DRS
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Written during his battles against Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, as well as Joab’s successful campaign, David’s cry for help resulted in the defeat of twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. David initiated this Psalm by acknowledging that God had rejected them, drawing a parallel to King Ahab’s treatment of the prophet Elijah. King Ahab, in his ignorance, labeled Elijah, a man of God, as a troublemaker, failing to recognize the true source of their troubles in the eyes of the Holy God. Similarly, David, feeling abandoned by God, attributed it to their rejection of Him, and in…
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When we confide in those who do not know or follow God, they may feel overwhelmed, assuming we seek their support and advice to overcome our distressing circumstances. As a result, the varied suggestions from those we involve in our problems contradict each other, adding to our torment. It is as if we easily ignite a fire in the forest, but struggle to extinguish it. Similarly, we inflate our problems within ourselves, and when they spiral out of control, we become perplexed and blame God for His perceived delay in fulfilling His promises.
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David fervently implored God to rescue him from his adversaries once he comprehended the evil intentions of Saul and his commanders. Expressing his dismay at their unjust actions, David highlighted his unwavering loyalty to Saul and his household, as well as his continuous efforts to combat the enemies of God’s people. Rather than merely serving Saul, David devoted himself to serving God by vanquishing those who sought to defame His name. David acknowledged his inability to comprehend the rationale behind their behaviour, yet instead of questioning God, he entreated Him to intervene, irrespective of the cause.
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The primary responsibility of the Holy Spirit is to introduce the Redeemer, Jesus, to all people on Earth. The Holy Spirit acquaints us with Jesus, who rescued us from the grasp of sin and saved us from eternal death. Then, the Spirit enables us to have faith in all that God has done to redeem us. Once this knowledge is imparted, the Spirit of God Himself dwells within us as a guardian of our salvation, to present us blameless in the presence of the Holy God, our Heavenly Father.
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The Psalm exclusively discusses the atrocities committed by the rulers of the nations and calls upon God to intervene and punish them mercilessly for their treacherous acts. This theme strongly resonates with the modern world, where even in democratic countries, leaders chosen by the people often govern based on the desires of their majority supporters. In this context, believers seek God’s intervention to hold their leaders accountable and ensure fair treatment of the minority populations.
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Becoming like Jesus is an immensely challenging task for many individuals. Some individuals even consider the desire to become like Jesus as blasphemy, as they fail to comprehend the entirety of God’s love and instead approach Him with fear. Without experiencing His unconditional love, it becomes difficult for one to grasp the true intentions of God. Comparing the incredible love of God to the momentary and conditional love of people, many fail to fathom the depth and breadth of God’s love. Furthermore, the concept of becoming like Jesus may not even register in the minds of some people.
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The Bible instructs us to resist the devil, yet many people struggle with this task. Resistance marks the initial stage of our temptations, while the subsequent struggle occurs when we fail to resist initially. In today’s world, it seems that almost everyone is grappling with the devil and his schemes. Are we fully conscious of our weaknesses that allow the devil to gain entry? Furthermore, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul admonishes us not to provide a foothold for the devil. Once again, do we understand the areas in which we are vulnerable to falling prey to the devil’s…
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If we consider the teachings from the Psalms of David, we discern the gravity of consistently tending to our soul. While many prioritize the desires of the flesh, David, in his Psalms, underscores the significance of caring for one’s soul. This is crucial because when we indulge our wrongful fleshly desires, knowingly or inadvertently, it inflicts harm upon our souls. Without prompt attention, our souls may wither. As the soul becomes dormant, our impure thoughts can overpower us, resulting in a significant deterioration of our spiritual well-being. Judas failed to tend to his soul when his greed for money smothered…
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In the book of Revelation in the Bible, prophecies concerning the Kingdom of God and His Second Coming are detailed. Being the final book of the Bible, the prophecies are brought to a conclusion. The lives of believers serve as a continuation of the New Testament, the successive pages of the book of Acts. Just as God expected the Jews to spread His love, He now expects His believers to extend His love to all people. Thus, it is crucial for believers to align themselves with God to comprehend His plans well in advance. Whenever believers fall short in this…
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David likely internalized this Psalm during his captivity by the Philistines in Gath. The circumstances may have prevented him from physically recording the Psalm at that time, but he later had the opportunity to do so. David found himself isolated in the court of Achish, the king of Gath. Despite seeking refuge, the situation took a turn as word spread of David’s triumphs against the Philistine army, altering the dynamics within the court.
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Identifying “Self Pity” within ourselves is challenging because we often perceive it as a justified act. Self-pity conceals itself behind the facade of spirituality and tempts us with superficial religious practices such as listening to spiritual songs, watching worship services, reading the Bible out of habit, depending on other’s prayers for healing, praising God by reading out from books of “Thousand Praises” compiled by a publishing house and reciting prayers without true conviction. Despite these spiritual disguises, one may struggle to recognize the presence of the sin of “self-pity” within them. These spiritual practices give them the satisfaction that they…
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Many of us can relate to this Psalm, as we too have experienced the pain of being hurt by the actions of friends and family we trusted. Scholars suggest that this Psalm was compiled during Absalom’s rebellion, with David’s trusted counsellor Ahithophel being involved. However, David’s plea to God to deal with his enemies may not necessarily be directly related to Absalom. David did not mention anyone by name, so it can be understood as a universal experience of facing betrayal from those we trust.
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We observe numerous festivals, designating certain days as special and others as inauspicious. The number thirteen is commonly regarded as unlucky. Our timekeeping is based on the movements of the Earth and planets, as well as the positions of the sun, moon, and stars. It is crucial to acknowledge the brevity of our lives, during which we often eschew days on the calendar due to the fear of misfortune. How many days, then, remain for us to relish this existence? Within this fleeting lifetime, we allocate a significant portion to anxiety and trepidation, yearning to escape. To transcend this tumultuous…
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During the period in which this Psalm of David was composed, the Ziphites approached Saul, questioning, “Is not David hiding among us?” It is noteworthy that the Ziphites, who were descendants of Judah like David, ought to have been his allies, yet they betrayed him. The allocation of our tribal affiliation and lineage is completely orchestrated by God, a reality often overlooked as we are shaped by our surroundings and develop strong emotional ties to our kinsfolk. Even distant relatives hold significant sway, but when power and favour are at stake, they are quick to abandon us and align with…
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One of the most renowned proverbs in Spanish asserts, “dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres”, which translates to “tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are”. This age-old Spanish saying conveys the idea that a person’s character and actions can be inferred from the company they keep. Friends play a pivotal role in our social lives, contributing significantly to our achievements. Oftentimes, friends share similar mindsets, societal standing, and interests. However, there are also individuals who seek friendship primarily to alleviate their loneliness, leading them to form associations with unsuitable companions.…
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The Psalmist expresses concern about atheists who deny the existence of God, as well as agnostics who choose not to engage with this topic. Neither the believers who claim the existence of God nor the non-believers who reject it can conclusively prove their positions. While the Psalmist attributes the corruption and vileness of people to their lack of belief, it is worth considering the hypocrisy of those who profess belief in God yet exhibit corrupt and immoral behavior. This suggests that only the true belief in the existence of God should naturally keep individuals away from corruption and sin.
