The Hero Who Told The Truth – Dr. Li Wen Liang

Feb 14, 2021 Truth by Percy Parakh

All across China, people are talking about Dr Li Wen Liang. He was the doctor who discovered the novel coronavirus and in the early morning of 7 Feb, 2.58 am, he was promoted into glory and went home to be with our Father in heaven.

Back in December last year, he was arrested for being a whistle blower ‘spreading rumors’ about a mysterious pneumonia like virus. This morning we found out he was in fact a fellow brother in Christ. Our hearts are deeply moved by his sacrificial choice to spread awareness about the virus despite the risks he faced, especially to his reputation and to his own health.

He continued to care for patients up until he was infected himself. What a legacy to leave behind of what it means to be like Jesus to those hurting in a time of crisis. He chose to be an example of Immanuel, ‘God with us’ to the people of Wuhan.

Can you imagine the joy he must have felt as he entered into eternity and heard the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? So today, please pray for his family, especially his wife who is also infected and 8 months pregnant with their second child.

May God heal them supernaturally n give them grace, peace, strength and comfort during this time. Dr Li Wen Liang penned a deeply touching Chinese poem below of how he would miss his family, his beloved Wuhan n quoted 2 Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

#jiayouwuhan“The Hero Who Told The Truth” Here is a captivating, heart-touching Chinese poem I’ve tried to translate into English. It was written in memory of Mr Li Wenliang, a Christian doctor and whistleblower who died from the coronavirus himself after being punished for issuing the first warning about the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

我不想當英雄。我還有爹娘，還有孩子，還有懷孕臨產的妻，還有許多的病人在病房。盡管正直換不來善良，盡管䢛途迷茫，可還是要繼續進行，誰讓我選擇了這國這家，多少委屈，等打完這仗，垂淚如雨仰天遠望。

“I don’t want to be a hero. I still have my parents, and my children, and my pregnant wife who’s about to give birth, and many of my patients in the ward. Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others, despite my loss and confusion, I should proceed anyway. Who let me choose this country and this family? How many grievances do I have? When this battle is over, I will look up to the sky, with tears like rain.”

我不想當英雄。只是做為醫生，我不能眼看著這不明的病毒，傷害著我的同行。還有那多無辜的人們，他們盡管已奄奄一息，可眼睛裏總望著我，帶著的希望。
“I don’t want to be a hero. But as a doctor, I cannot just see this unknown virus hurting my peers and so many innocent people. Though they are dying, they are always looking at me in their eyes, with their hope of life.”

誰成想我競死了！我的靈魂分明在天上，望著那張白色的病床，床上分明是我的軀體，軀體上還是那熟悉的臉龐。我的父親母親在哪？還有我親愛的妻子，那當年我苦苦追求的姑娘。
“Who would have ever realized that I was going to die? My soul is in heaven, looking at the white bed, on which lies my own body, with the same familiar face. Where are my parents? And my dear wife, the lady I once had a hard time chasing?”

天上有一道光！那光的盡頭是人們時常說起的天堂。我寧願不去哪裏，我寧願回到武漢我的家鄉。那裏有我新買的房子，每月還要還貸的賬。我怎能舍得，我怎能舍得！沒有兒子的爹娘，該有多麽悲傷；沒有了丈夫的寶貝，該如何面對這未來的滄桑。
“There is a light in the sky! At the end of that light is the heaven that people often talk about. But I’d rather not go there. I’d rather go back to my hometown in Wuhan. I have my new house there, for which I still have to pay off the loan every month. How can I give up? How can I give up? For my parents without their son, how sad must it be? For my sweetheart without her husband, how can she face the vicissitudes in her future?”

我分明死了。我看見他們把我的軀殼，裝進一個袋子。在袋子的近傍有許多死去的同胞，象我一樣，在黎明時分，被推進火的爐堂。
“I am already gone. I see them taking my body, putting it into a bag, with which lie many compatriots gone like me, being pushed into the fire in the hearth at dawn.”

