Be my Valentine!

Dear Jesus,

You left your heavenly home;
To be born in a manger.
You left your Father in heaven;
To become a carpenter’s son.
You left the treasures of heaven;
To make me rich in your blessings.

You were baptised in water,
To baptise me by the Holy Spirit.
You fasted for 40 days and 40 nights,
To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven,
You showed me the Way, the Truth & Life,
To follow you all days of my life.

Some one can die for a good man;
But you died for me, yet a sinner.
You showed your love for me;
By carrying my cross on your shoulders.
Though I never knew your love,
You shed your blood for me.

You have given me a new life,
A purpose to live.
I love you, Jesus.
Be my Valentine!!!

Your loving son.

Overcomer's Prayers !

Dear Father,

I thank you for the precious blood Jesus shed on the cross. Thank you for giving us the mighty name of Jesus. THANK YOU FOR THE AUTHORITY YOU HAVE DELEGATED TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND THE GREAT SACRIFICE HE MADE ON CALVARY. Father, I take upon myself the divine authority to claim and possess all you have granted me. I obey your commands and choose to forgive my offenders. I rebuke every enemy that stood against me-- my body, mind and spirit. I demolish every stronghold that is built in my body-- in every organ and cell, and the spirit of fear and the spirit of infirmity and claim back God's promises of life, abundant life with perfect health and strength. I appropriate Caleb's inheritance of Hebron-- spiritual and material, health and long life that is God's Rhema for my household. Halleluiah. Amen.

Prayer 1
Father, through the blood of Jesus and His mighty name, you have given me the divine authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the powers of darkness. I praise and thank you for that. I obey your commands and choose to forgive my offenders. So now I rebuke the enemy and claim all my lost territories. I demolish the strongholds built in my body, soul and spirit. Thus I claim my divine rights in faith and praise you. Amen.

Prayer 2
Father, through the blood of Calvary and the power in the mighty name of Jesus, I’ve got power to trample on scorpions, snakes, and to overcome all the powers of the enemy. So in my authority I rebuke the spirit of sadness that has found a stronghold in my spirit. I claim the mantle of joy that is my inheritance in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prayer 3
Dear Father, I thank you for the blood that Jesus shed on the cross and the power of His name. You have given divine authority in Christ Jesus to overcome the powers of darkness. You have given me the spirit of power, love and sound mind. So I trample upon the spirit of fear of people and the spirit of shame and timidity. I choose to demolish that stronghold in His name by the power delegated to me and take up my inheritance. I am strong in my body, soul and spirit. Amen.

Prayer4
Father, By the precious blood and the mighty name of your son Jesus Christ, you have delegated to me authority and power to rebuke the powers of darkness and to overcome the enemy. I praise you for it and I realize my true position / identity in Christ. I have chosen to obey your commands and to forgive my offenders. Now I claim every inch of my God-given territory in my soul, spirit, and body. No evil power can touch any part of my person or stay in any stronghold inside me. I claim every blessing God gave my in birth and every thing I have developed in course of time through hard work. They are mine. Amen.

Prayer 5
Father, I thank you for Jesus. He is our bondage- breaker. His blood sets us free. Thank you for the power we have in His blood. Thank you for the divine authority you gave us thru His blood and His name. I break all bondages that have held my family and me in so many areas. Your power is limitless. You are our Sovereign God. I keep my people and myself under the cover of Jesus’ name and your mighty wings. I break open for us a new, bright future. Praise God. Hallelujah, Amen.

Prayer 6
Father, I have chosen to forgive all my offenders and myself. Now I come up against the powers of darkness that have erected strongholds in my body, mind and spirit –in my thinking and belief system. Through the blood shed on the cross and the mighty name of Jesus, I have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and overcome the powers of the enemy. I take hold of every stronghold and every blessing God has assigned to my children and me. Strongholds are down; we always pull them down in His Amen.

