Persecuted? A part of life.

John 9.22
His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

Jesus had healed a man who was born blind and he could see perfectly. Jesus did things which wasn't appreciated by the religious people and hence they decided to exclude from the synagogue, any one who confessed Jesus as the Messiah.

Persecution is part of a believers life. None of us should be surprised about persecution. Jesus said if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. Paul said every one who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted. Rejoice, Jesus said, when people speak evil against you, curse you and want to kill you. In this situation, the persecution people were facing was exclusion from the synagogue. The question is not whether you will be persecuted or not, the question is about your response to persecution. Daniel refused to worship the image of King Darius and he was thrown into the lions den.  Three of his friends refused to worship the image of King Nebuchadnezzar and they were thrown into the fiery furnace. But God protected Daniel and his friends. They responded to the persecution by saying, we will not give up our faith in God and we know our God will save us and even if He didn't save we will not compromise. That's powerful. We live in a planet where Satan is the god of this world system and therefore persecution for a believer is inevitable.

Friend, how strong is your faith? What would you do, if believing in Jesus could exclude you from the synagogue or you could lose your life, family, house or everything you got, would you still be faithful to Him? Everything that Satan meant for your harm, God will turn it around for your good. Be faithful to him.
Be strong and hold fast to Jesus and He will strengthen you and you will see his glory. Don't be afraid and don't give up. Remember, his grace is sufficient.

Satan has no truth.

John 8.44
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

This verse gives a good deal of information on Satan's character. Satan has no truth in him therefore you cannot believe anything he says. He's a liar and the father of lies.

Satan is a deceiver and he's an expert in deceiving people from the truth. He has no truth in Him and therefore everything that comes out of him is a lie. He cannot speak the truth because there is no truth in him. Jesus said the word is truth. Even when he quoted Psalms 91 to Jesus, the intention was deception. It's very important to know Satan's character so you know what kind of a being he is and you won't be deceived. His ultimate objective is to steal, kill and destroy. He uses all kinds of people to display his lies to attack the truth of Gods word. For example: 'Evolution' to attack the existence of a Creator God. 'Many gods' to attack the one true God. 'Jesus was a good man' to attack the deity of Jesus. He can go to any extent in creating a lie because his only objective is to keep people away from the truth.

Friend, as you grow deeper in your understanding of Gods word, his lies will not affect your life. The only defence we have against his lies is the word of the living God. Any peice of information that is not in line with the word of God is a lie from hell irrespective of who said it. The word of God is truth. Be on your guard and gird your waist with the belt of truth. Be deception free. The word of God is first and final. Glory to God.

You are from above.

John 8.23
And He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

Jesus was born of the word of God. John says the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came from above and He knew it and He lived according to it.

Well, the day you accepted Christ, you were born again by the incorruptible seed of God's word. You were born of God, born from above. Just like Jesus you can say, I am from above and I am not of this world. Philippians says we are citizens of heaven. Each and every believer has been sent to the earth by God to fulfill a specific assignment. Remember, you are from another planet called heaven. Paul says though we are in the world, we are not of it meaning we don't belong here. We are here on the earth for a specific task. This is why Jesus was so consumed with the work that He had been sent to do. During the last days of his ministry He said, I have glorified the Father by finishing the work He has given me to do.

Be conscious that you are from another planet, therefore things that trouble the earth shouldn't trouble you because you have heavenly protection and provision. Heaven is not moved by politics, terrorism, inflation or corruption or some sickness or climate change. Heaven is stable and therefore you will never lack provision and protection. Fix your mind on heaven because that's where you have come from. 'I am from heaven'. Make this a reality of your life and it will help you focus on the right things and help you with your priorities and you will never be the same. Jesus is Lord.

Throw away your stone.

Throw away your stone.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

John 8. 7
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus and was asked whether she should be stoned. Many times people are quick to judge, criticize and condemn others. They are eager and quick to throw their stone like the Pharisees.

