Life is not a playground, it’s a battlefield! Many Christians are victims of life’s trials and temptations instead of being victorious over them. From the well-know story of Caleb (Jos.14: 6-15) there are at least three characteristics in him that can challenge believers today to be more than conquerors through Christ. God continues to search for Christians who like Caleb don’t settle for molehills but claim their mountains for God. May God enable us to find a cause, make a claim and be more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus who loving calls us to fulfill His purposes (Rom.8:31-39).
We just cannot live the victorious life or be of maximum use to the Lord, or be a blessing to others in any place we choose. Some may feel that they can choose their own career and their place of residence and then seek to be a witness for the Lord wherever they are. The Lord may in His mercy use such believers in a limited way. But their usefulness in God's vineyard will be only a fraction of what it could have been had they earnestly sought His plan and remained in the center of His perfect will. Stunted spiritual growth and limited fruitfulness are but the consequences of a careless disregard of God's laws.
I listened to this song about a month ago. It seems I now wake up with this song on my lips. why should I feel discouragedand why should the shadows comewhy should my heart feel lonelyand long for heaven and homewhen Jesus is my portiona constant friend is HeHis eye is on the sparrowand I know He watches over meHis eye is on the sparrowand I know He watches over meI sing because I'm happyI sing because I'm freeHis eye is on the sparrowand I know He watches meIt's such a simple song but it never fails to reassure me.…
When God wants to drill a man,And thrill a man,And skill a manWhen God wants to mold a manTo play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heartTo create so great and bold a manThat all the world shall be amazed,Watch His methods, watch His ways! How He ruthlessly perfectsWhom He royally elects!How He hammers him and hurts him,And with mighty blows converts himInto trial shapes of clay whichOnly God understands;While his tortured heart is cryingAnd he lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaksWhen his good He undertakes;How He uses whom He chooses,And which every purpose…
Some good friends who had done ministry in the East recently recommended this book to Shainu and me. In fact, they did more than recommend it; they bought us a copy. We walked into our apartment building one day and saw this package waiting for us. What a great gift. I’d highly recommend this book. It was a great reminder of what Jesus has accomplished for us through His Gospel. The author’s thesis is that in the West, we’ve inherited Roman culture and a Roman way of looking at the world. So we see the world in terms of right…
WHEN the Ritz-Carlton Hotels won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, I had the opportunity to congratulate the owner of that outstanding organization, Mr. William Johnson, my good friend who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. In typical humility and his wonderful ‘Southern drawl,’ Bill gave others the credit. He added that now that they had won this prestigious honor, they would need to work even harder to earn the respect that came with it. “Quality,” he said, “is a race with no finish line.” He is correct. Competitive excellence requires 100% all of the time. If you doubt that, try maintaining…
I just came back from the first night of The Filling Station conference for this year. The theme is Grace. I know....what an amazing thing that is. The speakers this year are amazing. Tonight's message was from Simon Gau, a Youth Pastor right here from Whalley!I've heard so many messages on grace but it never fails to humble me every single time I hear it. A verse from tonight's message struck me so much that I felt I had to write this out.Micah 7 : 8, 9"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!Though I have fallen, I will rise.Though I…
The Saintly Leadership of Mother Teresa taught me some valuable lessons. She was consistent in her quest to save the very poor, calling them "distress in disguise." In an audio series called "Thirsting for God," she tells of the many times when she faced the impossible just to be rewarded because of her consistency. She was loyal to her cause. In her acceptance speech when receiving the Nobel Peace Prize she simply said "I accept this in the name of the poor." These were the people she was called to lead and amidst the degradation and decadence of human decay she found the self-reliance to be loyal to her cause.
Seven Mile Road is three weeks into weekly corporate worship. So far, we’ve been a bit spoiled. Everything we’ve touched has turned to gold. We need a website – we get a killer one for free. We need a space – we get to use a building sitting on six acres of land. We throw a barbeque – 115 people show up. We launch our first service – we put out seventy chairs but need more to accommodate everyone. . . . So then, it was a shock to my system when we showed up for service in week two and there were only 33 people there. Now I know in my head that numbers don’t matter. Folks on the team thought to themselves, “where is everyone?” Regular visitors came into the room and looked at their watch to make sure that they weren’t there early because they didn’t see people. People noticed.
I Come Before You Today, And There's Just One Thing That I Want To Say, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord, For All You've Given To Me, For All The Blessings That I Cannot See, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord . . . . With A Grateful Heart, With A Song Of Praise, With An Outstretch Arm, I Will Bless Your Name, Thank You Lord, I Just Wanna Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord, I Just Wanna Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord.
