This is a story I received today. Hope it will be a blessing.

Little Jason was playing on the floor while his mother sitting, on a chair was busy doing some embroidery. Watching her in curiosity, he asked her what she was doing. She told him that she was embroidering.

He told her that it looked like a mess from where he was. He watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, he complained to her that it sure looked messy from where he sat. She smiled at him and told him, "My son, you go about your playing and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

While playing, the little boy wondered why she was using dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled to him. After sometime he heard his mother's voice saying, "Son, come sit on my knee." His mother sat him on her knee and the little boy was simply thrilled to see beautiful flowers that his mother had done. He could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

Then his mother explained to him, "My son, from the other side it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

When you go through trials and pain in life, you may think like little Jason that your life is a mess. You may wonder why the Father is allowing such things to happen in your life. But remember the Father is working on you to make you a blessing to the world. You will be thrilled when the Father shows you the plan that He's been working on you and you will not cease thanking Him all your life.

Philippians 1:9-11 - Abound (Greek-perisseuo)

Phi 1:9 - And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 

Phi 1:10 - so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offence unto the day of Christ

Phi 1:11 - being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. 

Abound - Original Greek Word - , Transliterated word - perisseuo, Phonetic spelling - per-is-syoo'-o, Meaning - to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel: - (make, more) abound, (have, have more) abundance, (be more) abundant, be the better, enough and to spare, exceed, excel, increase, be left, redound, remain (over and above). The present active subjunctive of perisseuō, means “may keep on overflowing”, a perpetual flood of love. These verses contain the prayers Paul puts up for the believers at Philippi. Paul often let his friends know what it was he begged of God for them, that they might know what to beg for themselves and be directed in their own prayers, and that they might be encouraged to hope they should receive from God the quickening, strengthening, everlasting, comforting grace, which so powerful an intercessor as Paul asked of God for them. It is an encouragement to us to know that we are prayed for by our friends, who, we have reason to think, have an interest at the throne of grace. It was intended likewise for their direction in their walk, and that they might labor to answer his prayers for them; for by this it would appear that God had answered them. Paul, in praying thus for them, expected good concerning them. It is an inducement to us to do our duty, that we may not disappoint the expectations of praying friends and ministers. He prayed, 1.  That they might be a loving people, and that good affections might abound among them; That your love might abound yet more and more. He means it of their love to God, and one another, and all men. Love is the fulfilling both of the law and of the gospel. Those who abound much in any grace have still need to abound more and more, because there is still something wanting in it and we are imperfect in our best attainments. 2.  That they might be a knowing and prudent people: that love might abound in knowledge and in all judgment. It is not a blind love that will recommend us to God, but a love grounded upon knowledge and judgment. We must love God because of his infinite excellence and loveliness, and love our brethren because of what we see of the image of God upon them. Strong passions, without knowledge and a settled judgment, will not make us complete in the will of God, and sometimes do more hurt than good. The Jews had a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, and were transported by it to violence and rage 3.  That they might be a discerning people. This would be the effect of their knowledge and judgment: That you may approve the things which are excellent (Phil: 1:10) The truths and laws of Christ are excellent things; and it is necessary that we approve them, and esteem them such. We only need to try them, to approve of them; and they will easily recommend themselves to any searching and discerning mind. 4.  That they might be an honest upright-hearted people: That you may be sincere. Sincerity is our gospel perfection, that in which we should have our conversation in the world, and which is the glory of all our graces. When the eye is single, when we are inward with God in what we do, are really what we appear to be, and mean honestly, then we are sincere. 5.  That they might be an inoffensive people: that you may be without offence until the day of Christ; not apt to take offence; and very careful not to give offence to God or their brethren, to live in all good conscience before God (Act 23:1), and to exercise ourselves to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men, Act 24:16. And we must continue to the end blameless, that we may be presented so at the day of Christ. He will present the church without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:27), and present believers faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jud 1:24. 6.  That they might be a fruitful useful people (Phi 1:11): Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, etc. From God is our fruit found, and therefore from him it must be asked. The fruits of righteousness are the evidences and effects of our sanctification, the duties of holiness springing from a renewed heart, the root of the matter in us. Being filled with them. Those who do much good should still endeavor to do more. The fruits of righteousness, brought forth for the glory of God and edification of his church, should really fill us, and wholly take us up. Fear not being emptied by bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, for you will be filled with them. These fruits are by Jesus Christ, by his strength and grace, for without him we can do nothing. It is much for the honour of God, when Christians not only are good, but do good, and abound in good works. We cannot wish and pray for a better thing for our Christian friends, than that they may abound in love.Nothing will promote their welfare like this; and we had better pray for this, than that they may obtain abundant riches, and share the honors and pleasures of the world. References: Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible Word Pictures In The New Testament

Remain (Greek Word - Meno) in Christ

John 15:4 - Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

Meno is related to Latin “Maneo”. It means to remain in one place, at a given time, with someone. Metaphorically it can mean to keep an agreement, to remain in a particular sphere of life, to make a stand against difficult circumstances. Hence meno can be used of that which remains valid in law.

These two things are absolutely necessary to our salvation:

1. That we continue closely united to Christ by faith and love, and live in and to him.

2. That we continually receive from him the power to do good; for as the branch, however good in itself, cannot bear fruit from itself, through its own juice, which it has already derived from the tree, and can be no longer supported than it continues in union with the parent stock, neither can we, unless we remain in Him. As the branch partakes of the nature of the tree, is nourished by its juice, and lives by its life, so we must be made partakers of His Divine nature, be wise in His wisdom, powerful in His might, and pure through His holiness.