Prayer 7
Dear Father, Thank you for the blood of Jesus and the authority given me through Jesus’ name. So in my authority, I rebuke the Spirit of sadness that has found a stronghold in my spirit. I claim the mantle of joy that is my inheritance in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prayer 8
Father, I believe in the power of Jesus’ name and the blood He shed on the cross. His blood sanctifies me. It is the blood of eternal covenant. Because of His blood I am granted divine power and divine weapons of incomprehensible valour. I thank you, father, for the place of honour attributed to me. I acknowledge my position in Christ with gratitude. I choose to obey your commands willingly and take back all my blessings lost and stolen by the enemy. Now I claim my inheritance – the power of my memory, creativity and fluent speech….. They are mine. God granted them to me. No evil can touch or take hold of it forever. I take them back for the glory of God. The enemy has no hold on them now. I put His blood on every part of my body, soul, and spirit. Amen.

Prayer 9
Father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus. I thank you for His mighty name. I thank you for the authority given to me in His name. I praise you, God, my father for adopting me into His family. I belong to you. Praise God. Now in faith I claim all I have lost………. My memory, retention, my health, … In His name I break every bondage. In His authority I demolish strongholds in my body and soul. I regain all my father granted me. The enemy cannot hold them again. Halleluiah. Amen.

Prayer 10
Father, I thank you for the precious blood of Jesus. Thank you for the name of Jesus you gave me. I have come closer to you now all because of His name and His blood. You have given me the authority to trample on the enemy. I demolish all strongholds built in my thoughts, my emotions and in my will and demolish every weapon forged against me in the precious name of Jesus. I rebuke the spirit of infirmity and fear. I claim every inch of my inheritance promised to my in your Word. What you have promised is mine. I have become an over comer in His name. Halleluiah. Amen.

Prayer 11
Father, through the precious blood and the mighty name of Jesus, I take upon myself the divine authority, promised to me in your Word, to trample on serpents and scorpions and all evil powers. Nothing has the power to harm us, because we belong to Him and Him alone. All praise be unto Him. I worship Him. I demolish any stronghold built against me in my own spirit—sense of emptiness, boredom, vacantness, and bafflement and in my soul-- my memory, sharpness of mind, speech, retention, and any weakness or infirmity of body. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Halleluiah!

PRAYER & PROCLAMATION

Father God, I love you because you loved me first; not only that, you have loved me non-stop, continuously, consistently, everlastingly, unfailingly, ungrudgingly, and every moment of the day. You have needed me, Father, so much. I was worthless, you made me worthy, so worthy that I have now begun to feel my worth. I had no esteem of my own. But you have esteemed me so much, having invested in me all the rich heavenly blessings in Christ. I had no significance attached to my person. Life was against me. But you made me significant, giving me people, works and projects, and subduing all evil spirits below my feet. Nothing can harm me. The spirit of fear or the spirit of infirmity or (------name yours) has been defeated through the blood of Jesus Christ. This is what the word of God says of me and I firmly believe in this.

HALLELUIAH!!!!

Special Thanks to: Mrs Caroline Jebadurai

TITANIC

Introduction

Our life can be compared to a ship. The journey we make in our life from birth to death can be compared to the journey in a ship from one destination to another. The real life story of Titanic is fascinating. Let's have a glimpse of the truth behind the story of the Titanic.

The Titanic ship was the biggest ship ever built during 1912. The 882 ft long ship roughly equals the size of the Tower Bridge. The construction of Titanic started in 1909 at Belfast. Total cost of Titanic was $7.5 million (1912). White Star Line owned Titanic and Bruce Ismay was the managing director. It had 16 watertight compartments, which were designed to close automatically, if flooded. Shipbuilder magazine quoted on the construction of Titanic in 1911 that because of the watertight compartments the ship was ‘practically unsinkable’. Though it was made from 46,000 tonnes of steel, people were made to believe that Titanic was ‘unsinkable’.

White star line's vice president Franklin said: “We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is unsinkable”. A Deckhand quoted: “Not even God himself could sink this ship”. Titanic Captain, Edward John Smith with more than 40 years of experience at sea said: “I cannot conceive any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern ship building has gone beyond that.”

