The backbone of truth!

I Timothy 3:15
but if I am delayed, I  write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The church of the living God is the backbone and support of the truth. Jesus Christ is the head of the church and He has commanded his church to propagate the truth. The church is the hub of truth.

All over the world people are seeking the truth. They are desperate for the truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. His Spirit and His word is truth. Yet in many places, the truth is compromised. Churches need to stand firm on the truth and must be bold in living and declaring the truth. The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. Yet if the church compromises on the truth, how will the world hear the truth? Satan is a liar and a father of lies. The Bible says in the last days deception and lies will increase. Only the church of the Lord Jesus Christ can combat these demonic forces and keep them under by speaking and living the truth in love. Truth attracts persecution but don't you shrink or compromise on the truth. The saints of old gave up their lives for Jesus, for the word of God, for the truth but didn't give up on the truth. No matter what happens, live the truth and speak the truth, for you are the church of the living God.

Friend, days are getting darker but we need to remember, the church has authority over all principality, power, might and dominion and every name in this age and in the one to come. It's not time to draw back, shrink or compromise, it's time to step out and boldly declare that Jesus is Lord. For us to live is Christ and to die is gain. Live for Jesus, die for Jesus for he is our life and the length of our days. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the truth.

Jesus, my righteousness!

Jeremiah 23:6
In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jesus is your righteousness. He is the reason you are righteous. He makes you right with God.

Since Jesus is alive forever, your righteousness is forever because Jesus is your righteousness. Your righteousness is locked in Jesus and in Him is your righteousness secured. He is the guarantee that we are righteous. Some one might ask you, How did you become righteous?-- Where did you go? What did you do? How many good works did you perform? What sacrifice you offered? How many hours you prayed or fasted? How many hours you cried? How many steps you climbed? Be bold and answer, None of these, it's only because of Jesus for He is my righteousness. When this truth becomes a reality to you, you will be excited about serving Jesus and sharing Him with the world. You begin to live for Jesus and die for Him. Righteousness is not by your works, it's by the works of Jesus and therefore Jesus becomes your righteousness.

Friend, since Jesus is your righteousness,  you won't lose your righteousness by making mistakes. Mistakes don't take away your righteousness because your perfections didn't make you righteous. Jesus is your righteousness. By all means, stay connected to Him. Live in Him, walk in Him, talk in Him for He is your righteousness. This is your time to rule and reign for Jesus is your Lord.

Choose your partner wisely.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord , she shall be praised.

Are you looking for a partner? Marriage is God's idea and was instituted by Him. God created Eve to help Adam fulfill the work that He gave him. This is the reason God said I will make for Adam a suitable helper.

Many a times, people consider the wrong criterias in looking for their partners. The word says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God and the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. God laughs at the world and the world laughs at God. Most of the times, people consider beauty, charm, financial status, property, job security and other temporary things when it comes to choosing a life partner. All these things are important but it's not what makes marriage a success. This is the reason many marriages end up in divorce and other marriages are just prison cells for the rest of their lives. This verse gives good insight to those who are looking for a life partner. When you look for a partner, the first criteria is whether the person is God fearing? It's not about how beautiful she is or how handsome he is. It's not about what kind of job they have or how much money they are making. It's also not about how much they love and adore each other. All these are temporary, go for the eternal. Jesus is the one who will hold the marriage relationship together with absolute joy and intimacy, nothing else will.

Friend, if you decide to marry, choose a person who is God fearing, one who honours God and keeps His word. Believe God for a God fearing partner and God will give you someone who loves God with all their hearts for only then they can and will love you with all their hearts. Don't let temporary things deceive you for charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting for a person who fears the Lord shall be praised. Stick to Jesus. Stick to the word. Choose him wisely, Choose her wisely.

Stir up your mind!

Stir up your mind!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

2 Peter 1.13
Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you.

It's very important for us to be constantly reminded of God's love and of all that He has done for us and is doing in us. Remembering these things consistently will keep you ever fresh and ever burning in the things of God. If you don't, then there is a tendency that the fire may go out resulting in less or no impact - living a dry life.

The word 'stir up' has the idea of waking up someone who is asleep. The same word is used when the disciples woke Jesus up from his sleep in the midst of the storm. The Apostle Peter says by constantly reminding us of these things He wants to awaken our minds for action. Our minds need to be stirred up by the constant reminder of the finished works of Jesus Christ, of what we have in Christ, of who we are in Christ and of the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so we can live and expand the kingdom effectively.

