The Heavenly Princess Diaries - 20th Mar 2007

Some time back I happened to see this movie by name - The Princess Diaries. Its a story about a young girl, who lives a very carefree life. She does everything the way she wants to. She talks like she wants to. She walks like she wants to. She behaves, carries herself, dresses, eats...... does everything the way she feels like doing them.
And that is till the day she finds out that she is actually the princess of a kingdom. She is surprised when she realises how special she actually is and her life will never be the same again. As a princess she has to learn to conduct herself in a certain way. She has to change the way she speaks, the way she talks, the way she walks, the way she sits, eats, dresses, her hobbies, her pets.......... She works hard to start looking and behaving like a princess. Its a slow and yet a wonderful change that comes over her as she gradually becomes the princess she really is and she was born to be.

As I was watching that movie, I realised how true this is in the life of every child of God. We are no ordinary people. We are heirs of a kingdom. We are not just the children of a King. We are the children of the King of Kings.

We lived life the way we wanted to till the day we were born again and born into his kingdom. From that very day we become heirs of our Father's Kingdom.

We are prince and princess of the Kingdom of God and some day we are going to be reigning with Him as kings and queens. We have to conduct ourselves in a worthy and responsible way.

There may be things we love too much and things we are too comfortable with, to give up. But we have a huge responsibility here. Like the story above, this princess girl, is forced to sacrifice certain things. She does not like doing things a certain way but she has to because she knows she has the responsibility of a country on her and its either what she wants or her responsibility as a queen. Her grandmother coaches, encourages, mentors, guides her towards the path of being a worthy princess and someday a worthy queen.

We have a responsibility too, towards our Father who is the King of Kings. He takes up the role of our mentor here. There is a certain way he wants us to be as His royal counter part. We need to listen to what he says and walk in the path He shows and has called us to walk in. It may not be something we like but if we listen to Him and obey, we would emerge as a worthy prince/princess and one day a worthy king/ queen.

We have to conduct ourselves in the way God wants us to. We are special people. Any wrong we do would bring shame and insult to His name because we bear His name. Any good we do brings glory and honour to His name. We have God to guide us, coach us, encourage us, mentor us in our path towards being a worthy royal heir. We just need to listen to Him and follow whatever He says. It would require a lot of practise and effort on our part but as we constantly strive, we would someday be perfected the way God wants us to be as His royal heir. We need to keep striving to be perfected without giving up.


Philippians 1:27 - Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Romans 8:16,17 - The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

A Peek into David's Prayer - 15th Mar 2007

I have always been fascinated by the beautiful relationship that David shared with God. Every Psalm shows the intimacy of this relationship. There must be a reason why God calls this man - A man after my own heart. A friend once advised to meditate on a psalm every night before going to sleep and I should say this practise has blessed me immensely in my walk with God. This has also helped me find out more about this relationship they shared and apply them as much as possible in my life.

Last night I read from Psalm 54. This is a small Psalm with just about 8 verses. I was very sleepy last night and I could not wait to just finish writing a few notes on the Psalm and go to sleep. It was a hurried read - more of a ritual following than a read to find out what God had to teach me through this Psalm. God does have his own sense of humor. What he taught me through this Psalm, drove all sleep away and I could not wait to share this with everyone. This Psalm is a beautiful prayer and also a beautiful example of how we ought to pray during times of trouble. I was so excited by what I had read that my sleep had gone and I had to share this.

I have to go through this verse by verse to show you how David prayed when he was in trouble and how we need to apply this form of prayer in our lives too.

Step 1:
Verses 1, 2 - Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

David calls out to God. First point in any situation is to call out to God. Call out to God alone. Don't be calling out to others and looking upto others. Look upto God alone. Call out to God in anything. God hears and He is in control over everything and so He is the only one who could really help. There is a verse in the Bible which says that those who don't call on God are evildoers (Psalm 53:4). Can you believe that?? It is so important to God that His children call on Him and call out to Him.