The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one has the right to judge and condemn others because all have sinned and none is better than the other. We have been saved by grace, not by works. It is the gift of God. We didn't earn our salvation. We didn't work hard to get it. Jesus saved us simply because He loves us. When we are conscious of the grace that has been bestowed upon us, we won't be so quick in judging and condemning people. People who are quick to despise and judge others don't understand the love and grace of Jesus. People are struggling in many areas of life and the last thing they need is someone to judge and condemn them. They need love, acceptance and grace. That's exactly what Jesus did, he didn't focus on the woman's weaknesses and mistakes instead He forgave her and extended his love towards her. His words imparted grace to her and her life was changed at that very moment. Hallelujah. We love others because God first loved us. Jesus forgave her and imparted grace to her!  Come to Jesus! Religion kills, Jesus gives life!

Jesus, who never sinned had the right to judge but He told her, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.' How much more should we extend grace, love and mercy towards people just as Jesus did towards us. Friend, throw away your stone of judgement and condemnation, let's receive and accept people just as Jesus received and accepted us. Be a blessing!

“In my mistakes, Jesus poured out His grace and mercy on me. He didn't judge or condemn me. Therefore I don't judge or condemn people when they miss the mark. My words impart grace and love. I love them because Jesus first loved me. Hallelujah.”

Challenges? Get excited .

James 1. 2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Many people don't understand these verses because they ask, how can you be joyful when you are facing trials and pressures. It's a very genuine question.

You see the word commands us to consider Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. The cross was not an easy thing.  For Jesus, it was a place of severe suffering and it was a place of seperation from the Father. But the Bible says he endured it joyfully. How can you endure such horrible events joyfully? He could endure it joyfully because his eyes was on the results produced by these trials. We look on things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are temporary but the things that are unseen are eternal. Jesus saw the joy of bringing many sons to glory and therefore He could endure the trials joyfully because he knew the results.

The testing of your faith produces or brings out patience and when you allow patience to do it's perfect work, meaning that you don't quit or give up on the word, the result is, you will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Trials come to make you perfect and complete so that you lack nothing. Without trials, pressure and persecutions, you can't mature. Hebrews says even Jesus was perfected by the things He suffered. Friend, next time when you face trials, be very happy and glad, for it's time for you to be complete and perfect so that you lack nothing. Don't you ever quit on God and His word. The best is yet to come. Jesus is Lord.

Taught by God.

John 5.20
For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

The statement made by Jesus here reveals that everything Jesus did was shown or in other words was taught to Him by His Father.

You see, no man or man made institutions could have taught him to do what He did because everything He did was against the protocol and structure of their traditions and rituals. He healed a paralytic man on the Sabbath which is not in line with the traditional practices of the Pharisees. He was taught by God concerning what to say and what to do. Jesus said the Father loves him and this is the reason why He shows and teaches him everything He himself does. Everything Jesus said and everything He did was taught by His Father. No wonder the people asked, Where did this man get this learning, authority and wisdom from?. Jesus said my teaching and doctrine is not my own, its from the one who sent me. Jesus said to us, if you believe in me the works that I do you will do also and greater works than these you will do because I go to my Father.

Jesus gave us the key to get things done. Friend, seek the Father on what to say and what to do. Seek not whats popular or what the current trend is or where the majority are moving. Get it from the Father. He has given us His precious Holy Spirit, His eternal word and His precious servants through whom He teaches every thing we will ever need to know. I encourage you to open your heart and receive the teachings of the Father God and step out bodly to make a difference in and for your generation. Jesus is Lord.

I am with you.

I am with you.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Judges 6:15‭-‬16
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and therfore the Lord delivered them into the hands of Midian. The Midianities made their lives very miserable, they were greatly impoverished and they cried out to the Lord. God responsed because of His great mercy and sent them a deliverer.

When the Lord came to Gideon and revealed that he has been chosen to deliver Israelites from the hands of the Midianities, he couldn't believe it because in his estimation he was insignificant, weak and good for nothing types. I am sure people around him and his family members would have said the same thing about Gideon. But bless God, God doesn't see as man sees. He doesn't judge as man judges. The Lord said it doesn't matter whether you have a strong or a weak family background, all you need is Me. The Lord told Gideon that He will be with him and he will defeat the Midianities as one man.

