RISE AND BUILD

RISE UP AND BUILD

Dear children of God let us rise and build what  God wants and expected from us to do. Whatever the circumstances may come and whatever  we may face, let us be strong and rise up and build. Nehemiah received the call of God about repairing the wall of Jerusalem. The Lord had sought out for Himself a man after His own heart. God will place His plans in the minds of spiritual leaders and reveal it to them.

Nehemiah was very concern about God’s people, God’s city, and God’s works. He was very sad and distress about the pathetic conditions of the God’s people and city. Nehemiah was a man of action. He had a great capacity to identify with the troubles of others and the ability to do something about their plight. He determined a plan to do God’s works in God’s way with God’s people. Nehemiah was sure that he would not be able to do the work alone so he mobilized people of various kind to attain the goal of repairing the wall as per the command of God.

Within 52 days he achieved a great task of building and repairing the wall of Jerusalem. I am doing God’s great work; so I could not come’ this was his challenging and encouraging words for God’s people and God’s servants. He was very strong and firm in his decision and God’s great works. He did not do any work with his own efforts and with the power of money and authorities; he did with the help of God. He encouraged God’s people about God’s hand was with him and with his people.   At the outset Nehemiah spoke to the Officials, Priests and Nobles. His belief   was that leadership had to be motivated and they need to be lifted in their spirit. He exhorted them; Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.”

 He did not talk to anyone about what God had put in his heart. Instead he did his homework, secretly at night; he made a survey of the damage and gathered full information. Nehemiah understood that the nobles had a very important role to play   in rebuilding wall. So he exhorted them as they stood together among the ruins.      Nehemiah knew the only way the walls could be built was by mobilising every man and woman and the child in the lead. He encouraged everyone to build the wall in front of their houses.

Nehemiah used the wisdom of God given to him to deal patiently through prayer. This made the enemies to realise that Nehemiah will complete the work with the help of God.    He did not compromise with the enemies and their plots. But he did not dismay or dis courage about the words of the enemies and their plots. He     boldly replied that “I am doing Great work of God, so I won’t come.  He made a covenant with people to follow God’s words and his promises.      He planned and arranged the God’s temple’s duties. When he finished the building of the wall of Jerusalem; he dedicated and consecrated the wall in the name of God, for the Glory of God.

Dear friends we are given responsibility to rise and build the families, societies, churches and governments which are ruin and destroyed. Like Nehemiah we need to bring reformers in families, societies, churches and governments. We must understand the God’s purpose and then motivate and encourage the leaders and the people to make a powerful force. This provides an inspiration about God’s work to accomplish through his people with oneness of heart and oneness of spirit. Nehemiah’s good experience demonstrates how believers accomplish seemingly impossible tasks if they do it together. Today are you ready to do the task of God with spirit of Nehemiah? If so, rise up and build the families, societies, churches and governments. Dear brothers and sisters, if you are blessed by this Nehemiah’s experience, then share with others and send a word to my email ID. revsjc@gmail.com.

PUPPIES FOR SALE.

Puppies for sale

Dear children of God, the world is looking for someone to understand them and care for them. I would like to introduce you a person one who understands you and care for you, that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Caste all your anxieties and cares on Jesus who understands your problems and anxieties and he cares for you. Do not neglect to do well and to understand others with loving heart, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

My son if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, and making your ear attentive wisdom and inclining your heart t to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise` your voice for understanding. If you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord Gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sale them. He painted a sign board advertising the 4 pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of a little boy. Master, he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies”.

Well, said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, “These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money”. The boy dropped his head for moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. I’ve got thirty one cents. Is that enough to take a look?

Sure, said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. “Here, Dolly!” he called. Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up…., “I want that one,” the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like those other dogs would do”.

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself into a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands”.

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy. “How much?” asked the little boy… “No charge,” answered the farmer, “There’s no charge for love”. The world is full of people who need someone who understands.

Dear friends, the world is looking for you to understand others ‘problems and cares and anxieties. Do you have the heart of understanding, care and love? If you have the heart of understanding, care and love for others, today God wants to use you mightily in this desperate world. Let us have the heart of Jesus to move with compassion, love and understanding.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 

Dear friends kindly read and share with others, please happy to send a word to my email ID. revsjc@gmail.com.                    