Titanic was described as a ‘Luxury hotel at sea’. The ship contained a swimming pool, gymnasium, squash court and library. The crown jewel of the decoration was the first class grand staircase topped by a massive glass dome. The titanic built for luxury and comfort contained enormous quantities of variety food and drinks. They stored 75,000 lbs of meat, 25,000 lbs of poultry and 11,000 lbs of fish. About 1,500 gallons of milk and 40,000 eggs were stored. The passengers had the option to choose from stacks of beverages (20,000 Beer bottles and 1,500 Wine bottles and more)

The cascade of events:
10th April 1912 – Titanic leaves from Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York.
11th April 1912 – Reaches Ireland and then restarts journey.
12th April 1912 – Smooth sailing through the sea.
13th April 1912 – Temperature is getting lower.
14th April 1912 – 09:00 – First warning about an iceberg.
18:00 – Passengers had their supper, which was their last one.
19:00 – Several warning reports about icebergs from nearby ships (The Baltic, Californian, and Carpathian).
20:00 – All the warning messages were ignored.
21:00 – Moonless night and darkness prevailed all over.
22:00 – Titanic was travelling at about 45 miles/hour.
22:50 – The Californian that sailed close to the Titanic sent a message that they had stopped sailing, because of icebergs.
23:00 – This warning message was also ignored.
23:10 – Journey continued and speed of the ship not reduced.
23:15 – The wireless operator from The Californian switched off his radio, unaware of the danger for the speeding Titanic.
23:39 – Some one spots an iceberg very close with less than 1 minute to respond.
23:40 – Titanic turns to the left, but collided with the iceberg.
15th April 1912
00:00 – Six watertight compartments were flooded.
00:05 – Distress signal “CQD” was sent to other nearby ships.
00:25 – The nearest ship, Carpathian, received it.
00:45 – First lifeboat launched and distress rockets fired.
01:00 – Lifeboats launched, but not filled up to the maximum.
01:30 – The titanic music band (Wallace Hartley & his team) played the song 'Nearer my God to thee'. The band played the music in an effort to keep passengers calm and they continued playing music till the end.
02:15 – The last wireless distress signal, “We are sinking fast...” was followed by sudden loss of power in the ship.
02:18 – Titanic breaks into two pieces and the bow sinks first.
02:20 – The ‘unsinkable’ Titanic sinks after 2 hours and 40 minutes of ordeal. About 1,500 passengers lost their lives.
04:30 – The Carpathian rescues about 705 passengers from the lifeboats and heads towards New York.

Lifeboats

Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, which means that it could take maximum of 1178 passengers, if each lifeboat is filled to the maximum capacity but there were about 2,200 passengers on board. Hence the Titanic should have carried at least 34 lifeboats to save the lives of all people on board. Titanic was loaded with all the luxury items, but it failed to have adequate number of lifeboats. One of the reasons for not having the required number of lifeboats was that those lifeboats would take large amount of space in the ship, which could potentially reduce the number of luxury items they had to carry in the ship. They would have to lose some of their luxury items to accommodate the extra number of lifeboats.

Compared with the huge size, magnificent build and the opulence of the ship, the life boat was very small in size, and none of the items in Titanic were present (no food, no comfort), but the only difference was that the lifeboat was floating on the cold sea at midnight of April 15th 1912 while the Titanic was sinking.

What do we learn from the above true story?

Life as a ‘sinking’ Titanic

The life we live in this world can be compared to the story of the Titanic. Our body is a vessel designed as a ship carrying inside a soul and a spirit. Indeed our mortal body can be a representation of the sinking Titanic ship. If we could count our heartbeats, it would be between 60-100 beats per minute. Our heart has to beat about 100,000 times and pump 7,200 litres of blood in order to live one day on planet earth. On an average, our human body is designed to live for about 70-80 years. Death can occur to anyone at anytime. So, are we prepared to meet death at any time of our life? For some people death is sudden and unexpected (e.g., accident / heart attack / stroke) but for others it could be slow and gradual (e.g., old age / cancer / dementia). The truth is everyone born in this world will die at some time. But we can face death confidently as long as we know where we are going. Not the huge Titanic, but only the lifeboat will save our soul. The only lifeboat is Jesus Christ who promises us eternal life after death.

