have you been regenerated? I can tell this by looking at your face and by the way you respond to me!

Regeneration is one of the most amazing things that can happen to a human being. We are born in sin, we are sinners, and we grow up in sin. But one day, the Lord regenerates us when we call on His name - and we are no longer men, but God-men! We become a God-man by simply believing into the Lord Jesus! One moment we are only a human being just like the others, and the next moment we are a God-man being, one who has God's life in him and who can be one with God! The greatest miracle in the universe is not the earth, nor love, nor anything else but this - sinners can be made sons of God, and sinful people can be made God in life and nature but not in the Godhead!

Pictures from London - Oxford Circus, in Oxford Street

Welcome to the crowded street called, Oxford street, where everyone who is young wants to go and at least do some window shopping... It's like "the west end" in London, one street with lots of shops. Usually when you go there are so many people that you have to make your way around and not be pushed and kicked. This particular picture was taken at the exit from the Oxford Circus tube station. I am still wondering if there's a way to go shopping in Oxford Street and still be one with the Lord, still be in the organic union with Him...

Have You Been Regenerated? I Can Tell It by Just Looking at Your Face and by Your Response!

Today I heard this story again and it really impressed me, so I thought I should share it the best I can on the blog...

There once was a pastor of a certain religious flavor, and he preached justification by faith to his congregation. Unfortunately, though he preached it, he himself was not saved - he was not justified. He spoke about justification by faith to the people in his congregation, but he himself was not saved. Rather, he was an opium smoker and "dealer"! How about that - both a pastor and an opium addict + smuggler! Opium is a drug, by the way, and it creates addiction ... so this pastor was not saved, was doing opium, and he was speaking about justification by faith to the ones in his congregation.  

One day a sister who preached the gospel came and spoke in his church, and she was a true believer - she believed into the Lord, loved the Lord, and spoke about being saved! After speaking about regeneration and the simple way to receive the Lord, after the whole service would end, she would go to the door and shake everyone's hand, greet them, and ask them, 
Have You Been Regenerated?
One day the pastor himself, as he was coming out of the church, was asked by this lady with a smile on her face, Sir, are you regenerated? He was shocked by this question and abruptly responded, Of course I'm regenerated! I'm the pastor here and I speak in this church! But then she replied, I can tell it by just looking at your face, sir, and by your response, that you are NOT regenerated! ... - this really made the pastor angry, and he went to his home thinking of many ways to cause the lady "bodily harm". 

While he was at home devising a plan how to harm this sister because of her question and her exposing him, the Lord spoke to him and he realized what he was about to do. He was exposed by the Lord and fell upon his knees - he repented to the Lord with tears and invited Him in his heart.... At that time, he was regenerated! Praise the Lord! The next time when she saw him, she told him again - yes, sir, I know you are regenerated, I can see it on your face!

I may have left some details out of the story or maybe I told it a bit different, but I hope you get the gist of it. The fact that you "go to church" or even "preach in the church" may not mean that you are regenerated. Or, taking it a bit further, the fact that you're born in a Christian family, a Christian community, or a Christian country, this does not guarantee that you yourself are a Christian! For a person to be regenerated he needs to see the Lord and receive Him into his heart by repenting of his sins and calling on the name of the Lord! And then a sinner becomes a son of God - a God-man! Everyone can see it on his face - his face shines!

And going even further - we may be believers in the Lord, but many times we are not even smiling, and our face is not expressing Christ. O Lord Jesus! We need to be saved much more in His life (Rom. 5:10) now that we have been reconciled to the Lord! We need to be saved every morning! We need to be saved all the way throughout the day, in every moment! What about at lunch time - we need to be saved then too! Even before going to bed, we need to be saved continually! We need to be saved to such an extent that we fully express You in everything!