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With the rapid growth of the digital world, it has become necessary for us to periodically update the electronic gadgets we use. Over time, these gadgets become obsolete, prompting individuals to purchase the latest versions to maintain their status or the requirements of their jobs. The development of software has played a significant role in driving this need for frequent changes. Cell phone manufacturers diligently keep their customers informed about new versions, ensuring they stay updated with technological advancements. Ironically, we often neglect to apply this same principle in our spiritual lives, despite being granted new grace each morning. Let…
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The Scriptures state that even before the creation of this world, God predestined the sacrifice of His only Son to save all people from eternal death. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 4:6). This passage reveals that God, driven by His pleasure and will, orchestrated these events. As…
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Being a man close to the heart of God, David suddenly made a drastic decision and became afraid to reveal his true situation to the priest Ahimelek. He feared that if Ahimelek learned about the broken relationship between him and King Saul, the priest would refuse to help him. Fueled by this fear, David resorted to deception in front of Ahimelek. In Isaiah 28, God warns us that those who seek refuge in lies are essentially making a pact with death. Sadly, David had indeed made such a pact, resulting in the deaths of the entire families and inhabitants of…
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Psalms 32 and 51 are frequently used by believers as a framework for expressing their contrition and confessing their sins. Many individuals turn to these Psalms to engage in penitence. It is important to note that only those who have been cleansed by the purifying blood of Jesus can truly embrace this template, whereas those who have not experienced the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood are unable to avail themselves of this opportunity.
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In the case of Peter, there existed a doubt regarding the sacrificial death of Jesus, which caused him to experience a fear of being implicated by the Roman government alongside Jesus. This doubt remained hidden within his subconscious, unbeknownst to him, and it was because of this disbelief that he declared his commitment to follow Jesus until death. Jesus, in His wisdom, brought to light Peter’s concealed sin by revealing the impending transgression he was about to commit. Jesus consistently warns us about our hidden sins, although we often fail to comprehend His message due to our inability to recognize…
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When introducing Jesus to the world, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of His identity. Often, we tend to portray Jesus solely as a miracle worker or healer, inadvertently limiting His true purpose and significance. This narrow perception not only restricts His immense power and impact but also disappoints those who seek blessings or healing from Him, as they may not always receive them. It is essential to grasp the deeper essence of Jesus’ presence on Earth, rather than simply view Him as a bestower of miracles or an earthly conqueror. Jesus Himself posed the question to His…
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This Psalm, attributed to the musician Asaph, emphasises the idea that engaging in the service of God enables personal growth and a deeper understanding of His holiness. This musician, who previously composed music for David’s verses, now conveys a message about God’s ways, illustrating that being solely a musician does not limit one’s capacity to write about matters of faith. In our church roles, such as worship leaders or ushers, we should not confine ourselves to a specific position. Instead, by humbling ourselves to serve God, He exalts and uplifts us. Asaph further enlightens a group of believers who mistakenly…
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According to the law of God, the consequence of sin is death, which results in eternal damnation for all souls. However, out of His boundless love, God made a decision to fulfill His law in order to rescue us from this fate. It is important to note that God did not manipulate or nullify His law; instead, He accomplished it by placing the burden of people’s sins upon His Son, Jesus, who was then sacrificed on the cross as an atonement for the transgressions of mankind. Through Jesus’ obedience to His Father’s will, He triumphed over death and rose again,…
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The Sons of Korah passionately extolled the greatness of God in their awe-inspiring Psalm 48. In this Psalm, they implored the people to embrace a firm understanding of God’s boundless love and unwavering grace. Humanity often succumbs to the temptation of placing their trust in worldly treasures, forsaking the life-giving power of our heavenly Father. They amass wealth, erecting idols of their own making, devoid of the compassion and salvation required to rescue them from impending spiritual demise. Tragically, they become enamoured with their own riches, falsely believing that their earthly possessions will secure them immortality. This Psalm tells us…
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It is often the aspiration of a father to elevate his children beyond his own standing. Even parents lacking formal education do not wish for their children to remain illiterate, so they make great efforts to enrol them in reputable schools to ensure their literacy. Similarly, educated individuals consistently strive to provide their children with a higher social and educational standing, selecting the most esteemed educational institutions within their means. This commitment to securing the best education aims to equip their offspring with the necessary skills and opportunities to excel in life. Looking at examples from monarchy, the heads of…
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The psalm at hand, attributed to the sons of Korah, offers a unique perspective within the collection of Psalms. While typically characterized by petitions and acknowledgements of God’s response to prayers, this particular psalm deviates in its focus. From the very beginning, it is dedicated to glorifying the Almighty, earning it the title of “A Song.” It is a heartfelt melody that arises not from personal experiences, but from a visionary praise that transcends mere human understanding, calling for unwavering trust in God. Joy Of The Whole Earth Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city…
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In Scripture, Jesus encourages His followers to draw nearer to His Father. He graciously extends His Sonship to all, so that we may address the Almighty God as our Abba, our Father. God sent His Son to be our elder brother, sharing with us all that He knows about His Father and His glorious Kingdom. It is interesting to note that even as some preachers and prophets claim to possess knowledge of the precise hour of Jesus’ second coming, Jesus, Himself assures us that only the Father knows this sacred hour, and it remains hidden from all others. Moreover, when…
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In the contemporary era, edifices of structural significance such as Cathedrals are commonly recognized as sacred places where the presence of God prevails. During ancient times, the Temple held a paramount status amongst the Jewish community, representing the most sacred sanctuary where individuals would undergo purification rituals before entering its Holy place. Notably, Solomon’s Temple featured an impressive Copper Sea, possessing a remarkable capacity to contain 17,430 gallons of water. Functioning as a vessel for priestly purification, this Copper Sea played a crucial role in the sacred cleansing ceremonies. Additionally, the temple housed ten smaller copper basins mounted on carts,…
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When the Psalmist was overwhelmed after witnessing a king’s epic victory, it inspired him to write this song of Praise. Now, there could be a bunch of theories about who this king was, but one thing is for sure – this Psalm is all about the ultimate ruler, the King of kings. It kicks off with an intro that screams “This King is the ruler of the entire planet!” This Psalm is not an ordinary one as it is a total package of truth about the Lord of Lords. King Over All The Earth Clap your hands, all you nations;…
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When contemplating the character of God, we often associate it with blessings, abundance, and prosperity. Conversely, we tend to associate destitution and suffering with darkness, malevolent forces, or even the concept of evil. It is rare for anyone to link the Creator with destruction. Consequently, when faced with unexpected catastrophes, our pursuit of happiness is abruptly shattered, leaving us feeling utterly desolate. It is only by acknowledging the supreme authority of God that we can hope to restore our joy of salvation and find solace in Him. God Is Our Refuge God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help…
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Sin and the devil are often conflated, but they are separate concepts. In essence, sin refers to the act of succumbing to our wicked desires and transgressing against the will of God. On the other hand, the devil preys upon those who engage in sinful behaviour. Regrettably, people frequently attribute their own actions against God, saying, “The devil made me do it”. It is important to recognize that while God created both good and evil in this world, His intention was for humanity to remain in His light, shielded from the knowledge of evil. To uphold this, God explicitly prohibited…
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The King mentioned in this Psalm does not align with any historical Israelite monarchy. However, the references to gifts from Tyre establish a connection between Solomon and the Psalm, as Hiram, the King of Tyre, provided materials for Solomon’s temple. With this in mind, some scholars associate this Psalm with Solomon’s wedding to an Egyptian princess. However, there are significant discrepancies between the details presented in the Psalm and the known life of Solomon, such as the fact that he did not live forever but was, in fact, buried with his ancestors. Furthermore, if we were to consider this Psalm…
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The statement, “The last will be the first”, appears to be incongruous with societal norms when viewed from the perspective of renowned scholars. In today’s fiercely competitive world, striving to be the foremost in all endeavours has become ingrained in the minds of many. To understand the meaning of last becoming first, it is essential to distinguish between the concepts of percentage and percentile. The former fails to provide an adequate basis for comparing a given value, while the latter enables such a comparison against the wider dataset. Percentages offer the gratification of achieving a maximum score out of one…
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The teachings of the Bible remind us of our inherent humanity and the imperfections we all possess. Scripture emphasizes the importance of acknowledging our shortcomings and receiving forgiveness through the grace of God. One notable parable involves a Pharisee and a tax collector, illustrating the humility and repentance necessary for spiritual growth. The apostle John reinforces this truth by stating that denying our sinfulness is tantamount to falsehood. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, affirms that where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds even more. It is important to note that seeking increased grace and love from God does not…
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God’s love remains constant and eternal, unaffected by our shortcomings. However, it is crucial for us to pass on this everlasting love to future generations and ensure that they regard it as a valuable inheritance. In ancient times, the love of God was faithfully transmitted from one generation to another, serving as a source of inspiration and guidance. Regrettably, present-day children may not always view their elders as role models, prompting a reflection on whether we have effectively shared the remarkable deeds of God with them. The Ancestral Heritage We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have…
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Mother Teresa’s impact on society was significant. As a religious icon and philanthropist, she dedicated her life to caring for the poor in Calcutta, India. Despite her kindness and compassion, she was not afraid to take a stand for what she believed was right. While philanthropists like Mother Teresa express God’s love to the millions of underprivileged individuals, many fail to grasp the love of God that has saved them in the first place. Instead, they view these philanthropists as role models for their own personal satisfaction and think that salvation can be attained through good deeds.