再見了，難舍的親人。永別了，武漢我的故鄉。但願你們在災難過後，還記得曾經有人，努力地讓你們盡早知道真相。但願你們在災難過後，學會正直，不再讓善良的人們，遭受著無盡的恐懼，和無奈的悲傷。
“Goodbye, my dear ones. Farewell, Wuhan, my hometown. Hopefully, after the disaster, you’ll remember someone once tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible. Hopefully, after the disaster, you’ll learn what it means to be righteous. No more good people should suffer from endless fear, and helpless sadness.”

“那美好的仗我已經打完了，應行的路我已行盡了，當守的道我守住了。從此以後，有公義的冠冕為我留存。”《聖經》提摩太後書4．
7″I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.”2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible

US Blog, Women

Women Speak Out

Feb 3, 2021 Speak by Percy Parakh

Luke 2:36-38 New International Version

³⁶There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Acts 2:16-21 New International Version

¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷“‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
¹⁹I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
²¹And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’^[a]

Acts 21:8-9 New International Version

⁸Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

Ghosts, US Blog

The Ghosts Of The Past

Feb 3, 2021 Past by Percy Parakh

The Ghosts of the Past – by Ron Hutchcraft

I don’t believe in ghosts – for the most part. There’s one kind of ghosts that are all too real. They talked about those “ghosts” in the movie, “Amazing Grace.” That movie told the story of the 18th Century British political leader, William Wilberforce.

He’s really more than any other man, responsible for the abolishing of slavery in the British Empire. And that was at a time when African slaves played a critical role in the British economy and slave-owning interests controlled a lot of members of Parliament.

The battle took 20 years, but ultimately thousands of slaves went free. Wilberforce’s spiritual mentor was actually the man who wrote America’s most beloved hymn, “Amazing Grace.” In his early years, John Newton had been a slave trader, capturing and carrying thousands of Africans to slavery in Britain and the islands.

Conditions were so brutal that many didn’t even survive the voyage. Then John Newton discovered how Jesus Christ could forgive and change a man. In the movie, John Newton is going blind but he’s still pastoring his church in London.

And he believed in “ghosts” you might say. As he dictates what he calls “My Confession” to a scribe, he says, “I have lived for years with the company of 20,000 ghosts – those I made into slaves. Their blood is on my hands.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Ghosts of the Past.” We all understand the kind of ghosts John Newton was talking about. They’re not departed spirits. They’re the memories and the regrets of the things that we wish we had not done. The guilt and the shame we feel because of the people we’ve hurt, the damage we’ve done, the dark things we’ve done.

But remember the words that old slave trader, John Newton, wrote in the hymn that’s become one of the most recognizable songs in the world: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind but now I see.”

As John Newton dictates his confession in the movie, he reaches a conclusion that I found deeply moving: “Although my memory is fading, I remember two things clearly. I am a great sinner…and Christ is a great Savior.”

Well, that’s my hope; that’s your hope of being delivered from the ghosts of your past. Realizing we’re great sinners, and realizing that Christ is a great Savior. There’s awesome hope for all of us rebels against God.

In Psalm 130:3-4, our word for today from the Word of God, it says, “If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness.” Here is a holy, sinless God whose rule of our life we’ve defied by doing what we wanted time after time.

We deserve the eternal death penalty the Bible says that sin carries. But God loves you so much He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to give His life in exchange for yours; to do the dying for all the sinning you’ve ever done. And the Bible says, “Everyone who believes in (Jesus) receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

That’s what He wants to do for you today. To erase every sin of your past from God’s book forever. To become your personal Savior from the guilt and the penalty of your sin. To cancel the hell that you deserve for a heaven you could never deserve.

All that becomes yours the day you open your heart to Jesus and tell Him you’re turning from your sin and you’re going to put all your trust in Him. He’s your Rescuer. You’re the dying person. When you grab Him, you’re saved.

This could be your day to experience God’s amazing grace for yourself. It’s more than a song. It’s a life-saving miracle that banishes the ghosts of your past.

If you want to make the “great Savior” your Savior, I invite you to visit our website. There’s a simple explanation there of just how your relationship with Him can begin. That’s ANewStory.com. Tonight, as you hit the pillow, you could have a new song: “I once was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see.”

