Significance of the Palm Sunday: The Unexpected King

 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, People were not ready. (Matt 21:1-11)

Jesus was the Unexpected King who fulfilled all the prophecies. Jesus came

1. in An Unexpected Style: Kings and Rulers used to ride on Horses, but Our King chose a Colt. Jesus chose to reign by Love, Mercy and Compassion.

2. in An Unexpected Season: They were not ready when Jesus arrived. Some of the Jews were still waiting for the Messiah and, the Jews still are waiting.

3. in an Unexpected Salutation: It was the 1st time when the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords was accepted like a King.

As we look around ourselves, the prophecies are getting fulfilled and it will not take too long when Our King will come. But the irony is, the world is busy in making money and worldly pleasures. Jesus is about to come soon in the most unexpected hour.

It is time to be ready (In season and out of season).

What is the most Important thing that a person must guard?

 Have you ever thought what is the most important thing that we should guard?

"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
                        -Jeremiah 31:31-33

God spoke about the New Covenant, and the word is very clear that it'll be written in the hearts. Infact, the Bible tells us that the heart is the source of life. 

"Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life."  -Proverbs 4:23

In the Bible, God made us all aware that the Satan is Cunning (Shrewd).

REASONS YOUR CHILDREN DON'T LIKE FAMILY DEVOTION

 *Parenting skill*:

*REASONS YOUR CHILDREN DON'T LIKE FAMILY DEVOTION!*

Do you often wonder why it's sometimes an uphill task getting them to come and also to participate joyfully during family devotion?

 *It could be one of these reasons:* 

*1.* You use it as an opportunity to judge and criticize them, using them for all the negative examples.

*2.* Parents only do all the talking making it seem like they are in a classroom lecture.

*3.* When there is no specified time for devotion. So they only know when it starts and never when it ends.

*4.* When you seize the opportunity to compare them with others since you know they cannot stand up and leave.

*5.* When you do not create an environment for them to be themselves, ask questions or share lessons or just sound "unspiritual".

*Tips!!* 

•Assign tasks to everyone no matter how young they are.

Do not go personal during devotion. If you must give life examples, use yourself.

•Teach not judge. Teach a lesson, teach practically without criticizing.

•Let everyone know how long devotion will take. Whether it's 15 mins or 1hr. Prepare their mind ahead of time.

•Do not estimate their ability to get revelation. (Some of the greatest Rhemas I have gotten during Bible study is from my children).

•Kindly use a child/teen friendly devotional (keep your spiricoco type of devotional for your personal quiet time).

•Try not to transfer aggression or negative emotions to them during devotions. 

•Deliberately come cheerfully to Devotion. It's contagious.

Thanks.✍️

Pukaar: A Call-to-Worship the King

During the Covid19 Locked Down phase, when there was no way to gather to fellowship as a church, Minister Karan and team took this initiative to fellowship online through social media.

Pukaar: A Call-to Worship the King

Non-Stop Praise & Worship with the Popular Worship Leaders of India.  Excellent Songs to prepare your heart to Worship.

Bro Kenneth Silway, Bro KDB Michael, Bro, Emanuel Dean, NLC Worship Band & Bro Ashish Bhatti lead us in Praise & Worship during Covid 19 Locked Down.

Do I need to Submit?

James 4:7 " Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

We often say that, "we do submit to God" but do we really? To submit to God means to obey Him even in the situations where you would just feel to not think about God. It means not to move according to what you feel. It means not to depend on your senses but to depend on GOD 100%.
Enemy attacks us in this area. He wants you not to submit to God and thats why the later part says resist the devil and he will flee.

For an example, Bible commands us to honor our parents, and if we submit to God, we must honor our parents. What if the parents do not behave well? Well, we do not need to sugarcoat anything. I know it is not easy and thats why the first idea that comes to the carnal mind is to manipulate the word. But thats wrong. It is very clear, if we want to submit or not. Submission is a choice. And God has given us this liberty. And He wants us to submit to Him by our own choice. In this scenario, if we  choose to Submit to God, we will need to honor our parents without any excuse.

As we are talking about submission lets read another important passage from the Bible:

Eph 5:22 " Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Another example:
If the husband is not loving & caring. If you judge & say that he does not deserve the wife`s submission. Well, a lot of time we ministers sugarcoat the Word which is not right. The bible does not give any terms & conditions.
If you say you Submit to God, you must submit to your own Husband as to the lord. You may not have such feeling to submit to your own husband. But you need to make a choice. Whether to submit to God or to your own carnal feelings.

