“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”
Psalm 40: 2-3 (New King James Version)
Aren’t you happy today that you are no longer stuck in the mire. But Christ has taken you and set your feet on a rock ! Wow ! Praise the Lord ! Just imagine walking through mire…swampy marsh.. we would have no idea where our feet would trod … we would have no idea how deep we are or what pit lies ahead…
Praise the Lord that He has set our feet on a rock and has established our steps !! In other words He has made our steps secure.
Every time we open the newspaper we read of so much of uncertainty… recession , rich and established countries going through financial crisis , job losses , accidents , …The world is filled with so much of uncertainty. We are however citizens of heaven. How grateful do we need to be to our God who has established our steps ! For those of us who are still stuck in the marsh…just call upon Him… For God does not desire sacrifice and offering … but a heart that delights to do His will ! Christ is searching today for those who will yield themselves completely to His will . A heart that will humble before the presence of the King of kings.
He has put a new song in our mouths ! A new song ! No more old whining … no more old complaining … no more old bitterness … no more unforgiveness….. no more…
He has given us songs of deliverance ! And this is to be a testimony to all those around us. A new song not just for ourselves… but for others to see and trust in the Lord !
We read in verse 4 , “Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies”. A lot of us sometimes think we are extra smart :-) we try and manipulate situations such that we don’t actually lie with our lips but do things in hiding behind the backs of our loved ones … we hide and do things without the knowledge of our family in spite of knowing very well what they expect of us.. Manipulating a situation that causes us not to actually speak a lie is still sin… Because God looks at the heart. Let us be careful not to turn aside to lies. Anything that is even remotely associated to a lie lets not even turn towards that direction.
Our God has set us upon a rock and established our steps. Lets not find ourselves wallowing back in the miry clay. He has put a new song in our mouth let us be a testimony to Him . Let not idle talk and unwanted vocabulary ever come out from the same mouth.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
"Whatever He says to you, do it"
“His mother said to the servants “Whatever He says to you, do it””
John 2 : 5(New King James Version)
There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him that they had no wine. Then we read in verses 4-5 , “Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
What was the problem ? They had run out of wine
Whose problem was it ? The servants who were in charge of getting the needful done for the bridegroom’s wedding.
What did Christ say in response ? “…My hour has not yet come.”
What did His mother tell the servants ? “Whatever He says to you, do it”
A lot of times we are faced with a problem and we start to panic … we wonder how are we ever going to handle things… we start telling everyone our problem and ask them to pray hoping that they will be able to nudge God for us :-) . Now don’t get me wrong.. It is good to share with believers and pray together in oneness of spirit. But here is the key… Mary left the servants with a very wise word. She said ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.” . In other words she told them , His time has not yet come… until then wait… wait on Him and listen …and when He says something be obedient and do it !!
It is one thing to ask our friends to intercede and pray for us. It is another thing when along with that we also sit in His presence and wait for a word from Him with a heart of obedience to do as He says.
Verses 7-8, “Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim”
What was the problem ? They had run out of wine
What did Christ ask them to do ? Fill six stone waterpots with water
What did they do ? They obeyed ! They filled them up to the brim !
As you wait on the Lord and listen to His instructions and listen to His word , He might ask you to do something which in our limited thinking might seem totally irrelevant… but if we would just obey .. we will see His glory revealed.
We read in verses 8-10, “And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
The six waterpots that were there were meant for purification of the Jews. It was customary for them to wash their hands and then eat . Else those who didn’t do so were considered to be defiled. Christ took that water and turned it into wine. A servant of God well said “The picture God is painting for us here is that the people believed this water would "purify the Jews," but God uses this to demonstrate that the Jews will only be cleansed or purified by the miraculous creative work of the shed blood of Christ”
As we read in verse 11 this was just the beginning of much more to come.
God Bless
John 2 : 5(New King James Version)
There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him that they had no wine. Then we read in verses 4-5 , “Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
What was the problem ? They had run out of wine
Whose problem was it ? The servants who were in charge of getting the needful done for the bridegroom’s wedding.
What did Christ say in response ? “…My hour has not yet come.”
What did His mother tell the servants ? “Whatever He says to you, do it”
A lot of times we are faced with a problem and we start to panic … we wonder how are we ever going to handle things… we start telling everyone our problem and ask them to pray hoping that they will be able to nudge God for us :-) . Now don’t get me wrong.. It is good to share with believers and pray together in oneness of spirit. But here is the key… Mary left the servants with a very wise word. She said ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.” . In other words she told them , His time has not yet come… until then wait… wait on Him and listen …and when He says something be obedient and do it !!