Giving, US Blog

From Everything Good In The World

Feb 3, 2021 Generosity by Percy Parakh

Katherine Hepburn, in her own words:

“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter.

This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn’t have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.

The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night.

By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband’s hand, looking up at him as if to say, “You’re my knight in shining armor.”

He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy. The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, “I’d like to buy eight children’s tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus.” The ticket lady stated the price.

The man’s wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man’s lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, “How much did you say?” The ticket lady again stated the price. The man didn’t have enough money.

How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!)

My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.”The man understood what was going on. He wasn’t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.

He looked straight into my dad’s eyes, took my dad’s hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; “Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family.”

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with. Although we didn’t get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

That day I learned the value to give. The giver is bigger than the receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.

The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there’s always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”~ Katharine Hepburn(from Everything good in the world)

Standing in the Gap, US Blog

Standing In The Gap – Jesus and Calls in His Ministry

Jan 24, 2021 Gap, Standing by Percy Parakh

John 17:14-24 New International Version

¹⁴I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷Sanctify them by^[a] the truth; your word is truth.

¹⁸As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

²⁴“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Painting, US Blog

The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?

Jan 24, 2021 Son by Percy Parakh

This is a great story. Take a moment to read it; I Pray it will make your day!

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, ‘Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.

He often talked about you, and your love for art.’ The young man held out this package. ‘I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this. ‘The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting.

The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.’

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?’ There was silence…Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.’

But the auctioneer persisted ‘Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’Another voice angrily. ‘We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!’

But still the auctioneer continued. ‘The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?’ Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. ‘I’ll give $10 for the painting…’ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

‘We have $10, who will bid $20?”Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.’ The crowd was becoming angry They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’

A man sitting on the second row shouted, ‘Now let’s get on with the collection!’ The auctioneer laid down his gavel. ‘I’m sorry, the auction is over.

”What about the paintings?” I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will… I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

‘The man who took the son gets everything!’ God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: ‘The Son, the Son, who’ll take the Son?’

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE…THAT’S LOVE

US Blog, Waiting on God

The Painted Turtle and the Psalmist

Jan 24, 2021 Waiting on God by Percy Parakh

Every fall, when the painted turtle senses winter coming, she dives to the bottom of her pond, burying herself in the muck and mud. She pulls into her shell and goes still: her heart rate slows, almost stopping.

Her body temperature drops, staying just above freezing. She stops breathing, and she waits. For six months, she stays buried, and her body releases calcium from her bones into her bloodstream, so that she slowly begins even to lose her shape.

But when the pond thaws, she will float up and breathe again. Her bones will reform, and she will feel the warmth of the sun on her shell.

I think of the painted turtle when I read the psalmist’s description of waiting for God. The psalmist is in a “slimy pit” of “mud and mire,” but God hears him (Psalm 40:2). God lifts him out, and gives him a firm place to stand. God is “my help and my deliverer,” he sings (v. 17).

Perhaps it feels like you’ve been waiting forever for something to change—for a new direction in your career, for a relationship to be restored, for the willpower to break a bad habit, or for deliverance from a difficult situation. The painted turtle and the psalmist are here to remind us to trust in God: He hears, and He will deliver.

Healing, US Blog

Healing For The Whole Person – Holistic Healing

Jan 19, 2021 Healing, Holistic by Percy Parakh

Mark 2:1-12 New International Version
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ²They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

³Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” ⁶Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,

⁷“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”⁸Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?

⁹Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,

¹¹“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹²He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Pride, US Blog

Pride – the Bait of Satan

Jan 19, 2021 Bait of Satan by Percy Parakh

By John Bevere – from The Bait of Satan

Pride keeps you from dealing with truth and it distorts your vision. It causes you to view yourself as a victim.

Your attitude becomes, “I was mistreated and misjudged; therefore, I am justified in my behavior.” Because you believe you are innocent and falsely accused, you hold back forgiveness.