It doesn't matter how weak or insignificant you or your family background or status is, all you need is the presence of the Lord. His presence makes all the difference. You could have all the PhD of the world and could have great skills, talents, contacts and a strong family status but without His presence, all of it is useless. Moses said to the Lord, if your presence doesn't go with us, we will not go forward. The bible says Joseph was a successful man because the Lord was with him. Be conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in you and with his help live a life pleasing to the Lord and He will take you places you have never dreamed of. The best is yet to come. Hallelujah.

“The Lord is with me always. Therefore I fulfill the work that He has given me in excellence, holiness and joy.”

I die daily!

John 5.30
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

The Apostle Paul could relate to what Jesus said in this verse when he said in I Corinthians that He dies daily. This is to say that He dies to his own will and seeks and fulfills the will of the one who sent Him.

Every believer is called to fulfil Gods will for their lives. Therefore a believers number one objective in life is to be in the centre of God's will. Jesus was so consumed with fulfilling Gods will, He said I can do nothing of myself or my will. This talks about absolute surrender to Gods will. Absolute surrender to Gods will is a response to the Father's love for you. Therefore, absolute surrender is your love response to all that the Father has done for you in the person and the works of Jesus Christ. I delight to do your will, O Lord is what the Psalmist said. If the thought of surrender irritates you then probably you need a fresh revelation of how much the Father loves you. Paul said His love compels us. John said we love because he first loved us.

I believe as we grow in our understanding of Gods love, we will lovingly and absolutely surrender ourselves to the God who is Love. Its not something I have to do as a duty but its something I want to do because I love Him and want to please him in everything I do. The revelation of His love will help you crucify your flesh, deny yourself and die daily in a way that is cheerful and well pleasing to the Father. Paul said If I live, I live for Jesus and if I die, I die for Jesus so whether I live or I die, I belong to the Lord. Jesus is Lord.

The Father of glory.

Ephesians 1.17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Knowing our Heavenly Father God is one of the most important pursuits of our life. The more you know Him, the easier it is to trust Him. When you don't know Him, its difficult to trust Him.

In the above verse, we see that our Father is the Father of glory. The word Father means source and sustainer. He is the source of all glory. He is the Father of excellence, magnificence, splendour, preeminence, dignity and grace. All of these originate from Him. He is the possessor of true, genuine and pure glory. Everything about the Father is glorious and excellent. Jesus was the glory of God in action. The life of Jesus was glorious. Jesus knew the Father of glory intimately and therefore his life was full of glory. He manifested the glory of the Father in his own life and also everywhere He went. John says Jesus turned water into wine and manifested his glory. The Father had given him glory and Jesus said, the glory that the Father gave him, He has given to us. Thats staggering. Hallelujah. We have the glory of the Almighty God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Infact the new covenant says, we are the very glory of God. Glorious truth.

Friend, seek to please the Father of glory. From him comes all glory. Once we understand this, we will seek the glory that only comes from the Father. We will talk for His glory. We will live for His glory. Once you make pleasing Him in everything and seeking his glory your objective then you will see the manifestation of Gods glory. He not only gives you glory but also keeps you in glory for He is the Source and Sustainer of glory. Glory to God.

Reveal Jesus!

John 1.31
I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

John the Baptist said He was sent by God Almighty to baptise with water. He knew his calling was to baptise with water. The purpose of the calling was to reveal Jesus.

No matter what calling or assignment God has given you, the objective and the purpose is to reveal Jesus. If God has called you as a sportsperson, then you are to reveal Jesus through your sports. If God has called you as a plumber then you are to reveal Jesus through your profession. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the purpose of our life and our respective callings. John says No one has seen the Father, the Son came to reveal the Father to the world. Every word Jesus spoke and every single thing He did, He revealed the Father. That was his objective and purpose of life. Today, our objective is to reveal Jesus in our thoughts, words and actions.

The world doesn't know Jesus. They will know Him through us. God has given us an awesome privilege of revealing His Son through our respective callings. When you do what you are called to do, his grace and his anointing will make it easier for you to reveal Jesus. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the purpose and objective of every God given calling. Praise the Lord.

Child of the Most High God.

John 1.12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was buried and He rose again on the third day alive forevermore. The moment you believe this and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you are born again.