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Psalm 43 is considered a continuation of Psalm 42 as it explores similar themes and uses a common chorus. However, unlike the preceding hymn, this Psalm does not have a note about the writer. It addresses the challenges faced by individuals who genuinely follow God but differ from the traditional religious practices of their peers. It is often easier to share our spiritual experience with those who are in darkness rather than enlighten those who believe they already possess divine knowledge. God continuously blesses us with His fresh grace each day, and in order to fully experience His unique grace,…
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Psalm 42 represents the introductory Psalm of the second book of the Psalms, which was co-authored by the sons of Korah. Despite the rebellion of Korah and his fellow leaders against the authority of Moses and Aaron, resulting in their demise, the lineage of Korah did not perish, as stated in Numbers 26:11. The sons of Korah found themselves in a challenging situation, where they had to distance themselves from their defiant father. My Soul Thirsts For God As the deer pants for streams of water,so my soul pants for you, my God.My soul thirsts for God, for the living…
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Many individuals struggle with the concept of generational curses, feeling trapped by the perceived negative patterns passed down through their family lineage. It can be challenging for them to break free from this mindset and find a sense of empowerment to forge their own path in life. These beliefs may lead some to attribute every misfortune or setback to the actions of their ancestors, causing them to lose hope and even engage in destructive behavior. However, it is essential to note that history has shown us that individuals have the capacity to make conscious choices that differ from the actions…
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Solemnizing a wedding ceremony at a church or at a place of worship according to one’s respective faith does not turn our decision into God’s decision. Most people take the momentary happiness and peace they have when arriving at their own decision as divine peace. Later, they are unable to trace back the chaos occurring in their marital life to their hasty decision and start to wonder how the decision that was made in heaven ended up in hell.
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In the Old Testament, parents taught their children about God’s miracles, passing down knowledge through generations. This led to a belief that God would perform miracles in their own lives. The victories of their ancestors served as examples of overcoming enemies. Over time, descendants relied on signs and objects, such as the Ark of the Covenant, to remember God. Carrying the Ark confirmed God’s presence and helped them win battles. However, later on, people forgot God’s commandments and saw the Ark itself as God’s presence. The Ark Of God God appointed Eli and his sons as priests in His temple.…
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The whole Scripture reveals the incredible love of God to the world. After understanding the truth that God loves us, do we love Him? Even after becoming His children, we do not love God. Most of us may deny this, assuming that we love God. But when we do not hate sin, it indicates that we do not love God. Even after knowing this, God still loves us to the end. It is bewildering to know that God never ends His love, but it is we who reject it. Jesus leaves the ninety-nine and chases the one running away from…
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Jesus asked the woman standing alone, “Has no one condemned you?” Earlier, a mob had gathered against her to condemn her to death according to the law of Moses. Fortunately, they tried to implement the law through Jesus to make Him guilty of not following the law of Moses thinking that He would defame the law of Moses. Jesus did not come to eradicate the laws but to enact them with His love. The incident narrated by John in chapter eight of his Gospel is the best example of what Jesus did to the law and its punishment. According to…
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Psalm 15 enumerates some probable deeds that keep us near God. This Psalm motivates us to fulfil our oath, even when it hurts or brings us loss, as an eligibility criterion to dwell with God. After taking an oath, if a person knows that fulfilling it will affect him, he should not change his mind. It often misleads people to stick to their wrong decisions and lures them to fulfil their own words rather than the word of God. Judas Iscariot was a victim of this concept and his focus was on fulfilling his word given at the cost of…
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The first part of the book of Psalms ends with this Psalm. Here, the Psalmist was clear in His conscience to declare that his life pleased God. This Psalm teaches us that everyone around us might be traitors and encourages us to live according to the standards of God, despite the snares placed by the schemers. One can not become an expert driver by navigating alone on traffic-free roads. One should learn to drive on the chaotic road, where offenders drive hazardously. Hence, the role of traitors is equally essential in our lives to ascertain whether our lives please God.…
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This Psalm helps us reminisce about the days we lived without God to appreciate life after salvation.
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God’s ways of dealing are new every morning, and people cannot understand them. People need precedence in everything to trust and obey. God does explain to us before He accomplishes His will, yet He ignites our faith to do His will in our daily walk of life.
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When God made a covenant with Abraham, He told him that his descendants would be in captivity for four hundred years. Several centuries later, God told Moses to lead His people out of their bondage. The delivered people however did not know their destination and blamed Moses for leading them out of slavery. Whenever they feared death, they preferred to go back to their former life of slavery. When God parted the Red Sea, they ventured to walk between the walls of water to escape from the swords of Phoroh’s Army.
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Observing life expectancy emerged in the 19th century for the first time when human death rates attributed to the rise in diseases started increasing exponentially with time. The life expectancy data attributed various causes to the climbing death rate numbers, and people worked out scientific solutions to enhance the life span of people. Moses had a thought about this when people died in the wilderness, and he prayed to God to give him the wisdom to number his days, approximately during 1500 BC. He did not explore the cause of their death but asked God for awareness to understand the…
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The Gospel of Matthew recorded the teaching of Jesus driving His servants away from Him, saying I never knew you. God loved us so much and gave His Son to us so that no one should perish but live eternally. God predestined us to call us His children and never forsakes us. Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and Sisters. Then what makes Him say, “I never knew you”?
