“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6:1,2

No way , grace does not allow persistence in sin . May believers are ignorant and unaware of the other side of grace.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’. Titus 2 :12

Grace helps us to say “NO” to sin . Grace is available to live holy lives in this present age.

We are saved by grace , means, not just that we are saved from the penalty and consequence of sin by grace by the work of Christ on the cross ,but even from  the power of sin by grace , by the  grace to resist which the Holy Spirit gives , which is available in this present age.

True , we are saved by Grace alone!

Remember the two sides of grace. Don’t forget the grace available to resist sin ,even as you seek God’s grace for the forgiveness of sins.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[ e] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[ f]to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
Colossians 1

Check what you miss when you are praying for me?

What are the key words in the prayer ?

Paul was working to fulfill CHRIST’S goal for the believer and Church. There was unty in purpose and unity in outcome between Christ and Paul. Paul did not have his own agenda for the church.Both of them were working towards perfecting the church in holiness.

How about you? Are you as a minister/servant working towards that end of presenting everyone fully mature in Christ? Are you as an individual submitting daily to the perfecting work of Christ through the Holy Spirit in your life?

Many people think, faith is just believing. But faith has two sides like a coin. One side is belief  and the other behaviour. The one without the other is not faith.

The apostle James in his letter writes,

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[b] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^[d]And he was called the friend of God. James 2.

This passage is quite clear ,isn’t it ?

To escape the error of salvation by works we have fallen into the opposite error of salvation without obedience.   -A.W .Tozer

Consider your idea of faith. Is it biblically accurate?

Enough, nuff, enough is enough
No more white lies it’s time to hang tough
Enough, nuff, Enough is enough
No more foolin with compromise. No No No

Russian roulette a loaded gun
Shot in the dark the damage is done
I take my chances hope my aim is true
I know inside, what I’m missin is You

I can’t pretend to walk in the light
While all the while I live for the night
And like a bullet between the eyes
It’s time for my to realize

Enough, nuff, enough is enough
No more white lies it’s time to hang tough
Enough, nuff, Enough is enough
No more foolin with compromise. No No No

I fell the heat inside, a burning fireball
It’s time to choose a road, cause I’m heading for a fall
I will heed the Master
No more livin with my back against the walL

This song  sung by white cross, speaks about the compromising life many Christians live. One foot in the world and the other in the kingdom. Trying to serve both God and satan , Kingdom and world , spirit and the flesh. Trying to please God as well as men. Living without any convictions.That’s not God’s will for anybody. You cannot serve both God and everything that opposed to him and his kingdom. You have to make your choice to take a stand for the Kingdom of God ,choosing to live only by Kingdom values ,whatever the cost, come what may!

Aeound 10 years back I had to make a choice. Having  a compromising lifestyle as a Christian is the most torturous experience you can ever have. I knew the Lord, I was externally a very normal christian. But inside there were there struggles , battles , constant defeats .

One of the compromises I had to deal with was cheating in exams I.E copying from others , helping other in the exam hall .etc. I did this in the first year of medical college and I flunked my first year. It was a big blow. But then God convicted me and helped me to make a stand in the examination hall. In the second year, i went to the exams after hearing this song multiple times the day before. I just wanted to do it right , that was and is success for me and God took/takes care of whatever happened . And I cleared the second year , though there were questions I did not write because I did not know and I came out of the exam hall earlier than any of my friends.Even though I did not write all the nswers all the times , there was this strong confidence that I will pass all the exams as God is going to take care of that side of the happenings. I experienced God’s providence in an amazing way and I still continue to do the same .

If a man gives all his wealth, it is nothing; if he does great penance, it is little; if he gains all knowledge, he is still far afield; if he has great virtue and much ardent devotion, he still lacks a great deal, and especially, the one thing that is most necessary. What is this one thing? That leaving all, he forsake himself, completely renounce himself, and give up all private affections. Then, when he has done all that he knows ought to be done, let him consider it as nothing, let him make little of what may be considered great; let him in all honesty call himself an unprofitable servant…

No one, however, is more wealthy than such a man; no one is more powerful, no one freer than he who knows how to leave all things and think of himself as the least of all”

– Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ.