Step 2:
Verse 3 - Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life— men without regard for God. Selah

David presents his problem to God. Let me fill you on the background. Here Saul, the King of Israel is after David's life. He has sent his army in search of David to find him. David cries out this prayer from his hiding. Okay now back to where we were. Tell God what the problem is. Its so tempting to share things with our friends but this may lead us to start slandering. Its always best to tell God alone what the problem is. We could ask our friends to stand with us in prayer but just think of it, is it any good describing all our woes to them. Just tell them to God and let it be.

Step 3:
Verse 4 - Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

David trust God completely. Look at the words David uses - SURELY. He is very sure that God will help Him. He trusts God completely. We need to trust God completely. Don't let a shadow of doubt come in. When devil tries to sow his seed of doubt, resist him firmly and say like David - Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Step 4:
Verse 5 - Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

David tells God what he wants. He not only tells God what the problem is. He also tells God what he wants. Its always the best when God's will is done but its also good in letting God know what we want. He definitely knows even before we ask but its more of a father- child relationship when we talk to our father and tell him what we want as well.

Step 5:
Verse 6 - I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.

After David tells God what the problem is and tells God what he wants, he starts praising God. That is, he has committed the problem in God's hands and knows God will take care and so starts praising God. Its like I am waiting for something to happen and I tell God that I want this to happen and even before it happens, I start praising God. Praising Him shows that I am trusting Him. After handing things over to God, mopping and crying and worrying is like taking the problem back from his hands to our hands and we don't want to do that. So just forget about your problem and start praising God.

Step 6:
Verse 7 - For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

David does positive confession here. He believes and not just praises but he also positively confesses that he has been delivered and he has been triumphant. I have read this in books written by Paul Yongi Cho and Joyce Meyer and also heard sermons from Prophet. Bernard Ankoma regarding the same. We need to positively confess. If I am sick, I pray and ask for healing and even if I don't feel I'm healed. I believe in my heart and I start confessing that I am healed. It must have looked stupid when David running for his life says - I am triumphant and am delivered from all my troubles and foes. But yet, that is what he did. This is what made him stand out from the crowd and this is what made him a man after God's heart.

To summarise.......
1. Call out to God.
2. Tell God what your problem is.
3. Trust God and tell Him you trust Him.
4. Tell God what you want. You have told Him your problem but also tell Him what you want.
5. Now that everything has been committed to God and He has taken over. Start praising.
6. Start positively confessing that victory (healing, deliverance, blessing......) is yours. Amen!!

Acts 13:22 - After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

My Church, Your Church - 13th Mar 2007

Some time back I had been to my friends’ church and noticed a few doctrines they follow which I didn’t feel was right. I felt how wrong they were and how good and right my church was. That was till the pastor stood up to give the message. He spoke with such passion and conviction, that I knew here was a man whose passion was God. Somehow the doctrines didn’t seem to matter anymore.

I was reading an article by Zac Poonen some time back titled “The true gospel and the false”. I’ve copied a part of his article here:

Our Lord did not come primarily to give people a doctrine, or a church-pattern or to make them speak in tongues or even to give them an experience!
He came to "save us from sin". He came to lay the axe to the root of the tree. And the root of sin is : Being centered in ourselves, seeking our own and doing our own will. If we do not permit the Lord to axe and uproot this "root" from our lives, we will be Christians only superficially. Satan may however deceive us into imagining that we belong to a higher class than other Christians, because of our doctrine or our experience or our church-pattern!
Satan doesn't care even if we have the right doctrine, experience and church-pattern, so long as we continue to "live for ourselves" (This, by the way, is just another phrase for "living in sin"!!). Christendom today is filled with Christians who seek their own and live for themselves, who are yet convinced that God views them as superior to other Christians, merely because of doctrinal differences or church-pattern or "experiences". This shows what a great work Satan has succeeded in doing in Christendom.