This verse tells us, the moment you received Jesus, He gave you the authority to be the child of God. In Christ, you are a child of the Most High God. God Almighty is your Pappa God. This is not some theory or something thats going to happen after a billion years. This is not a promise. Its a fact. Its a reality. God is your Father and you are His beloved child. This reality must become a reality to each one of us. We are children of the Most High God. Unless this becomes a reality to you, you won't be able to enjoy the benefits of this reality. Because you are a child of God, you have special privileges. You have family rights. You have His name and His inheritance. You have angels assigned to you. You are always on Gods mind. This is one of the reasons He says cast all your cares on me for I care for you. When you see yourself as God sees you, you will start enjoying your life.

As a child, the biggest thing you can do for God is trust him. Many believers know this fact but its not yet a reality for them. They have a Father but they live like orphans, trying to fix everything and getting stressed, worried and afraid which makes their lives miserable. Friend, God is your Father. He is a billion times better than all the best earthly fathers of the world put together. Trust Him. Don't live like an orphan. Your Father can handle anything. He loves you and Hes always there for you. The best is yet to come.

Take it to Jesus.

John 2.3
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding in Cana of Galilee. They ran out of wine during the marriage ceremony. It was really a big problem and a disgrace to the family.

When Mary became aware of the ordeal, she immediately took it to Jesus. I like what she did. As soon as she faced a problem, she took it to Jesus. I remember in the old testament, when Jehosaphat faced a massive army coming against him, he fell on his face and started praying and seeking God. When Peter and John were persecuted for preaching the gospel, they went to their group and lifted up their voices in prayer. Whatever you are facing today, take it to Jesus in prayer. He said whatever you ask the Father in his name, He will do it for you.

Friend, life has many challenges but Jesus is always available and He can fix anything and everything. Let him be the first person you go to when you face a challenge and not the last one. Psalms 34.5 says those who look to Him are radiant and they will never be covered with shame. Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches and without Him we can do nothing. So next time you face a challenge, take it to Jesus in prayer and He will show you how to overcome and live a victorious life. Do whatever He tells you and everything will be alright. Jesus is Lord.

Self righteousness stinks.

Luke 18.9
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

When Adam disobeyed God and lost his position and nature, he tried to fix it by making aprons by sewing fig leaves together. You see, the problem was internal and it could not be solved by wearing a suit of fig leaves. This is beginning of religion in our planet.

God replaced their fig leaf suit with coats of animal skins. This coat was a reminder to them that their works cannot and will not save them. This coat was reminder to them that the seed of a woman will come and crush Satan's head. This coat was a reminder to them that the Messiah will come. When Adam made aprons of fig leaves, he tried to be right with God based on his works. When you think you are right with God because of what you do, because of who you are or what you have, you start despising and judging others. Self righteosuness always despises and judges others. They think they are better than everybody else because of who they are and what they do. Friend, thats dangerous.

This is the reason why Pharisees seperated themselves from other people like tax collectors because they thought everyone else were sinners. The biggest enemy of Gods kingdom for you is religion where a man tries to be right with God based on his works. All of our works are filthy rags in the sight of God and no flesh can boast in the presence of God. We are right with God not because of who we are or what we do but because of who Jesus is and what He has done. Friend, the revelation of this righteousness because of the finished works of Jesus will help you love and respect every human on earth and never judge or despise them. Grace is the reason you are righteous so lets extend the same grace to others. Hallelujah.

Jesus wept.

Luke 19.41
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it

The Bible only records two instances where Jesus wept. One was, while he saw Mary and the others weeping for Lazarus. In this verse, we see Jesus weeping again. But this time its for the spiritual ignorance of his people.

Ignorance is disastrous. God says in Hosea 4.6, my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. He said my people, the people of God. Think about it. Notice, they lacked knowledge not because they had no access to it but rather they rejected the knowledge of God and neglected it. This means that they didn't make Gods word first and final in their lives. They made other things more important than the word. Therefore, ignorance is a choice. We live in a day where the word is available to us at our finger tips. So therefore today if we are ignorant of the things of God its because we decided to be.