It is one thing to ask our friends to intercede and pray for us. It is another thing when along with that we also sit in His presence and wait for a word from Him with a heart of obedience to do as He says.
Verses 7-8, “Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim”
What was the problem ? They had run out of wine
What did Christ ask them to do ? Fill six stone waterpots with water
What did they do ? They obeyed ! They filled them up to the brim !
As you wait on the Lord and listen to His instructions and listen to His word , He might ask you to do something which in our limited thinking might seem totally irrelevant… but if we would just obey .. we will see His glory revealed.
We read in verses 8-10, “And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
The six waterpots that were there were meant for purification of the Jews. It was customary for them to wash their hands and then eat . Else those who didn’t do so were considered to be defiled. Christ took that water and turned it into wine. A servant of God well said “The picture God is painting for us here is that the people believed this water would "purify the Jews," but God uses this to demonstrate that the Jews will only be cleansed or purified by the miraculous creative work of the shed blood of Christ”
As we read in verse 11 this was just the beginning of much more to come.
God Bless
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Worship & Serve
“”Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘ Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’””
Luke 4 : 7-8 (New King James Version)
We read in verses 5-6 , “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I will give it to whomever I wish.”
Sounds familiar ? How many times has the devil flashed something before our eyes and enticed us saying ‘take it…’
I know listening to other peoples conversations is wrong :-) but the other day I just couldn’t help but listen to a conversation that two girls in the bus were having. One girl said to the other “No its different … its praying to a negative energy and that is dangerous. You see when you pray to God you ask what you want and He wants nothing in return. That is God. But when you ask something from this negative energy then later he will ask for something in return and you must give it.”
Interesting isn’t it ? Not a Christian but a nice understanding of how God works . The devil is going to come and flash things of the world in front of our eyes and say ‘take it…’ and in return we become slaves to sin. And the wages of sin is death !
Sometimes a lot of us worship our work ! We give it all our best .. the best of our mind the best of our body and in the process we forget time with God and hence deprive our soul. I’m not saying work is bad.. But if that takes our priority over spending time with our Lord then we really need to get things in place.
What did Jesus say ? He knew the word of God from Deuteronomy and said ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve’
And Him only we shall serve !! Wow ! Worship and Serve ! Are we doing that ? Not just on a Sunday morning ! Every cell in our body needs to long to be in His presence … to give God our very best ! Not our last .. not our so called free time… No no no.
The devil is going to come and tell us ‘here focus on this of the world…focus on that of the world… worship me ! and see what I can give you’
I pray that we will rebuke the devil and tell him “No ! I will worship and serve only my Lord my God my Savior Jesus Christ ! He gets my best. He gets my everything . “
God Bless
Luke 4 : 7-8 (New King James Version)
We read in verses 5-6 , “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I will give it to whomever I wish.”
Sounds familiar ? How many times has the devil flashed something before our eyes and enticed us saying ‘take it…’
I know listening to other peoples conversations is wrong :-) but the other day I just couldn’t help but listen to a conversation that two girls in the bus were having. One girl said to the other “No its different … its praying to a negative energy and that is dangerous. You see when you pray to God you ask what you want and He wants nothing in return. That is God. But when you ask something from this negative energy then later he will ask for something in return and you must give it.”
Interesting isn’t it ? Not a Christian but a nice understanding of how God works . The devil is going to come and flash things of the world in front of our eyes and say ‘take it…’ and in return we become slaves to sin. And the wages of sin is death !
Sometimes a lot of us worship our work ! We give it all our best .. the best of our mind the best of our body and in the process we forget time with God and hence deprive our soul. I’m not saying work is bad.. But if that takes our priority over spending time with our Lord then we really need to get things in place.
What did Jesus say ? He knew the word of God from Deuteronomy and said ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve’
And Him only we shall serve !! Wow ! Worship and Serve ! Are we doing that ? Not just on a Sunday morning ! Every cell in our body needs to long to be in His presence … to give God our very best ! Not our last .. not our so called free time… No no no.