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While everyone wishes to enjoy the blessings of God, only a few are ready to experience His wrath too. Many believe that exposing the outcome of the wrath of God is a shame. Or knowing that God is not on our side, people will bounce on us from every angle. Especially our enemies will use this opportunity to destroy our image in our societies. Satan used Job’s wife on one such occasion to destroy the integrity of Job, but Job said You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble (Job 2:10)? During…
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This Psalm deals with three phases of our lives. The first one is comparing our lives with others. By doing this, if we find ourselves above others then we feel proud else we feel sad. The second approach is comforting ourselves by assuming wicked people’s fall or the rewards awaiting us for doing good. The third phase is looking at God and rejoicing in His amazing grace.
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Every three years latest models come on the market, and the old ones become obsolete. The company stops updating the software to its older models. People still go for those outdated smartphones at a lower price because they buy them to show their status to others. Who knows that they purchased it after the new one was released? As far as the buyers of the latest smartphones, they need the updates of the software daily to cope with their job requirements, etc. Though their old smartphones have become obsolete, every aspect of the old one is available in the new…
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Today we are participating in His Holy Communion, not in haste but at ease to remember and rejoice in the freedom God gave us from the clutches of sin through His Son, Jesus Christ. People celebrate the Passover once a year, but Jesus asks us to remember His New Covenant as often as we can. Jesus asks us to remember our Father and thank Him for His incredible love. To believers in Christ, it is a daily meal rather than a Last Supper.
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Seldom people are encouraged to help others constantly, but many discontinue doing good to others because of not getting a pleasant response. It can happen that the person whom we had helped might end up being our enemy today. Or the people who derived benefits from us to reach a higher level would have forgotten us.
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Despite the teachings through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the idea of connecting worldly blessings to spiritual blessings continues. James criticized the shepherds for giving importance to the wealthy group in the synagogues and the churches. Some affluent Corinthian Christians abused the Lord’s Supper by marginalizing poor Christians.
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Believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we became God’s legitimate children and heirs to inherit His Kingdom. The devil does not tolerate our freedom in Christ Jesus and always tries to bind us again with the cords of sin. After luring us to sin, he gives us a feeling of guilt and when that guilt hounds us, he goes to the presence of God and accuses His children of being sinners. The devil leads a believer to forget the forgiveness they receive from God. He does this by misinterpreting the word of God to convince us…
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While Bible scholars consider Psalm 18 as the Psalm during the old age of the Psalmist, scholars attribute Psalm 36 to the young David. David was introduced as “the servant of God” in these Psalms. Because in both of these Psalms, David stopped listening to the provoking noises and started listening to the soothing voice of God. If we want to serve God, the primary thing to do is to stop inclining to the provoking noises. When we listen to the provoking noises, we compare ourselves with the worldly blessings of the wicked and torment our hearts for being straightforward.…
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We thank God at the end of every year and celebrate it as a well-known and well-accepted festival. The scripture tells us to thank God in all things and all the time. Thanking God only during specific occasions throws light on our ignorance of His protection that is with us every nanosecond. When we thank God for saving us from a dangerous accident, we inadvertently forget that He is guarding us daily before we even sense the threat. Similarly, thanking God at a specific time shows our ignorance or negligence of His hand on us during all the days of…
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We understand the literal meaning of “Rest” as a break from our routine work. Everyone needs rest, and we look forward to the weekends. We think that the holidays would refresh our minds to work better as we need a break from time to time to rejuvenate ourselves. Practically speaking, we are not taking rest but replacing our routine with leisure time, engaging ourselves in entertainment & travel that needs more energy. Our endeavours to give rest to our bodies wouldn’t yield the best results unless and until our minds are tuned to accept a change. God designed our minds…
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This imprecatory Psalms of David motivates people to ask God to take revenge on their enemies. It persuades people to rejoice in the fall of their enemies more than they enjoy their salvation. While choosing an advocate, one should go by their experience because experience makes the advocate understand the client’s case and the opponent’s weakness. In this Psalm, David pleaded with God to vindicate him and prove his actions as just in the eyes of the people. Justifying our stand makes our enemies blameworthy. When we pray as David prayed, we often forget that our God is their advocate…
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John the Baptist desired that God must increase, but he must decrease. How far do our desires comply with John the Baptist? Even if we want to reduce ourselves, the humiliation attached to it does not allow us to accept our decline. We thereby resist our willingness to decrease ourselves and fight against our decline. Likewise, we do not stick to our commitment in other areas too. Why do we not stand by our decisions? Because we like the scriptures that do not make us realize our mistakes but dislike those that awaken our consciousness to identify our guilt.
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The title of this Psalm suggests that David wrote this Psalm after he pretended to be insane and escaped from the kingdom of Achish (Abimelek). Whenever we face critical situations, we lie instead of facing the truth. God expresses His displeasure about our lies in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 28:15, 18&19) and speaks about the consequences. God expects us to return to Him and ask pardon for our actions so that He would shelter us under His wing. David feared for his life when he pretended to be insane to escape from Achish. David did not face the situation…
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Many children of God still live in fear despite being delivered from the clutches of fear. To come out of this fear, we should be aware of the tricks of the evil one. Looking at the Old Testament, we see people living in terror all the time. Knowing how God has delivered us from those terrors will help us do away with those fears. In those days, people were afraid of God to the extent that they wouldn’t even dare utter His name out loud but only write the name Yahweh in their scrolls. As a result, the Holy God…
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During the period of this Psalm, there was hardly any written script to tell of the wondrous creation of God. Yet the Psalmist tries to capture the creative power of God by seeing all that has been created. The Psalmist unveils the creative hands of God in every visible object and attributes the power of God as the reason for its existence. Unlike the Psalmist, we rely on the first two chapters of the book of Genesis to know the story of the creation but seldom look beyond the created things to find the Creator.