Jesus wept over the ignorance of his people. This shows his immense love for us. You see, unless you know the word, you can't believe and unless you believe God cannot do anything for you. Hebrews says without faith it is impossible to please God. Friend, I encourage you, not be ignorant about the things of God another day. Start now. Go to a good bible based church where you are fed the word of God and I promise, you will never be the same again. Remember, ignorance is a choice and its highly expensive. Psalms says, as soon as you get the word, light comes. When light comes, darkness flees. Glory to God.

Where is your strength?

Ephesians 6.10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Paul says to the church that we are to draw our strength from the Lord and from his mighty resurrection power. In the epistle of Ephesians, we see all that God in his great grace has given to the church because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The Holy Spirit is commanding us here to be strong in who you are in Christ, what you have in Christ and what you can do in Christ. He tells us to be strong in the redemption, in the inheritance, in the calling and in the resurrection power that he has given to every believer because of the finished works of Jesus Christ. Many times, believers depend too much on their flesh. The flesh would include their family status,  their background, their education, their achievements, their bank accounts, their professional position, their works, talents, skills, contacts etc. Paul says that we put no confidence in the flesh. Jesus said flesh counts for nothing, it's the spirit that gives life. We must develop our confidence in who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ and what we can do in Christ. In Christ, we have a new identity. This identity must dominate our thinking so that we can be used mightily by God for no flesh can boast in the presence of God.

We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might by consistently confessing our In Christ realities.  Find out In Him scriptures especially from the Pauline epistles and confess them daily. Give those scriptures a good amount of meditation and let these sink in your heart and mind. Make it a reality and let it govern your life. You will never be the same.

Is Jesus God?

John 9.38
Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

The scripture here refers to a blind man who was healed by Jesus and this man believed in Jesus and worshipped him. While Jesus was being tempted by the devil to worship him, he responded by quoting scripture from Deuteronomy saying, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Jesus never stopped the man who received his sight or others from worshipping him. You see, Jesus is God in action.

Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. Jesus is the connection between God and man. He is where God and man meet. Jesus said in John 14.6, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. By saying this, Jesus concluded that there's only one way to God and thats Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Colossians 1.15 says He is the image of the invisible God. No one has seen God at any time for God is a spirit, Jesus came to reveal God to us for He is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being. If you ever desire to know God, know Jesus. God showed himself to the world in the person of Jesus Christ. Infact one time Philip, one of his disciples asked him to show the Father. Jesus responded by saying, He who has seen me has seen the Father.

Friend, the spirit of the antichrist doesn't believe God came in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The world says Jesus is just a prophet, a good man, a brilliant man or even a great man. Sure He is but He's more than that. He is God. He is fully man and He is fully God. He is the God man. He is the one who brought God to man and man to God. He represents God to man and He represents man to God. What a wonderful Saviour we have! Jesus Jesus Jesus. Jesus is Lord.

Faith is a seed. Sow it.

Luke 17.6
So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Jesus is the author and the perfecter of our faith.  He is the teacher of our faith. Jesus is a man of faith. He lived and walked by faith because it is only by faith you can please God. Jesus said He pleased the Father at all times. So in these verses Jesus is teaching his disciples about faith.

Faith is a seed and it must be sown into the ground for the work to begin.  Unless a seed is sown, it remains a seed but when its sown, it produces much fruit. What is it that you want to change, He says take your faith and sow it in that mulberry tree, fig tree, mountain or whatever situation you want to change or any challenge that you are facing. Remember, the seed must be sown into the ground. The bible says darkness was over the face of the deep. God saw darkness all around and He wanted to change it. So he planted the seed of faith into the darkness by speaking,' Let there be light'. As the seed was sown into the ground, the work started and the Bible says there was light. So you plant the seed of faith by speaking. We need to speak Gods word. We must speak Gods word. Speak, Speak, Speak. Whatever challenge you are facing today, speak the word of God into that challenge and release your faith. Jesus said everything is possible for him who believes.

Faith is a seed and it can do the impossible but it needs to be released into your situation fields. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Be it marriage, children, job, finances, house, business, future or any situation, if you release or sow your faith by speaking Gods word, you will see the glory of God. Dont give up believing. Dont give up speaking. Jesus is Lord.

