 Timothy 2:22 and Psalm: 37:27-29 to run from evil. How often do we stick around close to the flares of temptation just to be consumed by its flames? GOD clearly wants us to RUN from doing wrong and from giving in to temptations.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[a];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.Psalms: 37:27-29
Today examine your walk, whether you run towards evil by wrongdoing or towards good by doing Godly things.

6. False witness –  The simple definition of false witness is “A person who deliberately gives false testimony”.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus : 20:16

I’m sure most of us would be unaware of false witness, now how can we relate this to our day to day life? Being a false witness does also mean to spread false rumors or gossip about someone. Gossip has become a common thing among believers but GOD warns us about gossip in several verses, some of them are Exodus 23:1, Leviticus :19:16, James :4: 11, Proverbs: 16:28, 18:8,20:19, Psalms :34:13

And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. I Timothy 5:13 NKJV 

Let us make the below verse our prayer,

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalms :141:3
7.One who sows discord- As Children of the most High GOD we are called to be Peacemakers and ones that unite and not divide people. GOD hates people who sow discord in a family, workplace or anywhere. The below verses clearly state to keep out such division makers out of Church – Romans: 16:17,18, Titus: 3:10.

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him. Titus: 3:10

Let us make it a point to meditate on these verses and to live a life completely pleasing to the LORD. Ask the HOLY SPIRT to lead you and guide you in your desire to please HIM.

Let’s start pleasing GOD in our day to day life!!!!

Who are you listening to? Listen to GOD’s truth, not the devil’s lie.

A few days back on a weekday I suddenly started feeling very down, and before I knew it I was getting all sorts of negative feelings about myself. At the end of the day I had all kinds of negative thoughts- that I was not good enough, I was a failure etc etc.

Although I read through the below verses during my personal devotion, I just missed out on confessing them or meditating on them.

Psalms 139 : 16-18 in Passion Translation-

¹⁶ You saw who you created me to be before I became me!^[g]
    Before I’d ever seen the light of day,
    the number of days you planned for me
    were already recorded in your book.^[h]
17–18 Every single moment you are thinking of me!
    How precious and wonderful to consider
    that you cherish me constantly in your every thought!
    O God, your desires toward me are more
    than the grains of sand on every shore!
    When I awake each morning, you’re still with me.

That evening as I sat down for our family prayer the HOLY SPIRIT reminded me of these verses and spoke to me about how I had allowed the lies of the enemy to put me down. HE lifted off the burden from me and made me realize how much HE would love me, with all my flaws and failures to think about me constantly in HIS thoughts. HIS desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore. In fact, every time HE sees me, HE sees me as HIS finished Masterpiece rather than the mess that I am now.

This particular incident made me wonder how many times do we believe the lie of the enemy over our lives, education, career, relationship, children, job, finances, health etc.

Do we confess GOD’s word over the lies spoken against us or do we settle with the lie of the enemy?

Today I encourage you to tune yourself to listening to GOD’s voice through HIS Word  and through HIS HOLY SPIRIT and shutting down the enemy. One of the best ways you can overcome those negative thoughts or words spoken against you is through the Word of GOD. Start confessing GOD’s Word out loud, and let the enemy hear the truth and make for a run.

Study the Bible not just read it, apply it to your day to day life.

If you have a check in your name for a huge sum of money and you never deposit it and continue to still live in poverty, that’s exactly how it is to have the Bible or even to read the Bible and not apply it.

Let’s start studying and applying GOD’s Word today!!!

While meditating on the above verse I was trying to google for some properties of the Salt, and I found this interesting one,

“It’s been proposed that adding salt to food enhances other flavors by tying down water molecules. Basically, salt might stop water molecules from diluting all the other flavors in your food. In this case, salt isn’t there to add a salty taste, but rather to hide bitterness.”

It is fascinating to know that, how a pinch of salt can turn a tasteless dish into a delicious one.

Now how does that apply to us in real life?  How can we be SALT? Being a salt (Born-again/Spirit-filled Child of GOD) can bring a huge difference to this world. Specially when you are out in the world be it your classroom, workplace or even a park, you will definately make a diffference. You will stand out in the crowd when you are a Salt. Your words will be different full of kindness and love, your actions would point out to JESUS and your behavior would not be the same as others. This can be easily noticed when you’re are standing in a queue or in traffice when others are getting annoyed and swearing, you will still be putting up a big smile because of the joy of the LORD in you.

Thats when people will notice theres something different about you, something contagious, something that they will also long to have.

There’s 1 more interesting fact about salt, the more you add salt to your food, the more you have the need to drink water. Salt makes us thirsty.

Just like eating lots of salt makes one thirsty, your attitude, behavior and handling things will also make the world thirsty for what you have.

Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. Colossians :4:6(The Msg)

I love the above verse, part of being Salt is to bring out the best in others. Bring out the best in your spouse, your child, your friend, your colleague, your neighbor or any stranger that you come across.

The Bible gives us the examples like Joseph and Daniel, who stood out from the crowd because they had an excellent Spirit and everyone around them noticed that the SPIRIT OF GOD was with them. Everything they did was different than that of a worldly person and it brought great glory and honour to GOD.

Today lets make the decision, ask the HOLY SPIRIT to help you and guide you to be a Salt to this world. It pleases our GOD greatly to see His son and daughter doing HIS Will and fulfilling their calling by being a Salt and not just getting diluted in the world!

Let’s start seasoning the world!!!!!

PS: As salt absorbs water, so will our spirit start longing for more of the HOLY SPIRIT! Today soak yourself in the HOLY SPIRIT! (Courtesy:Arunesh :))

Mathew:5:14 “You are the light of the world–like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.”

Its easy to make our face glow through facial and other treatments, but what JESUS is telling in the above verse is that we are meant to be the light of the world. HE is the  ultimate light(John:8:12) and if we have HIM in our hearts and when we start walking according to HIS Word we shine in this dark world.

Years ago i read a testimony of a former agent of satan, that when a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit, he/she actually glows. They can be brighter or dimmer based on their walk with GOD. The evil spirits see us as walking lights in this dark world. Here is an exert from his testimony,

How Christians are Known?
The born again Christians are not known by the Bible they carry always or the many fellowships they attend. They are known in the spirit world by the light that shines continuously like a very bright candle in the heart or a circle of light around the head or a wall of fire around them. When a Christian is walking along, we see angels walking along with him/her, one by the right, one by the left, and one behind. This makes it impossible for us to come near him/her.

Heres the link where you can read the entire testimony,

http://www.divinerevelations.info/dreams_and_visions/dilivered_from_the_powers_of_darkness_by_emmanuel_eni.htm

So i encourage you today to never ever stop praying in the SPIRIT. The more you are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT the more your light will shine. To those who are wondering if you have the HOLY SPIRIT, the truth is when you accept JESUS as your personal Saviour, the HOLY SPIRIT comes and resides in you.

Psalms: 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path.”

Spending quality time studying the Bible, actually helps and guides us to make the right decisions in our life.

Proverbs:13:9 “The life of the godly is full of light and joy,
    but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.”

May you let your light shine brighter than ever today by your walk and talk with GOD.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine

Let it Shine 

Let it Shine 

All the time