The Truth

Tag: Lord Jesus loves you

  • YOU ARE THE FRUIT- BEARING THORNY TREE

    The thorns represent the pain, rejection, opposition, misunderstanding, or difficult circumstances surrounding your life. A thorny tree is not an attractive or comfortable thing to approach. People may avoid it, criticize it, or even hate it because of its thorns.

    Yet you bear fruit.

    The tree’s value is not determined by how people treat it. It is determined by the fruit it produces.

    Lord Jesus said: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

    And apostle Paul describes the fruit produced by the Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22,23).

    You may experience rejection, but continue loving.

    You may be misunderstood, but continue walking in truth.

    You may be opposed, but continue doing what is right.

    You may be wounded, but do not stop producing good fruit.

    The thorns do not cancel the fruit.

    A person can have thorns around them without becoming thorny within them.

    People may hurt you but you don’t have to become hateful.

    People may reject you but you don’t have to reject everyone.

    People may speak against you but you don’t have to answer evil with evil.

    People may fail to recognize your fruit but God sees it.

    Our Lord Jesus Himself experienced rejection:

    “He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).

    Yet His life produced the greatest fruit the world has ever known.

    You might be hated by everyone.

    Lord Jesus warned His followers that obedience to Him can bring opposition:

    “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

    Do not measure your calling by people’s acceptance of you.

    Sometimes obedience to God will make you unpopular.

    Sometimes standing for truth will cost you relationships.

    Sometimes doing what is right will leave you misunderstood.

    But rejection does not mean you have failed God.

    Your patience can encourage someone who is suffering.

    Your forgiveness can teach someone mercy.

    Your faithfulness can strengthen someone who is weak.

    Your testimony can give hope to someone who thinks there is no way forward.

    Your wounds, when surrendered to Christ, can become places from which wisdom, compassion, and spiritual fruit emerge.

    Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10: “For when I am weak, then am I strong.”

    Do not be discouraged by your thorns.

    Do not measure yourself by those who reject you.

    Remain rooted in Christ.

    Keep bearing fruit.

    Let the fruit speak louder than the thorns.

    Our Lord said,  “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (John 15:5). 

    You may have to endure pain, rejection, and opposition, but do not allow the thorns around your life to prevent the Holy Spirit from producing beautiful fruit through your life.

    The goal is not to prove that you are a good tree to people. The goal is to remain rooted in Christ and allow Him to produce good fruit through you. 

    “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).

    John Mark

  • LORETA

    Loreta left her home,

    for she had found a strange home;

    the love of a stranger

    seemed more fascinating

    than the love of those who loved her.

    And so, love went on for Loreta.

    She gave birth to two children—

    two little lives,

    whose father was known to God alone.

    Then disease came knocking.

    AIDS struck Loreta

    and her newborn children.

    Poverty entered through the same door,

    and suffering became her companion.

    Disease tormented her.

    Hunger tormented her.

    Loneliness tormented her.

    And betrayal sat beside her

    when no one else remained.

    Then, somewhere beyond human hearing,

    a whisper was heard:

    “Loreta… Loreta…”

    The prophet asked,

    “Who is that, Lord?”

    And the Lord described her.

    He gave him the place where she lay,

    and guided his steps

    with the precision of the All-Knowing God.

    The prophet went searching for Loreta.

    And when he found her,

    the description was unbelievably true.

    For He is Truth—

    and truth can never hide

    from the Truth.

    God saw what men had refused to see.

    He saw her disease.

    He saw her poverty.

    He saw her betrayal.

    He saw her loneliness.

    But above all,

    He saw her heart.

    And from the depths of her brokenness,

    Loreta cried out to the One

    who had created her.

    Her faintest cry

    reached His ears.

    She cried.

    She repented.

    And heaven heard.

    The God who found her

    did not condemn her.

    He healed her.

    He saved her.

    He comforted her.

    He fed her.

    He gathered the pieces

    of the life that had been shattered.

    What men had abandoned,

    God remembered.

    What men had betrayed,

    God restored.

    What the world had overlooked,

    God saw.

    And Loreta—

    who had lost so much—

    received something back

    that no man could give her:

    her laurel.

    Her honor.

    Her dignity.

    Her hope.

    Her victory.

    For the eyes of God

    had pierced through her suffering

    and seen into the deepest chambers

    of her heart.

    And He heard

    even the faintest cry

    of a forgotten woman.

    Loreta gets her laurel back—

    because she was never forgotten

    by the One who knew her

    all along.