You cannot submit to God if you are not submitting to your husband.

I might sound very strict but the Word of God is very clear. If there would have been terms & conditions attached, I am 100% sure God would have mentioned it very clearly like in other places God`s Word is very clear.

Devil is working hard in developing scenarios where you can have excuse not to Submit to God. But remember as the children of God we MUST RESIST the Devil and he will flee.

If Eve would have resisted the devil, a major Blunder would have not happened. Similarly people, in this world many blunders can be avoided if we start Submitting to God & resist the devil.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." -Romans 12:1-2

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take?

Let the King reign in you

" In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.    -Matt. 21:18-19

When I gave my life to Christ, in the initial days, I was highly motivated by the life of few people. I didn't see them reading their Bible regularly or singing Gospel songs regularly ( I am not sure if they were doing it. It is possible they might be doing it but I didn't see them doing it).  I was highly motivated and attracted towards Christ through the attitude of these people. I was highly impressed by their words, the way they used to talk, their behavior, and their integrity.

A lot of time we get confused. Sometimes, we focus too much in regular Prayer sessions, Bible Studies, Worship Sessions and etc. But we do not apply the teachings of Bible in our life. Christian living is not all about the outward change but the Inside. It is very important to have the attitude of Christ in us.

In the above passage we read that there was a fig tree with green leaves but no fruit. Lets examine our lives. There is a possibility that you spend time in prayers, you read Bible and you also worship but do you allow Holy Spirit to work in you?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. "  -Galatians 5:22- 25

I am not against your Prayer, Bible Study or Worship but God wants you to have the fruits. God wants you to be transformed in the nature of Christ. God wants you to be like Jesus. If you have accepted Him as your King, let me reign in you. Let Jesus reign in you and your own flesh. Let the King Reign in you.

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take?

Love Your King

Before God calls you to be a good mother, He would definitely call you to be a good wife.
The Church is the bride of Christ. And God expects the church to be a good wife before the church multiplies.
The calling goes to next level, when you serve the first one faithfully.
You can be a mother but not necessarily a good mother when you fail on your first and foremost calling.
The most important commandment given in the new testament: "Love your God".

There are many people living in deception. Your relation with your Husband should be your priority. Church(Pastors/Ministers/Evangelists & etc.) Before you plan to multiply (in other words, when you plan to win people for Christ) make sure your relationship with Christ is strong enough. 

If your relationship with the King is not very strong you might be left with the empty Nest. A woman who is evil to her Husband and expects to be a Good Mother is living in deception because ultimately, she will have an empty nest.

Similarly, if we are not loving our KING and if we get too busy in the preaching, teaching, accounting and etc., we need to examine ourselves because success comes from Him.

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take? 

#LoveYourKing
#DoNotBeDecieved

Awake, O Sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you

Ephesians 5:4-14 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,

and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

You will be surprised that the next verse i.e.  Eph. 5:15 says: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

See God understands that we humans are not perfect. Prodigal son, was a simple human who fell out of the grace. He sinned. But the fantastic thing about him is that he arose.

Please read Luke 15:16-20 "And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father."

Sometimes, not some times but every time when we fall out of grace, we do nasty things. And therefore, it is important when we fallout of grace we should not stay in that fallen state. We must arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on us.

The spirit of Jezebel is very active these days. And there are many who are not even aware of it.
Please read Revelation 2:21 "I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent..."

Jezebel is an example from the Old testament of stumbling saints (2 Kings 9-10) It expresses a general principle seen in “Jezebel” (Revelation 2:20)
The Jezebel in the days of Elijah teaches us something about the Jezebel in the church in the book of Revelation. Jezebel who married King Ahab introduced a new religious system to Israel, which brought them into false worship, idolatry. At one point in the prophet Elijah’s ministry Elijah was discouraged and hid from Jezebel in a cave. So she chased the true prophets away. Rev.2:20 is speaking symbolically of a actual woman that calls herself a prophetess, a teacher; one of power and influence in Thyatira.

We all fall, but God has promised Grace if we humble ourselves.
James 4:6 ".... Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Even David fell, but he got up and arose from the dead, received the light. He humbled himself. He cried before the lord. He repented. And God lifted him up.