Though your true heart condition is hidden from you, it’s not hidden from God. Keep this in mind: just because you were mistreated, you do not have permission to hold on to an offense. Two wrongs don’t make a right! #TheBaitOfSatan

Martin Luther King, US Blog

Pastor Rick Warren’s 10 Favorite Quotes from Martin Luther King

Jan 19, 2021 Freedom, Liberty by Percy Parakh

MY TEN FAVORITE MARTIN LUTHER KING QUOTES

One of the greatest privileges of my life was being invited by Dr. King’s children and family to preach from the same pulpit that he preached from at the great Ebenezer Baptist Church , the congregation Dr. King pastored in Atlanta.

The occasion was the 40th Anniversary of Dr. King’s death, and the family told me that I was the first white preacher to preach there.People forget that, first and foremost, Martin Luther King was a PASTOR, He was not a politician. He was a Baptist minister of the Gospel, and a pastor of a local church.

Everything he did to promote freedom, justice, and racial equality flowed out of his understanding of God’s Word. I have read hundreds of his sermons and they are rich biblical content.

Hanging on the wall of my study is hand typed and signed note from Dr. King. It hangs next to a handwritten note from Mother Teresa and a letter of encouragement from Billy Graham. Each of these 3 Christian leaders left their mark on me as I was a young man.

In honor of Pastor Martin Luther King on this MLK holiday, I give you my 10 FAVORITE QUOTES from a man who was model to many other pastors:

1. “The purpose of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure nor avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.”
2. “I just want to do God’s will.”
3. “When I took up the cross I recognized it’s meaning. The cross is something that you bear, and ultimately, that you die on.”
4. “The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.”
5. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
6. “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.”
7. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
8. “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
9. “The gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only his soul but his body, not only his spiritual well-being, but his material well being as well.”
10. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Miracle, US Blog

The Ultimate Fish Story – Jesus and Calls in His Ministry

Jan 9, 2021 Fish Story by Percy Parakh

Luke 5:1-11 New International Version
Jesus Calls His First Disciples

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. ²He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.⁴When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

⁵Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Grace, US Blog

We need to be Changed By Grace

Jan 9, 2021 Transformation by Percy Parakh

CHEAP GRACE

Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined “cheap grace” as the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.“

But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”‭‭(Luke‬ ‭6:46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) We are saved by a living and active faith (James 2:14-26), a faith that manifests itself in repentance, obedience and love of God and our neighbor.

Salvation is not a transaction; it’s a transformation. Paul says it best when he says we are “new creations” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). There is nothing “cheap” about grace!

If grace as you know it makes you comfortable in your sin, that’s not biblical grace. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”‭‭(Romans‬ ‭6:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Jesus Christ is most certainly our Savior, but this cannot be separated from the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, and as Lord, He commands and we obey.

Fire, Holy Ghost, US Blog

Lord we need The Fire of the Holy Ghost

Jan 9, 2021 Holy Spirit by Percy Parakh

Fire is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. What is it about the Holy Spirit that makes it like fire? Fire penetrates and changes whatever it touches. It gets down to the bottom of everything.

When you are baptized and immersed and controlled by the Holy Spirit, he gets down to the real deal inside us. All excuses and lies we tell ourselves; all pretense, all phoniness; all those instances when Christians say, “Hi,” to someone while secretly harboring animosity— all of it is burned away.

The Holy Spirit penetrates; humbles; burns up pride and everything that’s junk and carnal. The Holy Spirit goes right to it like a bullet, and it changes things; it gets us to realize the shortness of life; and it gets our eyes on Jesus. It totally transforms a life.

When the Holy Spirit came on Paul, it changed Paul from a persecutor of the church to a mighty apostle. Peter was a denier, and he was scared; but when Holy Spirit came on him, he was full of boldness.

A lot of us want to serve God, we want to be more like Jesus; but we think somehow that by introspection and getting counseling from someone or trying harder or reading a new spiritual book or getting a new Bible translation, it’s going to change us.

But the Holy Spirit is the one whom Jesus has sent to change us. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Why? Because the Spirit is in them! I’ve tried to change myself and rectify my faults; and all of us see things that are in us in the flesh; and we try to get rid of this and that.

We see, perhaps, lack of compassion, and other weaknesses. And we’re looking, and we’re picking up this, and we’ve got to remove that; and we sometimes, think, “Praise God, I’ve gotten better here”; but then we realize, “Oh no, here’s another thing I have to remove!”

