Answer to the Prayer !! Renewal story

*This story touched me a lot, and I want to share it with you.*

*The theme was: HOLD ON TO CHRIST:*

*A Pastor was ministering in a remote area where he had to trek each Sunday for 4 hours through thick forest, and to make it on time, he had to start travelling on foot from 4:00 am.* 

*One Sunday morning, as the Pastor was in the midst of the forest, thunder announced rains. He knelt down and prayed to God to hold the rains back until he reached the parish and to protect his pastoral vestments, his Bible and communion. But after prayer, the rains started pouring heavily. He reached the parish badly soacked by the rains. He preached but with discouragement because to him, God had not answered  his prayers.*

*Back home, he could not even eat. He was contemplating whether to resign or continue because he could no longer serve a God who does not answer prayers. He believed his prayers were not effective and did not match  his preaching.*

*While he was reflecting on the decision to take, three young men entered his home and said to him: "Pastor, we came to testify and assure u that you should continue serving your God for He is a living God."*

*The pastor changed his attitude and was eager to know more. They showed him money and told him they'd been paid to kill him because his prayers and preachings were disturbing the witches, wizards, sorcerers and occultists in this community.*

*That they were in the forest waiting for him to shoot him when from nowhere and in the midst of the dry season, heavy rains started pouring and wet the gun powder they were to use. They were shocked by this event. They were holding guns in their hands as they watched the pastor pass them with no power to accomplish their awful mission.*

*After hearing this, the Pastor knelt down, thanked God and committed to serve Him for the rest of his life and said, he has a God that will never fail him.*

*Do you have a God that always answers your prayers the way you want?*

*Draw your own lesson. The truth is: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER.*

*Be blessed and Hold on to Christ. Share this if you were touched and inspired like I just did.*  

 *Shalom..!!*

Quarantine life- story

Worth reading....

A movie theater announced that an 8-minute movie won the title of Best Short Film in the World ...

     So, it was decided to display this movie in the cinema for free, so that the largest crowd could gather to watch it ...

    The movie began with a snapshot of a room ceiling that is devoid of any decoration and of any details;  Just a white ceiling ...

    3 minutes passed without the camera moving and it did not move to any other scene, or any other part of the ceiling in the same room ...

    Another 3 minutes passed without the camera moving and without changing the scene ...

    After 6 boring minutes, the viewers started grumbling;  Some of them were about to leave the theater hall;  And some of them objected to the officials of the house because they wasted their time watching a ceiling ...

    Suddenly, before the majority became concerned and starting to leave, the camera lens slowly moved on a wall without any details as well until it reached down towards the floor, there a child appeared on a bed, who seems to be totally handicapped due to the spinal cord tare in his little body ...

    The camera slowly moved to the side of the handicap bed, showing a wheelchair without a back ...

    The camera moved to the boredom location of the ceiling again;  To show a sentence: *"We showed you only 8 minutes of this child's daily activity, only 8 minutes from the scene that this handicapped child watches at all hours of his life, and you complained and weren’t patient for only six minutes, you couldn't bear to watch it ..!* ...
   
    So know the value of every second of your life that you spend in wellness, and thank your Lord for every blessing bestowed on you, and you will not feel its existence unless you lose it ...😔

    We suffer from quarantine and the curfew, which is, God willing, for a limited time, and we do not know that there are millions who lived their entire lives in quarantine ...😒

    Covid-19 has forced us to have the time to think about many privileges , and we thank God for the blessing of the freedom of movement and out of the house to see life, breathe the air, and practice activity in its various colors ...

    Praise be to God for what God has blessed us with of which we have not realized...

 *We NEED TO thank God for the blessings ever and forever*...

*Be Grateful & Be Patient*...!!! 🌺

Story about Peas biryani 🍲🍛

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*" The Voice of God "*

*_Mother usually made Peas Biryani on Wednesday afternoons in winter. It was her favourite dish to prepare, for it was easy to make, yet a hot favourite amongst the kids. Moreover fresh peas were in season and tasted heavenly._*

*_She heated some oil in a pan and added a spoonful of cumin seeds. Then she added a handful of chopped onions. She proceeded to add some green peas and seasoned them with salt and turmeric powder. Having sauted them for a couple of minutes she turned in the cleaned and washed rice and poured in a good amount of water. She covered the pan with a lid and let it cook on a slow flame._*

*Strangely, the ingredients in the simmering pot started a conversation...*

 *The "rice" was the first to say, I am the most important of all of us present here for I am pure white and wholesome. I am the key ingredient to making Peas Biryani. I am _Sathya_ . This is the Truth.*

*The yellow "turmeric" powder chuckled and said, No longer are you white my dear, for I have dyed you in my own colour. I am _Dharma_. This is my duty.*