Of the 118 instances of meno, 40 are found in John and 24 in Johannine Epistles. Here it is used with a special Christological force. The normal Greek uses of the word are also found in NT. Intrans, “meno” means to remain (“in fellowship with,” Jn 14:10)

On one hand, meno expresses the closest possible relationship between father and son: “The father who dwells in me (en emoi menon) does his work” (Jn 14:10). The unbroken fellowship of Jesus with the father causes the word of Jesus to be the word of God and his work to be the work of God (Jn 1:32, 8:35). On the other hand it depicted the closest possible relationship between Christ and the believer, Jesus calls men in this fellowship and guarantees to the believer that he also will remain in them (Jn 15:14).

In Jn.15: 4. “Abide in me and I in you”. Jesus is showing his disciples that he is the source of spiritual life. Jesus is the source of life. Jesus said, “I have came to give you life and life abundantly” (Jn 10:10). The question we need to ask, “Are we connected to the vine?” If we want to live a meaningful life than we need to be connected to the source of life (Jesus).

Tablets of Stone versus Human Hearts

You are manifestly an epistle of Christ . . . written . . . not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2Co 3:3)

The old covenant of law was written upon "tablets of stone." The new covenant of grace is written upon "tablets . . . of the heart." This is another vital contrast between the old and new covenants. This difference again decides whether we draw upon man's sufficiency or upon God's.

The old covenant message of God's law was written on stones. It called man to holiness, as measured by the character of God. "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy" (Lev 19:2). The message is magnificent. However, its impact would be limited (by design), since it was written on "tablets of stone." It was inscribed upon an inanimate object that was external to human lives. Consequently, it could not bring life or any provision for transforming lives. The law would function as a perfect standard, revealing our unholiness and convicting us that we needed the help that only Jesus Christ could offer. We needed some means to get the perfect message of the law (holiness) into our innermost being. This is what the new covenant of grace accomplishes.

The new covenant message of God's grace is written on human hearts: "on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." Grace not only forgives our failure before the law, but it goes to work to develop personal holiness at the very core of our being. This was the promise God gave through His prophets of old, that He would put His holy law into peoples' hearts. The book of Hebrews applies this promise to all believers in Jesus Christ. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts" (Heb 10:16).

What hope we have through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Now, God brings His holiness from an outside standard to an internal resource. Now, the Lord is making His holy demands an internal part of our being. God is stirring holy desires in us. God is developing holy priorities within us and providing spiritual strength within us to walk in more and more godliness. "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phi 2:13).

Every Spiritual Blessings are Ours in Christ

Eph 1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Paul begins with thanksgivings and praise, and enlarges with a great deal of confidence and abundance of affection upon the exceedingly great and precious benefits which we enjoy by Jesus Christ.
Living day by day by grace is essentially about developing an intimate relationship with the Lord. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." "You also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead" (Rom 7:4). Through this profound uniting with Christ, astounding spiritual riches are now ours.

The blessings we are blessed with are spiritual, so called to distinguish them from temporal blessings. The Jews have the like distinction of, "temporal blessings", and "spiritual blessings"; which latter are solid, substantial, and lasting blessings; and which concern the good of the soul or spirit of man; and are agreeable to, and desired by a spiritual man; and are applied by the Holy Spirit of God.

This is why Paul offered grateful praise to the Lord: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul's thanksgiving was for what the Father has given to us: "who has blessed us." Notice, the verb is in the past tense — this has already happened. What is it that has already been given to us? It is "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." This truth is staggering in its implications. Every grace resource that heaven has to offer is already ours here on earth. This does not mean that we are fully aware of all that has been given to us. Certainly, it does not mean that we are experiencing all of these blessings. Yet, it does mean that they are all ours to draw upon for fullness of life here on earth!

God is the author and giver of all blessings; and he blesses his people with them, as He is the God and Father of Christ, and as he is their covenant God and Father in Christ; and he only can bless; if he blesses not, none can; and if he blesses, they are blessed indeed.

The reason these rich blessings are ours is that they all reside in Christ. In Christ there is forgiveness, righteousness, and wisdom. Also, love, joy, and peace are found in Him. In Christ dwell victory, discernment, and courage. Moreover, compassion, strength, and perseverance are part of who He is. All this and far more are found in Christ. "For it pleased the Father that in Him [in Christ] all the fullness should dwell" (Col 1:19). Now, we dwell in the place ("in Christ") where all of this richness resides: "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. " All these spiritual resources of the kingdom of heaven are now ours "in Christ." "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for [upon] grace" (John 1:16).






References: John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

15 Questions that will Change Your Life...!

The Bible says comparatively little about success, but a lot about heart, the place where true success originates. How important is the heart! It is there that character is formed. It alone holds the secrets of true success.

Find 15 magical questions, which can surely change your heart toward achieving success!

1. What is the most important thing you wish to achieve in your life?
2. What is the specific goal you want to achieve in the next five years?
3. How important is the goal to you? Why?
4. What steps are you planning to take to accomplish the above goal?
5. What are you doing now to accomplish this goal?
6. What do you think about your chances of succeeding?
7. What will happen to your family, society and nation if you do succeed?
8. What will happen if you fail?
9. What are your personal shortcomings that are likely to hinder your achievements now or later on?
10. What are you doing, or plan to do about these shortcomings?
11. What obstacles from the environment are likely to block you from achieving your goal?
12. What are you doing about them?
13. What do you plan to do about them?
14. What kind of help do you think you will need?
15. What persons/organizations do you see as giving such help?

Wish you successful days ahead!

Acknowledgment
This article was sent by Bro. Prince Xavier. Published with permission.