Forget and focus.

Forget & focus.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I  do,  forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

The Apostle Paul went through many challenges, disappointments, trials and persecutions in his life and ministry. Yet, he was successful in finishing his race with joy. He was a laser focused man, a man of one thing and moved with great zeal towards fulfilling the call of God.

Unless we forget what's behind, we won't be able to reach forward to the things that are ahead, we won't be able to stretch towards the things that are in front. To forget in this verse means to neglect, giving no care to the things that are behind. Philippians 3:14 says, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The things that are behind can stop you and hinder you from fulfilling your destiny, the high call of God in Christ Jesus. Know this, what's ahead of you is bigger and better than what's behind you. Do not allow the challenges, mistakes, trials, disappointments and failures of the past to keep you from going forward. The fulfillment of God's plan for your life is the most important work in your life. The Apostle Paul knew this and therefore reserved all of his energy in focusing on the things that are ahead.

Friend, holding on to the past will consume your energy and drain you. Let go! Receive your forgiveness in the name of Jesus. Forgive. Forget. Learn. Celebrate. Move on. The plan of God is bigger than your past. Your past cannot stop you from fulfilling your destiny. Choose to focus on the things that are in front. Do not make anyone or anything more important than the call of God. Be focused like the Apostle Paul and fulfill God's call for your life. Stretch! Press! Keep moving! Jesus is coming back!

"I forget what's behind and I move towards the high calling of God. My past will not stop me. The blood of Jesus has wiped out my past and I press towards my destiny. I forgive, I forget, I look to Jesus and I keep going higher and higher."

God of completion!

God of completion!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Our God is the God of completion. He will always complete what He starts. He doesn't stop halfway, He doesn't let opposition, discouragement, disappointments and challenges to distract Him from finishing what He started. Glory to God!

God's word is God's only responsibility. He will only finish what He starts because His word is His only obligation. The Lord needs our cooperation. The only reason some of His work remains incomplete is because of the lack of cooperation from His people. What He started in you, He will by all means complete, if you cooperate with Him by relying on Him and doing exactly what He says in His word and through His Spirit. Relying on yourself for completing God's work will only frustrate you and drain all your energy. God is well able to complete what He starts. He doesn't need anyone's help, all He needs is our cooperation. What has God spoken to you? What has God shown you? Does it look impossible to complete? God showed Joseph a throne and we know Joseph sat on the throne. What God promised to Abraham, He brought it to completion. What He started in Jesus, He finished it when Jesus sat on the throne at His right hand. He always completes what He starts. He is the God of completion.

Friend, don't give up just because you don't see the completion or understand the working towards the completion. Just trust God and know, What God starts, He always completes. Just like Jesus, Abraham, Joseph and the others, why don't you cooperate with God. Rely on His strength and let Him guide you into the completion of His work and your destiny. Be of good cheer, the Lord has not forgotten you. You will fulfill your destiny. Go on with Jesus, for He is the God of completion!

Imitate God.

Imitate God.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Have you seen little children imitating their fathers? God Almighty is your Father and you are His beloved child. To imitate means to do the same thing as another. The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, tells us to imitate our Father God.

We imitate God by looking at Jesus because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the exact representation of the Father and the brightness of His glory. There is no other way, Jesus is the only way to the Father. Imitating Jesus is imitating the Father. The next verse says, Ephesians 5.2, 'And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.' To imitate the Father is to walk in love. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. By our love walk, we manifest the Father and His Son, Jesus to this world. John 13:34‭-‬35 says, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.' How will all know that we are the disciples of Jesus? When we love one another. Loving one another is our command from Jesus and we do it because we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us.

Friend, study the life of Jesus for He is the love of God in action. There is no greater example of love than Jesus Himself. Your imitation of Him is a response to His love towards you. Show this world who your heavenly Father is! Show this world who Jesus is! Know that God loves you unconditionally. Receive His love and let His love flow through you. Imitate God!

"Holy" Spirit.

"Holy" Spirit.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

I Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who  is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Your body is the temple of God. The Holy Spirit dwells in you. He is the Holy Spirit. Notice the word 'Holy'. This tells us about one of the main aspect of the character and nature of the Holy Spirit.