*The "peas" smiled peacefully and said, What is Peas Biryani, without peas, eh? We are the most attractive and delicious part of this preparation. We are _shanti_. We are _peace_. We are peas (peace) and our colour too is green that is the colour of peace.*

*The "salt" mused to itself and said, Who would ever be able to eat Peas Biryani, without salt ?  I am the most important of all. If I were not there Peas Biryani would be unpalatable. My taste shall be infused in each particle. I am _prema_. I love each one of you equally.*

*The "onions" said, We add the tang to this dish. We add flavour. We are the soul of all vegetarian food. We are _ahimsa_. We tolerate all other flavours, yet retain our .*

*The "pan" spoke up and said, It's me who is holding all of you in here. But for me, you would all have been separate identities. I have held you together, so that jointly, you can become a delicious dish. Where would you be without me ? I am _discipline_ and I am indispensable.*

*The "cumin seeds" were dancing up and down in the boiling water and said, Try making Biryani, without us It shall be quite tasteless. We sizzle in the hot oil first of all for we are devoted to spreading our flavour, wherever we go. We are _devotion_.*

*The _Biryani_ was almost ready and the "oil" glistened on every grain of rice. It said, I ensure that each grain of rice, each pea and each cumin seed, retains its individual identity.*
*I prevent stickiness. I am _discrimination_.*

 *The "water" was almost completely absorbed by now. It smiled contentedly and said, I was determined to permeate into each particle of all of you.* *Without me could peas Biryani ever have been made ?  I am _determination_  and I am the most important of all.*

*Mother came by and checked to see, if the Biryani was done. The "gas flame" smiled quietly to itself and said, Each one is so full of its own importance. Without the power of heat provided by me, what would they be ? It is the power of God *vested in me that I can give the energy to cook. But alas, who remembers the Power of God ?*

*God smiled to Himself as the lady turned off the gas and waited, till .... He was needed again.*
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*Each one of us in this world is so full of his or her importance. We conveniently forget God who gives us the power to do everything. Whether acknowledged or not, whether remembered or not, God is the power behind doing and making everything, even Peas Biryani.*
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*INCIDENTALLY, THIS ALSO PROVIDES ANOTHER LESSON...*

*FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS TO BE SUCCESSFUL LIKE MAKING OF THE BIRYANI WITH DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS, WE NEED ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, NONE CAN BE LEFT OUT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LIKE WE MUST VALUE THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WE MUST ALSO VALUE THE UNITY BETWEEN ALL OF US FRIENDS AND NONE MUST FEEL LEFT OUT".*

*_Even one person left out will dent the value of friendship ... like it will do to a Biryani if any one of the ingredients are left out._*

*"If we focus on the Eternal, we will remain unaffected by the changing experiences of life."*

        *Stay Strong...*
        *Stay Home...*
        *Stay Safe...*

       *”STAY BLESSED”*
       *"STAY UNITED"*

   🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸

A wisdom to share - Covid 19

This is the best response at this moment,

Uganda President KAGUTA MUSEVENI warns against people misbehaving during this COVID-19 period, "God has a lot of work, He has the whole world to look after. He cannot just be here in Uganda looking after idiots...". Below is his reported statement.

"In a war situation, nobody asks anyone to stay indoors. You stay indoors by choice. In fact, if you have a basement, you hide there for as long as hostilities persist. During a war, you don't insist on your freedom. You willingly give it up in exchange for survival. During a war, you don't complain of hunger. You bear hunger and pray that you live to eat again

During a war, you don't argue about opening your business. You close your shop (if you have the time), and run for your life. You pray to outlive the war so that you can return to your business (that's if it has not been looted or destroyed by mortar fire.

During a war, you are thankful to God for seeing another day in the land of the living. During a war, you don't worry about your children not going to school. You pray that the government does not forcefully enlist them as soldiers to be trained in the school premises now turned military depot.

The world is currently in a state of war. A war without guns and bullets. A war without human soldiers. A war without borders. A war without cease-fire agreements. A war without a war room. A war without sacred zones.

The army in this war is without mercy. It is without any milk of human kindness. It is indiscriminate - it has no respect for children, women, or places of worship. This army is not interested in spoils of war. It has no intention of regime change. It is not concerned about the rich mineral resources underneath the earth. It is not even interested in religious, ethnic or ideological hegemony. Its ambition has nothing to do with racial superiority. It is an invisible, fleetfooted, and ruthlessly effective army.

Its only agenda is a harvest of death. It is only satiated after turning the world into one big death field. Its capacity to achieve its aim is not in doubt. Without ground, amphibious and aeriel machines, it has bases in almost every country of the world. Its movement is not governed by any war convention or protocol. In short, it is a law unto itself. It is Coronavirus. Also known as COVID-19 (because it announced its destructive presence and intention in the year of our Lord 2019)

Thankfully, this army has a weakness and it can be defeated. It only requires our collective action, discipline and forbearance. COVID-19 cannot survive social and physical distancing. It only thrives when you confront it. It loves to be confronted. It capitulates in the face of collective social and physical distancing. It bows before good personal hygiene. It is helpless when you take your destiny in your own hands by keeping them sanitized as often as possible.