The article was an eye opener.

Whenever I felt my church was better than other churches, I had allowed satan to do his work in me.
Whenever I felt my doctrine was better than others, I had allowed satan to do his work in me.
Whenever I felt I was superior (or better) to (or than) others who belonged to a different church or followed a different doctrine, I had allowed satan to do his work in me.

What actually matters is loving God with all our heart and our soul and loving our neighbours as ourselves. God doesn’t look at the doctrines or the churches. All that matters to God is our hearts. As long as our hearts are right before God and bent on pleasing him and walking with him everyday and drawing closer and closer to him, God would be pleased and happy.

Well, this is not about putting up with wrong doctrines but about not letting them come in the way of our relationship with God. Its almost like choosing whose work we want on our lives – God’s or satan’s.


1 Corinthians 1:10 - I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

1 Corinthians 12:25 - so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other

Jesus Loves Fish :) - 12th March 2007

I can imagine the look on your face reading that title - Jesus Loves Fish???? Whatever could I mean???

There is a friend of mine with whom I share the thoughts before I pen them down as an article and this person also proof reads the articles I write and his reaction when he read the title was - Oh!! Pleasssssse!! Change the title........ Well, I guess I won the argument........

Okay, Here's the story behind the title. This is to justify the title and it does indeed make a lot of sense. Fine, here goes......

Usually weekdays go in a rush and I hardly have proper home cooked food. I eat anything I can grab or sometimes order from one of the nearby restaurants. But very rarely do I cook during weekdays. So to make up for it, I make sure I have really good home made food during the weekends. Weekends are a time of cooking some of my favourite dishes for me and my friends. And its Big Time Home Cooking!! :)

My Dad knows this and so every weekend he calls to find out what's cooking :). Yesterday when he had called I had just finished cooking chicken and I told him that and he was like - Mom made fish today. The place where they stay its hard to get good fish and they hardly have fish there. Dad and I were just playfully arguing trying to prove that each of us had the better. Dad then said - 'Everyday with Fish. Everyday with Jesus' which ofcourse didn't make any sense to me.

Dad went on to say how much Jesus liked fish. He said that Jesus liked fish very much and wanted to eat fish everyday and that was why he chose more than 3 fishermen as disciples so that they would have good fish to eat everyday (Ofcourse he was just trying to win the argument). To prove his point he said that Jesus mostly taught near sea side for the same reason again (Again he was kidding, just trying to push his point across). He went onto say that even when after Jesus' resurrection when the disciples went back to fishing and Jesus was waiting for them at the bank of that river, He didn't simply wait, He started cooking fish.

Point Taken and Dad won the argument hands down.

Later that day I sat thinking about this - Jesus Loves Fish. Probably Dad was right and Jesus, as a man, really loved to eat fish. But there is another context to this too.

When Jesus first called His disciples, He told them - " I will make you fishers of men if you follow me."

One of the basic signs of being a follower of God is 'being a fisher of men'. This was the calling to some of the very first followers of Jesus. Here fish stands for those who don't know the love of Jesus and need to know Him and accept Him as their personal saviour.

Jesus loves them so much. He aches for them. When He sees them in trouble and pain and in tears, looking for someone, He wishes they knew Him. We are His ambassadors to carry this great love to His dear fishes.

Yesterday I was speaking to a friend of mine whose son is kind of sick and might need an operation. She was very upset and said - Why my son??? Why can't it be me?? That is the love of a mother wishing she could suffer it for her son. It is this same love that led Jesus to the cross. He went saying - Why them?? Let it be me. I remember reading or hearing this somewhere - It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross, it was LOVE that held Him there.

Its great that we know and enjoy His love but lets take a look at the other side of the story. It was a gruesome death He died but yet there are people who don't even know that this death was as much for them as for you and me. It is our responsibility to take this love and message to the fishes He loves. Lets be fishers of men.

