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Are You Ready To Work Alongside The Lord And Be His Partner?

by Henrietta Decruz November 14, 2019

Did you know that God wants you to be His partner? Did you know God wants you to work along with Him, to build His Kingdom! Yes He does! It is true!!

The Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo

God reaching out to His child

God’s power

Some people may say, “God is God! Being God, He doesn’t need our help! Even the Bible says He spoke a few words and created the universe. He is a God for Whom nothing is impossible. He doesn’t need our help at all!” Yes, it is true. He is able to do anything and everything He wants.

Daniel 4:35 says, “And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?” When God decides something, no one on earth has the power or ability to stop Him or come against Him.

His Partner: God’s dream

God’s dream is for all His children to be with Him for eternity. Jesus was born a man, lived among men and died on the cross only for this reason. It is the reason why John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Our Father in Heaven wants us to co-labour with Him and share His love with His children who have still not understood how much they mean to Him and how much He loves them. Isn’t it wonderful that God is calling us, mere humans He created, to become co-labourers to fulfill His dream! He has given us the privilege to do something of eternal value and impact. This is the reason why He calls us “fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God.”

God misses His lost children

Missing a loved one

Let’s imagine a family is traveling. Suddenly they realize that the younger child is missing. Wouldn’t the father ask the older child to go looking for his brother? Yes, he would. He will send him out to look for him, find him and bring him home. The parents too go searching for the one who is lost. No one rests until the family member is back home with them.

Have you missed anyone in your family before? Do you know the grief and pain the Father feels due to the separation from His children? Our loving heavenly Father misses those children who have no idea how much He loves them! Some of them think that they were created out of “nothing” and they are who they are just by chance. God wants them to know their true identity and show them how valuable they are to Him.

God values His children

Psalms 139:13 says, “For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.” These brothers and sisters do not know how their Creator and Father in Heaven created them. They need to know the immense value He has placed on them, and that no one else is unique and special like them!

These lost children are broken, hurting and crying out as they feel unloved, unwanted and misunderstood. If only they knew how much their Father longs to love them and tell them how wanted they are! Our Father is calling us, the children who know Him, to be His partner, to share His love with the ones who are lost.

Each of us can be the hands of God

His Partner: What can we do?

The Lord wants us to be His hands that reach out to those in need. He wants us to lend Him our feet to run to help someone who is in distress. He wants us to speak a kind word or a comforting word to those in need. Jesus will not ask us to do anything that He Himself did not do. He heard the cry of the needy and healed them. He was quick to respond to anyone who had a need. Anyone who came to Him found relief or found an answer.

One example of someone who co-laboured with God for His kingdom purpose is William Wilberforce. William played a great role in the legal abolishment of slavery. Perhaps you think, “I cannot do great things like William Wilberforce or other great leaders of our time.” Don’t worry about the size of the task, if we commit to God, He will lead us to do our part for His Kingdom. You can also support the missions and be a blessing!

November 14, 2019 0 comment

Articles

The Search For Meaning: ‘Who am I?’

by Henrietta Decruz October 3, 2019

written by Henrietta Decruz

Have you ever wondered, ‘Who am I?’ ‘Does life have any meaning?’ and ‘What is the purpose of my life?’

When we don’t know our identity and the answers to these questions, we don’t ‘live,’ we just drift along life’s journey, pushed by one current or another. What others say becomes very important for us. We hang on to every word they say, yearn for their acceptance and appreciation… but even when we hear some words of appreciation, we feel hollow inside. Is that how you feel?

The journey to discovering ‘self’ is tough

I’ve been there, done that. I spent years longing for acceptance and love. I just had no ‘self-concept’ though I did well in certain things while growing up. Others would have thought I was very confident as I won prizes and seemed to do well in studies and extra-curricular activities. But inside I felt empty, invisible and unwanted.

While growing up we base our self-value on how much love is shown to us. A child who is doted on by his or her parents will feel very confident, important and loved whereas a child who is rejected by members in the family will tend to feel useless, lost and unloved.