Friend, I encourage you to make a quality decision to remind yourself and other believers of the great things Jesus has done for us. Stay deeply and faithfully connected to places where you are constantly fed the word of God. We have a world to take over and therefore it's highly imperative for us to stir up our minds and do all that we are called to do in the spirit of excellence because the time is short and Jesus is coming very soon. Read your Bible daily. Go to church every week. Listen to the teachings of the word consistently. Stir up your mind for action. Conquer the land. This is your time.

“I constantly remind myself of how much Jesus loves me, His finished works and His second coming. I don't become dull or lazy in the things of God. I am ever burning and ever shining for Jesus.”

Jesus is precious!

1 Peter 2.7
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

Job. Health. Family. Publicity. Money. Position. Power. - Who or what is precious to you? The Apostle Peter says, for us who believe, Jesus is precious. His value to us is immeasurable.

He is the reason we are redeemed and made righteous. He is the reason we have the very nature of God in us and are going to heaven. Mary understood how precious he is, she poured out the bottle of very expensive perfume, worth a years wage on him without any hestitaion. Peter and the apostle gave up their lives for his name. How precious Jesus is! Is Jesus precious to you? Jesus is God in action. He is love in action. He is so precious that our brothers and sisters of past years would endure horrendous trials and persecutions and yet not deny or forsake him. He is more to us than all the gold of this earth.

Friend, He is precious to me because while I was useless to Him, He died and rose again for me. Because of His great love, He is precious to me. When you grow in the knowledge of who Jesus is, you will realise that Jesus is more precious than life itself. Hallelujah. Look at Jesus in the word and as you behold him, the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the preciousness of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For to us who believe, He is precious!.

You have the faith of God.

Romans 12:3
​For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

As a born again child of God, you have the faith of God in you. Its in your born again spirit. Peter says you were born again not of corruptible seed but by incorruptible seed, which is the word of God which lives and abides forever. You were born again exactly the same way Jesus was born again, from the only begotten Son of God to the first begotten son of God through the word of God.

You have the same DNA as Jesus because you were born again by the same incorruptible seed, the word of the living God.You have the DNA of God. Every believer has been given the same measure of faith. No believer has more faith than the other. Each born again child of God has the same measure of faith.  Think about this, you have the same faith as Peter, as Paul, as John, as Jesus himself. The same faith that Jesus used to please his Father, to heal the sick, to cast out devils, to fulfill the will of God, to live his life, to resist sin, to defeat Satan and hell and to conquer the word, that same faith is in you right this moment. Be conscious that you have the faith of God in you. We don't have to pray for something we already have. Peter said through the righteousness of God and of Jesus, we have received like precious faith like them.

Friend, you have the same mountain moving, world overcoming faith of Jesus in you. Everything Jesus did, He did by faith. You have all the faith you need to live a victorious life and to do all that God has called you to do. We must be conscious that we have the same measure of faith and we must start using our faith. Build your faith by feeding on the word consistently and use your faith by speaking God's word and acting on the word. Your faith is the victory that overcomes the world. This is your time.

Mix it with faith.

Hebrews 4:2
For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

The word of God can only profit you if you mix it with faith. The word can help and benefit us greatly if we receive it and allow it to change our thinking and our lifestyle.

The word of God cannot help those who don't believe what it says. Just like a medicine will be of no use to the one who refuses to take it. The word is extremely powerful and can turn our world upside down only if we receive the word by faith. Once you hear the word, make a decision to receive it and keep it in your heart and let the word manifest in your thoughts, words and actions. As you dwell on the word daily, as you behold the word daily, the Spirit of God will transform you and take you from glory to glory. You will never be the same. It all begins with the word. The word is the seed for change. The word is the starting point for transformation. The word is the foundation for a life of glory to glory. If you ever desire change, transformation and a life of glory to glory, start with the word. Surround yourself with word people, be in places where the word is taught, be a student of God's word and you will be ever growing, ever glowing and ever prosperous in every arena of your life.

Friend, don't fight the word, receive it. Faith believes what the word says and acts on what the word says. We are not just hearers of the word but doers of the word. The beginning of a glorious, supernatural and outstanding life is the word of God. Go for the word. Believe it. Receive it. Say it. Do it. Celebrate it. Stick with it. You will never be the same. This is your time.