The devil is going to come and tell us ‘here focus on this of the world…focus on that of the world… worship me ! and see what I can give you’
I pray that we will rebuke the devil and tell him “No ! I will worship and serve only my Lord my God my Savior Jesus Christ ! He gets my best. He gets my everything . “
God Bless
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Seek Him
“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they may might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon”
Daniel 2 : 17-18 (New King James Version)
A little background to what has taken place in chapter 1 . Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had besieged Jerusalem. The king then instructed Ashpenaz to bring some of the children of Israel who were gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge,… so that they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah. And to them the chief of eunuchs had given names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar , Hananiah was called Shadrach , Mishael was called Meshach and Azariah was called Abednego. The king had appointed a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank. Now Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies. So he requested the chief of the eunuchs regarding it. Now the chief was scared if something would happen to Daniel and his friends if they did not eat properly. Because the chief was answerable to the king. But then Daniel told the chief to test them for ten days and to give them just vegetables and water. And at the end of ten days the chief saw that their features were better and they appeared fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. And you know what ? God gave them knowledge and skill and wisdom. And when the king interviewed them at the end of the tenure of their training we read that among all the young men there was none like them ! And they served before the king. And when compared to all the magicians and astrologers in all the king’s realm he found them ten times better in all matters of wisdom and understanding. Wow ! Isn’t that an amazing testimony.
Now with this in mind lets come to chapter 2…Now Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king commanded all his magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell him his dream . Now this was something new. They told the king if he would tell them his dream then they would give the interpretation for it. But how could they tell him the dream itself ? Now the king got really angry and furious and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them
Whoa !! What a sudden turn of events. Just imagine being in Daniel’s shoes. You take a stand for God and God blesses you and makes you find favor in the eyes of your superior and you are so happy and so blessed and now all of a sudden there are people out to kill you !!! What would you do ?
A lot of us probably would have said “Lord … have you forgotten me ? I stand for you and now what is happening ? People are out to kill me for absolutely no reason of mine.. I didn’t do anything wrong..”
How many of us find ourselves in situations we just don’t understand ? You know what Daniel did ? Daniel asked the king to give him time to tell the interpretation and then he went to his house and updated his companions about it. For what ? “that they may might seek mercies from the God of heaven”.
Find yourself in an unexplainable situation…? Its so that you may seek mercies from the God of heaven ! When God allows something to happen its so that we may seek Him and that His name be glorified.
They did not complain regarding the situation or the sudden turn of events . They did not get all anxious and flustered . They did not try justifying themselves before God as to why all this should not happen to them … no no no. They knew they had to do just one thing . Seek His mercy.
And you know what ? the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision . And Daniel blessed God.
Guess what happened after Daniel spoke to the king regarding the dream . We read in Daniel 2 :47 , “The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
Wow ! It doesn’t matter what happens around us.. whether things seem logical , justifiable , or not. We are to do just one thing. Seek His mercy. Spend time in His presence. And He will grant us wisdom. And He will use us as an instrument for His glory in ways we just cant begin to imagine.
God Bless
Daniel 2 : 17-18 (New King James Version)
A little background to what has taken place in chapter 1 . Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had besieged Jerusalem. The king then instructed Ashpenaz to bring some of the children of Israel who were gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge,… so that they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah. And to them the chief of eunuchs had given names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar , Hananiah was called Shadrach , Mishael was called Meshach and Azariah was called Abednego. The king had appointed a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank. Now Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies. So he requested the chief of the eunuchs regarding it. Now the chief was scared if something would happen to Daniel and his friends if they did not eat properly. Because the chief was answerable to the king. But then Daniel told the chief to test them for ten days and to give them just vegetables and water. And at the end of ten days the chief saw that their features were better and they appeared fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. And you know what ? God gave them knowledge and skill and wisdom. And when the king interviewed them at the end of the tenure of their training we read that among all the young men there was none like them ! And they served before the king. And when compared to all the magicians and astrologers in all the king’s realm he found them ten times better in all matters of wisdom and understanding. Wow ! Isn’t that an amazing testimony.
Now with this in mind lets come to chapter 2…Now Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. Then the king commanded all his magicians and astrologers and sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell him his dream . Now this was something new. They told the king if he would tell them his dream then they would give the interpretation for it. But how could they tell him the dream itself ? Now the king got really angry and furious and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them
Whoa !! What a sudden turn of events. Just imagine being in Daniel’s shoes. You take a stand for God and God blesses you and makes you find favor in the eyes of your superior and you are so happy and so blessed and now all of a sudden there are people out to kill you !!! What would you do ?