My dear friend, we may be rich, wearing expensive clothes, driving a luxury car and living in comfy homes. We may be successful persons in every walk of life and enjoying endearing relationships for long. But, Undoubtedly, all of them represent the ‘Sinking’ Titanic. What would be beneficial, if a man owns the whole world, yet he loses his life? The ‘unsinkable’ lifeboat may seem to be insignificant, but it is the one that saves our lives. In this world, Jesus Christ is that ‘Unsinkable’ Lifeboat who saves lives eternally.

Are you willing to get into the lifeboat? It’s your free choice.

Thank you for patiently reading this. If you wish to accept Jesus as you saviour, please say this following prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
I believe you are the Son of God. You died on the cross for my sins. I believe you rose from the dead on the third day and you are seated at the right hand of our Father in heaven. I confess all my sins. (List them if you can remember them). Please forgive me. Cleanse me with your precious blood. I proclaim that I am a new creation in Christ from now on. I say this prayer in Jesus name. Amen.

Welcome to the Kingdom of God! Right now, there will be thousands of angels rejoicing over your salvation in heaven, as you have been saved just now. Today, buy a Bible and read Mathew chapters 5, 6 & 7 that gives the principles to follow in our lives. Continue to read, pray and attend a church that belongs to Jesus Christ. God bless you! Amen!

"Nearer, my God, to Thee"

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,

still all my song shall be,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

nearer to thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,

darkness be over me, my rest a stone.

Yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God to thee.

There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;

all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;

angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to thee.

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,

out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;

so by my woes to be nearer, my God, to thee.

Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,

sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I'll fly,

still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to thee.

There in my Father's home, safe and at rest,

there in my Saviour's love, perfectly blest;

age after age to be, nearer my God to thee.

--------------------------------------------------
Words: Sarah Adams, 1841

An antidote for Da Vinci code

Introduction
Da vinci code is a well known film in the present times which is based on Dan Brown’s novel published in 2003. Currently over 40 million copies have been sold worldwide. Much heat has been produced, since the release of this film. Some states in India have banned this film.

There are two ways of looking at this film. One is to view this as the most blasphemous film ever released in the history and the other is that it gives a platform for all of us, as believers in Christ Jesus, to discuss / argue / preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is mostly viewed by people who haven’t really thought about Jesus as God.

I was confronted by two of my friends (unbelievers) regarding the Da vinci code, and I was voluntarily pushed forward to talk about the life / death / resurrection and saving power of Jesus. What an amazing turn around to preach the Gospel of truth to unbelieving friends, in a non-confrontational manner, by using the world famous, blasphemous, Da vinci code.

So, We will see how far Dan Brown’s “facts” will stand up to the historical evidence. Now I am going to explain some of the codes Dan Brown used, as well as the defences, we have against them.

Fiction #1 – Jesus had a private family life

The Da Vinci Code claims that Jesus had family life and that their descendants included a line of kings in France, as well as some of the main characters in the novel.

Explanation: There are no historical documents for this claim. Earliest writings about Jesus’ life are the New Testament Gospels - Matthew/ Mark/ Luke/ John. They were written by disciples of Jesus before 70A.D. The Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. as prophesied by Jesus (Matt.24:1, Mark 13:1, Luke 21:5). Since this event was not recorded in any of these 4 gospels, it becomes evident that the Gospels had been written before 70 A.D. Hence they are more accurate and are accepted by the Christians and considered as authoritative.

Fiction #2 - The Gnostic gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls are "the earliest Christian records."

The Da Vinci Code claims that the New Testament is a forgery and that the Gnostic gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls are the original Christian texts.

