Alongside

Change is the most difficult thing for people. It is frightening, it is risky, it is uncomfortable, it is unexplored and new territory, it requires enormous amount of faith. More often than not people like to follow existing patterns, trusted methods, very few of them thrive in pioneering, innovating and blazing a trail. These are the people to watch for in the initial stages in any kind of change initiative, the ones with the pioneering spirit will most probably be the early adapters and champions of change. Spiritual change in a spiritual organization is possible only through a change in heart, a change that is inside out. Our heart is the root of all issues; Bible calls it as the well spring of life. Over the years of ministry the patterns and methods of doing things and successful strategies of the past tends to make us accustomed and comfortable to what we are doing, this is what Jesus called as a hardened heart, at one point he asked his disciples who had hardly been two and h...

If I can throw garbage on the road why waste time and effort looking for a waste bin. ( But we will never dare to do this in Singapore or USA) If I can jump over the median and run across the traffic why use a road over bridge or an underpass. If I can pay 25 bucks and get away with it why pay 250 bucks as legal fine. If I know somebody higher up then why waste my time standing in the queue. If I can relieve myself here and now freely why pay 2 bucks and look for a loo. If I can zig zag through the traffic lanes and get ahead why waste time following lane traffic. If I have space to overtake from the left side why overtake only from the right side. If I can take the law into my own hands why do I need Police, any way they come only after every thing is over just like the good old bollywood movies. If I can reach home safely then why bother about some one who has met with an accident and bleeding on the road and get into police hassle later. If my house and surrounding is clean why both...

Last Friday we had a great time enjoying God's presence in fasting and prayer and God used the speaker in a powerful way. Some of his quotes were insightful and thought provoking, the one that got my attention and kept me thinking was, "the outward thrust in the mission of any church or organization is directly proportionate to the inward dynamics of the organization or church ". We are studying the book of Acts as a team and in the first few chapters what is obvious is the inward dynamics (Fullness of the Spirit, genuine love, prayer, care , share, word )and the outward dynamics ( Boldly preaching the word and witnessing ) of the church resulting in rapid growth and transformed lives. Another quote from the speaker on missions was, " it is not just our actions but even our reactions are an integral part of mission " i.e. preaching the gospel, taking care of the needy are some of our actions to reach out but that alone does not make up missions, our reactions...

Giving is not about passing the resources from my kingdom to God's kingdom, or from my purse to God's . It is about acknowledging that all the resources that I have and will ever have is from God and I am a conduit point or a channel in the flow of His resources to those who are in need. When I hoard or store up resources more than what I need, I am actually clogging God's economic system designed to meet the needs of His people. What an amazing way God invented to take care of the needs of His people, we see this principle lived out to the fullest extent in the infant church as recorded in the book of Acts. God said to Abraham "I will bless you and you will be a blessing". In the present christian world which is running crazily after "being blessed" it is important to remind ourselves that God blesses us in order to be a blessing to others. Bible says, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

I love this quote," people don't care how much you know, but they do know how much you care ", Most often all our efforts are channelized in letting people know how much we know, we brag about it, we project it, but the truth is they don't care much about it, they might appreciate it for the time being and moreover ultimately as an epitaph no one wants to be known as some one who knew a great deal. But when we genuinely reach out and love people around us and let them know how much we care about them they will never forget it, it makes a lasting impact and ultimately that is the only thing that we will carry into eternity - ' relationships '. Remember "Love never fails!"

There is a dire need to give a clarion call to return to the basics of pervasive fervent prayer , constantly living in the power of the Holy spirit, boldly winning people to Christ, deeply investing in their lives to make them fishers of men and pursuing partnerships with the rest of the body of Christ if we are really serious about seeing the great commission being fulfilled. Everything else that we do in the name of change is just cosmetic arrangements.