A lot of us probably would have said “Lord … have you forgotten me ? I stand for you and now what is happening ? People are out to kill me for absolutely no reason of mine.. I didn’t do anything wrong..”
How many of us find ourselves in situations we just don’t understand ? You know what Daniel did ? Daniel asked the king to give him time to tell the interpretation and then he went to his house and updated his companions about it. For what ? “that they may might seek mercies from the God of heaven”.
Find yourself in an unexplainable situation…? Its so that you may seek mercies from the God of heaven ! When God allows something to happen its so that we may seek Him and that His name be glorified.
They did not complain regarding the situation or the sudden turn of events . They did not get all anxious and flustered . They did not try justifying themselves before God as to why all this should not happen to them … no no no. They knew they had to do just one thing . Seek His mercy.
And you know what ? the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision . And Daniel blessed God.
Guess what happened after Daniel spoke to the king regarding the dream . We read in Daniel 2 :47 , “The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
Wow ! It doesn’t matter what happens around us.. whether things seem logical , justifiable , or not. We are to do just one thing. Seek His mercy. Spend time in His presence. And He will grant us wisdom. And He will use us as an instrument for His glory in ways we just cant begin to imagine.
God Bless
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
GO ! SPEAK TO WARN !
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. “
Matthew 28: 19-20 (New King James Version)
A lot of us sometimes find ourselves stuck in a comfort zone. We have reached this good life and a good church life. We attend the Bible studies , we attend the care cells , we attend every meeting that is there at church. But yet there is something very important missing. What about those who don’t know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior ? What will happen to them ?
If you see a blind man standing in the middle of the road and you see a car or a van that’s heading straight for him what would you do ? We would in the very least scream ‘Look out !’ . We would yank him aside into safety .Why is it so easy for us to perceive physical death but we let eternal death slip our minds ? Every unsaved soul that we see around us is a person blinded by the devil . And the devil sets them up to be run over into eternal death.
Here is the key word of today’s meditation. The Lord said ‘Go’. He never told the disciples ‘ok stay where you are – don’t move ! and I will cause people to come to you right where you are and you can tell them about Me’. The Lord said ‘GO’ ! And this is the commission given to us as well.
The Lord is saying ‘GO’ ! Its time we get out of our comfort zones and go ! Sharing the good news of our Lord .. sharing the message of the Cross.
A lot of us when we talk about our unsaved relatives or friends have this answer always ready ‘Yes I am praying for them daily.. I remember them in my prayers’ . Prayer is definitely a very vital part of what we are supposed to do. But that is not the only thing.
Lets turn our Bibles to Ezekiel 33 : 8 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”
The Bible is very clear about those who will spend eternity in hell .
Now, if we do not what ? SPEAK TO WARN the wicked from his way , what will happen ? Not only will the wicked man die in his iniquity but his blood the Lord will hold us accountable for.
Speak to warn people what is going to be the results if they keep going about in the path which they have chosen. Then need to come to Christ. Because Jesus Christ is the only way. He is the truth . He is life !
The Lord has told us ‘GO’
What are we doing ?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. “
God Bless
Matthew 28: 19-20 (New King James Version)
A lot of us sometimes find ourselves stuck in a comfort zone. We have reached this good life and a good church life. We attend the Bible studies , we attend the care cells , we attend every meeting that is there at church. But yet there is something very important missing. What about those who don’t know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior ? What will happen to them ?
If you see a blind man standing in the middle of the road and you see a car or a van that’s heading straight for him what would you do ? We would in the very least scream ‘Look out !’ . We would yank him aside into safety .Why is it so easy for us to perceive physical death but we let eternal death slip our minds ? Every unsaved soul that we see around us is a person blinded by the devil . And the devil sets them up to be run over into eternal death.
Here is the key word of today’s meditation. The Lord said ‘Go’. He never told the disciples ‘ok stay where you are – don’t move ! and I will cause people to come to you right where you are and you can tell them about Me’. The Lord said ‘GO’ ! And this is the commission given to us as well.
The Lord is saying ‘GO’ ! Its time we get out of our comfort zones and go ! Sharing the good news of our Lord .. sharing the message of the Cross.
A lot of us when we talk about our unsaved relatives or friends have this answer always ready ‘Yes I am praying for them daily.. I remember them in my prayers’ . Prayer is definitely a very vital part of what we are supposed to do. But that is not the only thing.