Explanation: Dan Brown’s claim is based, not on the New Testament Gospels, but on Gnostic gospels – e.g. ‘gospel of Philip’, which were written about 150 to 250 A.D. by some unknown authors, who were NEITHER disciples of Jesus NOR friends of any Apostles. They were NOT the true reflections of the Life of Jesus. Hence they are considered to be absolutely fallacious.
On the other hand, the earliest evidence of Jesus’ life is to be seen in the writings of the disciples of Jesus (Matthew/ Mark / Luke / John). They lived & witnessed His life and hence the Gospels written by them are authentic and genuine.

Dead Sea scrolls, which were found in 11 the Qumran caves around 1950, are not the earliest and also they contain very controversial materials.

Fiction #3 – Christianity stole its ideas and concepts from paganism.

The Da Vinci Code, on page 232: claims: "Nothing in Christianity is original. a) The pre-Christian god Mithras - called the Son of God and the Light of the World - was born on December 25, died, was buried in a rock tomb, and then resurrected in three days. b) By the way, December 25 was also the birthday of Osiris, Adonis, and Dionysus. c) The newborn Krishna was presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

Explanation:
a) Even great scholars who have studied about Mithras, do not mention about the death or resurrection of Mithras.
b) As Christians we agree that there’s no mention of December 25th as the birthday of Jesus in the Bible, but this day is simply set to celebrate his birth into this world.
c) There is not a single story in actual Hindu mythology of Krishna being presented with gold, frankincense, and myrrh at his birth.

Hence the sequence of such claims puzzles even the greatest critics and gives raise to the possibility of these claims arising from Dan Brown’s imagination!

Fiction # 4- The sacred name for God has a paganistic origin.

The Da Vinci Code, on page 309, claims: "The Jewish Tetragrammaton YHWH - the sacred name of God - in fact derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between the masculine Jah and the pre-Hebraic name for Eve, Havah"

Explantion:
In reverence, the ancient Jews did not pronounce YHWH, meaning GOD. So, they used a substitute word ADONAH, which means LORD. The two words fused in course of many years to produce a new name YEHOVAH. In essence, the word JEHOVAH is a made-up English word and is not present in the original Hebrew or Greek texts in the Bible. Hence Dan Brown’s explanation is wrong.

Fiction #5 - The Vatican killed an "astounding 5 million women" during the witch hunts

Explanation:
History records that the witch hunts were done by local governments and not Vatican.

Fiction #6 - Emperor Constantine shaped the New Testament.

The Da Vinci Code claims that Constantine replaced the Gnostic writings with what we now call the New Testament.

Expanation:
Constantine lived between 306A.D. and 337 A.D. But 24 of the 27 books that are part of today's New Testament were already regarded by early Christians as being authoritative, which is about 213 years before Constantine.

The raise of King Jehoshaphat: Part-1

“The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.” 2Chron. 20: 1. King Jehoshaphat had a vast army which frightened all the kingdoms around Judah. (2Chron. 17:10, 14-19). Hence the Moabites & Ammonites with some more allies joined together to make a vast army to fight against King Jehoshaphat. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom … It is already in Hazazon Tamar”. 2Cron. 20: 2. By the time King Jehoshaphat came to know about it, the vast army of the enemy had already entered into his territory. “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judha” 2Chron. 20: 3. Though he himself had a vast army (2Chron. 17:14-19), he was frightened by the overwhelming and seemingly imminent catastrophic situation. Immediately, he decided to seek the Lord. He proclaimed a day of fasting and prayer through out Judah.

“The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him” 2Chron.20: 4. The whole nation including women and children took fast for one day and sat at the feet of the Lord. Good took mercy on the people of Judah and spoke to the people through a prophet, Jahaziel: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s… You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you.” 2Chron.20:15-17. Amazingly, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy and the enemies destroyed one another by killing each other!

In the same way, we may also face challenges, difficulties, and attacks by the enemy at some point in life. First thing to do is to call upon the name of the Lord with full heart (Jer.33:3) preferably with fasting & prayer along with your family and / or friends. The Lord will immediately hear our prayers and deliver us from the evil!