Life is not a playground, it’s a battlefield! Many Christians are victims of life’s trials and temptations instead of being victorious over them. From the well-know story of Caleb (Jos.14: 6-15) there are at least three characteristics in him that can challenge believers today to be more than conquerors through Christ1. Caleb was Directed by a Cause for God (v.6-9)Caleb had a quest in life – it was to ‘wholly follow the Lord’. He noted how forty years ago, when sent as a spy by his leader Moses into Canaan, God had promised him an inheritance in the land. Caleb…
A few Sundays ago I had the opportunity to witness one of the biggest transformations I have ever seen in a person…and it was all because of Jesus! Several weeks ago a boy in his early teens came to church for the first time. He was so disruptive that no one was able to pay attention to prayer. He was either hitting someone, pulling their hair, lying down on them, stealing their money or just plain talking, through the entire service. No matter how many time we warned him, the boy would not behave!At the end of service, he almost…
A revision of the New International Version of the Bible will be available in 2011, according to a recent joint announcement by Zondervan, Biblica and the Committee on Bible Translation. The revision will mark the first complete update of the NIV since 1984.Zondervan also said the new translation's publication will mark the end of the TNIV, the controversial version released in full in 2005 with gender-neutral language."As time passes and English changes, the NIV is becoming increasingly dated," Keith Danby, global president of Biblica, formerly the International Bible Society and Send the Light, said during a news conference at Trinity…
One day a young lady was driving along with her father.They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, "What should I do?"He said "keep driving". Other cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse."What should I do ?" The young lady asked."Keep driving," her father replied.Once up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!"Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"Now the storm…
Urban Indian women are leaving a new trail – smoke. Women are catching up fast and narrowing the gap across gender lines in the domain of smoking or chewing tobacco. See a report in India Today. It is based on a World Health Organization’s global survey of tobacco usage.Here are Some Disturbing Finding:31% women tobacco addicts in India are between age 15-49.25% Indian women light up over 10 cigarettes per day.62% of women smokers die in their prime compared to 38% of those who don’t.1 in 20 women in India to die between age 30-69 due to tobacco in 2010s.20%…
Praise is Rising, Eyes are Turning to You, We Turn to You, Hope is Stirring, Hearts are Yearning for You, We Long for You, 'Cause When We See You, We Find Strength to Face the Day, In Your Presence All Our Fears are Washed Away, Washed Away - CHORUS - Hosanna, Hosanna, You Are the God Who Saves Us, Worthy of All Our Praises, Hosanna, Hosanna, Come Have Your Way Among Us - We Welcome You Here, Lord Jesus
At the altar Mark Buntain, a missionary to Calcutta from North America laid his hands on me and said a prophetic prayer as to
how God would use me one day to impact millions. Now I see the
fulfillment of this prayer. I was married on January 27, 2000 in
Calcutta to my beautiful wife Mary, and I moved to the United States on
February 22, 2001. I left home with $50 and two suitcases stuffed with
my clothes and books for a new life overseas. In about four weeks on
arriving on the east coast I ended up for an interview at Network Plus
on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center. I was escorted to the
conference hall. Through the glass windows of the room I saw the most
glorious sight of all - the Statue of Liberty.
I worked on the 81st floor of the North Tower or Tower 1 of the World
Trade Center and my wife Mary worked on the 71st floor of the South
Tower or Tower 2. It was just an incredible experience working in this
incredible building especially for an immigrant who had just arrived in
America in February of that year. We enjoyed so much working together
in the same complex. . . . . "September 11, 2001, started out as such a nice day- no, a beautiful day. Then it all turned. 9:05 am. Terror struck America and changed us forever. None of us will ever forget where we were, who we were with and what we were doing that fateful day when tragedy struck America on what looked like a beautiful day in New York city . . . As we deal with the loss of thousands of innocent lives we were also reminded that history books will also tell the tale of many Americans that faced terror with courage.
Over the last few weeks, popular media has been covering the
story of the conversion of Sri Lankan second generation Muslim girl, Fathima Rifqa Bary.
Youtube and Facebook has been at the heart of this controversy. Fathima Rifqa Bary
even has an URL after her name – www.rifqabary.com
Listen to Fathima Rifqa Bary testimony on Youtube.
Fathima Rifqa Bary of Columbus, Ohio was raised in a Muslim home, studied the Quran, and practiced the ways of Mohamed. Several years ago, she converted from Islam to Christianity when she found that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Fathima Rifqa Bary continued living in Columbus with her family, sneaking out at night after her parents had gone to sleep to attend prayer meetings and to read her Bible. After her father threatened to kill her for apostasy, a crime under Islamic Sharia law, Rifqa hitchhiked to the bus station and fled to Florida.