Lets turn our Bibles to Ezekiel 33 : 8 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”
The Bible is very clear about those who will spend eternity in hell .
Now, if we do not what ? SPEAK TO WARN the wicked from his way , what will happen ? Not only will the wicked man die in his iniquity but his blood the Lord will hold us accountable for.
Speak to warn people what is going to be the results if they keep going about in the path which they have chosen. Then need to come to Christ. Because Jesus Christ is the only way. He is the truth . He is life !
The Lord has told us ‘GO’
What are we doing ?
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. “
God Bless
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Are we obedient in waiting on Him ?
“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”
Psalm 27: 14 (New King James Version)
Wait ! How many of us like waiting ? How many of us can wait patiently ? How many of us can wait in faith and be of good courage ? J Waiting on the Lord is an important act of obedience. Lets turn our Bibles to the book of Exodus. We are going to quickly look at couple of events that took place from Chapters 7 to 17. I strongly encourage you to read these chapters in detail some time today.
The main issue with the Israelites ? They just couldn’t wait. In Exodus 7 to 11 we read about the ten plagues. Now the plagues never effected the house of Israel. And this was a sign to all to show the difference between His people and the rest. You notice here that the Israelites never complained at this point . Because they saw instant miracles ! They saw plagues affect the houses of the Egyptians. But nothing touched the Israelites who dwelled in the land of Goshen . Even the livestock of Israel was not affected by the plague. Wow ! Just imagine that.
The Israelites who saw these take place had no problem obeying the things that had to be done for the Passover . They had seen wonders take place before their eyes in an instant . Obedience came easily even though they had a lot to do. We read in chapter 12 that they had to take a lamb on the tenth of the month according to the house of his father and if the household was too small for the lamb then they had to join with his neighbor and take it according to the number of persons. And the lamb was to be without blemish and a male of the first year. Now it was to be kept until the fourteenth day of the month and then the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel were to kill it at twilight. And then they were to take some of the blood in a basin and with a bunch of hyssop they were to dip it in the blood and strike the lintel and the two doorposts. And not just that. They were to eat the flesh of the lamb on that night roasted in fire. Not raw not boiled but roasted completely. And anything that remained in the morning was to be burnt with fire. And from the fourteenth day of the month till the twenty-first day they were to eat unleavened bread.
Interesting isn’t it that the people of Israel never complained . No waiting involved. They had seen wonders in an instant and they were given something to do … They were obedient.
With this in mind lets go to chapters 13 and 14. The Bible says in Exodus 13: 21-22, “ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” As over six thousand men on foot besides children went there was no complains …
Now get this.. the first sign of trouble comes… We read in Exodus 14 : 10 ,”And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid and cried out to the LORD.” They even said to Moses that ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?’ . At the very first sign of trouble they could not wait on the Lord .
Now we all know what ensued. The Lord divided the red sea and people of Israel walked through the midst of it. Interesting enough again when they say the wonder when they saw that miracle there were no complains but total obedience.
Honestly I would have been a little scared – in fact a lot because hey I’m walking through the midst of the sea.. what if it suddenly closes up ?
But you the Israelites had faith that that would not happen. Because God worked a wonder and He is faithful. They walked through it and were safe. Unlike the Egyptians army who were covered up by the sea.
Now the Israelites rejoiced. In chapter 15 we see they started becoming thirsty. Next sign of trouble . But no they could not wait ! When they saw instant wonders and miracles their obedience was remarkable. But when it came to waiting on the Lord they failed. They started complaining.
In Chapter 17 we see another instance where they became thirsty… oh but they could not wait on the Lord. They just could not. They started contending with Moses.
The Israelites just couldn’t wait. When they saw the glory of God on Mount Sinai they obeyed. But when they had to wait on the Lord they just could not. By the time Moses came down from the mountain they had made for themselves a golden calf and started worshipping it.
A lot of us are like the Israelites… We see instant miracles we see instant results oh we are so obedient !!! When God says be still, we just cant wait . We cant just sit in His presence and say ‘ok Lord I will wait on you.’
Waiting is an act of obedience. Waiting in faith . Though you see nothing happening around you … though people start saying all kinds of things… you ought to wait on the Lord. When God has asked us to wait let us not wait and complain. Let us not say we are waiting on the Lord and then start doing things based on our own strength and our own wisdom. We ought to wait on the Lord in faith and be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts.