The fall of King Jehoshaphat: Part-11

Jehoshaphat obeyed God’s commands and walked blamelessly in his early years. “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed.” 2Chron.17:3

But he committed a mistake. Thought he set his heart on the Lord and followed his decrees, he yoked himself with enemy. “Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.” 2 Chrom.18:1. He made allies with a wicked King, Ahab by getting his son married to his daughter. Hence when Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join with him to fight against Ramoth Gilead, he joined him. In spite of the warning by the prophet Micaiah, they fought the battle which was then lost. 2Chron.18:1-34. At the battlefield, Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, (2Chron.18:31) and the Lord saved him. On return, Jehu rebukes him saying, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you. However, there’s some good in you…you have set your heart on seeking the Lord.” 2Chron.19:2, 3

Jehoshaphat again repeated the same mistake, by making an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel. He made an agreement with him to construct a fleet of trading ships. The fatal mistake was that HE DID NOT INQUIRE OF THE LORD about this. HE DID NOT WAIT ON THE LORD WITH FASTING. Having been warned by a prophet Eliezer, the Lord destroyed his ships and his trade collapsed. Eventually he died.

The lesson we learn from the King Jehoshaphat’s life:

1. Always & always keep things in prayer, before making any decisions in your life.
2. Always keep fast during those times, according to your strength, and it shows your earnestness to God.
3. Always wait til you get a WORD from the Lord.
4. Always give praises & thanks even before the battle begins.

(When you send showers of praise to the Lord, the Lord gives victory at the same time!) Hallelujah!! “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against them…they destroyed each other” 2Chron.20:22. The battle was won!!!

Why, God.........Why?

Many people in the world would find it easier to believe in God but for the suffering. They plead their case to God, just as Job did in the Old Testament days: “Why did God allow me this suffering, though I’ve not sinned against God?”

Job was a righteous man who lived according to God’s word. “In all this, Job did not sin with his lips” Job 2:10. But he lost everything including his own health. His wife said “Curse your God and die” – Job 2:9. There was nothing to live for in this world. “But Job did not sin by charging God with wrong doing” – Job 1:22. He wanted an answer from God: "Why did this happen to me, though I'm innocent?”.

Now, Job’s friends accepted the orthodox religious view of their day (‘Suffering is the result of sin and wickedness’) and accused Job and his children of sinning:

“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.” -Job 4:7, 8

“If your sons have sinned against Him, He has cast them away for their transgression.” - Job 8:4
“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you?

Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sin endless?” – Job 22: 4, 5

But Job argues that he’s innocent.
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” –Job 31: 1
“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, If I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless…” – Job 31: 16, 17

And he calls his friends,
“Worthless physicians”- Job 13:4 and “Miserable comforters” –Job 16:2.

In these circumstances, how can Job TRUST God?
“God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me” – Job 23:16

The broken hearted Job waits for an answer from God.

Why did God reply him with lots of questions from Cosmology to Zoology? (Job 38 & 39). The purpose is to demonstrate how incomprehensible God’s wisdom and knowledge are. He is the mighty creator and no one can understand the depth of his knowledge and the purpose of his creative power fully. Does that mean that Job’s suffering was in vain? No, not at all. It does mean that there’s always an inscrutable wisdom and purpose behind these sufferings. As we are human beings, our understanding is extremely limited. And God does not give total explanation for everything. But even if Job was able to get an answer from God, it wouldn’t meet his real needs. In sufferings, theories about God aren’t enough. Indeed what Job really needed was God’s supernatural presence, a touch from the Master, a word from the Almighty.

Job replies after tasting the word from God, “I know that you can do all things; no plans of yours can be thwarted… Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know…My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” – Job 42: 1-6. Surely, God blessed his later life with double portion of blessings!

In the same way, when we go thru' trials and tribulations, the personal encounter with Jesus at the foot of the Cross will give us strength. We may not understand fully why these things happen. But we get peace and joy with the comforter, who had undergone much suffering at the Cross.

When we are really suffering, it’s not explanations we need, but the assurance that our Creator God is ours and therefore we can endure anything. That’s the miracle we need! It’s a miracle we get at the foot of the Cross! Amen!

Special thanks to:

Pastor Francis Bates, Kenton Evangelical Church.

www.ewtn.com (for Job's picture)