That morning I wrote in my diary:

I long for that Father/son relationship with You, Lord, where I know You are there for me. Where I weep when reading the story of the cross, knowing that my Savior died for me. But today I feel so dry and distant from You. Please show me the way.

I read of one believer who said that when he struggles he’s learning to run to You, not away from You. I want to do the same. I’m running to You, Jesus, because I desperately need You. Please reveal Yourself to me in a powerful way and give me faith to trust You even when I don’t feel You near me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Later in the week I read these encouraging words from Michael Horton about the work of the Holy Spirit:

So much of contemporary spirituality and piety is focused on self. “How am I doing spiritually? How is my walk? Am I living in victory?” Reformation spirituality lifted people out of a purely introspective, inward-looking piety and directed them outside of themselves to Christ and the cross, from which vista they could now look out across the needy world. (“In the Face of God”, Word Publishing, 1996)

What a great reminder to continually come back to the cross and know that my salvation is not based on my feelings, how much I surrender, or how “spiritual” I may be that day. Our standing before God depends entirely upon His mercy displayed to us through the shed blood of Jesus. As we rest in that forgiveness, by faith, the Holy Spirit frees us to love God and love others with vigor and joy. As God promises us:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

Not even a bad mood.

Revelation 2:10

When huge pain comes into your life-like divorce, or the loss of a precious family member, or the dream of wholeness shattered-it is good to have a few things settled with God ahead of time. The reason for this is not because it makes grieving easy, but because it gives focus and boundaries for the pain.

Being confident in God does not make the pain less deep, but less broad. If some things are settled with God, there are boundaries around the field of pain. In fact, by being focused and bounded, the pain of loss may go deeper-as a river with banks runs deeper than a flood plain. But with God in his firm and proper place, the pain need not spread out into the endless spaces of ultimate meaning. This is a great blessing, though at the time it may simply feel no more tender than a brick wall. But what a precious wall it is!

As a father, I want to help our twelve-year-old daughter Talitha settle some things with God now, so that when little or big losses come-and they will come-her pain will be bounded and will not carry her out, like a riptide, into the terrifying darkness of doubt about God. So as we read God’s word together twice a day, I point out the mysterious ways of God.

Two days ago, we read this from the lips of Jesus to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:10:

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

I asked Talitha, “Is Jesus stronger than the devil?” “Yes,” she said. Indeed, I added, ten million times stronger. It’s not even close. In fact, as Mark 1:27 says, “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” So all Jesus has to do is say to the devil, “You shall not throw my loved ones into prison,” and the devil will not be able to do it. Right, Talitha? Right.

So, Talitha, why does Jesus let the devil do this? Why does he let the devil throw his precious followers in jail and even kill some of them? She shook her head. I said, well, let’s read it again slowly, and you tell me the reason that the Bible gives. Slowly, “Behold the devil is about to throw some of you into prison . . . that . . . you . . . may . . . be . . . tested.” So why does Jesus let this happen, Talitha? “That they may be tested.” That’s right.

And what is being tested? The answer is given in the way Jesus describes what passing the test looks like. He says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Faithfulness to Jesus is being tested. Will his loved ones keep trusting him? Will they keep believing that he has their best interest at heart? That he is wise? That he is good? That he is stronger than all?

So, Talitha, there are a thousand things that God is doing every time something painful happens to you. Most of these you do not know or understand. Job, Joseph, and Esther did not know what God was doing in their losses. But there is always one thing you can know God is doing when pain comes into your life. This is something you can settle with God ahead of time. He is always testing you.

If the test leads to your death, as it did for some of the Christians in Smyrna, Jesus wants you to know something ahead of time. “You will receive the crown of life.” That means he will raise you from the dead and will crown you with the kind of everlasting joy in his presence that will make up for your loses ten-thousand-fold. “Crown” signifies majestic, royal restoration and exaltation.

James says the same thing:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Passing the test means loving God to the end.

So settle it, Talitha. Loss and pain are coming into your life, but Jesus is infinitely stronger than the devil. So even if the devil is causing it, as he did in Smyrna, Jesus is letting it happen. And he always has his reasons-more than we can know. One of those reasons is always testing, namely, the testing of our faith and our love for him.

We cannot answer every why question. But there is always this answer: My faith is being tested. And our Lord never wastes his tests. Whether we believe this truth is, in fact, part of the test. In the mind of Jesus, the promise that he would give them the crown of life was enough to sustain the Christians in Smyrna. I pray that it will be enough for Talitha-and for you.

Trusting the wisdom and goodness of Jesus in loss,

Pastor John

© Desiring God

Content Taken from

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/inspired-articles-details.php?articlesID=11

CHECK OUT THE LYRICS

aMAZING STUFF !!!

In Christ Alone
First Line: In Christ alone my hope is found

“In Christ Alone”
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.

Matthew 19;26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

My brother got a song yesterday and we composed the whole music for it and i was astonished at what God did… We have never ever in our whole life done something like this .. I have often imagined and wished i could do something like that but God shocked me !! I mean a whole new song in one morning with the music and everything …Yes i completely believe “I can do all things through christ who strenghthens me “  

The first thing i did was call Aarti and make her listen to the song we, rather the Holy Spirit helped Johnny (my brother), composed and you know what she said …Seems like a competition to Sounds of Nation “azaadi” … And i was like WWWOOOWWWW  !! what a compliment !!!!!

Let me put up the lyrics:

Yeshu Masih

Chorus:
Yeshu Masih, tere jaise Koi nahin
Yeshu MasiH, tere bina Kuch Bhi nahin.