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A roadmap is a strategic plan that defines a goal or desired outcome and includes the necessary steps or milestones to reach it. It is a high-level document that helps articulate strategic thinking—the why—behind the goal and the plan for getting there. Among various roadmaps, the visionary roadmap visually represents the changes happening within us and our society. It indicates trends in these areas and describes how we will reach the final target and remain relevant despite challenges. One such incredible roadmap is given to us by our Creator, and only the Gospel of John has a record of it.…
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We feel happy and proud when we understand that we are God’s chosen people. Feeling optimistic about this privilege leads to pride. Pride secludes us from the rest of the world, and we restrict the grace of God within a narrow circle of our fellow believers. The scripture tells us that pride goes before the fall. This pride has become a stumbling block in the spiritual growth of believers. From the world’s perspective, chosen means shortlisted or a few deserving candidates out of many. Do we deserve to be saved by God? Knowingly or unknowingly, similar to the attitude of…
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Confessing sin is the outcome of trust. If we confess our sins, it implies that we trust God. Trusting a person will give us the confidence to tell them everything. A genuine confession is the first step towards receiving forgiveness from God. Confession replaces our guilt with peace. But people hesitate to confess their sins primarily for two reasons. The first is not trusting God completely, and confessing their sins will ruin their social standing. The other reason is that people do not want to come out of their sins. Yet, they use the grace of God as a cover…
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“Shalom” is a salutation by Jewish people at the time of the meeting or parting, that simply means “peace”. In response, people will say “Aleichem shalom”, meaning “to you, peace,” while the literal meaning of Shalom is tranquillity and the absence of agitation, spiritually it explains the divine peace that passes all understanding. As a salutation, this meaningful word, leaving aside all its significance, is used as a simple greeting such as ‘howdy.’ Gradually people forget the powerful meaning of this word and use it to greet each other to initiate a conversation. Eventually, it resulted in people losing their…
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It is unclear as to when David wrote this Psalm because of his amalgamated expressions. David was a fugitive most of his life and even amidst his trouble, he often found peace in the presence of God. Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40)?” Martha did not see her brother coming to life by faith but by seeing it after he came to life along with all others who did not know Jesus. Jesus told her that if she believed, she should not have been…
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Our church services begin with the Praise and Worship session wherein we enthusiastically praise God with meaningful songs and vibrant music. The worship team motivates others to worship actively. People also are inspired by the worship team and look for churches where worship is active and attractive. People believe that worshipping creates an atmosphere to have the presence of God, and it prepares our hearts to receive Him. Some institutions exclusively teach and train worship leaders to perform efficiently using their tone and body language. Do we still linger on the old testament scripture where harps played to invite the…
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None of us can say that we have received answers to all our prayers and solutions for all our problems. When our difficulties persist, sicknesses linger and people come against us, our faith shatters. We often think as the Psalmist, that I have kept my heart pure in vain and washed my hands in innocence (Psalms 73:13). When we do not claim the above purity, the devil deceives us during difficult situations, saying God hates us. The devil blinds our eyes to see the truth that we are the forgiven children of God. God never hates us but He loves…
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People prefer to watch television for hours together and are reluctant to spend time on prayer. While watching the television, even the thoughts about the inevitable pending jobs do not disrupt us. At the same time, we allow our thoughts to disrupt our prayers. Thoughts like, did we close the windows of our car, switched off the gas supply to the stove, or locked our house properly are some other doubts that come to our mind during prayer time. Apart from these doubts, our recurring worries bother us while praying. We stop praying because we are not getting an instant…
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Most of David’s Psalm has three parts. The first part describes his helpless situation, the second talks about his approach to God, and the third is all about praising God because of the answers he received. Praising God comes out of our hearts when we enjoy His presence and protection. Unlike other Psalms, this Psalm is only about praising God in totality. There is no mention of the act of generosity that made the Psalmist praise God as it teaches us to praise God not only when we receive our answers but at all times because there is no one…
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A rhetorical question is asked merely for effect where no answer is expected. The statement contains our preconceived notions, posed in the form of a question. Likewise, most of our prayers are rhetorical. Once a preacher called the believers to pray for rain in their territory as the land was battling a severe famine. Many people gathered to pray for the rain, and the preacher walked back and forth among the crowds. Then he went up onto the stage and announced to the gatherings that they were not praying for the rain today but would pray to God to help…
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Quicksand is common and found most often where freshwater meets saltwater. It is a fluid made of sand mixed with water or air. It changes its viscosity in response to stress or vibration, making it easier to sink but harder to escape. The ground looks solid, but if we walk on it, the sand begins to lose and cave in. Likewise, in our daily walk with Jesus, some paths may look like normal roads that might suddenly cave in to trap us and hold us from guarding our salvation. Fortunately, researchers claim that in ninety percent of the cases, people…
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The Psalmist compared the sturdy character of God with a rock in some Psalms. The Old Testament writers also perceived God as Rock, as they enjoyed His protection all through their journey. People compare the sturdiness of God to a rock, but God compared the unshakable faith of Abraham to a rock (Isaiah 51:1-2). People of all ages mistook this metaphor and perceived rocks as their deities (Romans 1:23). There is a vast difference between the statements “God is my rock” and “God is rock.” Call For Help To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn…
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When looking at our appearance in the mirror, we ask ourselves if we look good. If not, we try to make ourselves more presentable by making a few adjustments to our hair or clothes. The scripture reminds us of our negligence in complying with the truth, compared to the promptness of correcting our untidy hair while looking at the mirror or the selfie images on our cell phones. In our workplace, we have a procedure of “Self-Appraisal”, where we look back at our performance and fix our goals to move on further. In this Psalm, the Psalmist sets his goal,…
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The tone of this Psalm reveals that it was a prayer during a hostile condition. The authors of the Old Testament used the term deliverance to describe how God saved them from the hands of their enemies. After the enemies of Israelites drowned in the Red Sea, Moses and Israelites sang how God became their salvation. As the Hebrew word for salvation means deliverance, people did not have any scope to think about salvation beyond deliverance from wicked people. Until God conquered death on the cross, no one understood the deeper meaning of salvation and understood it as a deliverance from…
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There is a common belief among the believers of Jesus that following Jesus’ teaching is a difficult task. Many people accept difficulties as part of a believer’s life and think that the more they suffer in this world, the greater will their reward be in heaven. Many elders teach others that following or serving Jesus is a path full of thorns. While believers themselves think that the sufferings are mandatory for a follower of Jesus, the non-believers accuse their kith and kin who choose to follow Jesus as the cause for the problems they face in their lives. To understand…
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We love one another and take care of them. We love our children, and we give them all they need. We love to take care of the sick and the poor and feel proud to stand with them during their helpless situation. Yet, our resources are limited and we cannot go beyond that to help someone. For example, we love to hover around our children but practically we cannot be with them always. Knowing our limitations, God promises to take care of us when we fail to care for our dear ones. Can a mother forget the baby at her…
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Learning is a lifelong process. A famous and universally accepted quote says, “What one knows is only a handful, whereas the unknown is the size of the world.” How much you learn is like a handful of sand in the world, and you still have a whole world to study. We should not stop learning, thinking that we have learned everything. We teach others with the handful of knowledge we gained but stop improving our knowledge. Almost all Psalms of David are his learnings through hardships, and he composed them for our benefit. I Trust You Lord In you, LORD…
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When scripture talks about the power in the prayer of a righteous person, we inadvertently misunderstand that the prayers of the sinners are powerless. When we receive answers to our prayers, we think that we are righteous and are overwhelmed with joy and embrace pride. We attribute our righteousness as the sole cause for the answers we have received. On the other hand, if someone else’s prayer is not answered, we think they are unrighteous. Are we not forgetting the parable that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) and how keen God is to hear…
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The terminologies used in the Bible mostly appear to be the same as defined in the dictionary. But in the real sense, the scripture conveys an idea just opposite to the perceptions of this world. Despite Jesus telling us that “blessed are the meek,” we still believe that the people who have influence, wealth, muscle power, and strength are the people blessed by God. We think that the despised, ignored, and ill-treated people are the cursed people. People misunderstand that they are forsaken by God when their suffering is prolonged. Either people think that the believer’s life should be full…
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We are aware of the truth that the glory belongs to the Lord. Even after knowing this, do we attribute the glory to God or give it to something else that dominates our lives. In the days of David, Kings were the glorious people on the earth, and David was also one of them. Despite having the honour on earth as a King, David was able to visualize the Sovereignty of God and attribute all glory to God alone. Does the power and authority that we hold connect us to God or is it disconnecting us from Him because of…