He is not the Unholy Spirit. He will never say anything or do anything that's impure and dirty. He is not an unholy, unclean, impure and evil Spirit, He is the Holy Spirit. Because He is the Holy Spirit, whatever He says and everything He does is holy and pure. Glory to God. The word holy also means 'consecrated', which means separate - separate from the world, separate from sin and dedicated to God. He is not the common spirit. He is the Holy Spirit. There is no commonality between Him and the world. Holiness and purity are His characteristics. At the new birth, when the Holy Spirit joined himself to your spirit, you became holy. The presence of the Holy Spirit makes you as holy and as pure as Jesus Himself. Hallelujah!

Friend, the Holy Spirit empowers you to live a holy life because you are a holy person. When you live in holiness, you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, through you and for you and He causes everything you do to prosper just like He blessed everything that Joseph did and increased Him greatly. When you live a worldly life, which is an unholy life, you grieve the Holy Spirit and hinder His work. Without the Holy Spirit, life is dry and stagnant, because its not by might nor by power but only by the Holy Spirit of God. Live holy!

Forgive for Christ's sake!

Forgive for Christ's sake!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Christ in you, the hope of glory! The most important person for you is the Holy Spirit and He dwells in you. The most important thing for you is the anointing of God and it abides in you. The Holy Spirit and His anointing in you is what makes you different from the rest of the world.

Believer, what you have in you is priceless and precious. You carry God's power in you. For the Spirit of God and His power to work in you, through you and for you - walking in love is a must. Unforgiveness hinders the work of the Holy Spirit. Not walking in love blocks the anointing, the power of God. Without love, faith won't work and without faith, there is no power connection. Treasure the anointing in you. Protect the anointing in you. Cherish the anointing in you. Irrespective of what people said or did against you, forgive for the sake of the anointing in you.

Friend, the anointing is priceless. You can't afford to stay in unforgiveness. Choose to forgive. Choose to walk in love. Let the Holy Spirit and His anointing become more important to you than what people think or say against you. The time is short, Jesus is coming back, always forgive, always walk in love and let the anointing flow through you and change the world. This is your time.

*"The anointing in me is precious. I live above offence. I refuse to be offended. I forgive. The anointing is flowing freely through me taking me higher in life and setting people free. Hallelujah."*

Worldly friendship!

Worldly friendship!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

I John 2:15
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. This is serious in the eyes of God and therefore we must be very serious about it. 

'World' doesn't refer to people rather it refers to the ungodly and wicked worldly system, with it's laws, principles, values and beliefs that are totally contrary to God's word - God opposing ways, thoughts, words and actions. A believer cannot befriend this worldly system, we love people but we operate by the principles and laws of heaven. We are born again, born from above and therefore we live by the heavenly system. The world has a way of doing things and heaven has a way of doing things. Both are in opposition to each other. Both are contrary to each other. Both are in fight with each other. The world and it's system is passing away but one who operates by the word of God, which is the constitution of the kingdom of God, abides forever. Every principle of this worldly system is lust based, selfishness based and pride based. I John 2:16,17 says, For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. There is nothing good in the worldly system. It's self destructive and it's foolish because it has no honour for God.

Friend, refuse to be God's enemy by living and operating by the standards and principles of the world. Satan is the god, the prince of this worldly system and every thing He introduces, says and ordains is a complete lie because He is a liar and a father of all lies. Choose the word life!

"The word of God is my standard for life. I live by the principles and laws of the word of God. I refuse to accept anything that's against the word of the living God irrespective of who says it or how many say it. The word of God is my life. The word of God is my standard. The word of God is final for me. Glory!"

Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Thank You, Lord Jesus!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

One of the keys of living a Spirit filled life is giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice the words 'always' and 'for all things'. Thank the Father always and thank the Father for all things in the name of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit through this verse wants us to maintain a lifestyle of thanksgiving. The Holy Spirit living in you and you living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit are two different things. A lifestyle of thanksgiving enables you to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Grumbling, complaining, arguing, competing and fussing hinders you from walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit cannot manifest himself through a complaining and grumbling person, but its easy for the Spirit of God to manifest himself through a grateful person. Gratitude attracts the attention of heaven. A grateful attitude positions you to receive more from the Father. A grateful attitude causes multiplication of your  resources. Be ever grateful to the Father and always thank Him for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Friend, gratitude is a response to what the Father has done for you in Jesus Christ and is doing for you now through the Holy Spirit. Gratitude is a decision, you decide to thank Him whether you feel like thanking Him or not, whether things are going good for you or not. Choose to thank Him because all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. You can never be disadvantaged in Christ. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

“I am a grateful person filled with gratitude for who Jesus is and for what He has done for me. I never complain, murmur, grumble or accuse. I choose to give thanks now and always! Thank you Lord Jesus!”