Even graces we have are many times mixed with pride… Do you know the best thing you can do? Just light a match and light a fire and let the fire burn everything out! This is the most needed thing for me, and for you and for every church, in 2021

By Pastor Jim Cymbala

Amazing Ministry, US Blog

An Amazing Ministry – Jesus and Calls in His Ministry

Jan 2, 2021 Calls, Ministry by Percy Parakh

Luke 4:14-30 King James Version

¹⁴And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

¹⁵And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

¹⁶And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

¹⁷And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

²⁰And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

²¹And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

²²And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

²³And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

²⁴And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

²⁵But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

²⁶But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

²⁷And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

²⁸And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

²⁹And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

³⁰But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Eternal Plan, US Blog

You are a Small Part of an Eternal Plan

Jan 2, 2021 Small Part by Percy Parakh

You are a Small Part of an Eternal Plan

Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that you are part of an eternal plan? Seriously think about this. Your existence didn’t begin at conception. You began in the mind of God before the foundation of this earth.

Meditate on this. Few things will make you feel smaller … or bigger. Far from being an accident, you and I are part of a brilliant plan that started before planet Earth and continues beyond it. This is why self-deprecation is as wicked as slandering God’s Church.

We are belittling the creation of something God has planned and crafted. He chose us before the foundation of the world, knew us before He made us (Jer. 1:5), and drew up works for us before we were even created (Eph. 2:10). He had plans for His sacred Church and included us in those plans.

This thought should bring tremendous peace to our often-stressed souls. The more I think about it, the more honored I feel to be chosen as part of God’s eternal plan for the Church.

If you’re not fascinated by your inclusion in His Church yet, it may help you to know that there are beings in heaven that stare at the Church in wonder. (Eph 3:8-10)

Think about what this is saying. God wanted to show the heavenly beings His incomparable wisdom … so He created the Church! I believe we have a sacred responsibility to function as His Church in such a way that the rulers in heavenly places can marvel at God’s wisdom.

They ought to see a oneness in us that displays God’s brilliant plan. Two verses earlier, Paul explained that the great mystery God is now revealing is Gentiles becoming members of the same body as the Jews because of what Jesus did on the cross.

This is the divine mystery that was hidden in God for ages! The grand reveal that heavenly authorities were anticipating has arrived. The curtain is drawn back, and they gasp as they see … the Church. No way! This is unreal!

Through the cross, people of every nation and tongue become members of one body? Amazing! God Himself is joining His creation and allowing them to be a part of His body? Unbelievable! This was His plan all along. There was going to come a day when almighty God would dwell with people of all races.

They would be brought to complete unity, forming one temple, which would be a dwelling place for God! Do you see why all this matters so much? Many today treat the Church as optional, as some outdated way to connect to God that has long outlived its usefulness. They’d rather connect with God on their own, in their own way, without all the weird people making things more difficult. We can empathize with many of their feelings about the Church.

But when we see the Church from God’s perspective, when we appreciate it according to God’s design, we’re left in wonder. Who but God could come up with such a beautiful and ingenious plan?

I can’t help but see our own lameness in failing to see the beauty in God’s design for the Church. Heavenly beings are shocked by God’s Church, while many on earth yawn. The early church didn’t need the energetic music, great videos, attractive leaders, or elaborate lighting to be excited about being a part of God’s body.

The pure gospel was enough to put them in a place of awe. Aren’t you at least a little embarrassed that you have needed the extra stuff?

It’s not all your fault. For decades church leaders like myself have lost sight of the powerful mystery inherent in the Church and have instead run to other methods to keep people interested.

In all honesty, we have trained you to become addicted to lesser things. We have cheapened something sacred, and we must repent.
Pastor Francis Chan

Cares, US Blog

He Loves You, He Cares For You

Jan 2, 2021 Loves by Percy Parakh

HE CARES FOR YOU – By Pastor Vinu John

“Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me” – (Isa 49:14-16).

How often, in our distresses and difficulties, we think the Lord has forsaken us or forgotten us! In the above text, the Lord wants us to show us how much He cares for us and watches over us.