    John Mark

  • FORSAKEN BY MAN, COMFORTED BY GOD

    Hagar—betrayed, rejected by her own, and rejected by the world.

    A child in her arms.

    A burden too heavy.

    A journey too long.

    A wilderness with no visible way forward.

    She was sent away into the desert by the very man whom she had trusted.

    Abraham—the man known for his faith, called righteous, and described as a friend of God—sent Hagar and her son into the wilderness.

    Understanding without an understanding heart.

    A mistake made.

    A mistake unaccepted.

    Righteousness found in unrighteousness.

    Yet when man abandoned Hagar, God did not abandon her.

    When Abraham could no longer see her, God saw her.

    When Sarah rejected her, God heard her cry.

    When the wilderness became her dwelling place, God became her refuge.

    Human words, human decisions, and human actions can have consequences far beyond what a person initially sees.

    The words of Sarah remind us of the words of Eve. Eve’s disobedience brought consequences upon humanity, while Sarah’s decision concerning Hagar and Ishmael brought consequences that continued through generations.

    Eve looked beyond God’s command.

    Sarah looked beyond God’s promise.

    Both reveal the danger of allowing human reasoning to take the place of trusting God.

    Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

    For when human wisdom replaces divine wisdom,

    when human decisions replace divine direction,

    and when human understanding replaces faith in God,

    the consequences can reach far beyond what the human heart can foresee.

    But Hagar’s story does not end in the wilderness.

    The God who sees also hears.

    The God who hears also answers.

    The God who allows the wilderness to come is also the God who meets us there.

    Man may forsake you, but God sees you.

    Man may reject you, but God hears you.

    Man may send you into the wilderness, but God can meet you there.

    “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13).

    The wilderness may be the place where man leaves you but it can also become the place where you encounter God.

    John Mark

  • HAVE UNDERSTANDING AND DISCERNMENT

    Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” (Psalm 32:9)

    Do not make God force you to do what is right. A horse or mule does not naturally understand where its master wants it to go. Therefore, the rider uses a bit and bridle to control and direct the animal. God does not want us to live like that spiritually. He wants us to have understanding hearts to listen when He speaks, recognize His direction, and obey Him willingly.

    Let’s not be stubborn, but be obedient to Him and sensitive to God’s voice.

    A stubborn person may know what God is asking but continually resist Him. When God says forgive, we hold onto resentment. When He says stop, we continue. When He says go, we refuse. When He says wait, we rush ahead.

    The problem is not that God has failed to guide us. The problem is that we are refusing to be guided.

    Do not wait until God has to restrain you. Listen while He is instructing you.

    Don’t wait for a painful consequence to teach you what obedience could have taught you peacefully.

    Don’t wait until every door closes before you realize God told you not to enter.

    Don’t wait until you fall before you decide to listen.

    Have understanding. Have discernment.

    Be teachable. Be sensitive to God’s voice.

  • THE UNKNOWN

    Theological seminaries, Bible colleges, and universities will not teach you to know the Unknown.

    The priest and the pastor will teach high-level spirituality only if they have encountered the Unknown.

    The revelation of the Unknown is revealed by the Spirit of the Unknown.

    “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28). This prophecy is directly addressed to common believers. It is not addressed to any pastor, priest, clergy member, or prophet.

    Our Lord Jesus promised that when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide all the believers into all truth and tell them what is yet to come.

    You have to know the Unknown.

    Knowing the Unknown is what you should know.

    The Unknown becomes known when you desire to know Him.

    The more you seek the Unknown, the more the Unknown reveals Himself to you.

    Love the Unknown, seek the Unknown, and pursue the Unknown, and what was once unknown will become known.

    The Unknown is beyond your understanding, Knowing the Unknown is greater than knowing everything the world claims to know.

    The Unknown has no limits.

    The Unknown is the greatest mystery, the greatest discovery, and the greatest knowledge you can ever seek.

    Know the Unknown.

    Seek the Unknown.

    Love the Unknown.

    And the Unknown will reveal Himself to you.

    The One who is beyond our understanding can still be known when we sincerely seek Him.

  • GOD FIRST, THEN THE NATION.

    “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

    And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not” (Isaiah 6;8,9).

    The youth of the present day seem to know everything except God. Many are being influenced and controlled by dark forces. They neither respect their parents nor honour their elders. They want to live on their own terms. They want freedom—freedom to commit sin.