Let's obey and follow the instructions of the authorities. Let's flatten the COVID-19 curve. Let's exercise patience. Let's be our brothers' keeper. In no time, we shall regain our freedom, enterprise and socializing."

In the midst of EMERGENCY, we practice urgency of service and the urgency of love for others✨
God bless us all🙏🏻

First - Bible(interesting facts)

1. First man to be born? 
  *Cain*  Genesis 4:1

2. First gardener?
   *Adam*  Genesis 2:15

3. First women sheperd ?
   *Rachel*    Genesis 29:9

4. First man to rear donkey ?
 *Saul's father* *Kish* 1st samuel 14:51

5. First man named before birth..?
 *Ishmael* Genesis 16:11

6. First mighty man?
  *Nirmodh* Genesis 10:8

7. First prophet ?
   *Enoch* Jude 1:14

8. First women who laughed ?
  *Sarah* Genesis 18:12

9. First man who got angry ?
 *Cain* Genesis 4:6

10. First man who celebrated birthday and held feast ?
 *Pharoah* Genesis 40:20

11 First women who steal ?
 *Rachel ..* Gensis 31:19

12. First man tare up his clothes ?
 *Jacob*  Genesis 44:13

13. First mountain ?
 *Ararat* Genesis 8:4

14. First nation ?
 *Havilah* Genesis 25:18
  
15. First man to buy land ?
    *Abraham* (for his wife's burial) Genesis 23:4

16. First man who made offering box?
 *Abraham*  Genesis 13 :20 ( abram gave him tenth of everything)

17 First man to marry two women .?
 *Lamech* Genesis 4: 23 to 25

18. First man to make feast ?
 *Abraham* Genesis 21:8

19.  First man to tithe ?
 **Abraham*  Gen 14: 20

20 First judge ?
 *Othniel*   Judges 3

Few lessons learnt in past few days:

 1. United States is no longer the world's leading country.
 2. China won the 3rd World War without firing a missile and no one could handle it.
 3. Europeans are not as educated as they appear.
4. We can survive vacations without trips to Europe and USA.
5. Rich people are in fact less immune than the poor.
6.No priest, poojari, usthad, astrologers saved patients .
7.Health professionals are worth more than a footballer.
8.Oil is worthless in a society without consumption.
9.How animals feel in the zoo.
10.The planet  regenerates quickly without humans into play.
11.Majority of people can work from home.
12.We and the kids can survive without junk food.
13.Living a hygienic life is not difficult.
14.Only women are not supposed to know cooking.
15.Media is nonsense.
16.Actors are just entertainers, they are not HEROES.

Safe Quarantine world!!!🏡🏡🏢

First Easter

This is beautiful 💖
The very first Easter was not in a crowded worship space with singing and praising. On the very first Easter the disciples were locked in their house. It was dangerous for them to come out. They were afraid. They wanted to believe the good news they heard from the women, that Jesus had risen. But it seemed too good to be true. They were living in a time of such despair and such fear. If they left their homes their lives and the lives of their loved ones might be at risk. Could a miracle really have happened? Could life really had won out over death? Could this time of terror and fear really be coming to an end?

Alone in their homes they dared to believe that hope was possible, that the long night was over and morning had broken, that God’s love was the most powerful of all, even though it didn’t seem quite real yet. Eventually, they were able to leave their homes, when the fear and danger had subsided, they went around celebrating and spreading the good news that Jesus was risen and love was the most powerful force on the earth

This year, we might get to experience a taste of what that first Easter was like, still in our homes daring to believe that hope is on the horizon. Then, after a while, when it is safe for all people, when it is the most loving choice, we will come out, gathering together, singing and shouting the good news that God brings life even out of death, that love always has the final say!

This year we might get the closest taste we have had yet to what that first Easter was like.””

*WHY YOU WORRY??* 🤭 *Everything* is NOT locked down

*Sunrise* is NOT locked down

*Love* is NOT locked down

*Family time* is NOT locked down

*Kindness* is NOT locked down

*Creativity* is NOT locked down

*Learning* is NOT locked down

*Conversation* is NOT locked down

*Imagination* is NOT locked down

*Reading* is NOT locked down

*Relationship* is NOT locked down

*Praying* is NOT locked down

*Meditation* is NOT locked down

*Sleeping* is NOT locked down

*Work from home* is NOT locked down

*Hope* is NOT locked down

*Cherish what you have.*

*Locked down is an opportunity to do what you always wanted to do.*

*MASK* is Better than *VENTILATOR*, 

*HOME* is better than *ICU,*

*PREVENTION* is better than *CURE*.

