Lost in Love!

Lost in Love!

Loving Annan(Brother),

Greeting from Ravindran!

At the close of your talk last Saturday in our hostel, you gave us an invitation to ask questions which had been bothering us; but to my disappointment no one brought up my problem. I too felt rather delicate to ask this in front of others. Here are my questions. Hope you won’t misunderstand me.

1. Is it sin to fall in love?

2. Is petting sin?

Please destroy this letter. Kindly mark your envelope “personal.” Thank you very much.
Ravi

Loving Ravi,

Received your frank letter. I appreciate youth openly coming out with their problems rather than covering them and ending up in a mess. Your letter is kept confidential, don’t worry! I have tried here to give you a concise answer.

1. It is quite natural for a young boy to desire a girl. Opposite poles attract! But you must heed some of the pitfalls. “Love is blind.” Countless youth have become victims of their emotions stirred up at first sight. They fail to be sensible. A prudent student will declare, “I have no time for a love affair.” He will make the best use of his student days for study. Even with regular attendance and hard work many students fail to get high grades. During these days of stiff competition a mere pass gets you nowhere. After you finish your studies and settle in a job, seek the help of your parents and elders of find a suitable girl. Start praying for your future even from now on.

2. Though in love several marriages do not materialize. What damage petting will cause then! Petting does not stop there; it invariably advances to the ultimate. Are we angels? Even if you are engaged, why not reserve the thrill for the marriage bed? If you have already given your bodies to each other, it will be hypocrisy before God and men when the minister in the Church takes you through the wedding ceremony. So, please wait.

Western culture has not been ideal.

Here is a word of counsel for your future: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (Psa 37:5).

Your brother

JESUS WEPT TO WIPE YOUR TEARS

JESUS WEPT TO WIPE YOUR TEARS

WIPE YOUR TEARS

WIPE YOUR TEARS JESUS WEPT TO WIPE YOUR TEARS

“Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord”. (Jeremiah 31:16)

JESUS IN A POOR FAMILY

There was a village called Bethany, which was situated two miles from Jerusalem. A poor family was there in this village. The family comprised of two sisters Martha and Mary and a Brother called Lazarus. They had no parents. These children who had lost their father and mother would have spent their life in sorrow. Many a times they would have longed to have a father and mother like other family to be loved, to be inquired and to get all things bought that they deserved. At this time, there established a good relationship between Jesus Christ and this family, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5). Very often Jesus went to their house, stayed there to rest for sometime and also ate with them. How much happiness this would have brought to these poor children? The miracle working Jesus, the wonder working Jesus and the Son of God had a relationship with that poor family.

They would have rejoiced in Jesus forgetting the loss of their father and mother. Yes, the love and relationship of Jesus Christ would have certainly helped them to forget the loss of their father and mother. My dear God’s children! Are you dismayed because of the absence of your mother and father? Are you disarrayed because of the absence of a person to love you and to inquire you? You have Jesus, who can love you more than that of your mother. Great is the joy having Jesus living in your heart and your family. He loves you more than your mother and takes active interest in you more than your father. “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him”. (Psalm 103:13) “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you”. (Isaiah 66:13) Why should you worry when you have Jesus to love you? Well, how did the relationship between Jesus and the poor family get established? One day, Jesus was walking through the village of Bethany. When Martha watched Him, she went near Him and asked Him to come to her house and took Him in (Luke 10:38).

A large crowd would have followed the miracle working Jesus. Even the village people would have gathered to watch Him. But nobody called Jesus to come into his or her house. Martha would have got down from her house, walked near Jesus and called Him in. Many questions would have risen in her heart. I am a spinster. What will my village people think of me? Will Jesus come into my house, if I call Him? But she called Jesus into her house, not being worried or ashamed of anything. And Jesus happily entered that house of the poor family. Have you accepted this Jesus in your heart? Why don’t you accept this miracle and powerful Jesus in your heart? Do not be ashamed of what people will speak about you. Do not suspect Jesus coming to your house. Certainly He will come to your house. He will make you glad. “Look I have been standing at the door. And I am always knocking. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. I will fellowship with him and he with me” (Revelation 3:20)