Imagine you love someone a real lot, something like crazy, and you've done a lot for this person, to the extent of even nearly dying for this person and you long to be able to talk and help this person but this person does not even know who you are and is giving all the attention and love to someone or something that deserves nothing and cares not a bit for this person. Wouldn't that shatter you? Wouldn't you wish this person knew you and didn't have to waste their life, love and devotion on something that meant death for the person?
This is how God feels whenever He sees every lost fish of His and longs, really longs for them to be saved and to know His truth and His all compassing, unconditional, great love. While you and I are sitting here wondering what people would think about us if we spoke about Jesus, fearing embarrassment, wondering if anyone would even want to listen......... your friend is so much in need of the love of God, so much in need of the peace of God, so much in need of the joy of God, the list of needs that can be met by our God alone goes on.

On one side are our friends with a God shaped vacuum in their hearts. On the other side is God, watching and longing for His child to know His love. We are in between. I could choose to unite the two and make my Father happy or I could just ignore and walk my own way, taking care of just building my life. The choice is completely completely mine. Well, its definitely our choice to either fish for the much loved fishes for our God or just ignore. But getting our God what He loves the most is a way of showing Him we love Him. The only reason one could ignore that would be lack of love.

I remember when I was a kid whenever our vacations got over, two of our family friends had a farewell dinner kind of for my sister and me before we went back to our boarding school. This was a common ritual every year. Every year they would find out what my sister and I liked and they made sure that that was on the menu for the dinner. That was a way of showing their love for us.

Like my Dad said - 'Everyday with Jesus is Everyday with Fish'. Funny though that sounds, isn't it true. We need to be among the fishes everyday to show them God's love and get them for God.

Well now that we know what Jesus loves........ Why don't we start getting 'em.



John 3:16 - For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([a]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (AMP)

Arm of Flesh Always Fails - 6th March 2007

About two months back I had applied for my passport and wanted it in about two weeks time, before I left to my home for Christmas. We were trying to get it expedited but always something or the other came up and things were getting a lot delayed. It was very disappointing and frustrating to see things delay so much. Almost everyone we looked upto were finally just not able to do anything though some of them really wanted to help. Each time we went to someone for help, something or the other came up and they weren't able to help. It was frustrating to see things proceed at a snail's pace.


During this time we had been to our Pastor and we shared about this with him and asked him to pray for us. He shared with us a beautiful incident that had happened with another child of God. He said that there was a man who wanted to build a house and was waiting for the plan to be approved so that he could build the house. He had done everything he could to get things done but nothing seemed to be happening and things were getting delayed. He had come and shared about this to our Pastor. Pastor was reminded about someone who could help this man get the approval to build the house. So immediately Pastor called up this person and told him about this man who needed the approval and asked if he could help. The person agreed to get the approval but at that time he was not in India and so he said once he got back he would meet this man and get the plan approved and he said he would be back in 2 weeks. The man needed the plan approved as soon as possible as he had taken a house loan and had to show proof of the house being built by a certain date and he was running out of time. After about 2 weeks Pastor found that the person who had agreed to help, would not be coming back in 2 weeks as due to some reason he had to stay back and it would be atleast another 2 months before he got back. Though the person wanted to help, situations changed because of which he could not. Pastor then thought, instead of looking to the arm of flesh, why don't we seek God who is in control of everything and who is on the throne. So he advised this man and his wife to fast for a day and pray about this issue and ask God to speak to them. They did accordingly and God spoke to them through a verse. They prayed claiming the promise God had given them.
After that the man went again to the person in charge of approving the plan. God was at work this time. Though the man had asked for approval for a single storey house, they approved for a 2 storey house, and this in no time. God rules. He is over all and in control over all. What this man had been trying to get done for months, God did in no time. All he had to do was seek God and pray to Him showing that he completely was relying on just God.

