The halfbaked Bard

Those who beat him and dragged him out of the city, how does Paul address them? Acts:22:1. Brothers and esteemed fathers.... He calmly addresses them, who hates him, who want him killed. No defending. Not justifying. Not perturbed. Just calmness, overflowing love. How could he do that? He knows how much Jesus loves him who persecuted His children, that same love He has for these people, that same love He also ought to have. Paul is not selfish to protect himself. He is ready to die now in this city as prophesied by Agabus. But he is passionate of his Saviour. He is passionate to tell these people how to be saved. Lord, give me this attitude of love to those who hate me. Give me this calmness. Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/search/calm%20sea/

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive' Acts:20:35 It is about money that Paul mentions. But it is actually true also about time, attention and help. Giving is better than receiving. Do not think what you will get. But be willing to give. Give selflessly. Gone be the days of saying, I did not get. I was not acknowledged. I was not appreciated. Nobody encouraged me. Nobody supported me. You be the encouragement, that you did not receive. You be the support. How? As an overflowing from the source. Receive love from the source that is Agape. And give it to others. Find encouragement in the Almighty and thereby be an encouragement to others. Not to think of receiving limited things from broken cisterns. But from the source of unending living waters. Image credit: https://news.uchicago.edu/story/joy-giving-lasts-longer-joy-getting

Acts:20:28 So guard yourselves and God's people. Christian life is not a passive living. It is an active war. Where you need to guard, you need to fight, you need to proactively do things. To survive effectively. Lest you should be blown away in the current. Or else you would be swept off your feet. Unless you decide to stand firm. Be of courage, your Abba is with you in this. The war is already won. You just have to guard yourself. And also the people entrusted to you. Take proactive measures to equip them to stand firm in faith. Feed them with the word. The Holy Spirit will be with them and do the rest for their standing firm. Image credit: https://www.exchange4media.com/media-others-news/kerala-floodshelp-pours-in-from-corporates-and-the-media-world-91661.html

What change has the gospel brought in you? Acts:19:18-19 Many confessed their evil deeds. Sorcereres brought their scrolls and burnt them publicly. What is one thing that you have renounced recently? May be something changed quiet early in your Christian life. But off late?  What small sins still lingers around in your heart? It might be an overt sin that you have been struggling to put away or a harmless one which the Holy Spirit has been nudging. Why are you not able to put away with it? Why no indignation to that which the Lord abhors? Why the love for it is greater than the love for the Lord? It is a helpless cry that rises out of your forlornness, that would help you. Are you in desperate need to get rid of this? Do you realise that a fruitful relation with Him is more important than nurturing these insignificant thing? Do you abhors it because your Father abhors it? That would be the first step to renounce and throwing away baggages. And if you do not have that in...

Acts 18 Priscilla and Aquilla - deported from Rome by Claudius Caesar. Paul was with them in Corinth. They went with him to Syria. While in Ephesus, even when Paul was not there, comes Appollos. And they take him up and corrects his course. And he becomes a blessing to people in Achaia. A family that starts with trauma. Later on used amazingly. They are still not in the limelight, but they continue to be a blessing. You might be going through pain now. That is fine. God will take you through. If you leave yourself in the hand of God, He will use you and make you a blessing for many. Do not loose heart. Do not be discouraged. He is working in you. Image credit: https://www.goodsalt.com/gssearch/result/index/q/priscilla/?srsltid=AfmBOoopNf14RjPw6K9sGRso0Q2fHGjBHnwJBzseGqf6dlT7O7XAbvlX

For in Him, we live and move and exist. Acts:17:28 Our identity. Our existence. Our very breath. Our address. Our deeds, acts, words and thoughts. Our image. Our traits. Our personality.  Our narrative. Our beliefs. Our attitude. Our character. Our class. Our reputation. Our image. Our demeanour. Our talents. Our very being - in its whole wholeness. From the unseen cell or molecule or atom we consist off. This is all about God. Created by Him, for His glory. Redeemed by His precious blood. We have in us, His breath that He breathed. His image and likeness, we are. Do I reflect even an iota of it? Image courtesy: https://www.chendurs.com/all-newsletters/how-do-fingerprint-scanners-work