GOD GIVES COMFORT

By Stella Dhinakaran

The Bible says that we are the temple of the Lord (I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Hence give the first place to God in everything and seek His presence always.

The Lord says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8). He gives us His counsel. He Himself will guide us continually and satisfy us with His goodness. He will wipe away all our tears. He alone has the ability to change our life into spring of water.

Dearly beloved, let us, first of all, place the sacrificial life of our Lord Jesus as our model. Next, let us read how the tears of the people of God in the Bible were removed by His grace and mercy and how they were strengthened, and let us change ourselves as the ones who are united with the Lord. Only then our life will become a spring of water. All our tears will vanish. The Lord’s strength, firm belief and faith will fill us and guide us. This will pave way for us to live a victorious life in Christ even in the midst of tears.

In my life too, many were the times when I had to shed tears. I too have faced wants, losses, sicknesses, shadow of death, despise, ridicule, discarded state, loneliness etc., Yet as the Bible says, in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me (Romans 8:37).

Dearly beloved, will you get filled with the strength of the Lord and honour Him by being testimonies for Him, doing good works? The Psalmist says, “When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Psalm 94:19). Accordingly, when you are burdened with worries concerning your life, God will restore comfort to you and refresh you. You will find delight in the Almighty.

4Him - Psalm 112

THE SPIRIT OF INSTRUCTION

By Paul Dhinakaran

The Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about God through His Word. The truth will enable us to trust in the power of God and walk by faith.

Dearly beloved,

God gives us His Spirit of instruction to protect us. In Nehemiah 9:20 we read, “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them (the Israelites).”

The Lord Jesus said, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

A servant of God, who loved the Lord with all his heart and was faithful in His ministry, was sick unto death. Even skilful doctors could not diagnose his disease; he was at the veritable door of death!

At that time, the Lord spoke to him thus: “My son, do you keep your heart and ears open to the infinite love of Mine, who sacrificed My life for you and millions of people who love you and who called you to do My ministry and has been guiding you so far? Or do you keep your heart and ears open to the hurtful words spoken against you and your ministry by a very few ignorant people? You have turned away your eyes from Me and the millions of people who love and adore you, and focused them (your eyes) on the few who out of their total ignorance and envy criticize you! Consequently, you have become discouraged; visitations of my Holy Spirit are obstructed; because of this, the devil gets access to touch your body with disease!”

The Israelites turned their hearts away from God though they had personally witnessed several miracles of God! That is exactly why He gave them His Spirit of instruction.

The Bible says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about God through His Word. The truth will enable us to trust in the power of God and walk by faith.

Set a Prisoner Free

By Greg Laurie

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

The word oops is not in God's vocabulary.

Isn't that great to know? God is in control. We, on the other hand, can't control everything that happens in our lives, even though we try. But there is one thing we can do, and that is forgive. We can forgive those who have wronged us. We can forgive those who have taken advantage of us. We can for-give those who have slandered us and made fun of us. We can forgive those who have betrayed us.

You may think they don't deserve it. But remember, you have been forgiven. Therefore, you should be forgiving. Of course, you aren't going to feel like it at times. You may see him or her and feel your blood begin to boil. That is when you need to say, "As an act of faith, as a step of obedience to Jesus Christ, I forgive this person."

I has been said, "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." You should not only forgive to help that person, but you also need to forgive for your own mental and spiritual health. Just let it go. Put it into the hands of God and determine not to be tormented by it one day longer.

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Are you harboring a grudge toward someone? Forgive. Forgive whoever it is that has hurt you. As Ephesians 4:32 tells us, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

INTERCESSION OF CHRIST

By Paul Dhinakaran

Dearly beloved,

Our God is loving and merciful.

The people of Israel displeased God. Yet He showed them great compassion as He was to them ‘a forgiving God’(Psalm 99:8).

Moses, the servant of the Lord, proceeded to God’s presence and interceded for them, “Now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written" (Exodus 32:32). God’s heart softened!

The Bible says, “Yet in their hearts they turned back to Egypt” (Acts 7:39). Even at that time of defiance, God did not forsake them, but pardoned them (Nehemiah 9:17). When Moses pleaded with God for the persuasively, the Lord acceded to his request: "I have forgiven them, as you asked” (Numbers 14:20).

Let me tell you a humorous story which I read in a magazine. In a certain place, a believer was seen relishing a cup of liquor by another believer who questioned him: “Oh! Why are you drinking this when God is watching you?” The former said, “Yes, I know God is watching me but He will keep it a secret; my only anxiety is that you will be broadcasting this to all and sundry!” Notwithstanding this sense of humour, what he had done was that he had backslidden and ‘turned back to Egypt!’ He had forgotten that he belonged to the Lord!

Even though the Lord God releases His children from all sorts of iniquities, their eyes and their hearts glance, quite often, at the past evil days of their life. But yet our Lord Jesus, in order to redeem us, intercedes for us: “Father, please be patient this once; he has mistakenly allowed this evil thought into his mind because of worry and weakness; kindly forgive My child.”

Dear readers, even as prophet Moses pleaded with God for the Israelites, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Advocate with the Father, ever lives to make intercession us (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1). That is why we are shielded from any further iniquities crossing our lives and we are enjoying His presence! How blessed are we!

Darlene Zschech - Shout to the Lord

IMMEASURABLE GOODNESS

By Stella Dhinakaran

Dearly beloved,

In the Bible, we read about a woman called Esther. She received the privilege of becoming the queen of a kingdom through her relative. She who was in an ordinary level was elevated in this manner. Yet she had godly fear in her.

Job who lost everything in life asked his wife who was bitter against him, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"(Job 2:10). What was his hope? It was his firm conviction that the trust he had on God will never fail him.

In Esther’s life too, she might have been very happy when she became the wife of the king. At this time, suddenly the devil, which took over the wicked Haman as an instrument, planned to destroy her and her people, the tribe of Jews. Nobody else could counter-change this scheme. The responsibility fell on Esther. She did not want to overcome this with her own strength or wisdom. She fully believed, “This is not possible by me but only by my God.” So she sought the face of the Lord reverentially by not eating or drinking for three days and night (Esther 4:16).

Because she held to the Lord firmly, the Lord did a great miracle for her. Yes, He is the One who does unexpected good things and miracles for those who trust Him. God heard Esther's prayer and miraculously protected the Jews. God commanded a situation in which the Jews, who shed tears and were deeply troubled out of fear, rejoiced and praised God.

In the days when the Jesus Calls ministry was multiplying because of God’s blessing, many tried to put an end to the ministry out of jealousy. But my husband Bro. D.G.S. Dhinakaran went on his knees and prayed day and night because of which the Lord destroyed the works of the devil and commanded more prosperity in the ministry than ever before.

The Psalmist exclaims, “How great is your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You” (Psalm 31:19). When you honour God with all your heart and come to Him for protection, He will shower upon you His immeasurable goodness, which He has prepared for you, before everyone.