Is Your Wick Well Trimmed ?

 

IS YOUR WICK WELL TRIMMED?

This blog is written by Navaz D'Cruz. She believes this is a word for each one of us to take and examine ourselves and use this time to re-set our hearts.

Like John 15, I believe this is a 'now' word. God is putting His finger on our vertical and horizontal relationships. Both John 15 and Matt 25 have those elements: our relationship with God, our intimacy with Him and our relationship with our fellow Christians.

Jesus is talking about the end of all things in Matt 25. The signs will be wars, pestilence, earthquakes etc and they are only a sign that we are closing in on the curtain call for all of creation.

We are in a preparation season. There are 3 parables in this passage. All have a warning that if we behave like the foolish persons, we will face the same fate.

Let’s look at the parable of the Virgins. Matt 25:1-13

Who are the virgins? All are believers. The question is are we the wise or foolish ones? Don’t be quick to assume you are the wise one!

We have all made a covenant with Jesus and He with us. We have been betrothed to Him and now we are in a season of preparation.

They all had lamps – i.e God’s Word. Ps119:5 His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Lamps are also our service to God. It is our life and service. We are those earthen vessels in noble service.

Light We are called the light of the world

They all had oil – that is the Holy Spirit. It is the source of power to keep the light going/our witness for Christ to shine. They were all anointed.  They all started off well. They were all filled with the Spirit, passionate about being the light etc. The Holy Spirit keeps us passionate for Christ and pure

They were all waiting for the Bridegroom. We are all waiting for His return.

In this parable, we are warned not to be like the foolish virgins. Don’t assume you are not. Examine your heart.

The bridegroom takes his time coming. When he comes it will be a great day and a terrifying one

At the midnight hour – midnight is significant in Biblical symbolism. It is the point of breakthrough. The Israelites were delivered at midnight. It’s the darkest hour. It also refers to a time when people get offended and all kinds of wards, hardships are upon them.

Samson went to the temple pillars at midnight. The Philippian jailer was saved at midnight. Paul and Silas were set free at midnight.

So midnight is when problems are at the greatest but it is also the point of breakthrough.

 

Midnight hour - the virgins were asleep. It could refer to the regular cycle of life or that they were unaware of what was happening. Asleep the state of a lot of churches and Christians.

 

Then there is a cry – it is a prophetic cry that rings out announcing the Lord’s return announcing His return and that we should be ready. I believe that cry is going out in this season.

All the virgins wake up and trim their lamps. I feel the Holy spirit arrest my attention here. This is what we need to look at in this season of preparation.

The oil lamps have wicks that need trimming or they will give off a lot of soot /smoke that will dull the light.

The wick is the channel to receive the holy spirit and be a witness.

The church is beginning to wake up from her slumber and realizes that the wicks are smoky and the light is dim.

Oil is the activity of the Holy Spirit that flows well through a surrendered heart

The wick is symbolic of your heart. Out of the heart flows the issues of life. When the heart is impure you give off smoke viz selfish ambition, pride etc. What Jesus is saying is that we need to deal with our hearts and love God with all of our heart soul mind and strength.

Trimming the wick speaks of sanctification and repentance. Cutting away things that are clogging our hearts. We need to be constantly saturated with the Holy Spirit. This is something the wise and foolish had to do. Over time our hearts can get clogged with sin, and unresolved issues that dull our Christian witness. The lamp gives out light for others to see. We all need to guard our hearts for it is the wellspring of life.

What are some of the soot we are carrying in our hearts today? Unforgiveness, offence, bitterness, pride, envy, jealousy, disappointments, trauma, grief, betrayals.

In order to be light in the nation, we need to deal with our hearts that are giving off a lot of smoke. Some of us have our lamps and have a little oil but the wick still needs to be trimmed.

Has the light of the Church gotten dim today? What can we do about it? Each of us needs to trim our wicks and sort those issues out.

Some hard work needs to be put into repentance and a change of heart

God is committed to transforming us and making us more like His Son Jesus. But we need to cooperate with Him.

Today there is a lot of smoke in the church and in Christians with the marriage, family life, relationships etc. That is why people don’t see the difference between you and the world. Our hearts need to be changed and cleansed so that our ministries carry the life of God.

The difference between the wise and foolish servants is the value they placed on the oil. The wise ones paid the price of intimacy on daily basis. The oil and wick work in unison.

This is time to reset our hearts. COVID-19 has forced us out of our big gatherings into our homes. This is a time to reset your walk with God, develop your intimacy with God. Don’t squander away this time because it is not coming back. Then it will be too late. This is the warning and we would be wise to heed this.