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“You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth,” Jesus told these words to a group of people who knew nothing about geography, as most of them were fishermen who depended for their livelihood on the nearby sea. They were uneducated and did not know how to articulate their thoughts clearly. Moreover, they were frightened and unable to digest the truth that Jesus was going to His Father. They were ignorant of Holy Spirit, who had to come and stay within them and felt like orphans. In this helpless situation, they were asked to receive the power and…
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This Psalm portrays the crucifixion of Jesus that occurred centuries after its writing. It is bewildering how David, a Jew by birth, foresaw the Roman practice of killing the criminals by hanging them on a tree. The capital punishment of crucifixion had come to vogue in Rome long after the death of David. Yet this Psalm depicts the act of crucifixion as it was recorded in the Gospels. While David enumerated his sufferings from a human point of view, the Spirit of God pre-recorded the sequence of events that happened during the crucifixion of Jesus. God’s words, which were uttered…
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We are striving hard to survive among various challenges in this earthly life. While we face trouble in our jobs, diseases or arguments with our loved ones, we stop trusting God and trust every other resource of this world. In this pursuit, the thought of ending our lives frequently comes to mind. When we forget that we are the forgiven children of God, we connect sin to every misfortune. Fear creeps into our minds, and we do not want to live anymore in this world. All of us certainly have to die one day, but ending our lives for not…
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Seeing a bunch of caterpillars crawling on the ground, I often used to wonder how does this ugly creature transform into an eye-catching colourful butterfly. People love catching the beautiful winged insect and try to keep them in the palm of their hands but no one wants to touch a caterpillar. God cleanses us by the blood of His Son and has engraved our transformed image in His palm (Isaiah 49:16). When we see a butterfly, we forget its past stage and don’t fully appreciate the process that transforms them but enjoy the outcome of the transformation. When we witness…
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The world quotes Jesus word’s for turning the other cheek when facing an enemy or persecutor but no one wants to adopt it. Resistance and retaliation appear to be defensive weapons but did not help in defending but ended up avenging ourselves and others. Jesus teaches us not to resist the evil person, which means letting them do whatever harm they would like to do. So is Jesus asking us to lose the battle? Is Jesus changing the trend that the God of the host, who helped His people to win the battles? People think that walking with Jesus is…
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The author captures the responses to the prayers that people had lifted up in the previous Psalm for their King. Are we aware of the changes that God made in the lives of the people for whom we prayed? Often, we do not even remember what we prayed and for whom we prayed. Even if we remember and relate the answers to our prayers, we seldom make it known to the person for whom we have prayed. People offer prayers similar to rituals in their attempts to quench the wrath of God (Isaiah 1:13). Prayer is not a ritual but…
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Do we trust God? When we say we trust God, inadvertently, our priorities override our trust in God. When we face catastrophes or unpredictable situations, we wonder why bad things happen to us. And when diagnosed with some terminal disease, we question God did this happen to us. Asking such questions seems natural but in the process, we are questioning the authority of God and losing our integrity. Questioning God is not changing our situation but is wasting our time, all the while mounting tensions in our lives. Some believe that if they do not say their problems out loud…
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While people are desperately searching for God, they do not realise that His every creation reflects His power. But with modern innovation, people do not find the time to admire the beauty of nature. Innovations are the outcome of one’s inspiration from nature. However, people do not give any regard to nature but are crazy about the innovations it has inspired. We marvel at the innovative technology that enabled us to see each other and have a live conversation using our phones. But we do not have the patience to realize the wisdom of God who sees us in His…
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What are our accomplishments? Are we accomplishing someone else’s mission or our own? If someone else is selecting our mission, what are we achieving in our lives? Our education major is not selected by us anymore but is dictated by the market demand or maybe our college guidelines. Our jobs have no relevance to our studies. Seeing this trend some might have a question in their minds if they are actually accomplishing the mission for their life? These chaotic conditions prevail in our lives because we let others fix our life’s mission, and never venture to have our own mission.…
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Often, we are tired of our lives and are drained of all our energy to fight our battles. If metabolism is the chemical reaction in the body’s cells that change food into energy, worshipping God is the spiritual reaction in our soul that changes the word of God into energy. Glorifying God does not mean the worship session of a church service or a revival meeting, but it is about acknowledging God’s glory all throughout our lives. When our food lacks carbohydrates our bodies do not get the required energy. Similarly, our souls die when we do not understand the…
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With the advancement of medical sciences, diagnosis and subsequent treatment have become quite easy. But in the olden days, people did not have these facilities to identify the specific reason, yet they received healing. It might be because of the pure air quality and organic yields. In this modern age, the air quality has become toxic, and the agricultural fields are filled with artificial fertilizers, loaded with chemicals replacing natural manures to get a better yield. Medical sciences are trying to find medicines to treat the damage that the chemicals have caused in the human body. When improved treatment cures…
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We consider the naming ceremony as a sacred event and believe that choosing the correct name, brings blessings and success in the lives of our children. As a result, choosing a name has now become even more complicated, as people think that the prosperity of their children depends on their name. Some people name their children after famous people like presidents, leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs, assuming that their names brought those people success and will do the same for their children. In this process, people avoid naming their children after notorious criminals or warmongers. Everyone has a different method of…
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Transparency at every step is imposed by many Government Departments especially, with the law-enforcing departments to curb corruption and injustice. Moreover, the adoption of automation in departments dealing with civil welfare has restricted Government officials from showing favour to someone out of turn because of political pressure or bribery. At the same time, people have the privilege to maintain their privacy or hide the facts, and the police have to obtain a search warrant from an authorized judge to enter their privacy. “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind,to reward each person according to their conduct,according to…
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Christmas celebrations include singing carols, baking cakes, decorating our houses and of course lighting up the Christmas tree. The children enact the nativity play as we remember the sequence of events that occurred during the birth of Jesus. While we sing the famous carol song “Joy to the world,” can we see the present world in joy as the outcome of the birth of Jesus? We have traded the joy of the birth of Jesus for meaningless celebrations, as the whole world joins in our celebrations only to have fun. When opportunists understood that this season makes all sects of…
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According to the Gospel of John, by receiving the Son of God, whom the Father had sent, we have become the children of God. The Gospel explains this further, as children born not of natural descent, a human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:13). Even the children of natural descendants are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him (Psalms 127:3). God created Adam in His image with the intention of bringing up God-fearing offspring. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit.And wherefore one? That he…
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This idiom, “a contented mind is a perpetual feast”, tells us the benefit of contentment. King Solomon recorded a similar theme in a different way saying that the cheerful heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15). The cheerfulness of our heart depends on the fulfilment of our heart’s desires. If our cheerfulness is the outcome of accomplishing our evil desires, then our hearts can not be contented. But we will be longing for the fulfilment of our heart’s evil desires more and more as the days go on. There will be no end to it, and we will gradually lose…
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We all know that our future lays in the hands of our Sovereign God. The psalmist even wrote that “My times are in your hands” (Psalms 31:15), and Paul brought out the fact that God has marked out His people’s appointed times in history along with the boundaries of their lands (Acts 17:26). Our God is Almighty, and He is El Shaddai. He has created everything, and without Him, nothing was made that has been made. Surprisingly, God did not want to have dominion over all His creations alone, but He delegated it to us, whom He created in His…
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While reading this Psalm, we should go back to the Old Testament times where people were afraid of God, and they did not even pronounce the word Yahweh, but only wrote it down to express His name. When the chief priests entered into the inner room with the blood he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed, he always had a question of survival in his mind. Because if he was unholy, he might possibly die in the presence of God. When Moses went to the mountain top to receive the commandments from God, God asked…
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In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light amidst the darkness. From where did this darkness come? Does it exist on its own or is there any other power than God has that has birthed it? The Gospel of John explains the role of our Sovereign God in creating all that is visible and invisible in the universe. The light has got such power, that darkness could not overcome it. In other words, only in the absence of light, the dark survives, and when the light flashes, it disappears.