[Do YOU have an experience of being saved recently? Do you know of someone who NEEDS to be saved?]

it's all going down unless you're growing in the Lord(1 pic + 1 experience with the Lord) 30 day challenge

There we go again, a quirky title, just like many of the catchy phrases you see on the advertisements on the streets, on the bus, at the tube stations, and literally everywhere in London. Sometimes even on the way to the Lord's Table meeting, as you're praying within and contacting the Lord, if you look around on the tube and glance at the advertisements on the wall, you get out of your spirit! Everything is catchy, gives you something to think about.... but today it's simple:

1 Picture for today - Topshop in Oxford Circus in London

This is a "twisted picture" of the Topshop in Oxford Street in London - Topshop Oxford Circus London - one of the most desired-to-shop-at places for many youngsters today. Everyone in London wants to go to Oxford Street, because anything you want can be found there: jeans, snickers, t-shirts, sports shoes, suits, electronics, mobile phones, jackets, underwear, etc. Among those shops is the TopShop - one of the many very expensive shops there, who sometimes has some reduced prices on stuff and everyone goes there! They sell clothing, designer collection, shoes, accessories, make-up, gifts, etc - visit their website to find out more (including pictures of skinny people wearing their clothes).

1 Experience with the Lord - It's All Going Down if You're Not Growing in the Lord!

I don't really know whether the title explains what I'm trying to say, but it's something like this: if we are not growing in the Lord every day, we don't "stagnate"; rather, we are "going down". The reason the picture above is slightly inclined is that the whole world today, with all the shops and the shiny stuff, is GOING DOWN. Morality is not present anymore, ethics are up to you, respect is not found unless you're a close friend, love is re-defined to include all kind of perversions and twisted inclinations, and people are not pure anymore.

No one is seeking God - not even one(Rom. 3:10). They think they re-define God just as they try to re-define love and marriage. There's a trend today towards immorality, disrespect, not caring for anyone but yourself, reading and doing your best to be influenced by people who think the way you do, refusing to think about God or talk about God, rejecting and despising those who believe in God and love God, ... - and, in general, doing what YOU want but in such a way that you ignore God and His Word.... - the world is going down to the extent that they would rather believe a lie than believe the truth(2 Thes. 2:11)...

WHY am I saying all the above? It is simply because if we as believers in Christ, as lovers of the Lord, as saints in the church life, and as young pursuers of Christ - if we are not DESPERATE to grow in the divine life every day, we are being swept away by the trend in this world, the current that culminates in the lake of fire! If we ignore the Lord today, if we don't pay attention to His speaking within us tomorrow, and if we are not willing to pay the price to meet with our companions and with the saints, then we are not "surviving" or "stagnating" - rather, we are being little by little swept away by the strong current in the world!

In these last days, before the Lord returns, we do not have time to waste. I waste too much time on meaningless things, and especially after a home meeting like tonight - where we enjoyed the Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd as revealed in Psalm 23, we had some new ones, we all shared something of our enjoyment in the Word, and we had fellowship with one another around some nice Thai Green Curry and some healthy fruits as dessert... - I realized this even more: I need to Grow In Life More Today! I know I can't grow faster than the speed of life, and I can't grow by just "desiring to grow"....

Lord Jesus, grow in me! Gain us as mature young saints who are here as a stepping stone for Your return! Save us from being influenced or swept away from You by the current of this age! Lord, keep us close to You! Keep us in the middle of the church life. Make us those who seek You with our whole heart, those who are willing to pay the price of their soul life that they may gain You!

Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, or whether we want to hear this / know this or not - the whole world - with all its glitter and its mud - is lake-of-fire-bound, and unless we are actively building the testimony of Jesus today (like Noah did in the old days) no matter how strong we are, we will be swept away in this flow! Daniel HAD TO refuse the king's food so that he would not defile himself. We HAVE TO stay away from certain places, certain people, and certain situations - so that we would not be defiled. But we also can choose the Lord right now - today! We can turn to Him right now so that He would continue to grow in us more today!