The High Calling

Every Believer Has a High Calling

Once on a Sunday morning, I heard a message from a new speaker who was a missionary, who had left his wealth to serve the Lord on the mission fields, a very commendable thing to do.  During the course of his sermon, he started rebuking the people in church saying that the people in church were all living in comfort zones by working in secular jobs and every Christian should leave their jobs and join the mission field.  The whole sermon was a tirade of rebuke.  I think the poor preacher forgot that if all Christians left work to join the mission fields, there would be no Christian doctors, teachers etc.,  and also no one to support missionary outreach!  Also, he forgot that there has to be a call from God to serve in missions.

One does not randomly leave everything and join missions.  Many, many people have fallen very badly because they joined missions feeling it was a good thing to do, but they were not called to it and their fall was hard.  The Lord calls us to even specific geographic locations according to His plan, but we have to hear His voice to follow His plan.

The truth is even in ministry, we may be walking far from God, and many have fallen into devious sins just due to the assumption that we are doing God's will so have curried His favor so just get mechanical about literally everything and sometimes suffer from spiritual superiority which is a sin.

There is no dividing line between the sacred and the secular because wherever the Lord is present, that place becomes holy.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and the secular becomes sacred if the Holy Spirit is in us.  Even in our homes! 

We can bring powerful revival even in our homes, among our children, our spouses, relatives, workplace, and people that we encounter in life if we are in a walking talking and obedient relationship with the Lord.

In this, we are walking in the Fire of the Presence of God and then miracles happen and we can make a difference to the world wherever we are, evoking change and revival, just walking in the Fire of the Presence of God.  We do not have to leave our jobs and join ministry to do so, just wherever we are, abide in Christ so that we remain in the Fire of God's Presence!

Every child of God born of His Spirit has a high calling.  "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." Peter 2:9.  

Wherever we are, be it cleaners, cooks, housewives, doctors, government ministers, police, army, hospitals, CEOs of companies, trainers, receptionists, secretaries, teachers, whatever jobs, we are to be the salt and light of the world, lamps shining in a dark world and bring the sweet savor of Christ to all.

One does not have to join a formal ministry for this to happen.  -You can be present where you are, in whatever you are doing and carry the Presence of the Lord who will bring that change and lead you in pathways you could never even dream of.

He is the great I Am, the God of the Present, wherever we are, by abiding in Christ, we can be powerful messengers for the Kingdom of God and help to deliver people out of darkness into His glorious light.

Rita Farhat Kurian

Unexpected Intrusions

 Isaiah 14:27 says, “What the Lord has purposed, who can annul?” This means that God has a purpose for your life. He’s already planned out your days.  He even plans our unexpected intrusions!

When you’re on a detour, don’t get upset or frustrated, it is just one scene in your life. When it all comes together, it’s going to work out for beauty and good.

Time management stalks the world today. While managing time is important, can reduce stress levels and helps us to stay on top of things, we have developed a hostility to any intrusions in our time management schedules.

Someone knocks on our door, we may feel our world shatter as that little knock broke our well-planned schedule into pieces!

Whenever we got resentful of an intrusion, our stress levels are high and we are miserable…

Years ago, a couple got married.  The bridegroom's family was staying at a nearby hotel.  The day after the wedding, the parents of the bridegroom  knocked on the door of the pastor who was probably preparing a message for another conference he was attending.  The parents were not very wealthy, in fact quite poor but they knocked on the door to give Rs. 2000 to the pastor.  The pastor thanked them, took the money, and sharply shut the door on their face.  They were saddened at his rudeness and even thought about it over the years!

Jesus always welcomed intrusions and never chased anyone away.

There is a secret blessing when we take intrusions as sent by God to bless us.  Then, we will be enriched in a deeper way.

Sometimes, an unexpected visitor drops in our home, and then we did drop our well-planned schedules.  By the end, we do feel happier, richer and more relaxed as we go with the flow.. as in a river.

We are blessed in our intrusions when God in a mysterious way actually brings intrusions to us.  So go with the flow as in a river and you will receive wonderful surprises along the way!

Rita

The Reflection

Jostling down a market place, I saw many faces,

Some happy, some sad, some slow, all kinds, colors, races,

In the corner of my mind, I started judging some,

I just thought of the silly things they had done,

Then I thought of my neighbors, they were distant and cold

And the people I saw each day were so rude and loud
I did not like some of the things they did
I felt they had troubles brewing below their "lid"

As I kept walking, I suddenly heard a scream,

"Help !!! A Monster ! A Monster !" Cried a girl thin and lean,

Suddenly in horror I saw the crowd looking at me,

For my nose had grown like an elephant's trunk!

All did flee

Then I heard a voice speak deep into my heart,

"Mind your business, don't poke your nose around,

Or your nose will be like the elephant's trunk,

Don't look at other's lives or your own faults will be found
Or your own weaknesses will reflect back to you

Keep your eyes fixed on the mirror of my Word,

My beauty will reflect to you as My Voice is heard"

I cried out

"Oh Lord, I will mind my mind !,

But please take this trunk away,"

Then, with a jolt, I awoke, in relief I realized

 IT WAS A DREAM !!!

Wonderful relief, but lesson learned

I never will again judge

Because I too received mercy

And was forgiven by the Great Judge

Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?