“Can a woman forget her sucking child?” Some mothers forget their grown-up children at times, but a mother can hardly forget her sucking child, as the child is helpless without her.

But the interesting truth the Lord reveals here is that even if the mother forgets her sucking child, and does not have compassion on it, He will never forget us.

In another place He promises, “The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from thee” (Isa 54:10). How mindful the Lord is of those who cling to Him, of those who trust Him like a baby does!

“I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.” We can always see, what is written on our palms unlike something written anywhere else. The Lord wants to assure us that just as a name that is engraved on the hand of a person is always before his eyes and therefore cannot be forgotten, He cannot forget us.

Our names are not simply ‘written’, but ‘graven’ upon the palms of His hand. It is very painful to engrave something on our hands and whatever is engraved cannot be easily erased either.

So one loves very dearly, the person whose name is engraved on one’s hand. How much the Lord must love us then! “Thy walls are continually before Me.” The Lord has promised that He will be a wall of fire around us. The Lord not only sets a wall of fire around us, but He is also watching over the wall so that no enemy may penetrate the wall.

If there is a wall of fire around you, the enemy cannot penetrate it; he will be consumed in the fire if he tries to! O dear child of God, you are well protected and well cared for by the Lord.

So cast all your care upon Him. “If the Lord careth for thee, be thyself at rest,” said Archbishop Leighton.

“He careth, He beareth, I’m graven in the palms of His hands; He watcheth and guideth, He makes the bitter sweet to me.”

Get Ready, US Blog

Get Ready – The Beginning of a Call

Dec 28, 2020 Call by Percy Parakh

Matthew 3:1-12 New International Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”^[a]

⁴John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹“I baptize you with^[b] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Inn, US Blog

No Room for Christ at the Inn

Dec 28, 2020 No room by Percy Parakh

❤️ “No Room for Christ in the Inn”
Luke 2:7

😇 “This happened in a public place, with other travellers and residents. “Men were trafficking, and little children playing, and woman gossiping beside the well – and lo! The kingdom of heaven was among them.” (Morrison)

“That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus. The only place where there was room for him was on a cross.” (Barclay)

🙇‍♀️ The problem of “no room” is symbolic of the problem that man has faced since Jesus was born. Most of mankind, throughout history, has had “no room” for the Lord Jesus Christ.

People have no room for Christ because they are full of themselves, full of their own will, full of their own cares, and full of their own sinfulness. They feel they have no time or no need for the Lord.

People may deny Christ and scorn Him. Yet, every time they write the date of the year, they are giving a witness to the fact of His birth. Truly His birth was the most important and famous of all births.

🙇‍♂️ Yes, God wants access to us. He wants to come into our heart and fellowship with us through His Spirit. Few people, including some Christians, open the doors of their hearts to walk with God and have daily fellowship with Christ because they are seeking satisfaction in other areas.

They are filled with other trivial things. Let me ask, “Have you crowded the Lord out of your life❓ Do you spend any time with Him❓ Do you really have a close relationship with Him❓ Are you accessible to the Lord❓ This is His plea and challenge to us all through the scriptures (Bible).
~ Mattoon

“You are not of the world, even as Christ is not of the world.”

Godliness, US Blog

The Mystery of True Godliness

Dec 28, 2020 Mystery by Percy Parakh

1 Timothy 3:14-16

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true Godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by Angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the World, was taken up in Glory.

“Extraordinary! God” appeared in the flesh.” The mystery of Christmas is how God could become Man while remaining fully God. It defies human explanation, but in the perfect wisdom of God, it was the perfect plan of the ages.

“What Child is this?” He is Jesus Christ-God revealed in the flesh. God made His home with us so we might make our home with Him. AMEN!!!!!

Good Morning! Merry Christmas and a Blessed New YearLet’s practice Peace, Love, and Kindness with sprinkles of Joy throughout this year

Call, US Blog

The Beginning Of A Call – International Honor For The King Of The World

Dec 22, 2020 Honor, International by Percy Parakh

Matthew 2:7-15 New International Version

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Author: Percy Parakh