When Pastor shared this with us, I was greatly encouraged. I realised how foolish it was of me to try and get things done on my own or to look upto others for help when I had such a great God who is in control over everything, just waiting and wanting to help if I asked Him to and trusted Him to. We prayed and trusted God and He did work things out in real miraculous ways. Let me share one of the incidents here - We had to go to the police station for verification as we were going to apply for tatkaal to expedite the process. Another friend of ours had also applied for his passport through tatkaal and he told us that the police would definitely expect us to give some money and if we didn't they would just make us sit and wait. He had to wait for a whole day sitting there in the police station. We prayed and decided to trust God and went to the police station. The verification was done in about 30 minute and the only reason why it was delayed by 30 minutes was because they had to wait for the police inspector to come in as he had to sign the document and once he came in we were done in about 5 minutes and we didn't give anyone anything. Infact they actually offered us tea :).

There maybe times in your life when you are waiting for something to be done. You may feel tempted to use a shortcut or to rely on someone. Its not wrong asking someone to help but we should not completely rely on them. It should not get us angry or upset when the person cannot help. Our only trust, hope, reliance should be on God. And you can be 100% sure He will never never never let you down. He would definitely get the work done for you and in case He doesn't it would only mean He is going to get something better for you.

This morning I was a little worried about something. Know what? Worrying is the antonym of Trusting God. You just CANNOT both trust God and worry at the same time. If you say you trust God about something and yet are worried, you are lying. This morning I was worried about something and my mind was kinda running around trying to list all the options I had. I was just looking into my handbag and I found this slip of paper where I had scribbled the incident about the man who needed his house plan approved. God is in control over every every single thing that happens to us. He puts us in certain situation to show His power, His glory and His love in our lives. We lose out on experiencing His power, His glory, His love in our life if we don't trust Him and look to the arm of flesh. The issue about which I was worrying is not yet sorted but yes, I believe in the kingdom of God it has been solved because I'm trusting God alone and am glad He is in control.

The best way a person can help you is by praying for you. Even if they do offer to help in other ways, don't completely look upto them. As humans, everyone is subject to the situations around. And sometimes when God sees we are not running to Him, He would close every other door and so even those who want to help cannot help. When we trust God, He would send the right person to help. In my passport problem God helped one of my friends help me with everything. I had tried looking upto others and I found all doors closed and then I began looking upto God alone. I had prayed and knew God would work. Though this person had to leave onsite in just about 3 days but yet he was there to get the issue completely sorted and done before he left. That is God's doing.

My daily Bible reading portion is through Judges right now and its amazing to see how God miraculously rescues His people each time. We are so fortunate and blessed to be His people. But whenever they looked upto others (bigger kings, powerful armies, other gods) they always faced defeat and shame.

Whenever we need help, the best thing we can do is first of all - get down on your knees. If you don't feel like praying on your own, get someone to pray along with you or for you. Spend time praying and pour out your heart to God. Read God's word. God will definitely speak with you. Whenever you are reminded of the problem and are tempted to worry, remind yourself about the verse God spoke to you through and keep repeating it again and again in your mind and keep praying. Do this whenever your mind starts thinking about the problem. If you don't do this you would start worrying and all trust would disappear and you would stop God's miracle for you, from happening.

Step 1 - Pray, Pray and Pray. Pour out your heart to God. ( Fasting and Praying would be better)
Step 2 - Read God's word and hear what He has to say to you
Step 3 - Claim God's promise to you whenever tempted to worry. Claim His promise and keep praying and don't you ever ever worry.

Believe you me, this is foolproof and definitely works. 100%.

2 Chronicles 32:8 - With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles......... (NIV)

Psalm 20: 7,8 - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

2 Kings 18:5 - Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.

Psalm 146:3 - Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;


GOD IS IN CONTROL ( by TWILA PARIS)


This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here
Carried away by emotion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together
God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control
History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh, but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has always been true
It will be true forever
He has never let you down
Why start to worry now?
He is still the Lord of all we see
And He is still the loving Father
Watching over you and mewatching over you...
watching over me..
watching over every things..
watching over you..watching over me..
every little sparrow..every little things...