Who's the enemy?

Who's the enemy?
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 6.12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

One of the keys in spiritual warfare is knowing who the enemy is. Satan is our enemy. He is the only enemy of a believer. Flesh and blood meaning a human being can and will never be our enemy. Once you know your enemy, you can direct your time, energy and money in the right direction. Don't be mad at people, love people.

Paul said Satan is the enemy of all righteousness. He hates humans because we are created in the image and likeness of God. He cannot touch God so he tries to harm humans and by doing so he tries to touch God. When Adam disobeyed  God, he handed over his authority to Satan. Satan became the god of this world and has caused havoc in this world. But in the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son Jesus. By his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus defeated the enemy, completely paralysed him and stripped all authority from him. Therefore you and I, we are dealing with an enemy who is defeated. If you are in Christ, Satan has absolutely no authority over you. You have authority over Satan and that authority is in the name of Jesus. The blood of Jesus has given you victory over the devil, his forces and his kingdom. Peter says the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is the king of ignorance. As long as believers are ignorant of their victory in Christ over the devil, they become victims of the traps of the devil.

Satan uses people to harass, pressure and persecute believers but once you know who the real enemy is, you can love people and forgive them for yielding to the devil. Jesus told us to love our enemies because he knew who the real enemy was. Jesus, while on the cross forgave people because he knew who the real enemy was. Satan is your enemy. He's a defeated enemy. Your victory is in the name of Jesus. Have faith in the name of Jesus and exercise your victory over the enemy by holding fast to your word confession. Revelation says they overcame the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Jesus is Lord.

"People are not my enemies, Satan is the enemy. Because I know this, I always love people even those who yield to Satan and oppose me. Satan, I resist and oppose you in the name of Jesus and nothing you do can stop me. I live in peace with all men and I walk in love. Hallelujah”

Honesty is our only policy!

Proverbs 11.1
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord , But a just weight is His delight.

As children of the Most High God, pleasing Him is our daily objective. This verse tells us what God delights in and what He absolutely hates.

Its important for us to know that God hates dishonesty, cheating and deception. He is against such behaviours and conducts. No matter where you are and what you are doing, in order to have Gods blessing on our work, we must be honest and do all that we do with integrity and transparency. For with such things God is well pleased. Proverbs says one who trusts in riches shall fall. A person who loves and trusts money gets involved in dishonest practices. Timothy says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and money. Judas was dishonest because He stole from the money that came into the ministry of Jesus. God hates and abhors dishonesty.

Every dishonest practice is a result of lack of trust in God. When a person doesn't trust God to provide for him and his family, he gets involved in cheating, deception and dishonest practices. The root of all sin is not trusting God.  Faithfulness is the key to promotion. When you are faithful in what God has given you, He will promote you and expand you. We don't need all these worldly practices which guarantees a failing future. Friend, you have the mighty Holy Spirit in you and He will help you live and walk honestly and with integrity. Trust God to meet all your financial needs rather than trusting yourself. Tithe, Sow and Help the poor. Put His kingdom first and you will never be broke another day in your life for the blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow to it. The best is yet to come!

You are right!

You are right.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

2 Corinthians 5.21
For He made Him who knew no sin to  be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

In Christ, we are the righteousness of God. Righteousness means right standing with God. It means the ability to stand in the presence of God without a sense of guilt, inferiority, shame, fear or condemnation. It also means a state or a condition of being right. You are rightness of God.

Paul said, In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. It's vitally important for us to understand that Jesus not only took our sin, he became our sin on the cross. This is the reason he compared himself to a serpent when he spoke to Nicodemus and said, As Moses lifted up the serpent so shall the Son of man be lifted up. You see righteousness was only imputed to Abraham meaning that one day he will be made righteous. But bless God, righteousness is not only credited or imputed to our account but we are made the very righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Its nothing to do with our works, its only because of what Jesus did and our faith in who he is and what he has done.