PROBLEM IN THE FAMILY

A problem entered the house of this poor family, which rejoiced in the relationship of Jesus having forgotten the loss of their father and mother. The brother of these two spinsters became sick. A disease that would cause death would have affected him. How much sorrow, this would have created in these poor ladies? My dear people, we should not forget that Christian life consists of problems. “God did not promise us that we may escape these problems, if we accept Christ”. But it is written, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows”. (John 16:33). “You have been grieved by various trials”. (II Peter 1:6). “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God”. (Act 14:22). God’s words says that, “we must go through many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God” (Act 14:22). But God will be with us among these trials and tribulations. Not to protect us from problems tormenting us, but to hold peace among these problems. When you accept Christ, the world may laugh, torment and reject you. But among all these problems your saviour Jesus will be with you.

JESUS DELAYS

When faced by a problem, many questions arise in our hearts like the tides of the sea. Where to go? Whom to share with? Who will help us? But, when Lazarus was sick, what did these poor children do? They sent word to Jesus saying, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick”. (John 11:3) They knew that they could get help from the true loving Jesus, who can understand their burdens. But what happened? “So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was”. (John 11:6) Is this not surprising to us? They had sent word to Jesus in their times of trouble. But, Jesus delayed. Just think of the state of these poor ladies, during the delay of Jesus. They would have waited with expectation thinking that Jesus will come.

They must have stood at the door keeping their eyes on the direction where Jesus would come. The disease increased and Jesus did not come. The neighbours in the village would have said, “Call a doctor to examine your brother otherwise he may die for Jesus had not come”. These words would have broken the hearts of the young ladies. We are dismayed in our life when God delays in answering our prayers. On one side, we have problems from the family. On the other we have problems from people and most of the time we are depressed. Martha and Mary expected Jesus till the last minute and He did not come. Lazarus died. The two sisters lamented and cried. Lazarus was buried. They wept day and night. On one side they would have had the burden that Jesus did not come for help, even after sending word. On the other side, they would have had the pain of the loss of their only brother who was supporting them. Finally they would have been sandwiched by the scoffing of the neighbours who would have said, “ Many times Jesus came into your house as a loving person and He has done miracle to all the other people. But at last he did not come in your time of trouble” What did Jesus do when these poor children were tormented? Had he forgotten this poor family? No! How can he forget?

Jesus takes continuous care on a man, when he accepts Him in to his heart. Then, Why did he delay? There was a reason behind His delay. He did not hold himself from anything without any special reason. He had already decided to perform a great miracle in this poor family. Hence he delayed. Before this incident, he had already risen alive the son of widow in Nain, when he was taken for burial. He had also risen the daughter of Jairus within a short span of time. He had already decided to perform a great peculiar and unforgettable miracle that would be incomparable with any other miracles of the past. Hence he delayed. Is God delaying in answering your prayers? Is God delaying to change your problems? Do not be tired. God has not forgotten you. He wants to do a great miracle in your life. Hence, He is delaying in your affairs. Fear Not! He may delay, but he is there at the right time to help you. He may delay in your affairs, but he is not too late. He will perform a miracle at the right time. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2 :3 )

JESUS WEEPS

Jesus came to Bethany when the body of Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. These poor ladies wept falling at the feet of Jesus. They lamented and said “We had sent word for you, if you would been early our brother would not have died. But now you have come late. Our only brother is dead, if only you would have come immediately after the death your would have risen him up”. Now what can be done? Watching these sisters, the whole crowd who had come to comfort the family started to weep. Jesus saw them crying. He was not able to be silent when he saw his children crying. Jesus groaned in the sprint and was troubled. His heart was moved. He could not control his tears. “Jesus Wept” He cannot be silent when see his children crying. Jesus cannot be silent when he see his children who love him, suffering from pain and in tears. His heart will also get troubled for you. He will shed tears for you. He is a God who knows your problems and tears. Hence, He sent his angel to desert to wipe the tears of Hagar when she cried to the Lord With tears” (Gen 21:16,17) God gave a child to Hannah, when she prayed on anguish after provoked by her Husband’s second wife. (I Sam 1: 10-19) He also rose the son to the widow of Nain when He saw her crying. Jesus’ love and compassion has not changed even today. He had the experience of walking in the rugged path to understand your tears. So wipe your tears.