The truth is that whether others love you or not doesn’t say anything about you. It actually speaks about them and their hearts. But unfortunately, that is not how the unloved ones feel… they take the lack of love to mean that they are not worthy of being loved, that they are somehow defective pieces, not on par with others.

Feeling unloved leads to self-hatred

Not being loved leads a lot of people to think their lives don’t matter. They turn against themselves and do acts of self-harm or behave in detrimental and self-destructive ways. Many people, when confronted about such behavior will turn around and say, ‘I don’t care!’

It is true, if they really cared, they would have thought about what they were doing and avoided doing those things that would hurt themselves, their reputation, their bodies, their health, and even their soul. On the contrary, those who have a positive self-image usually care for themselves.

We tend to attribute the things that happen to us to God. If bad things happen, some people would think ‘God is bad! He doesn’t love me!’ or ‘I am so worthless even God doesn’t love me! Everyone else has a better life, my life sucks!’ Thus we distance ourselves from God and go deeper into a hole.

The truth is that God loves each of His children. He would never tell a parent to ill-treat his or her child. He is a God of love, it hurts Him to see His children suffer. It hurts Him when parents abandon their child, neglect or are indifferent to their children.

He is the ultimate parent and He cares for each of His children.

How much does God care for you?

Psalm 139:13-18 speaks about how much we mean to God. It says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.” NIV

When I was going through the worst time in my life, I discovered God’s great love for me in Isaiah 43:1-4. It says, “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” NIV

Lessons I have learned from hardship

I learned through those years of difficulty that the God of Israel is a God who keeps His word. He was with me in those years when it felt like I was in the fire or drowning without anyone to help me those times of adversity. He won me over with His love.

Ever since I gave my heart to Him, I have found that His love has only increased and His faithfulness is something I am sure of, more sure than I can ever be of myself.

In Psalm 91:14-16, it says, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” NIV

Are you struggling to know who you are? Are you wondering whether you have any worth or value as a person?

Have you been rejected by the people you loved – by your family or friends? Have you suffered heartbreak after heartbreak and reached a point where you feel you just cannot go on?

Call out to God and He will answer

In Psalm 120:1 David said, “In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me.” NIV

Call out to God, the One who created you, and He will answer you. He is a witness of everything you have been through, He doesn’t need proof or anyone to testify about what happened to you. He is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can make things right for you. Will you give Him a chance to show you how much you mean to Him, how much He loves you?

If you have questions in your mind about life, justice, peace, fulfillment, love or anything else, you can ask Him! In Jeremiah 33:3 God says to us, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” NIV He speaks to us through His Word even today. He will speak to you too!

In Matthew 7:7,8 Jesus says to you, “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.” AMP

October 3, 2019 0 comment

Faith

Do You Find Yourself Powerless?

by Henrietta Decruz June 19, 2019

written by Henrietta Decruz

Have you felt that life happens to you rather than the other way around? You look at people doing things, getting excited, planning and making things happen while you are stuck in a rut.

Young People, Alone, Sad, Dog, Room, Lost Place

A passive life can feel like a road with a dead end. You feel like you have no worth, no value. When you see the lives of others you feel that you are wasting your life and not able to do anything about changing it.

You feel depressed, lonely, ashamed, unwanted, inferior, inadequate, helpless and incapable of making a difference. You unconsciously feel hurt and are affected by what others speak as you think they look down on you. Everything seems to unravel and fall down. You can’t see the way forward.

If this sounds like your life, there is good news for you. You can get out of the rut. You can change your life. You can change and become a positive and strong person. You have the power to change! It is available to you for the asking. Isn’t that wonderful?

I remember being in that place many years ago. Things were so bad that I felt it was meaningless to live and felt like giving up. At that time I didn’t know Jesus as my personal Savior. Knowing Jesus personally brought a revolution in my whole way of experiencing life.

Getting to know Jesus better gave me a clear sense of identity. I could tap into His power whenever I needed help through the power of His Word. I didn’t have to do anything alone, He was there ever ready to help at any time night or day!

