"There is in the soul of man a Christ shaped vacuum that only a relationship with Jesus can satisfy "

Prithika

The curse of Eden
To Adam he said: Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat from it,” the soil is cursed on account of you. You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life. Genesis 3:17 ESV
Now Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law’s condemnation, by himself becoming a curse for us when he was crucified. For the scripture is plain: ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’
Galatians 3:13

The above verses illustrate succinctly the message of the gospel. In Genesis, Adam's disobedience to God's command led to the whole of mankind being cursed. Prior to the curse, food was free for the taking and shelter was not needed as the world was not a dangerous place. However, after the curse, mankind had to strive to feed, clothe and shelter himself.  The world became a dangerous place. However,  God is never outdone.  But when the proper time came God sent his son, born of a human mother and born under the jurisdiction of the Law, that he might redeem those who were under the authority of the Law and lead us into becoming, by adoption, true sons of God. Galatians 4:4-5. Christ, in our stead, suffered the consequences of our disobedience to God's law and was punished instead of us, so that we could live our lives in abundance and in harmony with God. John 10:10 Jesus said I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly. Fullness of life is found in Christ alone. Christ removed the effects of the curse from our lives. In Christ, our lives are blessed. The psalmist says Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Deuteronomy says If you will obey the Lord your God, all these blessings will come to you and be yours:

3 “He will bless you
    in the city and in the field.
4 He will bless you
    and give you many children.
He will bless your land
    and give you good crops.
He will bless your animals
    and let them have many babies.
    He will bless you with calves and lambs.
5 He will bless your baskets and pans
    and fill them with food.
6 He will bless you at all times
    in everything you do

And the blessings continue. So, the next time you are having a bad day at work, remember that Christ canceled the curse of Eden. You are now empowered to rise above the circumstances and live life abundantly. Tap into the blessings of God. This means tremendous joy to you, I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident—it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold, and gold, as you know, even though it is ultimately perishable, must be purified by fire. 1 Peter 1:8. Have a blessed day overflowing with God's riches at Christ's expense. Amen 

Givers and takers
Luke6:38(KJV)
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Don’t hold back—give freely, and you’ll have plenty poured back into your lap—a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, brimming over. You’ll receive in the same measure you give(VOICE)

Reflecting this Thanksgiving morning on being givers. Giving of our love, giving of our talents, giving of our skills, giving of our time, giving of our finances and lastly but definitely not the least, giving of ourselves  If I were to golf occasionally it doesn't make me a golfer. It requires consistency, dedication, practice and commitment.  Then I can call myself a golfer. Same an occasional random act pf kindness doesn't make me a giver. We need to actively pursue being a giver in the kingdom of God. Actively giving of our love, time and talents to not only further God's kingdom but to demonstrate practically the love of Jesus to those around us is how we become givers. Galatians 6:7 A person reaps what he sows. Acts 20:35 It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” The above are some scripture verses which illustrate kingdom principles. Combined with Luke 6:38 illustrate the blessings of being a giver. William Booth said It is not what you give that matters its what you have leftover. As with everything in God’s kingdom principles,  it's the attitude of the heart which matters. Giving under compulsion negates the gift. Being guilted into giving is never worthwhile.A gift has to come out of the abundance of the heart. Also, a word of caution, you cannot pour from an empty vessel. We need to take time to receive an infilling from the Lord. Only then can there be an outpouring of His love from us. We have to feast on the table of God's grace and goodness before we can set a feast for others. We need to receive from the Lord and give to this world. Let us pray this prayer of Fracis of Assisi Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You.
The full lyrics in another section of my blog. Amen. 

New every morning
Lamentations 3:22,23.(ESV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

A verse to reflect on this morning. Every morning is a fresh start, a new opportunity, a clean slate, a light in the darkness, a ray of sunshine amidst the rain. Each day is a reminder to us of God's grace and mercy which never fail. God is good and His mercy forever endures. He blesses us with new anointing. He restores our soul.  We can agree with the Psalmist David, our cup runs over. We are strengthened with power and might in the inner man, to cope with challenges the day throws at us. His love for us endures forever. A very short write up this morning, written to encourage you to rely on God's love and mercy as you tackle the challenges this new day brings across our paths. Lean on Him, when you are weak, hearken to His voice. Listen to what God has to say. Trust in Him to resolve any problems that you may face. Be restored, refreshed and renewed as you draw from the wells of salvation. Let His living water quench the thirsting of your soul. He is our rock and redeemer, my God in Him will I trust. All things are possible for him who believes. Draw strength from God's Word and tackle the challenges of this day in His strength. Be strengthened with power and might in the inner man. Our God reigns, blessed be the rock and may the God of our salvation be exalted. Pray this with me. O Lord our Father, we ask you to walk with us today and help us overcome any obstacles we face. You are the wellspring of wisdom and we draw on your strength and wisdom to handle everything we face today. Let your living water flow over us. Holy Spirit, inspire us we pray.  Let not our enemies triumph over us. Keep us in health and strengthen us once again. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Signs in the sky
Acts 2:19-21 (PHILLIPS)
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

On this, the Lord's day, let us reflect on the day of the Lord. The book of Matthew chapter 24 outlines end time events and likens them to birth pangs prior to Christ's return. Any woman who has given birth knows that when she has birth pangs, the baby's birth is near. Sometimes taking a look at world events and listening to the evening news seems to be like re reading Matthew 24. This is not a time to stray from faith in Christ and experiment walking on the wild side. God is merciful and patient, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and tender mercy. An urgent plea to return to the Father's house. There's a welcome party awaiting your return. The bridegroom's return is close at hand and we need to have oil in our lamps and be on fire for Jesus. The world around us is groping in the darkness. They need to see the light of Christ in us to illuminate their pathway. Christ is the light of the world who dispels the darkness in the world around us. We are to reflect that light to those around us. John 3:16-17 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that every one who believes in him shall not be lost, but should have eternal life. You must understand that God has not sent his Son into the world to pass sentence upon it, but to save it—through him.(PHILLIPS). It's easy to get lost while walking in the dark. We need to turn on the light to illuminate our pathway and find our way back. Just a short exhortation this morning to stay on the strait and narrow. Pay heed to the signs in the sky heralding the imminent return of Christ. Return to the Father's house and seek God's kingdom. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you. Hallelujah. (Matthew 6:31)