In the storm….

Do you have any "why's" and "how's" in your life? Are there questions and doubts lurking around?

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Once I was going through a tough time. I could not see the hand of God which made me desperate, doubting and I started questioning God. I asked, "Why me, O God, and how long?" God strengthened me through His word. I started to read and understand the prophecy of Habakkuk. The prophet Habakkuk raised all his questions and complaints to God and sought answers from Him.

The three chapters of the book shows Habakkuk complaining to God in anguish, but ultimately learning to trust in Lord, no matter what is the circumstance. In the first chapter of the book, we see the prophet as a doubting man with little faith. But he does not let his doubts prevail over him. By the end of the third chapter, Habakkuk proudly proclaims,'Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls,  Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.' (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Here, we see a God who not only answers Habakkuk but gives the prophet the strength to stand through the trials.

In the life of a Christian, there would be obstacles and situations where faith is tested. But do not give up. If things don't work out do not get disheartened. Stay strong and focused in God. Whatever the situation is, be sure to acknowledge that the Lord is your strength and you will exult in him. Let your faith stand strong through all the storms.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Ansu Susan Oommen

Ansu is a student of Delhi University and a youth leader in Crossway. She can be reached at ansususan9828@gmail.com

JESUS IS THE LORD OF MY LIFE

A number of years ago Norman Cousins wrote an editorial in Saturday Review in which he reported a conversation he had on a trip in India. He was talking with a Hindu priest named Satis Prasad. The man said he wanted to come to our country to work as a missionary among the Americans. Cousins assumed that he meant that he wanted to convert Americans to the Hindu religion, but when asked, Satis Prasad said, "Oh no, I would like to convert them to the Christian religion. Christianity cannot survive in the abstract. It needs not membership, but believers. The people of your country may claim they believe in Christianity, but from what I read at this distance, Christianity is more a custom than anything else. I would ask that either you accept the teachings of Jesu in your everyday life and in your affairs as a nation, or stop invoking His name as sanction for everything you do. I want to help save Christianity for the Christian."

Joshua 24:22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

So when Joshua was about to die he made sure that people would follow the Lord, even after he departs. So he gets them together and challenges their faith. He makes them realize that the decision is yours. Don’t do it for anybody else or for the sake of it. Joshua challenges them to either follow the Lord with great zeal or just walk away.

 

The greatest thing about the Christian faith is that it offers a personal relationship with the Savior. So accepting the person of Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior is the essence of one’s Christian life. Many times we are more of a traditional/family Christian, Church Christian and on several occasions the Pastor’s Christian. But these won’t help at all. Following the Lord is about following HIM. Come what may I love the Lord. If so, then no mountain is too big to climb, no storm too dark to get through and no sorrow is too deep that God cannot soothe it. JESUS IS THE LORD OF MY LIFE.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at stanleytisac@gmail.com

Good father

Many times we are entangled in an effort to flatter God. We tend to guard our lives and actions when something important is about to happen. We feel that God will honor me if I behave well. So the story goes and once the thing is done we are back to the real me. Then we become careful again when we’ve got another big thing happening. Well, it’s good to guard our lives because Bible teaches so. But it’s far more important to know and believe that God is a good father and He is gracious.

An atheist said, "If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now." Nothing happened. "You see, there is no God." Another responded, "You've only proved that He is a gracious God."  

Joshua 24:13  So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

So the Israelites were out of Egypt and the wilderness. They were now receiving their share of land and all the riches. It’s important to remember that Israelites were blessed even when they were in the wilderness because God was with them.

You and I cannot please God by our timed efforts and some irregular actions. Perhaps the greatest way to please the Father is to be His child. When we know that Daddy is good and He has got me covered, God is most glorified.

So do not behave like a servant who tries to please the master for a raise or a favor. Let’s be the child who Daddy already loves. For He is the good father    

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at stanleytisac@gmail.com

Live in the victory

A friend and associate of boxers, American writer Wilson Mizner was himself a talented fighter. One night Mizner and boxer "Mysterious" Billy Smith visited a San Francisco bar, where Mizner started a fight with some longshoremen. In the end, only one longshoreman was left standing. Although Mizner rained punches at him, he stayed obstinately upright. Suddenly, Smith noticed what was happening. "Leave him alone, Wilson!" he shouted. "I knocked him out five minutes ago." On investigation, it turned out that a punch from Smith had indeed knocked the longshoreman out cold, but had also wedged him vertically between two pieces of furniture.

Here's an accurate picture of our already-defeated but still standing enemy Satan!

Joshua 24:6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.

When things go wrong and we are down in our Spirit, we often wonder if Satan has gained victory over us. We try our best to be a good Christian thinking that we can improve our situation and ward off the enemy. Perhaps this is one of the biggest mistakes that even veterans make. We give unnecessary attention and due to the enemy who is already defeated and knocked out.

The moment we give our life to Jesus, then the enemy has no control or authority over us. The enemy can still try to scare us and distract us. But we ought to remember he is already defeated and just can’t bring any harm to us. For the Lord who has brought you to the Red Sea, will help you cross it as well. That’s not it, you will see the enemy go down again and again because he is already defeated. Live in the victory.

http://xfiloz.blogspot.in/

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at stanleytisac@gmail.com