There is a solution!

Life is difficult for everyone. But life can be extremely hard if you have no support, no friend to say a kind word or show a gesture of love. Jesus knows this deep pain of being rejected and unloved. While He was carrying His Cross up the hill of Calvary, He was humiliated and rejected by everyone, including His very own disciples whom He loved.

Nobody could understand the depth of His pain as He cried out to His Father while He was on the Cross. Mark 15:34 says “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?—which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]?”

Who could understand our pain and suffering better than Jesus Himself? Knowing When we ask Jesus into our lives, He gives us joy, peace and strength. He gives us the strength to do everything we need to do.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”

The Word of God gives those with failing hearts courage. God speaks through His Word assuring us His help. Perhaps we have been trying different things but nothing is working out. 2 Corinthians 4:16 reassures us saying, “Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.”

Yes, these difficult times too can serve a purpose in our lives. They teach us the value of patience and perseverance. They build us and make us stronger on the inside. Being strong on the inside is valuable. Imagine a man or woman who looks physically strong but when a challenge is thrown before them, they suddenly become weak and helpless. What use is outer strength if the inner person within is not strong?

Know your identity

We need to learn that our identity is not based on the things we have or don’t have, titles, how we look or how much wealth we have. All these things can be lost in a moment! The things we have can be stolen or destroyed, the titles we take pride in could be given to someone else, we can grow old and lose our good looks, we could have one bad deal and lose our wealth too.

Relationships can break down at any time, people we know can turn and go away too. If we lose everything we take pride in, then who are we? Ask yourself, “Who would I be if I lose everything that has value to me?”

God created us. Our real and true identity is based on God Who made us. That same God, the Creator, sent His only Son to die for us on the Cross. John 3:16 says, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ( unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.”

God paid the ultimately price so that we could become His very own. He gave up His only most beloved Son Jesus for our sake so we would know His love for us. Jesus gave up His throne in Heaven and came down to earth to live as a mere mortal man, know pain and suffering and be put to death so that we could be saved.

That is the price that God paid for us to be His again! If the life of Jesus was ‘priceless’ imagine what it means that He gave up His priceless life so that you could be saved! You are priceless, did you know that?

Don’t give up

Perhaps you are tired of doing the right thing and feeling like it is not helping you at all. Galatians 6:9 tells us, “Let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.”

Image result for God strengthens us

Psalms 29:11 also promises us, “The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Don’t worry, you will get through this difficult time.Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).”

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t depend on human wisdom but cry out to God to show you the way forward. He will give you the best solution for your situation.

Don’t worry

Don’t let worry consume you. In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?”

In Matthew 6:27 He asks, “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?”

In difficult times we may feel tempted to start drinking alcohol, taking drugs or do things to keep our mind away from our problems. Proverbs 23: 29-34 warns us, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness and dimness of eyes?

“Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.; Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. [Under the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose women] and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way [untrue, incorrect, and petulant]. Yes, you will be [as unsteady] as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, and [as open to disaster] as he who lies upon the top of a mast.

Any worldly solution will not bring lasting peace. Every thing worldly you try will ultimately lead to some loss or destruction in the time to come. In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

Let us turn to the Lord Jesus in the times when we feel helpless, powerless, lonely, defeated, lost and confused. Let us keep away from destructive habits and influences that mislead us.

Let us learn from David

We can learn from David who sought the Lord and kept on praising Him during even the toughest times in his life. In Psalm 34:1-4 he says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Like David, we can turn to the Word of God to find the assurance, the hope and peace we need. The Word of God is an excellent source to help us overcome our struggles, our problems and difficulties in life. We can claim the promises that Lord has given us and stand in faith believing that God Who is a keeper of His Word will surely come through for us.

Jesus is calling you saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]” (Matthew 11:28). Won’t you let Jesus calm your heart and take your worries and burdens away?

Note: All verses quoted are from the Amplified Bible

June 19, 2019 0 comment