Because you are right with God, you are accepted and approved by God. He is well pleased with you. You are his beloved. He finds no fault with you and in you. Because you are right with God, you have a right to have all your prayers answered, a right to walk in divine health, a right to access the angelic ministry, a right to prosper and a right to be free from the sin and curse of this world. You have rights, privileges and responsibilities. Grow in the word and become righteous conscious instead of sin conscious. The blood of Jesus has made you right. You are right therefore think right, speak right and live right for the glory of God. Jesus is Lord!

“I am the righteousness of God in Christ. The blood has made me as righteous as Jesus himself. My Father accepts me, approves me and is well pleased with me. I am established in righteousness and I live in victory every day of my life. Hallelujah.”

What is the fear of the Lord?

Proverbs 9.10
“The fear of the Lord  is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The fear of the Lord means to respect and honour the Lord. It has nothing to do with being scared of the Lord like you would be scared of a poisonous snake or some wild animal. It simply means to love what He loves and to hate what he hates. It means to obey the Lord.

You honour the Lord in your thoughts, your words, your actions, in private and in public. When Joseph ran away from Potiphars wife it was because of the fear of the Lord. It was because of the fear of the Lord that Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar at Gods command. Daniel would not defile himself with the kings meat or drink his wine as it was offered to pagan gods. It was because of the fear of the Lord that Jesus died on the cross. Proverbs says the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, evil way and perverse speech. The fear of the Lord has great rewards even though it may seem like you are going down and there is no benefit to be seen. You see it was the fear of the Lord that took Joseph to prison, that took Jesus to hell and took Daniel to the lions den. And it was the same fear of the Lord that took Joseph to the prime minister position, Jesus to the throne of God and Daniel to become the second most powerful person in Babylon.

Friend, the fear of the Lord oftens taken you down before it shoots you to the top. So be encouraged, the Lord is on your side. It may look like there is no benefit in honouring the Lord but hold on, for you will see the glory of God. As you grow in the knowledge of God and his glory, you will begin to honour, respect and adore Him. You will understand life and you will deal wisely in all the areas of your life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. God bless you.

God's character under attack!

Genesis 3.1
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Since the beginning of time, nothing has been more attacked than Gods character. Unless you know God its very difficult to trust him. But if you know Him for yourself, you will enjoy him all the days of your life.

If Satan can convince you that God is a liar, then his word has no integrity, its a lie and therefore you cannot trust Him. Thats exactly what he did with Adam and Eve, Satan convinced them that God is not giving them His best. He is hiding the best from them. Had they known God intimately, they would have understood that every good and every perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, who never changes. He always gives us his best, the best. Let me tell you another thing. God is always right. Thats his character. He can never be wrong. Whatever he says, whenever he says, however he says, wherever he says it, He is always right. He cannot make a mistake. He is good which means he can never be bad. He is love therefore he can never be selfish. He is light and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. The Bible says God is not a man that he should lie nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Will he say something and not fulfill it?.

As believers we must make knowing God our number one priority. Paul said I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection. He prayed for the Ephesian church that God may grant them the spirit of wisdom and revelation that they may know God. God is not keeping himself away from us. He has given us his word and His precious Holy Spirit that we may know God fully and be completely and totally full of him. The more you know God, the easier it is to trust him. The less you know God, the difficult it is to trust God. God is good and his mercy endures forever. He is the Father of mercies, the Father of lights, the Father of spirits, the Father of glory and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah.  Jesus is Lord.

Salvation is a gift. Receive.

Ephesians 2. 8,9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it  is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The word saved comes from the greek word sozo which means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger and destruction, to make well, to restore to health. It means deliverance, safety, preservation, health, well being and prosperity. It means shalom, which means nothing missing, nothing broken.

This salvation that we have received has nothing to do with our works because its a gift. The Bible says all of our good and righteous works are like filthy rags in the eyes of God. Nothing we do can save us. No religious activity can save us. No sacrifices can save us. No starving ourselves to death can save us. No giving of all that we have can save us. Salvation cannot be earned by working hard or by doing good works. Salvation is way too expensive for a human to pay for it. All the money in the world cannot buy it. Its beyond our works. If any human on earth could earn it or deserve it then there was no need for Jesus to come. Every one of us deserved death and hell. Our sins have separated us from God and Romans says the wages of sin is death.