The prodigal son wasted everything. He saw a great loss. He saw a big shame. But still he stood up and decided to go back to his father. It required gutts but he did it. I assume, the ego/guilt tried to stop him but he fought with his ego/guilt and went to his Father.

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take?

A Happy Family :4

Wise is the person who thinks before putting his/her thoughts in Action. The fool thinks after messing up everything. And the one who realizes that He/She has messed up and still doesn't apologize because of the ego/guilt is even worse than the foolish.

A Happy Family is not a Myth

With downcast eyes, Kathryn confided, “I have a hard time respecting my husband. I want to be obedient to God’s command, but I don’t want to be dishonest to my feelings.”

God doesn’t command a wife to feel respectful toward her husband. She is to be respectful. Her responsibility is to obey God, not her feelings.

A man needs his wife's respect and admiration. He thrives and grows toward godliness when this need is fulfilled. Maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul says, “The wife must respect her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)

Easier said than done, especially in the heat of an argument. So what are some ways you can obey this command, and show respect for your husband?

1. Pray For Him

Something happens to us when we pray for people. Our hearts soften, our compassion and empathy increase, and we gain spiritual insight as to what the other person is going through. So pray for your husband. Ask God to give him wisdom, protection, guidance, knowledge, spiritual maturity, success, purity, and courage. Thank the Lord for how He has worked within your family, and for giving you this man. Pray for your attitude to change; rather than looking for your husband’s flaws, ask God to reveal his strengths. And then seek God’s answers to your prayers. Because He is listening!

2. Make A List Of Your Husband’s Good Qualities

When routine takes over, we need to remind ourselves every once in a while why we fell in love in the first place. Reflect on your spouse’s character. What are his strengths? What do you admire about him? Review and add to your list regularly.

3. Tell Your Husband What You Appreciate About Him 

It’s really nice to hear the words “thank you”; it’s even better hearing a number of specific things someone admires about you. By telling your husband what you appreciate about him, you communicate your love and respect and gratitude.

4. Listen To Him 

When your husband wants to talk, give him your full attention. Put down the phone or computer or remote, and listen. It’s also an important thing to remember when you’re the one who seeks him out! When you ask him a question, wait for his answer. And when he does talk, try not to shut him down right away. Actually listen to what he’s saying, and take his opinion into account.

5. Don’t Put Down Your Husband In Front Of Others

Especially your children. You and your husband are on the same team. You’re partners, supporters, and cheerleaders for each other. So when you are constantly criticizing him, it’s like you’ve abandoned his team. This doesn’t mean you can’t be open with your friends about your relationship; sometimes you really need to talk about what is going on, and an outside perspective can help. But if you find yourself endlessly putting him down: stop. This isn’t helpful to anyone. Instead, try and find something good to say about him, and even brag about him a little.

6. Put A Positive Spin On Things That Annoy You

If you find it boring when he spends time telling you about his bad day, remember that at least he is talking to you, spending time with you, sharing his concerns with you, bringing you into his confidence, and giving you the chance to be supportive.

7. Make Love

By responding to his advances — and initiating advances of your own — you are communicating your loyalty to him, your selfless love for him, and your attraction to him. Plus, it’s pretty fun, too.

8. Involve Him In Your Life

When you’ve been married for a while, it’s easy to go through life on autopilot. You each have your own routines, your own hobbies, your own friends. So make it a habit to include him in your activities, to talk about what is going on, to enjoy his company amidst the mundane. By including him in your everyday, you show him how much his presence brightens your life.

9. Talk In “I” Statements

If you have a problem about a decision your husband has made, or if you’re in the midst of an argument, accepting responsibility for your feelings is crucial to communicating effectively. This invites conversation rather than defense. Say: “I’m confused about _____. Can you explain it to me?” Or, “Can we talk about _____? I feel uncomfortable about _____.” Don’t say: “Why would you ever do it that way?” Or ask “Why?” in a way that implies he’s foolish.

10. Believe Your Husband Has Good Intentions

If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts about your husband, stop and choose to think of something else, especially things from your positive quality list. As Emerson Eggerichs says in his book Love and Respect, a key to making your relationship feel safe and secure is to believe your spouse has good intentions. Even when your partner messes up, you can still believe he didn’t mean to.

Remember, God is working on you and your husband. You can both learn from your failures as well as your successes. Give God the freedom to teach your husband through failure. In the same way, allow God to teach you to trust Him through your — and your husband’s — failure.

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take? 