RESCUER OF PRECIOUS GERMS

           Dear children of God, greetings, our Lord Jesus Christ the rescuer of our precious souls will reward you according to the work each one has done. If we built with gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, straw…, the fire will test what sort of work each one of us has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he or she will receive a reward. Jesus is the only foundation that we can build. Let us see and review our works how we built?

Dear friends, I had an opportunity to work and do ministry in Caruniapurm where Amy Carmichael first launched her ministry in South India. Where she built a church, school and home for destitute girls and fallen women and from then she shifted to Donavoor. Today Amy Carmichael memorial church and school are running under Kalanthapanai pastorate.  

        Amy grew up in a big house in Ireland and had lots of fun with her brothers and sisters. But one day her father died, and the family had to move to a big city and a smaller house. They could no longer afford help with the house or garden. She had to help her mother raise the younger children. But that wasn’t too hard. Amy had learned to love God first of all, and she wanted more than anything to know and follow Jesus. She loved His word and believed all His wonderful promises. She wasn't afraid, for she knew that Jesus would be with her always.

           Once, before her father died, she had travelled to big city with her mother. They stopped at a tea-room for lunch. While they were eating, Amy noticed a little girl outside. Her face was dirty and her hair was straggly as she pressed her nose against the window. Her sad eyes looked right into Amy’s. Amy could never forget the poor little girl. So when she was backing home again, she wrote her a special promise. She gave it to God, since she couldn’t deliver it to the poor child. When I grow up and have money, I know what I will do; I’ll build a great big lovely place for little girls like you. Amy didn’t know that one day; God would send her all the way to India to fulfil that promise. Walking home from church one Sunday; something else happened that forever changed her life. She and her two brothers… dressed in their best clothes… were way ahead of the others, when she spotted a poor beggar woman, dressed in tattered old clothes. Her feet were wrapped with strips of rags, now heavy with mud. When Amy and her brothers saw the old woman stagger and almost fall, they hurried to catch up with her. The older boy lifted the bundle off her back, and hung it over her shoulders. The other two each took the woman’s arms and helped her along.

One by one, church members stared at the strange sight as they walked by. Amy felt her face getting hotter as each person from church passed them, especially when one woman hurried her children to the other side of the road to avoid the four of them altogether.

Amy remembered the Good Samaritan story told by our Lord Jesus Christ. A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him and he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and “bound up his wounds” pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two “denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “ take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.

          Embarrassed, Amy and her brothers kept their heads down, not even looking at each other and hoping no one important came along and saw them. There was a fountain in the centre of the road, and trying to take her mind off walking along beside the beggar woman, Amy studied it closely. Amy suddenly stopped. Someone was talking to her. She clearly heard a voice say, “Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw…, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the foundation survives, he will receive a reward”. Amy turned to see who was speaking. There was no one there. But she had heard a voice, plain and clear. Puzzled, she walked on with the old woman on her arm.

          As she did, something felt very different inside. Amy was no longer embarrassed. In fact, she walked with her head held high for all to see. The trio escorted the old woman to where she wanted to go then ran to catch up to their mother. After lunch, Amy went to her room. She knelt down by her bed side. After several hours of praying and thinking, Amy finally decided she knew what the words from the Bible meant her. She wanted them to be found worthwhile and to be seen as gold and silver, not ha and stubble. For another thing, she would never again worry about what people thought of her. If what she was doing was pleasing to God that would be enough for her. If other people, even other Christians, didn't want to walk with beggars, that was their business, but Amy would walk with them.

              Amy was important in God’s eyes. She was able to abolish the practise of devadasi system which held in south part of Tamilnadu. Her love for the poor girls sold to the Temple as deva dasi. She brought the girls to her house to feed them and to educate them to help them to live respectively in the society. She was mother to the Tamil girls and women. Her karuniam and love for the young girls and women brought Donavoor fellowship. Amy Carmichael was a rescuer of precious germs.