Luke 6:41

Rita

He makes all things beautiful - Poem

If we live in our own time zone of events
Things we want to do without God

Our works  sometimes tumble down in ruins

All around at moments we see failure and disaster

And living in furious ticking time

We are rushed

Noise, confusion, running, crowds and deadlines

Makes us spin in the negativity of the spheres

We live in dread of unprecedented fears

Now rest in Him, the Creator of All

In Him, He makes all beautiful

No masses, no rush, no hurry

No twisting arm of manipulation

There is a time for everything

He makes all things marvelous in His time

There is a time to be silent

A time to speak

A time to be a voice

For the broken and weak

If we abide in Him

In His Time

We will accomplish miracles

In that appointed Time

Whatever we do

If we draw from the Spirit

At the Root

We will bear much fruit

In His Time

All things will be beautiful

In your life

Just dwell in His Presence
He will make all things beautiful
In its and His Time

Rita

Just Call on Him - Poem

There isn't a valley too dark and deep

There isn't a mountain towering far above

Too high for God to reach

If you broken down in sorrow

And you don’t know what to do

And you feel you're trapped

In a living hell on earth

Remember, God knows

A call to Him

Can bring His Presence

To enter that dismal place of sinking shadows

In His presence, chains will be broken

And deliverance-healing rains fall down

Just call on Jesus' Name

Talk to Him

And things will never be the same

He carries our burdens

He hears our cries

He heals, delivers

He is a prayer answering God

Just call on Him!

Psalm 139:8: "If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there!"

Rita

The Land of the Golden Sun - Happy Independence Day 2016!!!

Today we stand in

The land of the golden sun

Where in each new day as the sun rises

There is promise of a better tomorrow

Today we pray may God bless India

To rise and shine with hope and a richer future

Great. glorious multicultural

Multi-lingual religious land

Where through centuries people

Have stood strong hand-in-hand

In unity saw change, progress and prosperity

Only mercy, love, hard work and God,

Can bring hope and great joy to a nation

And we pray this Independence Day

We will gain more understanding of this way

And also receive God's favor and freedom of thought

So God's Light will pierce

All shadows with His purity and Divine Light!

Today, we pray that the narrow hard walls of division

Will come crashing down

Where waves of kindness and love

Overflow so our pain and sorrows drown

In that River of Life given by God

So in tough storms and pelting rain

We can stand strong and stand to gain

So in summer, monsoon, winter and spring

May our land rejoice and sing!

Happy Independence Day 2016!

Rita

God's Touch Changes You Forever! - Testimony - Name Withheld

I grew up in an ungodly country and in an ungodly family.  God was far away those years. During those difficult days, I was abused and neglected and my life was full of pain and despair.  I cried myself to sleep all night many night and nobody cared.

I finally realized that I needed to get out of that house, and decided to study English and move to the USA. I thought that if I would become a model and be famous, then I would feel loved and be happy. I learned English every day diligently. 

I started become suicidal as I was beaten up all the time and called horrible names. In this season of physical and verbal abuse, I found I could take it no longer and found no reason to live. My life was hell on earth, and I felt it would be better to get out of it all.  One day, I found myself being propelled to standing on a tall building and ready to jump.  At that time, I seemed to sense someone pushing me away from the ledge of that tall building.  It was a strange sensation.  Today, I know this was an angel! 

The sadness, torment and misery never left.   I ran away from home at the age of 16 and slept on park benches.  Somehow, no harm came to me during those times of sleeping on park benches by the mercy of God.

My god mother who was an American Catholic became my foster parent. The woman was a mean drunk who hated me.  I soon started modeling and discovered it to be a big disappointment. I did not get the love I thought I was going to get and felt unloved and lonely.  As models, we were told to starve ourselves and encouraged to do drugs.  I became even more suicidal during that dark season.  I was still in high school.  During that time, I met a born-again believer named Isaac, he was on fire for God. Until then, I had met only fake Christian so initially, I did not believe anything he said or did, or his testimony.

Isaac was a very different kind of young man.  He kept praying for me and trying to be friend to me. He found out that I loved music and gave me many gospel tapes. I was tormented at night by demons and only gospel music helped me. I was surprised at the peace I got by the music because I really didn't understand what they were singing about!

As I had been a model for 2 years, one of the photographer's told me that I would have to sleep with everyone in the industry in order to keep being a model.  This spurred on deeper spells of suicide as I wanted to keep my virginity for my future husband, so in despair I decided to kill myself again with a full-fledged plan. Since Isaac was now my friend, I asked him indirectly to help me (with a secret plan to kill myself).  I had given him money and asked him to buy me a lot of cocaine lying to him that it would be for my 18th birthday party for friends.  But Isaac did not believe me and made me tell the truth. When he found out that I was going to kill myself on my birthday, he yelled at me and said that I don't need to do it. but that God told him that he would save me. I didn't understand what saved meant. However, it encouraged me that he cared enough to stop me.

He then bought me a ticket for a Christian concert for my birthday. It was Hezekiah Walker. His church friends picked me up and I was amazed at how nice they were. I was really touched during the concert. I felt the depression lift and I loved the preaching at the end of the concert. Shortly after this, I came to Isaac's church, got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Since then, I have been blessed to serve the Lord with gladness for 22 years. God is good! 

Only God is the true  converter of a human soul.  No human can convert anyone.  It is God's Spirit to a human's spirit that converts