A Happy Family :3

Wise is the person who thinks before putting his/her thoughts in Action. The fool thinks after messing up everything. And the one who realizes that He/She has messed up and still doesn't apologize because of the ego/guilt is even worse than the foolish.

A Happy Family is not a Myth

On the Valentine's Day or any other day, one thing will say "I love you" better than any card, outlive any flower, and be remembered longer than any romantic dinner: praying for your spouse. In my wedding vows, I committed to pray daily for my husband, and the most effective way he communicates love to me is when he prays for me. Keeping a journal (Keeping a record of the prayers in a Diary) of our prayer requests lets us record God's answers.

When we pray specifically, we see specific results. Lyn Breiding knows those kinds of results firsthand. She prayed that her husband, Greg, would keep his focus on the Lord despite intense competition at work. When everyone else at his consulting firm worked late hours every night, he refused to give up time with his family and his responsibilities at church. He missed late-night political wranglings, and he declined the three-martini lunches, so he was passed up for promotions for three years. Lyn continued to pray the prayer of martyred missionary Jim Elliot: "God, make [Greg's] way prosperous, not to achieve high station, but that his life would be an exhibit to the value of knowing You." When the company started tracking the hours billed to clients, not the hours worked, Greg won an award for his efficiency — producing the most revenue while working significantly less hours.

Here are five suggestions on how to pray specifically for your spouse:

1. Pray for your spouse's spouse. That means you. "[Your heart] must be clean before God in order for you to see good results," wrote Stormie Omartian in The Power of a Praying Wife. " If you have resentment, anger, unforgiveness, or an ungodly attitude, even if there's good reason for it, you'll have a difficult time seeing answers to your prayers. But if you can [confess and repent of] those feelings to God in total honesty, and then move into prayer, there is nothing that can change a marriage more dramatically."
    
2. Pray for your spouse's relationship with God. Pray that your spouse would know God, trust God, and remain in Him. Jesus says in John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." Nothing means that without Jesus, your spouse can't be patient, unconditionally love you, nor be the man/woman you need. Rather than nagging about a growing "honey-do" list or an area of weakness in your spouse, "pray before you say." Openly communicate with each other, but pray that your spouse would spend time listening to God. Trust the Holy Spirit to provide ultimate correction.
    
3. Pray for their God-given role. Wives, pray for your husband's leadership in your marriage. Ask God to give him strength to carry out his responsibilities and help him prioritize time with his family. The Lord has entrusted many things to you both — money, time, a home — so pray for your husband to be a wise steward of God's gifts. Husbands, pray for your wife's role as your partner — the person who can come alongside to help you. Ask God to remind her to pray about her worries so she'll experience Christ's peace. Pray that her day will go smoothly and she would accomplish much.
    
4. Pray for strong relationships with godly members of the same sex. Same-sex friendships are vital. If a person looks to their spouse to meet all their friendship needs, chances are their spouse will eventually crumple under the pressure. But remember, those whom your spouse spends extra time with will shape him or her as a person. Pray that he/she would be surrounded with followers of Jesus Christ.
    
5. Pray practically. Good intentions don't naturally lead to good results. You have to have a plan. Pick Scripture by which to pray for your spouse, then put it on your dashboard and pray while on your morning commute. As you fold your spouse's laundry or mow the lawn, pray for them or use your lunch hour once a week to pray. Resist the temptation to turn this into an obligatory checklist. Instead, you can use this guide to remember how best to pray. 
   
   Your spouse is God's gift to you; take time to speak with Him about that gift. I wish I could say I prayed for Aaron for hours each day, but that's not the case. Some days, as I drift off to sleep, I just ask God to bless his work tomorrow and keep him safe. Recently, a Tuesday deadline approached too quickly and I was in knots by Monday night. To my delight, I finished writing the magazine article the next day with time to spare. It felt like my hours had multiplied — a specific answer to Aaron's prayer for my workday.

Other than the Lord, no one knows me better than my husband. When the two of them get together on my behalf, I'm blessed.

1. Pray Intentionally For Your Spouse.

Using the ideas above and whatever alse God puts on your heart, start praying more regularly and strategically for your spouse. Schedule prayer times in your calendar and/or use a journal(Diary) to keep yourself on track.

2. Pray With A Mentor

One of your (Trustworthy) spiritual mentors would love to talk and pray with you about whatever you're going through right now. 

What's the next step you feel God is asking you to take?