The foolish virgins are not evil people. They just did not value intimacy with Jesus. They go to the others and ask them for some oil. No one can give that to you. You have to pray the price. You have to buy it. It means you have to be willing to give up something in exchange for it. You have had to have invested time with God and forged a history with Him. It is not transferable. 

No one can lay hand on you and give it to you. No one can pray you into intimacy. I feel that is the picture of the foolish ones going to the wise ones asking or oil. It is like “pray for me”, “lay hands on me”. No, it won’t work. You have to do something to cultivate intimacy with God and get ready for Jesus return. We have to be that bride that has made herself ready. What am I doing to get ready for the greatest marriage of all time? There is a cleansing and a beautification process like queen Esther went through. She took the trouble to find out what pleased the King. Do I know what pleases my King?

What does intimacy look like? Its is a close bond between 2 people that develops over time. It is progressive as time is spent in each other’s presence.

V13 – Watch. Stay alert, vibrant. The opposite is sleepy, halfhearted, unaware, no prayer life.

What are you watching for? What is happening in your heart, the influences that are affecting you. Watch the places of brokenness that you gathered. Rebuild the altar of prayer and worship by cutting off other things.

What is at stake here is whether or not you get to enter the celebration. Whether you enter in with intimacy, with honour and glory that everyone can see. This is not about salvation. The door is shut. It will be heartbreaking to be left out

“Never knew you”- no intimacy developed. You were happy for the benefits but did not want to put in the work of knowing Him. The wise ones enjoyed the intimacy celebration and joy.

The key thing is to be ready. Allow God to trim your wick- cleanse your heart and invest in intimacy so your light will shine.  Thank God that we have his Holy Spirit that comes to aid us in our preparation. We are not alone. We also have a community. Let us spur one another on towards love and good deeds as we await His coming.

You can read more her Blogs here https://somequietthoughts.blogspot.com/

 

Why Give ?

 

This message was preached by Colin DCruz via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on  January 10th 2021. for the audio please click here.  TO listen to the worship please click here

We go through different seasons in the church, Easter, Christmas etc. One such thing is Gift Day Offering. Jesus is the only hope for India. We look at countries like America and the UK and millions say they want to go there. Why do they do that? Because of the order and prosperity. It was the gospel that changed things in those nations. 

We want to give towards Regions Beyond, church planting across the nation and meet the needs of the poor. Word of Grace is a giving church and that is commendable. 50% of the Bible speaks about money and possessions. Jesus said, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed by the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. We need to change our mind-set to a mind-set based on the word of God.

Why do we give?

1.      Because of our Salvation: At salvation, our hearts are transformed. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, hated by all Jews and considered a sinner. Jesus just said I must stay at your house today. In that brief transaction, Zacchaeus was saved. How do we know this? Luke 19:8 “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”” Jesus said to him, today Salvation has come to your house. When we know what it is to be saved, it is easy to part with our wealth because we know what God has done for us. We have a great salvation. On the other hand, what do we have if we gain the whole world and lose your own soul?

 

2 Cor 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich” Do you know for certain that you are saved? When we put our faith in Jesus, we are saved. And the evidence of this is in our transformed heart and the way we deal with our riches.

 

2.      Because of our Evaluation: Luke 21 1-3 “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”” Jesus is watching and evaluating.

 

3.      Because of Heaven: Matt 6:19-20 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” How do we store our treasure in heaven? 1 Timothy 6:18-19 “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

4.      Because of the harvest: 2 Corinthians 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. Another way for us to give is to not give reluctantly or under compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” These are promises from God. We cannot out-give God because He is a giver.

 

How to give:

1.      Give Proportionately: One person gives 5000 and the second one gives 50,000. Who gave more? The amount doesn’t matter, it’s the proportion. Luke 21: 1-3 Jesus says that the woman gave more because she gave everything she had. 1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

2.      Give Generously: John 12:3 “Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume”. The Bible tells us in verse 5 that the perfume was worth a year’s wages. How did Jesus evaluate this giving? He says in John 12: 7-8 “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me”. Many people came to anoint and embalm his body, but He was no longer there, he was alive. Only Mary got to anoint him. Elsewhere, Jesus says, she has done a beautiful thing and said that her story will be told every time the gospel is preached.

3.      Give Sacrificially: 2 Sam 24:24 “But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” We can give money where it doesn’t pinch us much, but God is looking for a fragrant sacrifice. Sacrifice is always costly. 1 Corinthians 8: 2 – 5 “for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” They gave even beyond their ability. What are you sacrificing in order to give for gift day?

As we give, God is going to bless us! Let’s pray!

  Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

 

An Anchor For The Soul

 

 This message was preached by Colin DCruz via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on  January 10th 2021. for the audio please click here.  TO listen to the worship please click here

 

We are living in very challenging times. We saw the COVID become a pandemic and we hoped that things would get better over time, but there has been no respite. The death toll has been devastating. Whole industries have shut down, businesses have come to a grinding halt or reduced significantly! Millions have been rendered jobless. In 2021, we are still in unchartered territory. Fear can grip us because of health and economic needs. IN the midst of all that is happening, I want to share how to anchor our lives in Christ.

Heb 6:19- 20 “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The hope is in verse 14 – I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.

The full prophetic word was in Gen 22 which concerns us, because we are the descendants of Abraham. It anchored Abraham’s life in turbulent waters. Without an anchor, a ship can drift or crash against the rocks. The anchor keeps it safe.

In this stormy waters, where is our anchor? It is in the word of God. So we will look at some promises in the word that will be our anchor. Let’s pray.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

This Psalm is about the goodness of the Lord to us. Come to this Psalm when you are anxious, worried, fearful, etc.

1.      God’s goodness is there for us: Psalm 139 talks about God’s involvement in our life.

3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

               There are angels watching over your life. God is watching over you. It does not mean bad things don’t happen to us. But even though bad things happen, God will work it out for good. Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose”

2.      His mercy / loving-kindness follows us: His mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we deserve. Jesus died in our place so God can have mercy over us. Goodness relates to his provision, mercy relates to his pardon. We need mercy all the time.

Eph 2:4-5 “4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved”

Micah 7: 18 “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
    and passing over transgression
    for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
    because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea”

God is not mad at you. He is mad about you.

Exodus 34: 6 “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

When we commit a mistake, we need to run to God. The confidence is in what He has done. God loves to show mercy and his nature is good.

The Lord is my shepherd. And behind the sheep are two sheep-dogs, goodness and mercy. IN the midst of all the uncertainty, His goodness and mercy follow us ALL the days of our lives.

3.      Dwell in the house of the Lord forever: People fear death more than anything! If you have put your trust in Jesus, there is no fear of death. Our eternal destiny is settled. Death is just a doorway into resurrection life. Jesus is preparing something beautiful for those who love Him.

All the things that plague us on earth will no longer be there in heaven. As Christians we need to focus on heaven. We need to have a long term plan, knowing our future is secure in Jesus. Heaven is the place where God dwells. It is filled with the glory of God. What we see is just a glimpse of what His glory is. No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. We need to be a people who are anchoring our lives in heaven. No one can take that away from you. Romans 8: 18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

What were Pauls Troubles? 2 Corinthians 11:23-33“with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” 

Whatever trouble you have this morning, it is light and momentary compared to the riches of heaven. Even being martyred is no big thing. Phil 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Let us be a people who love heaven.

 

How shall we respond to this?

1.      Be grateful:

When we look around and see how blessed we are; we need to be grateful to God. This is the antidote to fear. Write down on a journal the things we are grateful for.

 

Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”.

 

2.      Generous:

Let us be a people who not only receive but give freely.

3.      Be gracious and merciful to others:

Eph 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” Don’t hold on to grudges but extend forgiveness and grace.

 

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love”

4.      We are living for God’s glory:

When our mind is focused on doing good deeds, we are bringing glory to God.

 

When we are anchored to these things, we are steady through the storms of this life.

Let’s pray!

     Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

 

Biblical Parenting

 

 This message was preached by Colin DCruz via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on  January 10th 2021. for the audio please click here.  TO listen to the worship please click here

If I was to ask you what your gender is, would you think? Why did I ask this? These days, the gender question is assaulted. This morning, I want to state what establishes the fact about gender.

6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ – Mark 10:6

God made them male and female. There are no 100+ gender identities. But there are only 2 – male and female.

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

-        Gen 1:27-31

God’s Word outlines that there are only 2 gender identities and the mankind is made in His image. And it was very good. Let us look into a few important truths.

 

Family is from God

Are all families equal? Let us look into a real life example.

There was a man name Jonathan Edward. A study was made on the lineage of his family tree. This is what was found –

Out of approximately 1,400 known descendants:

 

·                  "practically no lawbreakers";

·                  more than 100 lawyers and 30 judges;

·                  13 college presidents, 100+ professors;

·                  100 clergymen, missionaries and theological professors;

·                  62 physicians;

·                  80 elected public officials, including 3 mayors, 3 governors, several congressmen, 3 senators and 1 vice-president (Aaron Burr);

·                  60 authors or editors with 135 books to their credit; and

·                  75 army or navy officers.

 

Let us now look the lineage of Max Dukes family tree.