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This Psalm focuses on the unceasing surveillance of God on each one of us, whoever we may be or wherever we are. In public places, we often find stickers informing us that we are under surveillance. Surveillance cameras are used to deter people from anti-social elements such as shoplifting or attempting to escape from prison. Even in tight security areas, surveillance cameras fail to keep a vigil on the entire place because of certain blind spots. But for God, there are no blind spots, and His eyes penetrate to see the things lying in the hearts of every person. But,…
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We deep clean our homes usually before the holiday season because we want to keep our dwelling place cosy and comfortable. This type of deep cleaning can only be done by us than any hired help, as we know the usual hangout spots of dust bunnies and clutter in our homes. We are keen on presenting our home spotless to our friends and family. During the festival of the Jewish Passover, Jesus cleansed the temple court to facilitate the visitors with a clean surrounding. No one else was bothered to clean it during that festive season, and they treated the…
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Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone (Deuteronomy 34:7). The Vision Council of America claims that about 75 percent of the adult population worldwide uses vision correction products, and 64 percent wear glasses. It means that 75 percent of the adult population worldwide realized that they need correction for their vision. How many of us realize that we need to enhance our spiritual eye-sight, to know God and His ways. How many of us have taken corrective measures to our spiritual sight. The scripture tells us…
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Can we say that our words are flawless? Flawless not with respect to our grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or even correct usage but about what is in our hearts. Our mouth speaks what we have in our heart, and that is why Bible says that for a fool, it is better not to open his mouth, else his foolishness will be revealed (Proverbs 24:7). The Psalmist brought out the skill of the wicked in hiding their evil motives stored in their hearts, with sugar quoted words. No matter how perfect their skills may be, God revealed their wickedness to David despite…
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In the Old Testament, we see many occasions of restorations such as restoration of hope, of families, and even of kingdoms. We need hope for restoring the things we have lost, especially hope in God. Once, David had lost his family and the families of his warriors, which resulted in hostility from his supporters. Even in this worst situation, David did not lose hope in God (1 Samuel 30:6). As a result, God restored everything that he had lost. Even today, if we want to get back the things we have lost, we have to trust God. Usually, we lose…
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When we learn our multiplication tables by heart during our formative years, we would recite them from start to end in order to arrive at the product of two numbers. In due course, we understood the concept of multiplication, and without reciting the entire table, were capable of solving the multiplication problem instantly. We all know the Lord’s Prayer by heart and recite it as often as possible. As we recite this prayer again and again, are we able to reach out to God to solve the multifaceted problems of our lives? The more we understand the concept of this…
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Usually, we ask this kind of question, “how then can you say to me?” to a person who has levied some wild accusation against us. It is not a question but an answer to a baseless argument. The aggressive form of this question is “How dare you say that to me”. It conveys the meaning that the other person knows nothing about us. When Jesus prayed to His Father to forgive His killers, He prayed that they do not know what they were doing because they neither know me nor my authority. In a situation like a betrayal, we ask…
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The past year has pushed everyone to experience a different lifestyle of working from home, leaving aside the hassles of getting ready on time and travelling a long way in traffic. Initially, people found it difficult because of their lifelong habit of coming to the office.
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In 1994, UNESCO earmarked 5th October as World Teachers’ Day to garner attention on the profession and the welfare of those who have dedicated their lives to the teaching profession. The main motive of these celebrations is promoting the idea of “Education for All.” Similarly, every child of God is responsible for spreading the Good News that “Christ Died for All”. For a follower of Jesus, teaching is not a profession, but a way of life. Jesus, while he was in this world, taught people the truth about His kingdom through parables. It was His way of life, and He…
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God loves all of us unconditionally, and those who rely upon the conditional love as defined by laws and its regulations are sustained by His grace till they experience the unconditional love of God.
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While we pray for our protection and blessings, we often forget to pray for the oppressed in our society. While we are ignorant of other’s sufferings, our suffering appears as a big mountain. We might be thinking that people who do not have any problem can only address the issues found in another’s life. For most of his life, David lived a life of a fugitive, yet he was able to visualize the plight of the fatherless and the oppressed. The servant girl of Naaman who was in captivity did not wait for her liberty to tell about the healing…
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Thanking each other is the best etiquette in our society, and it encourages a person to give their best. It is an act of showing the person who helped us that we have identified or realized their kindness.
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Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus to fulfil the desire of His Father. However, these followers depended on what they saw and failed to visualize the unseen God, who had sent Jesus to this world.
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Nature reveals the wondrous work of God, but unfortunately, we do not have the time to admire His creations. The wise of the earth are known for their inventions and their masterpieces, while the creator of heaven and earth is an unsung hero.
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Taking refuge in God is a unique experience. In a worldly context, taking refuge is about staying in the refugee camps or a rehabilitation centre. People staying at a rehabilitation centre do not need to carry a shield, but the people at the battlefield need to have a shield.
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In our day-to-day activities with our local church, do we compete with someone? Without understanding their commitment and relationship with God, do we ever force ourselves and our family members to imitate their attitudes? If we continue to do such things, we may face dire consequences like Ananias and Sapphira.
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We instinctively look for the approval of others but do not like their disapproval or corrections. Criticisms, though intended to be constructive, often discourages us and even pushes us to the extreme of withdrawing from our missions. Till the time we do not realize our mistakes, we won’t be ready for corrections.
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People live in vanity, and they want to show off things that they do not have and do not want to disclose the things they have. A poor person tries to present himself as a rich person, whereas a rich one does not care for such a presentation. A coward speaks much of his imaginary brave acts, while the brave keep quiet. A self-righteous person behaves like a righteous one, while the righteous do not reveal their spiritual standard. People build up false images and hide behind these lies to make a convent with death.
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The opening words of this Psalm highlights the confidence that David has in his relationship with God. To attract the attention of a person who is listening to many, we say “Listen to me.” Children use the technique of crying to attract their parent’s attention. The opening words of this Psalm also resemble the action of an adamant grown-up child persistently irritating his parent by repeatedly asking them to grant permission.
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On the first Easter morn, the disciples were all terrified as they were hearing mixed news about their leader whom the Roman officials had killed just a couple of days ago. A narrative unique to the gospel of Luke, lets us know about two followers of Christ who were traveling back to the nearby town of Emmaus. They probably came to the city of Jerusalem following Jesus to celebrate the Passover festival, but now having lost their leader, were returning back to their hometown. They would have had a lot of questions surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus especially given the…
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Jesus entered the holy places carrying His blood to secure our eternal redemption. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross sanctifies our conscience from dead works so that we may serve the Living Lord forever and ever as our eternal redemption is secured.
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Fear always chases faith to weaken its strength. No one in this world can say that they do not understand what fear is. We are all driven by fear in some areas of our lives. Fear gives us restlessness and steals our confidence. With fear, we are not able to arrive at the right decision at the right time, but it leads us to the wrong decisions.
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The creations reveal the existence of the Creator and the way they function projects the knowledge of the sovereign God. Somehow, many do not reach out to this ultimate truth, but they restrict themselves from this understanding by focusing only on the creations.
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In today’s context, this Psalm reminds me of a telephonic conversation with our friends and relatives. After changing our phone numbers, many would not recognize us, as the number does not appear on their phone-book.
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“Don’t be over-righteous” is a familiar caution often given to those who seek God in truth. These are from ‘well-wishers’ who tell their fellow brothers and sisters to attend a Sunday Service and discourage them from involving in spiritual activities like meaningful Bible Studies, Outreach Ministries or Personal Devotion. They are satisfied with what they hear in the Sunday sermons and want others to be satisfied with that without ever reading the Word of God.