JESUS PERFORMS A MIRACLE

Jesus is not a person who will shed crocodile tears when He sees the tears of His children. He is a God who will perform a miracle to wipe their tears. He watched the tears of these poor children and He also wept with them. He did not stop there; He came to the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus said “ take away the stone from the tomb”. Then Martha the sister of Lazarus the dead said, “ Lord, by this time there is a stench for he has been dead four days. If you would have come before his death, you could have healed him or if you would have come immediately after his death, you could have risen him up. But now the body is rotten and it stenches. How can you raise this rotten body? Martha said these words on the basis of reality. Jesus said to her, “if you would believe, you would see the glory of God” (John 11:10) Are you dismayed of some great problem? Are you thinking how this problem will change?

Jesus says, “if you would believe, you would see the glory of God” Yes. Does stone of unbelief block your heart? Take away that stone now then there will be a miracle. The stone was taken according to the words of Jesus. He stood before the tomb and with loud voice said “Lazarus, Come forth! ” Why should he cry with a loud voice? Will not Lazarus come out, if he would have called him in the normal manner? Mary would have thought that it would stink when the stone is removed from the tomb. He would have taken a long breath before calling him aloud. There he inhaled the stink from the body of Lazarus. “Lazarus walked alive” Today Jesus has taken the stink of our curse and sin on the Calvary. So, nothing is impossible with Him. Every thing is possible with God that is impossible with you.

I would like to share a true story which was happen to my friend who is my coworker. My friend was unable to walk and became bedridden, given up hope by doctors at the age of 14. Many said he cannot walk any more and they also said that his survival was a question. At that time, a beloved brother stood for him in the breach; the hand of Jesus touched him when he prayed with tears. Before the prayer, he was unable to move his legs but after the prayer he got up from his bed and sat on it. Jesus Christ gave him a miracle healing. Many said he cannot walk any more but Jesus enabled him to walk. Hallelujah! Many said he will die but Jesus has kept him alive. Hallelujah! Jesus Christ who did the miracle in my friend life can do the same in your life too. On that day, a man prayed for my friend standing in breach.

Today I am going to pray standing in the breach that the may do a miracle for you.

Healing Father! I thank you for keeping my friend alive by doing a miracle in his life when he was forsaken and dismayed. Likewise, I stand in the breach for this brother and sister who is dismayed because of their tears. Do a miracle of their heart to wipe away their tears in the same way as you worked a miracle in my friend life to wipe the tears of my friend family. Lord, certainly wipe their tears. Let a miracle take place now in the name of Jesus! Amen!! Amen!!!

"BELEIVE YOU SHALL RECEIVE"

BELEIVE YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Beloved people, you need blessing. It may be a spiritual blessing, worldly blessing or physical blessing. God is ready to give you the blessing that you need. He is all-powerful and a God of miracle. He can certainly do a miracle for you. He can heal you. He can also meet your needs. He can change your deficiency into completeness. He is powerful to change your sorrow. He is capable of changing your problems. He can certainly open a way for you. If you want to receive a miracle from Him, He also expects a certain things from you. If you give what He expects of you, you will certainly receive the blessings. To receive the blessings from Jesus Christ…

HAVE FAITH

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. (Heb. 11:6) When Jesus walked around this world, many people came in search of Him, to receive the blessings and miracle from Him. He expected only one thing from them and that was faith.

Once, two blind men came to Jesus. He prayed to God that they want to receive the sight. Then Jesus said, “Do you believe that I an able to do this?” They said, “Yes, Lord”. Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be to you”. Immediately their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:27-30) Though Jesus Christ had the power to do the miracles, He was able to do because of the faith of the two blind men. When I ask this question to few people who come to me for prayer, “Do you believe that Jesus can do a miracle?” They will say that they would believe him only if they receive a healing or blessing.