God's Cheerleaders - 1st Mar 2007

As the world seems to be advancing towards technology at a rapid pace, humanity seems to be loosing out. When I was at school, though there were about another 500 people around I knew almost everyone's name and not just their names but I also knew where they were from and what their parents were doing et el. Today at the office where I work, I hardly know about 10 people among whom just about 3-4 are friends. I thought probably it was just me who had become reserved and quiet. But then speaking to some of my close friends I realised this has kind of become a trend now.

I remember one of the teachings we were taught during one of the carecells from the life of Jesus. Jesus was a 'People Man'. That is, almost all the time He was surrounded by a crowd and was among people. Yes, He did have a select group of friends for Himself but He also mingled well with the crowd. He had the reputation of being followed by a crowd wherever He went. He didn't have a reputation of being aloof or being reserved or having an attitude.

I learnt from that study on the life of Jesus, that it was Christ-like to be able to mingle well with people. To be among people and to be able to spend time with and for others. There was another valuable lesson that we were taught and that was about doing good and bringing a smile on the face of others.

Sometimes we are so caught up in our own world, in our own lives that we are aware of just our own problems, our own happiness, our own needs, and everything related with 'I'. Yesterday one of my friends wanted me to come online on messenger so that she could speak to me about something. And so I logged on and when I saw her online I began sharing with her about something good that had happened with me. I just went on and on forgetting it was she who had asked me to come online to share something, and she was patiently listening and then all of a sudden said - 'listen to me'. It was that 'listen to me' that made me realise that I had gone on and on without listening to what she had to say.

This world is full of people with beautiful smile on their faces and behind their smile is a cry in their hearts saying 'listen to me'. We as Christians are called to go among the crowd. We can't afford to stand aloof and watch and pray. We have to go among the crowd. Be a People Person like Jesus. Make friends with everyone God brings our way. And listen to them. Encourage, Appreciate, Counsel. Bring a smile on their face. Be a cheerleader - Be God's Cheerleader.

The aunty at the carecell was sharing how she would try to bring a smile on her colleague's faces. When she saw someone sad, she said she tried telling them something funny so that they would laugh. How many of us even know our colleague's names?

The world has enough sadness and badness of its own. We don't need to add to it by doing any sad or bad. As Christians we are called to make a difference. As people who know and love Jesus we are called to turn the world upside down -to turn the bad to good. Jesus said when someone does bad, we should not seek revenge but forgive, forget and it does not get over with that. Jesus also said to go back to the same person and do good to that person. That does sound very unfair doesn't it. I tell my mom sometimes - Jesus always takes the side of those who do wrong to me. Unfair though it may seem, this is what God wants his children to do. And if we love him, this is what we would do.

While travelling, make friends with the person near you. At office, its your colleagues. At home, its your family, your neighbours (even the nosy and irritating ones - they are the ones who need your love more). Everywhere you go, there is no shortage of people in need of love, in need of a smile on their face, in need of someone to listen to. Let's be God's cheerleaders cheering up people we meet. People love it when complimented (not flattered), appreciated and encouraged. Lets do that.

As God's cheerleaders we are called to make friends with everyone, mingle with everyone, bring a smile on every face, wipe their tears, encourage everyone, listen to them (hardest part)....... in short - showing love and cheering them up. Lets fill our part of the world with as much laughter as we can. We are where we are because God has put us here. Every second, the place that we are in at that time is because God has put us there with a definite purpose. Lets resolve to fill our part of the world with as much laughter as we can. This calls for sacrifice and lots of love. But this would win souls for God.

Let's be cheerleaders wherever we are - God's cheerleaders........


Ecclesiastes 3:12 - I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.

Job 16:5 - But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

Romans 1:12 - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Romans 12: 9 - 21 - [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality. Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.