Life is not a playground, it’s a battlefield! Many Christians are victims of life’s trials and temptations instead of being victorious over them. From the well-know story of Caleb (Jos.14: 6-15) there are at least three characteristics in him that can challenge believers today to be more than conquerors through Christ. God continues to search for Christians who like Caleb don’t settle for molehills but claim their mountains for God. May God enable us to find a cause, make a claim and be more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus who loving calls us to fulfill His purposes (Rom.8:31-39). 
We just cannot live the victorious life or be of maximum use to the Lord, or be a blessing to others in any place we choose. Some may feel that they can choose their own career and their place of residence and then seek to be a witness for the Lord wherever they are. The Lord may in His mercy use such believers in a limited way. But their usefulness in God's vineyard will be only a fraction of what it could have been had they earnestly sought His plan and remained in the center of His perfect will. Stunted spiritual growth and limited fruitfulness are but the consequences of a careless disregard of God's laws. 
The Saintly Leadership of Mother Teresa taught me some valuable lessons. She was consistent in her quest to save the very poor, calling them "distress in disguise." In an audio series called "Thirsting for God," she tells of the many times when she faced the impossible just to be rewarded because of her consistency. She was loyal to her cause. In her acceptance speech when receiving the Nobel Peace Prize she simply said "I accept this in the name of the poor." These were the people she was called to lead and amidst the degradation and decadence of human decay she found the self-reliance to be loyal to her cause. 
Seven Mile Road is three weeks into weekly corporate worship. So far, we’ve been a bit spoiled. Everything we’ve touched has turned to gold. We need a website – we get a killer one for free. We need a space – we get to use a building sitting on six acres of land. We throw a barbeque – 115 people show up. We launch our first service – we put out seventy chairs but need more to accommodate everyone. . . . So then, it was a shock to my system when we showed up for service in week two and there were only 33 people there. Now I know in my head that numbers don’t matter. Folks on the team thought to themselves, “where is everyone?” Regular visitors came into the room and looked at their watch to make sure that they weren’t there early because they didn’t see people. People noticed.
I Come Before You Today, And There's Just One Thing That I Want To Say, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord, For All You've Given To Me, For All The Blessings That I Cannot See, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord . . . . With A Grateful Heart, With A Song Of Praise, With An Outstretch Arm, I Will Bless Your Name, Thank You Lord, I Just Wanna Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord, I Just Wanna Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord.
Praise is Rising, Eyes are Turning to You, We Turn to You, Hope is Stirring, Hearts are Yearning for You, We Long for You, 'Cause When We See You, We Find Strength to Face the Day, In Your Presence All Our Fears are Washed Away, Washed Away - CHORUS - Hosanna, Hosanna, You Are the God Who Saves Us, Worthy of All Our Praises, Hosanna, Hosanna, Come Have Your Way Among Us - We Welcome You Here, Lord Jesus
At the altar Mark Buntain, a missionary to Calcutta from North America laid his hands on me and said a prophetic prayer as to
how God would use me one day to impact millions. Now I see the
fulfillment of this prayer. I was married on January 27, 2000 in
Calcutta to my beautiful wife Mary, and I moved to the United States on
February 22, 2001. I left home with $50 and two suitcases stuffed with
my clothes and books for a new life overseas. In about four weeks on
arriving on the east coast I ended up for an interview at Network Plus
on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center. I was escorted to the
conference hall. Through the glass windows of the room I saw the most
glorious sight of all - the Statue of Liberty. 
I worked on the 81st floor of the North Tower or Tower 1 of the World
Trade Center and my wife Mary worked on the 71st floor of the South
Tower or Tower 2. It was just an incredible experience working in this
incredible building especially for an immigrant who had just arrived in
America in February of that year. We enjoyed so much working together
in the same complex. . . . . "September 11, 2001, started out as such a nice day- no, a beautiful day. Then it all turned. 9:05 am. Terror struck America and changed us forever. None of us will ever forget where we were, who we were with and what we were doing that fateful day when tragedy struck America on what looked like a beautiful day in New York city . . . As we deal with the loss of thousands of innocent lives we were also reminded that history books will also tell the tale of many Americans that faced terror with courage. 
Over the last few weeks, popular media has been covering the
story of the conversion of Sri Lankan second generation Muslim girl, Fathima Rifqa Bary.
Youtube and Facebook has been at the heart of this controversy. Fathima Rifqa Bary
even has an URL after her name – www.rifqabary.com