First we have to have faith in Him. Only then we can receive the blessings from Him. God cannot work when there is absence of faith. The Bible says that Jesus was not able to do a miracle when He came to Nazareth, the place where he grew. (Mark 6:5,6) So, first believe. You can see miracles only when you believe His power and His words. If you want to receive any kind of blessings from Jesus, first you must have faith in Him. Even if you want to receive salvation the forgiveness of sins, you have to believe Him. “For by grace you have been saved through Faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”. (Eph 2:8)

Many years before, we conducted meetings at Pamban, Rameswaram Island every month for the whole year. After we conducted the meeting, we visited the people at house to check their growth in spiritual life. Once a lady invited us lovingly when we went to her house for prayer. She spread the mat for prayer. I asked her as I was kneeling “why should I pray for you?” Immediately she said, “pray for the forgiveness of my sins”. When I asked, “Have you ever prayed to God for the forgiveness of sins”. She said, “I was convicted as a sinner when you came here for the first time. From that day onwards I have been praying for the forgiveness of my sins. For the past six months she had been praying “Lord I am a sinner, forgive my sins” Then I said, had He not forgiven your sins, when you prayed to him after being convicted of your sins? Now she started to think. Then she said that she did not know whether He had forgiven her sins. Then I asked her for the second time, “what do your think, had He forgiven you or not? She said He had forgiven me. In that case, you have to believe that forgiveness of sins. Only then you will have the joy of salvation in your hearts, I explained to her all these truths from the Bible. Then she started praising God. She received the joy of salvation when I told her to pray in this manner, “I thank you for forgiving and forgetting my sins ”. So, to receive the blessings from God, we have to claim and believe the word of God.

You can receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit through faith alone. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not, yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38,39) You can receive healing from disease through faith alone. “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven”. (James 5:15)

A lady, who had a disease for twelve years, came to know about Jesus and believed that, “She would be healed if she would touch the garment of Jesus. Immediately, the power went from Jesus and healed her sickness. Jesus did not say to her. “Be of good cheer daughter, my power has made you well”. But He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (Matthew 9:22). The faith that she had on the healing power of Jesus gave her miraculous healing.

So, when you believe power of Jesus, you can receive your miraculous healing. Be it any kind of blessing, you can receive all these from Jesus Christ through your prayer of faith. “And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive”. (Matthew 21:22) Jesus said, “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them”. (Mark 11:24).

Is it your children’s marriage? Is it problems? Is it something regarding work? Is it childlessness? Is it your business? Be it any kind of miracle, first have faith and continue to pray with faith for you shall receive. The Bible says, when you ask God, “Ask God in faith with no doubting” (James 1:5-7) people who doubt cannot receive the blessings from God. But, I have seen, many people being dismayed and have said, “What can I do, for I don’t have faith?” Are you dismayed? Let me share this glad tiding to you.

FAITH IS WITHIN YOU!

Yes readers, you have this faith within you “but to think soberly, as God had dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Rom 12:3) God has kept faith within each individual. Nobody can say that they do not have faith. Suspecting the presence of God given faith, is unbelief. First accept that you have faith within you according to God’s word. You say to Him, “Lord I thank you for keeping this faith within me”. The faith that is within you is enough to receive all the blessings that you need from God.

Once a father came to Jesus for the sake of his son who was possessed by demon. He looked at Jesus and said, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us”. Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes”. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord I believe: help my unbelief”. Then Jesus delivered the child. (Mark 9:22-25) Watch the answer that was given by Jesus to the father who wanted a miracle. He said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to Him who believes”. Listen to the answer of the father, “Lord, I believe” and he also said, “help my unbelief”. He had within him, the faith to receive the deliverance for his son. Hence, he said, “I believe”. Because he suspected the faith that was within, he asked Jesus to help his unbelief.

Beloved people, you too have a measure of faith that was given to you by God. Do not suspect the faith that is within you. There are people, who say, “I have limited faith, how can I receive miracles with this one?” Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you”. (Matthew 17:20) It is enough if you have faith as a mustard seed. You can receive miracles in your life. Nothing will be impossible for you. Using this same faith as mustard seed, You can receive miraculous healing. You can receive your needs. You can be delivered from the bondage of debts. You can receive the fruit of the womb. Having this limited faith, you can receive great things from the Lord.