Jesus shed his blood on the cross, died for us, went to hell and suffered for our sins. When he had fully satisfied the claims of justice, he was justified in the spirit and was born again. He defeated the devil, the one who had the power of death and rose again victorious on the third day and He entered the Heavenly tabernacle and placed his blood on the mercy seat and obtained eternal redemption for us. Hallelujah. Salvation is a result of faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ. Not our works, but his works. He is the reason we are saved. Friend, our salvation is a reality today because Jesus Christ purchased it with his own blood. Because of what He did, we are saved, healed, delivered, prosperous, safe and sound. Blessed be his name forever and evermore. Jesus is Lord.

Faith is a shield

Ephesians 6.16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Satan sends his fiery missiles and arrows towards every believer because his only objective is to steal, kill and destroy. His missiles are thoughts, ideas, suggestions that are contrary to the word and also trials, pressures and persecutions to challenge believers to give up on the word.

As a believer, you are born of the word therefore you can only be sustained by the word of God. Jesus said my words are spirit and they are life. His word is our life. The foundation of faith is the word of God. No word, no faith. No faith, no power. Without faith, we cannot do anything for God and his kingdom. Its only faith that pleases Him. Can you see why Satan is so desperate to steal the word out of your heart and mouth?. Paul said we are not ignorant of the schemes of Satan. Any and every missile that Satan sends across your path can be quenched by the shield of faith. Faith is a shield. Faith in Gods word is a shield. There is no missile in Satans arsenal that faith cannot quench. Friend, faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

The disciples were scared when they faced a storm missile and woke Jesus saying that He doesn't care. Jesus rebuked the storm and asked the disciples, 'Where is your shield?'. Have faith in Gods word. Have faith in Gods character. Have faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ. Have faith in God. Your faith will open the door to Gods grace, God's power and then All Is Well. Glory to God. Jesus is Lord.

Wow Faith.

Luke 7.9
When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

A centurions servant was sick and people  requested Jesus to help. As Jesus was coming towards the house, the centurion requested Jesus not to come because he was not worthy to have Jesus in his house but just speak and his servant would  be healed. Jesus was amazed at his faith.

The centurion understood just like the Roman government had given him authority, God had given Jesus of Nazareth authority over Satan and his kingdom of darkness. He knew the power of the authorities is in their words. This is the reason he asked Jesus to speak because the word of the authority is equal to the presence of the authority.  Jesus said that the centurion had great faith. Jesus marveled at his faith. Let me tell you about the authority of Jesus, when Jesus ascended on high, he said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Ephesians  says Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God's throne far above all principality,  all power, all might, all dominion and every name which is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. God has put all things under his feet and made him the head of the church which is his body. Can you see the  position he holds and the authority he has? When he says Yes, no one can say No.

This Jesus is the same Jesus who tells you I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am your Shepherd and I will meet all your needs according to my riches in glory. By my stripes, you are healed. I died for you and rose again on the third day for you.  You are my child and I know you by your name. I will protect you and keep you for i am always with you.

Rich Inheritance.

Ephesians 1.11
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

The day you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you were born into the family of God.  You got born again. You were included in Christ and in Him you received a possession,  a heritage, an inheritance.

Peter says we were born into an inheritance that  is incorruptible,  undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us. God has not only given us a rich inheritance in Christ but He has also qualified us to partake, to enjoy the inheritance. He cannot enjoy it for us.  Its for us, we have to enjoy the inheritance of the saints in the light. Paul said to the Ephesians church elders, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. As we grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we will enjoy and partake of the inheritance that God has so graciously given us because of the finished works of Jesus Christ.  It's one thing to have the inheritance and it's absolutely another to enjoy and partake of it. The day you got born again, you were marked, stamped and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that this inheritance belongs to you now and that you are qualified by God to use it and enjoy it.

Friend, In Christ,  your wealth is beyond measure. You are extremely wealthy. Paul knew we couldn't comprehend this with our minds, hence he prayed that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened,  that we may know the glorious riches of the inheritance in the saints. Our part is to grow in the revelation knowledge of this inheritance so we can partake of it and bless humanity. Praise the Lord.