Sagar se gehra hai pyaar tere
Main dhoob Jaooon,
Paapon se maile thejo din mere
Main Bhool jaoon.

Yeshu Masih, tere jaise Koi nahin
Yeshu MasiH, tere bina Kuch Bhi nahin.

Tere naino me naina mein daloon
tho mein khil jaoon,
tere pyaar ne mujko sambhala
Mein Geet gaoon.

Yeshu Masih, tere jaise Koi nahin
Yeshu MasiH, tere bina Kuch Bhi nahin.

tere Bina MAIN KUCH BHI NAHIN.

Ok now i was like ok that was simply awesome ….But wait theres more to it ..

GOD, yes the most Almighty God’s spirit ,gave me two songs in da morning during the praise walk . I am in an Super excited moment right now … I mean, i have never ever writen a song , and this is so amazing let me give the lyrics n you will know that it can definately not be me who can write such beautiful songs…

Yeshu Mere

Chorus:-

Yeshu mere, Tu Hain Mahan
Yeshu mere, Sarvashaktimaan,
Arpon karoon Jeevan mera,
Yehu mera,
Main hoon Tera…

Aandhi, toofan, ghere mujhe,
Chalta Rahoon tere Shakti se,
Andhere main bhi Chalta rahoon,
Mujhe Dar na lage,
OOjala karoon is Duniya ko Tere Roshni SE.

Yeshu yeshu

ch:
Yeshu Yeshu mere priye,
Yeshu yeshu, Hridai ka sangeet.

Tune banaya mera jeevan sundar,
tune banaya mere dil ko naya,

Yeshu Yeshu mere priye,
Yeshu yeshu, Hridai ka sangeet.

arpan karoon main khudko tumhe,
Tujme samajaoon, Tu hi Jeevan mere.

Yeshu Yeshu mere priye,
Yeshu yeshu, Hridai ka sangeet.

Yeshu Yeshu mere priye,
Yeshu yeshu, Tu hi Jeevan mere.

I want just want to give all the glory to God who Gave me these songs ..

 ok i know they all start with Yeshu …but I beleive it cos He is the beginning and the end

Yes “  I can do all things through Christ who strenghthens Me “

Amen,

In Christ,

Diana..

 It all began when Shyju Mathew, a great evangelist came to my church, New Life Fellowship (Lokhandwala) on the 4th of May 2008…That day i knew something changed in me …i had gone to the next level…I just Knew it !!! God started revealing things to me.. He showed me ..Rom 8:14-16 says  “The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. The Spirit we have received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, “Father.” And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say we are God’s children” …he showed the same scripture to my friend who asked me to read it … I also heard a teaching on the same scripture …. God was trying to tell me something through this scripture but i didn’t understand it …i was like what is God trying to tell me!! Later when i went to church, Pastor like always somehow always manages to preach about whatever has been happening in my life in the last week( i mean isn’t God so amazing that He answers me through Pastor week on week..Oh God is so CUTE) …Now Pastor said that we called to be his children … It just hit me in the head that all throughout the week God was trying to tell me that I am his child and that His Spirit will lead me to acomplish His purpose in my life… Now that is really wonderful God , The heavenly father, trying to tell ME that i am his Child.. I mean even though it is written in the Bible he didn’t just show it, HE made me realise it.. Awesome is our GOD!!

I still wondered what am i going to do ???? How will the Spirit  lead me ?? i can’t even get myself to  hear Him!!! Little did i know what was in store for me ..next week …we went to youth camp and WOW!!!! it was awesome i felt the touch of GOD ..i felt the most beautiful feeling in my entire life … i felt heaven ..yes i felt Heaven …and the best part was when my spirit cried out “ABBA” …i wanted to be in that feeling forever !!  it was awesome, amazing, beautiful….Oh how i wish i could describe it to you !!!…. From then onwards, I started to hear the little voice of the holy Ghost speaking in my heart !! Wow! it felt good .. Imagine God’s spirit revealing things to you …leading you ..simply Awesome!!

Anyways to cut the story short… i left for my native place the next day and i was lead to share the works of God in my life to a woman in the bus .. i gave the gospel to my aunty, my two cousin sisters , a girl in my village, my cousin brother who is studying to be a priest for the last 8 years ,my granny and last but not the least a man who came to work for us .. God’s spirit enabled me to give the Good news to so many people in so little time …everyone one of them had received the spirit of God. While i was speaking their eyes brightened with HOPE…i spoke the right words, the right scriptures …the words i spoke to everyone was completely different ..it was not scripted …yet it felt perfect for that person… and i also received an amazing compliment from the man who came to work for us ..he was 64 years old and he told me that i had so much wisdom, even he was astonished at the way i was speaking ..he said “You are so patiently telling me such great things about God ..a girl who is 24, but not seeking the ways of the world ..but you are seeking God “ 

I was thinking “look at the way God has changed me”…I know wat i was without God …I was foolish but God makes us wise ..

I felt UNSTOPPABLE… I knew at that moment i could give the Gospel to anyone… Because God’s spirit was so strongly leading me … I had achieved an impossible feat !!! i had done something i wasn;’t able to do in one whole year !!!

You are too !!! Think about all the impossible things you would like to achieve… God says”Whats imposssible for man is possible for God” .. We need to stop relying on our strength and limiting ourselves … Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God and see what he can do to your life.. He changes circumstances ..He changes people around you ..He changes you …He gives you  abilities ..He gives you Strength to overcome every single obstacle in your Life…

Give him a try and you will never be let down cause HE is always FAITHFUL Master ..A loving Father.