To strengthen your faith and to increase in your faith, you have to obey the word of God. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. (Rom 10:17) So, the more we listen to the word of God, faith will be created in us. The more you read and hear the word of God, faith will increase is us. Hence, we have to read and meditate the Bible. It is better to hear the sermon of God rather than meeting them for individual prayer. Watch the ministry of Jesus: He did miracle to all those who came to Him, but most of the times preaching was primary, followed by healing. (Matt 4:23, Matt 9:35, Mark 6:34, Luke 5:3)

Paul, the Apostle preached in a city called Lystra. Now, there was a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting. He was crippled from his mother’s womb, who had never walked”. He was listening to Paul’s sermon. Paul observing him intendly and seeing that he had faith to be healed said with a loud voice, “stand up straight on your feet” And he leaped and walked. Observe this miracle carefully. The man, who was crippled from his childhood, heard the preaching of the gospel first.

Faith grew more when he heard about Jesus observing this faith; Paul asked him to stand up straight on his feet. Immediately a miracle took place. The crippled man started to walk. He received the miraculous healing. When you believe, you can also receive this miraculous healing and deliverance. I have met many people in the paths of my ministry, who have said depressed statements like these. “I pray with faith and I come to meetings with faith. But still I have not received any miracles. My prayers have not been answered and I have not received my healing”.

FAITH WITHOUT WORK IS DEAD

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without work is dead? For as the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead also. (James 2:14,19,20,26) Your faith is dead, if you say you have faith and there is no work. So, there is no use with faith that is without work. You cannot receive blessings with faith and no work. You can receive blessings from God only when you exhibit your faith with work.

To obey the word of God is to work with faith. It is to act according to the word of God. When Jesus saw the man who had an infirmity for thirty years said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk”. He did not say to Him, “I am unable to walk and hence lying down? When he heard the words of Jesus, he tried to rise up and walk. His faith was exhibited with work when he started to use up. Immediately, he received a miracle. ( John 5:1-9)

A servant of God was preaching in a meeting. People unable to walk were sitting on wheel chairs near the dias. During the prayer time, he called out three people according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and said “Jesus is healing you, Rise up and walk in Jesus’ Name”. Immediately two people tried to get up from the wheel chair to walk. They started walking! They received their miraculous healing. But one man was still sitting there on the wheel chair. The servant of God said, “Rise up and walk, Jesus is healing you” But he said, I am unable to walk and that is why I am sitting here. The servant of God said, “those two people are walking”. But this sister said, “I cannot walk?” It was God’s will to heal these three people. But two people exhibited their faith with work and therefore received their healing. This sister did not receive her healing because of the faith without work. She thought that God would heal her when she attends the meeting. But she missed the healing because she was unable to exhibit her faith will work.

Faith without work is dead. There was no rain in a certain city and hence the whole city suffered. They believed that God can shower rain and hence they arranged a prayer meeting to pray to God for rain. Thousands of people came for the meeting. A small girl who came to the meeting brought an umbrella. Many mocked this small girl because they have not seen rain quiet sometime. A man asked her, “why have you come with an umbrella when there is no rain? Then the girl answered. “Now we are going to pray for the rain and God will answer us immediately. So I don’t want to get drenched and hence I have brought this umbrella”. The faith of this small child astonished many. This is faith with work. Though everybody came for prayer, it was only this child who exhibited her faith with work. For God will honour this kind of faith. You too believe. Exhibit your faith with work and you shall receive your healing. Believe that Jesus can do a miracle in your individual affairs, family, education, work, business, marriage, debt problem and ministry. Believe and expect your miracle and then you shall receive your miracle. Pray with faith and receive your healing right now. Please write down your problems for which you want a miracle. Immediately bend your knees and pray with faith.

God of miracle, I thank you for you have been listening to my prayers all through. I pray to you to do a miracle for this particular problem this very day. I believe that you can do a miracle for this problem? I expect a miracle with faith? In Jesus name! Amen……

YOUR MIRACLE IS ON YOUR WAY! “EXPECT YOUR MIRACLE