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Through each character of the Bible, God wants to teach us some valuable lesson so that we may enter His kingdom without having to succumb to our life situations. The element of evil seen in Judas Iscariot’s life is a common sin called greed. None of us can boldly say that we are not greedy. Judas’s life may teach us how not to be entangled in sin through greed and how to come out of it.
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In the Bible we see people like Cain, Jacob and Martha getting diverted by their family members. People who are close to our heart can hurt us more than strangers. We won’t remember the abusive language used against us in yesterday’s traffic jam but we won’t be able to forget a simple statement given against us by our kith. Satan knows how to use the people around us to dishearten us.
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As soon as Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God led him to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The primary temptations are that the devil wants us to prove to him that we are the children of God. This precious relationship is personal between us and our God. Repeatedly. the devil asked Jesus to prove his relationship with His Father, but Jesus firmly denied to prove it to the devil.
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The Psalmist asks the offenders to take refuge in God and says that if the rulers of the earth will turn faithful to the incredible love of God, then righteousness will come upon them from heaven.
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Our society has both wicked and righteous people. Both of them share the same arena to earn their livelihood. The wicked will always be with us in the form of our neighbours, colleagues, friends and relatives who distort us from fulfilling the purpose of God in our lives.
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God teaches us to show sympathy towards others, and sometimes He allows us to go through pain to understand other’s pain so that we may sympathetically pray for their remedy. At the same time, we should expect God to show His compassion to us rather than expecting pity from others.
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While there are different opinions about the time of the birth of Jesus, we should also know the origins of Christmas. When people gathered in great numbers to celebrate the birth of Jesus, this was named Christmas during the late twelfth century, with its literal meaning being Christ’s Mass. With the coining of the name Christmas, the noble theme of God’s love has been distorted with some fictional characters of fantasies.
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Amidst criticism, Prosperity Gospel still survives because there are people who need that kind of gospel. All of us love to be blessed, and we speculate and await our turn. Various schemes are devised to derive blessings, such as blessings through prayers, blessings through partnership or membership, blessings through donations or offerings, and blessings through anointed oil, handkerchiefs and servants of God.
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Based on our positions, we rank ourselves highly and feel proud of ourselves. When a problem occurs, irrespective of its severity, we always look at it as a gigantic figure. Our pride locks us within a small world, and we do not understand that the problems are everywhere and with everyone.
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The Bible portrays Peter, James, and John as the close associates of Jesus. Out of these three disciples, Peter’s inconsistent spiritual growth is a source of encouragement for all of us, as we are also inconsistent in our spiritual walks but the spiritual journey of Peter started when he was only an illiterate fisherman.
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The purpose for our lives is to worship God with all our mind, soul and body at all times. Worship means submitting our freedom in God’s hand by using the freedom that Jesus gave us. In order to move forward in the tasks assigned to us by God, we should have a clear mind to discern the things that discourage us. We often fail to remove the beam from our own eyes but continue to peck at our neighbour’s eyes in search of specks and injure them in the process.
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Perseverance Or Forbearance Many a time the meaning of the word “perseverance” is misunderstood for forbearance and tolerance. People also have a wrong notion of bearing with wickedness and treachery of our fellow believers as perseverance. Tolerating friends who continue to betray our trust and us being aware of it can hinder us from coming closer to God. Over time we might confront them on their ideologies. An unforgiving and revengeful person may leave his trait of hatred gradually embed in our veins. While forbearance deals with provocation, perseverance deals with determination when the destination is not visible. The dictionary…
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People are in search of God in their own way, and many have lost their hope in this pursuit. Moreover, when the path is not known, it kindles anger and frustration creating chaos, like our trips we used to take back when GPS was not readily available on our phones.
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Is your faith fetching people to Jesus or is it rather driving them away from Him? Are you discouraged by the spiritual trait of some people? Here is an encouraging truth from the Bible, come near to Jesus and don’t see the crowd around Him.
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Holding On A shrewd person once withdrew a large sum of cash from his bank and carried it in a dirty old bag in a crowded train. While everyone else placed their luggage on the shelf above, this person was standing amidst the crowd, tightly holding his bag with one hand and holding the roof mounted handrail with the other. He was determined to not place his luggage in the shelf at any cost and firmly denied the offer to hold his bag on the laps of his co-passengers who were seated. In the above incident, if we replace the…
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The grace of our Lord makes all our hurdles lighter so that we can push them away and move forward with the task that God has assigned us.
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The nature acquaints us with the creative power of God, and when we keenly observe those creations, we will understand the immeasurable power of God that pursues us to believe in His existence. In our present day scenario, because of the upcoming technologies, the current generation is unable to reach God even while utilizing all of His creations. There is a vast difference between God’s power of creation and our creativity. In the beginning, God said “Let there be light” and there was light. The Bible says that before the creation of light, darkness was over all the earth. Till…
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The saying, “Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are” is true and practical, because friendship builds on a common goal. When our thoughts are the same, our attitude will also be in line with each other.
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It is obvious that even evil doers are flourishing every day on this earth and that might sprout up hundreds of doubts in our mind.
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Sometimes in our lives, we face problems after problems, like waves of the sea, leaving us to stumble.
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Are we misusing our freedom, forgetting who gave us that freedom. Remember that our freedom is in Christ and not on the things of this world. Let us not continue to misuse our freedom and come to Him with anxious hearts to experience our Father’s love.
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We do not get to choose our parents neither can we opt for any colour, race or religion, yet we were born of our Father’s will. The only thing that is guaranteed is that God will accomplish His Purpose in our lives.
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Jesus is keen on keeping our relationship with Him as personal and He is eager to reward us personally. If we expose His intimate relation to earn riches and fame, then Jesus warns us that we have already been ‘rewarded’ with riches and fame. If we keep it personal between ourselves and Him, He is assuring us a reward from our heavenly Father.
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A common perception of people about evil is that it is a force against God’s will to do good. It may be a force against man’s will to perform good things but not for God. Because no power in heaven and earth is greater than that of God’s (1 John 4:4) as He is the creator of both good and evil.
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In the entire history of civilization, the importance of removing the social disparities that have widened due to status, colour and race are strongly felt. Human rights are being valued highly and people have become conscious about equality. However, all these endeavours have failed in removing the social disparities and the differences have become wider, resulting in endless debates and social unrest.
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We see many miracles happening. But sometimes when it comes to our personal needs we are unable to experience the blessings that we have seen in the life of others. Most of the time we strive hard to experience it but in the process we lose our hope and often even leads to frustration.
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We are constantly discouraged by satan, when he reminds us of our sins and makes us feel guilty. He will try to end our lives before we get rid of our guilt. He often deceives us by telling that we are not worthy of asking God forgiveness and motivates us to sin while at the same time, he appears before God and accuses us day and night.
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One of the reason for our spiritual immaturity is that we are consider our body to be worth more than our soul. Often we do not realize that we do have a soul. We fear people who can only harm our body or hurt our emotions and do not fear God who has redeemed our soul from eternal death.
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While we are striving hard, not to conform to the pattern of this world, do we conform to the Word of God or do we struggle to not desire the things of this world?
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No doubt that these liturgies contain meaningful statements while the hymns are someone’s inspiration and experience. The question here is not about the spiritual richness of the liturgies and hymns but how it is being sung by the believers.
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We may recall the Government officials hiring Judas Iscariot to identify the Messiah, as they were unable to recognize Jesus on their own, as they did not have the Spirit of God. Whereas the ten lepers who were staying away from their village, were able to recognize Jesus in a remote place.
The Jordan Valley 