    The youth are greater in number, and therefore, when sin increases among them, the burden of sin upon the nation becomes much heavier. Sexual immorality, adultery, fornication, narcotics, atheism, the New Age movement, and false religions are all on the rise. These things have attracted many young people more strongly than the sacrificial suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Patriotism and love for the nation, when placed above God, will not lead a person to heaven. God must come first, and then the nation. When an individual turns to God and fears Him, that person becomes a better citizen, and this, in turn, reduces the nation’s burden of sin.

    This world needs true, sincere prayer warriors—faithful intercessors who will stand in prayer for the youth of this generation, seeking the Lord Jesus Christ on their behalf and crying out for their salvation, deliverance, repentance, and restoration.

    “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

  • JESUS THE TRUE FRIEND

    At one point in your life, your closest friend may betray you, but Lord Jesus never will.

    If you search far and wide, you will never find a friend like Him. Those encouraging words and those tender whispers saying, “I am with you,” will move your heart. You may never want another human friend after that.

    Start communicating with Him, and treat Him as your own. Be close to Him, and love Him. Keep on saying, “Lord, I love you.”

    You will truly experience His presence. You will feel the Holy Spirit encircling you and His power descending on you always. Even when you are sleeping, you will experience His Spirit moving over you and protecting you.

    Do you want to experience His supernatural presence?

    Make a friendship with Lord Jesus, your True Friend: a friend who sticks closer than a brother, and who will never leave you nor forsake you.

  • LORD, I NEED YOU.

    Lord, I need You. I need You as a whole.

    It is not I, but You in me.

    Father, I am in You and You are in me. We are one. My flesh belongs to You; my soul and spirit belong to You.

    Lord, I am Thine, and You are mine. I need You. I have none except You.

    Lord, the day You took me into the Holy of Holies—the holiest place—and revealed Yourself to me, I truly experienced Your Spirit, Your Fire, Your Warmth, and Your Love.

    I want to be in Your presence and Your presence alone.

    O Lord, I need You.

  • MAUNDY THURSDAY

    “Even My own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me” (Psalms 41:9).

    My children, this day I was betrayed by My own. Yes, My children whom I loved and cared for, betrayed Me. Those whom I fed and guided betrayed Me. I was put to shame. Though I loved and gave everything and revealed everything, they did not realize My love. They were not prepared to be vigilant for Me. Slumber was sweet for them when I was in agony.

    I came to do the will of My Father. Being obedient to My Father was much sweeter than the agony that was ahead. Doing the perfect will of My father is what I preferred. I submitted wholly to My Father’s will. The torture was unbearable, which I already knew. During the torment, I was very much in flesh. I was man and not God.

    First and foremost, I was wounded by the betrayal of Judas; later, the men who were close to Me fled from Me. They were with Me all through those three years, yet they left Me alone. They were also very much in the flesh and were tempted.

    To do the Father’s will, one should have strong willpower. One has to surrender wholly to Him. And be prepared to face anything and everything. I was not forsaken by My Father. He was with Me all through the suffering. He allowed it because it is written that I must die for the redemption of the sins of every man.

    Be brave like Me. Be courageous like Me. When you are prepared to do My Father’s will: nothing that is contrary will trouble you. My focus was on the mission, and I accomplished it.

    I submitted Myself as the Lamb of Sacrifice. When I came here, I knew that I was to be slaughtered as the Lamb of Sacrifice. I was crucified as the Eternal Sacrifice.

    When a lamb is slaughtered, it dies immediately. I was crucified. I was hanging on the cross for six hours.

    My children, I had to undergo this in order to save you. I suffered for you so that you need not and will not suffer. You are mine. I am thine.

    My children, I love you for you remember My agony and suffering. I understand that you feel it. My blessings are abundant on you.

    My children, I have conquered the evil. Be of good cheer.

    The Holy Spirit.

  • YOU WILL NEVER BE CONFOUNDED

    Come what may, those who trust in the Lord will never be confounded.

    An insult to you is an insult to the Holy Spirit in you; an insult to you is an insult to the King of kings whom you trust. Be of good courage.

    The Lord Almighty is seated on a magnificent throne. He has created all these things for His glory; will He not do this little thing for which you have prayed? He hears the faintest cry.

    The answer is at your door. Have faith and keep thanking Him. He will never take His eyes off you. Just keep thanking the Lord without getting distracted, and expect the move of the Lord.

    Our Lord hears, He answers, and He comforts. He is a good God. You are perplexed, troubled and confused. Let not your heart be troubled. He was silent because He wants you to trust Him and Him alone.