Meditate on the first point.There’s much to learn from there.

Star ministry is the ministry based on your

1.Skills (acquired)- education ,communication skills, medical surgical skills,management skills,Language skills etc
2.Talents(natural/innate) – Musical talent, athletic abilities, singing,mental capabilities etc
3.Spiritual Gifts: Prophecy,teaching,preaching,evangelism..etc

Here in star ministry , we consider all the above and recognise our calling to ministry and service in life.

Scar ministry includes employing all the lessons that God has taught and installed into you through the bad , hurtful experiences for ministering and service.
Example 1: You were once addicted to pornography and sex and God delivers you. Now you are healed and you have only scars of your past sinful life.You see someone struggling with the same issue then you can reach out to them and tell them that there is deliverance , forgiveness and restoration available through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Example 2: You were sexually and physically abused as a child.You accept CHRIST,become his Child, and God heals you and helps you to forgive your offender. You learn to overcome your past and live the new abundant life Christ has given you. Now you see someone who had a similair experience , your EMPATHIZE ,your heart bleeds and feels for them because of the love of God in you and you reach out to them and share the love of God , forgiveness ,restoration , power to forgive the offenders available in Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christlike life.

WHAT IS YOUR CALLING TO MINISTRY AND SERVICE AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST?
Consider Star ministry + scar ministry prayerfully and you will know in a short time what God wants to do with your life for his service and Glory.

May God bless you and reveal to you what he wants from you in his service for his Glory.

Well in the church , it is normal to call everyone brother or sister. The reason is two fold 1.Maintain Purity of relationships 2.What we mean is that we are children of God and belong to the same family.

It is also true that we have to marry only a believer and so a “sister”. But that is not a problem here because ,the sister you are forbidden to marry is your blood related sister, one born to your parents or relatives. Marriage within blood relations would result in Incest , which is a sin.

But within the body of believers, it is not so. We are not born of the same parents and thus God commands us not to marry outside the family of God, but to marry from within the family of God, i.e one of your brother or sister, who is bron again and baptized.

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 1 corinthians 7.

God’s instruction for choosing a life partner is pretty simple.
“You are free to marry anyone you wish,who belongs to the lord”.
And God is better than many who give counsel today and put people through many pains and difficulties.
He says you are “free to marry anyone you wish” within the family of faith.
This is not my teaching. This is APOSTOLIC TEACHING from St.PAUL.

So follow the APOSTOLIC teaching and don’t get confused about the sense in which the word sister/brother is used in the bible.

May God help you to see and grasp the truth.

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 samuel 16:7

20 Adam named his wife Eve [Life] because she became the mother of every living person.
Gen 3:20 (GW)

26 And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth,
Acts 17:26 (BBE)

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
Acts 17:26 (KJV)

26 he he has deduced all mankind from one parent, to inhabit the surface of the whole earth
Acts 17:26 (MaceNT)

The bible clearly teaches that all humans in every country was made from one BLOOD or one COUPLE ,Adam and Eve. And so consequently , the bible does not teach racial superiority or racial discrimination of any sort.

It is pathetic to read and see racially segregated churches in many parts of the world . That is not how the church is supposed to be. The Church is to model the brotherhood of all men as created in the image of the creator God.It has been commissioned to take the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth ,precisely because Jesus thought it worthy to die for each and every soul created in the image of God no matter what country , color, language group they come from.

So as believers in Christ and as human beings created in the image of God , as created beings loved by the selfgiving son of GOD ,who died for everyone who was ever born on the face of the earth , stand against ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION which demeans any human created in the image of God.

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation”
Revelation 5:9

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
revelation 7:9,10

“The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 samuel 16:7