Of the total group of related individuals, this is what was found -

·                  310 were paupers who spent a combined 2,300 years in poorhouses;

·                  130 were convicted criminals;

·                  50 women were prostitutes;

·                  7 were murders; and

·                  these paupers and criminals cost the state of New York $1.5 million to pay for their incarcerations and $1.25 million in public welfare and other costs to society apart from incarceration.

 

What is the difference? Bringing up the children according to God’s Word is the difference. We have choices to make. We need to make the right choice. The legacies we leave go onto many generations and impact the world.

How do we bridge the gap between starting and leaving a legacy?

 

1.     Material Provision

 

As parents, it is our responsibility to provide for our children.

 

8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Tim 5:8

 

 

 

 

2.     Faithful Instruction

 

8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. – Eph 6:8

 

We may provide with everything but without faithful instruction, they may get spoilt. Children however young, they do understand. So read to them the God’s word. Read the Bible stories. As they grow up, they would come to know the love of Jesus

Training them includes discipline in love.

 

3.     Giving a godly example

 

People should be able to see us training our kids.

 

 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. – 1 Cor 11:1

 

We should be a living example. Our walk must match our talk.

 

4.     Showering love upon our children

 

It is very easy to see our kids doing wrong. We should remember to give them affirmation, love and encouragement. Remember to shower love. Sometimes we wait for them to perform well. But our love should be unconditional just as our Father in heaven showers His love upon us.

 

Family is very important. It is not man’s idea, but God’s. The gender is male and female. What we do have repercussions in the next generations till Christ returns. So, we need to stay rooted in the Word of God.

   Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

 

Crossing Over Into 2021

 This message was preached by Colin DCruz via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on  January 3rd 2021. for the audio please click here.  TO listen to the worship please click here

Phil 3: 10-

¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Paul is writing to the Phil and talking about his great desires: know Christ, power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.

Paul wrote a large portion of the New Testament, he went up into heaven, and encountered Jesus in person. He was an amazing person

What can we learn from this passage for the New year

1.    Desire for more V12 Paul was dissatisfied with his spiritual progress. Imagine that. He was still looking forward to something greater.

We need to have a holy dissatisfaction about what we have accomplished things for God. We can’t settle for less if we want to grow in maturity.

Often when we go for a buffet, we fill ourselves with the appetizers.

Ps42 As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul longs after you.

There is great desire expressed by men and women in scripture for God.

The way we move ahead is a desire for more of God

2.    Forgetting what is behind. v13 Sometimes things in the past hinder our spiritual progress viz failures – you can feel hopeless or paralyzed. We need to put it out of our mind. That does not define you

Success can also hinder you. you feel you have arrived – I am serving, giving etc.

With failures we humbly confess and with success we humbly thank God

3.    Strain toward what is ahead. Paul loved sport. He gave a lot of sports examples. Straining/press on. Those are not walk in the park terms.

1Cor 9:24-27 Run in such a way as to get the prize.

How are we beginning the New Year? We need to get hold of Christ, we need to make an effort

What does this mean for us? We need to have a plan like an athlete who trains for a marathon. They train months in advance,

Have a plan to get into God’s word – read, meditate, memorize, study it.

Prayer – I do not know anyone who is happy with their prayer life. This is something we all can grow in. When we pray God will act. It may be slow but God acts like the nation of Israel in the desert. Of like Daniel and the writing on the wall, The Medes invaded that very night.

Consider how you can increase your prayer life. This is how we push back the darkness.

Developing relationships – the lockdown has been a challenge but we need to find a way through it. We need to build relationships across the church to encourage others, to build a friendship. In every encounter let us express love

 

 Giving -Many of us have not been affected by the COVID-19 19 crises. But many industries have been severely affected. WE need to be intentional about growing in our giving. We thank God for our finances. We are intentional about increasing our giving.

4.    Reach the lost – People are in great need. We need to reach out. If people do not receive the gospel, shake the dust off your feet and leave. It is no reflection on you.

 

5.    Serving – Many served to make the Christmas Carols evening a success. Look at how you can serve. We are not doing this for public recognition but serving for the audience of one. People may or may not acknowledge it but you serve faithfully

We had many amazing prophetic words for this year. Here is the video link.

New wine is not put into old wineskins. We have to be ready to adapt to change. In the book of Acts, the church grew rapidly but they did not leave Jerusalem. Then in Acts 8 the church got scattered and the Word spread. With COVID-19 we have been spread out too. Jesus said when 2 or 3 are gathered he is there. He did not say 200 or 300. This year we want to strengthen the gathering of 2 and 3.

 

    Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.