Saints Uniting Presbyterian Church

08/12/2022

05/10/2022

Saints, I greet you all in the name of Jesus, the resurrected Messiah.

John 6:53 *"So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."* ESV.

One fact we know scientifically is that blood is life. In all animals, the loss of blood is the loss of life .
In the Old Testament God forbids people from eating the blood of animals. Leviticus 17:14 _"For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off."_

In the Gospel according to John, Jesus tells His disciples that unless they eat His flesh and drink His blood, they have no life in them.

We agreed that blood itself is life. Jesus is saying, unless your life is filled by my life, then there is no life in you. Drinking the blood of Jesus, revives and restores life in us. This life does not end when we die. The blood of Jesus connects us to the life hereafter. When we drink His blood, we automatically become citizens of heaven while on earth.

The question might come, *"how do we drink His blood?"* The moment one hears the Good News of salvation and believes it, you begin to drink from life itself. Your life is no longer your own, but belongs to the Creator of the universe.

We should not make a mistake that many disciples did back then, when they neglected Jesus because they thought they had to be canibals. Jesus meant that His blood, gives life to our lives and we are reconnected to the Father through His blood. We assume the same DNA with Jesus. Love, compassion, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, peace, and humility becomes who we are in Christ.

The blood of Jesus does not only make us like Him, but gives us access into the presence of God the Father. Hebrew 10:19 says, _"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus."_ This blood makes us to stand in the holy of holies, we now can stand before God, not covered by the blood of animals but sanctified and without sin.

Saint, there is power in the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus shall never lose its power. You are invited to drink from this fountain and receive life everlasting.

The question is, "How can I drink from this fountain?" The Bible says that, _"If you confess with your mouth, *"Jesus is Lord,"* and believe in your heart that *God raised him from the dead* , you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."__SAINTS, drink and have life. Amen.

_LORD JESUS, I believe that you are the Son of the living God. You were raised from the dead and in your life, I live. Write my name in the book of life and may your blood flow in me._ Amen.

27/09/2022

I greet you all in the name of Jesus our Redeemer.

Ezekiel 37: 13-14. *"And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”* ESV.

God took prophet Ezekiel and put him in the valley of dry bones. Step by step God guides him as to what to prophesy to the dry bones in the valley.

The first question the Lord asks, is if the dry bones will live and Ezekiel remembers that God is the only One who knows the answer. *"O Lord GOD, you know.”* There is nothing hidden before God's eyes. He knew us then, He knows us today and forever He will know us.

We know Ezekiel spoke life into dry bones and the bones began to come together and at the end _"they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army."_

God does not leave them as bodies without "ruach" breath in them. He tells Ezekiel that He will put His Spirit in them and they will know that He is God. God will open their graves and restore them to life.

These bones in the valley were dead. The valley was their grave. God promises to bring back life and pull them out of the valley.

The Holy Spirit is central to Ezekiel's message. Without Him (Holy Spirit), we cannot come out of the valley by ourselves.

Saints, without the Spirit of God. Without the Holy Spirit our Comforter we become only a great army of breathless beings.

Today, people feel like we are breathless bones in the valley. Hit by the scorching sun and rain without any protection. But God knows that there is a future ahead of us. All we need is God's Spirit of life in us. He says, *"And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live."*

Saints, the political and fiscal turmoil we find ourselves in will surely pass. The valley we are in will be turned into hills. The Holy Spirit will give us life again. Let us hold unto His Word so that we can breathe again. Amen.

Let us pray.
_Lord Jesus, we feel the heat and the cold of being in the valley. As a nation we are exposed and we need your covering. Blow your Spirit in us again, let life be restored._ Amen.

06/09/2022

Saints, I greet you in the name of Jesus. The Head and the Master of the church.

1 Corinthians 15: 57 *"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."* ESV.

Saints, this month of September, we celebrate heritage month. As Christians, we are reminded _'who we are in Christ'._ There are certain qualities as children of God that define our existence and praise is one of them.

In Ephesians 5:20 Paul says, _"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."_ Praising God makes Him appear as He really is, 'Big'. Praise lifts God up in the middle of storms and uncertainties. When everything looks dull, praising God is the number one antidote.

Sometimes, God allows us to go through difficulties for this increases our patience and strengthens our faith. Remember we are not alone in everything we are going through. He is present in our midst. He promised in the book of Isaiah 43: 2a _"When you pass through the waters, *I will be with you."*_ We must continue giving God thanks for what He lets us go through but with us every step of the way. He is great and merciful.

Someone might ask, "Why do we need to give thanks to God?" Because He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ we are more than conquerors.

This month, allow yourself time to give thanks to God and praise all your way through the storms of life. No matter what you are going through, God is the only hope who has won the victory for you. Lift Him higher. Proclaim Him among your friends and acquitances. Let your enemies see His greatness and invite them to meet Him.

Praise Him in the morning and the evening. We are the people of praise, we give thanks in all circumstances. Amen.

Let us pray.
_Our heavenly Father, who is like you in all the earth? You love and care for us when times are hard and uncertainty becomes the order of the day. You, oh Lord, You are the pillar of strength, be big in our lives today._ Amen.

31/08/2022

Saints, I greet you in the name of Jesus. The One who died for us on the cross of Calvary. The One who carries our weaknesses and intercedes for us, pleading for God's mercy upon us. The name that means something in heaven and on earth. It is by this name, we are brothers and sisters today. We lift the name of Jesus high.