SO BE HAPPY and stay safe!!!

COVID - PASSOVER - DECODED

Hey guys! If you a Christian or you are/were around a Christian friend, you might have heard this word - "Passover". Memes like the one I have posted, may not be new to you. If you are wondering what in the world that means, this is just for you. 🙂

Passover is a seven-day long Jewish festival. This year it is to be celebrated between 8th April till 16th April. Why is it called "the Passover"? Because God passed over the houses of Israel. Now that may sound like Greek and Latin. Let me explain… 

The Israelites were slaves under the cruel Egyptian task-masters. God warned the Egyptian King (Pharoah) to let his people free through Moses. Pharoah did not bother and rejected the proposal straight out. God sent in plagues one after the other (water turned into blood; frogs, lies, darkness filled the land and so on) to remind him that He was in control of nature. The Pharoah would not budge. God again warned the final plague would be the most terrible of all. Pharoah only got angry at God and not sorry for his mistakes. He didn't want anything to do with God. This was the last and the scariest plague; every firstborn son in the land of Egypt would die - from the firstborn son of the king who sits on the throne to the firstborn farm animals would die. Did Pharoah listen and change his mind? Sadly not. 

God told the Israelites if they want to be safe from the plague, that each family must take a year-old lamb without any blemish, cook it and eat that night. They had to take some of its blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they stay (Just like in the picture). Just as God said, the plague happened at midnight. Loud outcry was heard all over Egypt except in Goshen because the Israelites did exactly as God said. The plague did not attack the house which had the mark on its doorposts. The Israelites were safe because God passed over the houses that had the mark and did not let the plague have a say. 

What does it have to do with COVID?

COVID is no plaything. It seems like the world is under a big shutdown - economies are crashing; governments are struggling to stop the spread of the virus. More dangerous than the virus is the panic and mental stress it has put on people. People for once are beginning to contemplate about death and things that really matter in life.  

If you are someone who does not believe in God, then this might seem like a way nature balances itself (Thanos comes to mind) and you just don't have any hope. If you believe in God, you might be wondering what He is up to, like me 🤔. 

Or like some Christians, you might be tossing out jargon like 'end-times', 'unrighteousness', etc. 😃

In obscure times like these, it is safer to dig back in time because invariably history repeats itself. Let's think about the plague in Egypt again. We just saw from the story of the Passover that the land of Goshen had hope even though it was right in the middle of plague-infected Egypt. What was that hope? If it was on the blood of the lamb, I'm sure all of us who know this story would have been right at the mutton shop when the outbreak happened. If it was eating the lamb that gave hope, then I'd be the first to order Roghan Ghosht from Swiggy. 😁Surprisingly the truth is much, much simpler than that. 

God did a symbolic thing with the lamb. 1000 years after the first Passover, God came to the world in the form of a man named Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life. He did good and spoke only good. Even an atheist is cool with that fact. But during a Passover celebration, His own people crucified Him. Now you may ask if He is God why didn't He save Himself? You are not wrong at all! He could have, but he didn't, just for you and me. Why you may ask? 

The only way for a Holy God (who cannot tolerate sin) to pass-over your life and save you from the plague, is to become that blemish-less lamb and die for you. If you are like me you would be wondering, would it not have been simple if we just killed a lamb every time we sinned/ once a year on our birthdays? The sad but honest truth is that our sin is so dark that it takes something at God level to clean it. Though it is human to err, it is not like a food spill on our cloth that can be washed with detergent. Evil is buried deep in our hearts and it takes God to wipe it clean.

So, today, you have the lamb sacrificed, you have the blood in a bowl, figurately. What do you do? Just say, "Jesus I accept what you did for me. Please forgive the evil in me. Thank you for being the mark over my heart, that I am kept safe from plagues. Amen!" 

What have you just done? You have bought yourself life insurance on your soul for eternity. Today it is COVID, tomorrow it could be something else. But now you now have hope - the hope of a pass-over; the hope that God protects you not just on earth but in your after-life as well. 😊

8 Gifts That Don't Cost a Dime

Let's all try to give at least one of these gifts every day. I know it's easy to just brush it off, but it really truly does make a difference in your life and the life of the person you give the gift to :)

1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
But you must REALLY listen.
No interrupting, no daydreaming,
no planning your response.
Just listening.

2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
Be generous with appropriate hugs,
kisses, pats on the back, and handholds.
Let these small actions demonstrate the
love you have for family and friends.

3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons.
Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple
"Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered
for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere,
You look great in red," "You did a super job,"
or "That was a wonderful meal"
can make someone's day.

6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
Every day, go out of your way
to do something kind.

7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
There are times when we want nothing better
than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give
the gift of solitude to others.

8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
The easiest way to feel good is
to extend a kind word to someone.
Really, it's not that hard to say,
Hello or Thank You.