Amos 8: 11-12 " *Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it."* ESV.

Prophet Amos is one of the minor prophets who came from the Southern kingdom of Judah and prophesied to the Northern kingdom of Israel. He was known as a prophet of doom, as he prophesied that Israel will be destroyed and people taken to foreign lands.

He prophesied during the economic progressive period of the Northern kingdom led by King Jeroboam while the Southern kingdom of Judah was led by King Uzziah. The Northern kingdom was very rich and they neglected God and started to follow other nations idol gods.

One of the themes he warned against is the famine of the Word of God. He foretold that there will be a time in the Northern kingdom when people will hunger to hear the Word of God, and they will not get anyone to proclaim it to them.

They shall travel from sea to sea to hear the soothing words of God but there will be none. We somehow find ourselves dealing with the similar period of our time. People love themselves more than they love God. The Word of God is used to make people feel good about themselves and not be rebuked to live holy lives. The church no longer focuses on holiness but more on good living, blessings and prosperity.

The world is trying to direct the church as to what they should proclaim, and ignore what the Word of God says. Christians are being muted by governments throughout the world and other religions and foreign traditions are promoted and imposed on the church.

The time is at hand where the church of Christ must proclaim the good news of salvation and call those who are in the world to the mercy found in Christ our Redeemer. The church must go back to evangelizing and drawing people to the One who saves souls.

We must not allow our country to degenerate to a place where the Word of God would mean nothing to us. As Paul's advice to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:2) " *Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction."*

Saints, the time is at hand, Jesus is coming and we need to be intentional about proclaiming the Word of the Lord. Be involved in the life of the church and join the recruiting team of the Kingdom of God on earth. God trusts the church to lead and not to be muted as the world expects. Amen.

Let us pray. _"Lord Jesus, revive your church to be your mouthpiece. Begin with me to reach the world to yourself. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus. Amen."_

23/08/2022

Matthew 14:30, " **But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted."*
*
In the darkness of night, Jesus came walking to His disciples across the stormy sea. Based on His instruction to "come," Peter had the courage to walk on the water to Jesus. Imagine how amazed Peter was as he took step after step, looking at Jesus, doing the impossible.

As long as Peter focused on what Jesus said, he was fine. But when he started focusing on what he saw, he began to doubt and sink. This year seems to be the most difficult one. Things we see and hear they are discouraging and we wonder if we would come out of this dark moment.

Peter walked on water, when he focused on the instruction but the moment he focused on the waves he began to sank.

If you're focused on how the medical report is not good or how you'll never get out of debt, you'll be limited. You have to stay focused on what God says. When you focus on what He promises, you'll walk on water. You'll go places you couldn't go on your own. You'll overcome obstacles that are much bigger. The winds and waves are a test. Don't get distracted and start focusing on the negative.

Lord Jesus, you remain our storms and waves controller. When dark moments come, we can call out your name for you alone can save us. Amen. (By Pastor Anil Paladhy).

04/08/2022

Greetings in Jesus name.

We give thanks to God that he is still keeping us in his mercy. It is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of God.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"

Pray for your children.

Pray for your grandchildren.

Father thank you for the spirit of prayer. Give us the strength to cover our families with prayer wherever they go. In Jesus' name.

28/07/2022

Saints, I greet you all in the name of our soon-coming King, Jesus the Nazarene.

Mark 9: 5-8 *"And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only."* ESV.

Jesus took three of His disciples Peter, James, and John to a high mountain. When they are there the transfiguration happened. Mark records that Jesus' clothes turned intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. Suddenly the clouds covered Jesus and with Him there, stood Moses and Elijah.

Theologically, we understand that Moses represents the law of God (the Torah) for he came with the tablets of the law from Mount Sinai. Elijah represents the prophets, people who brought God's message (the Word). Between the two of them, they represented the Law and the Word of God.

I am drawn by what Peter says when they were terrified by seeing this action before their very eyes. He says, *"Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”*

What Peter meant is that the three of them deserved to have three shrines. In His mind, Jesus was as great as Moses and Elijah. The clouds covered the three again and then there was NO one but Jesus.

When we link this to Peter's terrified statement it means that the three shrines or temples are not necessary, Jesus is the only one who remains with them.

Sometimes as people we find ourselves equating Jesus to other things or people in the Bible. The truth is 'that Jesus is the only Saviour of our lives.' Moses by himself will not save us. Elijah by himself will not save us. Salvation comes from one man, Jesus the Messiah. The greatness of the servants of God must disappear so that His greatness will appear.

The transfiguration experience highlights Jesus as the main pillar of our faith. Understanding the Law is very good. Knowing the Word of God is very good, but the two outside Jesus remain our human effort and intellect.

Jesus holds our faith in God, together. He is the be-all and end-all of our salvation story. He makes salvation complete for He is the perfect lamb of God that takes away our sin.

Saint, no one must miss the greatness of Jesus. We must be reminded again and again that all things that we trust and believe in will one day disappear and Jesus is the only one who will remain standing. Knowing Him is the greatest decision one could ever make. Remain in Him for He is the Alpha and Omega of our lives.
Amen.

Let us pray:
_"Jesus be the center in our lives. Be the Law and the Word of God in us. May everything in us give you the glory and honour you deserve. Everything will pass but Jesus you will remain on the throne forever."_ Amen.