Isaiah 40 : 31 , “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
God Bless
Psalm 27: 14 (New King James Version)
Wait ! How many of us like waiting ? How many of us can wait patiently ? How many of us can wait in faith and be of good courage ? J Waiting on the Lord is an important act of obedience. Lets turn our Bibles to the book of Exodus. We are going to quickly look at couple of events that took place from Chapters 7 to 17. I strongly encourage you to read these chapters in detail some time today.
The main issue with the Israelites ? They just couldn’t wait. In Exodus 7 to 11 we read about the ten plagues. Now the plagues never effected the house of Israel. And this was a sign to all to show the difference between His people and the rest. You notice here that the Israelites never complained at this point . Because they saw instant miracles ! They saw plagues affect the houses of the Egyptians. But nothing touched the Israelites who dwelled in the land of Goshen . Even the livestock of Israel was not affected by the plague. Wow ! Just imagine that.
The Israelites who saw these take place had no problem obeying the things that had to be done for the Passover . They had seen wonders take place before their eyes in an instant . Obedience came easily even though they had a lot to do. We read in chapter 12 that they had to take a lamb on the tenth of the month according to the house of his father and if the household was too small for the lamb then they had to join with his neighbor and take it according to the number of persons. And the lamb was to be without blemish and a male of the first year. Now it was to be kept until the fourteenth day of the month and then the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel were to kill it at twilight. And then they were to take some of the blood in a basin and with a bunch of hyssop they were to dip it in the blood and strike the lintel and the two doorposts. And not just that. They were to eat the flesh of the lamb on that night roasted in fire. Not raw not boiled but roasted completely. And anything that remained in the morning was to be burnt with fire. And from the fourteenth day of the month till the twenty-first day they were to eat unleavened bread.
Interesting isn’t it that the people of Israel never complained . No waiting involved. They had seen wonders in an instant and they were given something to do … They were obedient.
With this in mind lets go to chapters 13 and 14. The Bible says in Exodus 13: 21-22, “ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” As over six thousand men on foot besides children went there was no complains …
Now get this.. the first sign of trouble comes… We read in Exodus 14 : 10 ,”And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid and cried out to the LORD.” They even said to Moses that ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?’ . At the very first sign of trouble they could not wait on the Lord .
Now we all know what ensued. The Lord divided the red sea and people of Israel walked through the midst of it. Interesting enough again when they say the wonder when they saw that miracle there were no complains but total obedience.
Honestly I would have been a little scared – in fact a lot because hey I’m walking through the midst of the sea.. what if it suddenly closes up ?
But you the Israelites had faith that that would not happen. Because God worked a wonder and He is faithful. They walked through it and were safe. Unlike the Egyptians army who were covered up by the sea.
Now the Israelites rejoiced. In chapter 15 we see they started becoming thirsty. Next sign of trouble . But no they could not wait ! When they saw instant wonders and miracles their obedience was remarkable. But when it came to waiting on the Lord they failed. They started complaining.
In Chapter 17 we see another instance where they became thirsty… oh but they could not wait on the Lord. They just could not. They started contending with Moses.
The Israelites just couldn’t wait. When they saw the glory of God on Mount Sinai they obeyed. But when they had to wait on the Lord they just could not. By the time Moses came down from the mountain they had made for themselves a golden calf and started worshipping it.
A lot of us are like the Israelites… We see instant miracles we see instant results oh we are so obedient !!! When God says be still, we just cant wait . We cant just sit in His presence and say ‘ok Lord I will wait on you.’
Waiting is an act of obedience. Waiting in faith . Though you see nothing happening around you … though people start saying all kinds of things… you ought to wait on the Lord. When God has asked us to wait let us not wait and complain. Let us not say we are waiting on the Lord and then start doing things based on our own strength and our own wisdom. We ought to wait on the Lord in faith and be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts.
Isaiah 40 : 31 , “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
God Bless
Monday, November 16, 2009
"Oh be careful little eyes..."
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification : that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”
I Thessalonians 4 : 3-7 (New King James Version)
Wow ! For this is the will of God… Our Sanctification ! We - our bodies ought to be controlled in a way that is holy and honorable and not be treated and used in a way that the heathen do. We are to be vessels of honor to be used by the King ! How careful do we need to be .
Every word that comes out from our mouth , every message , every thought ….
I remember learning as a kid in Sunday school this song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see … there is a Father up above who is looking down with love” and it goes on to say ‘Oh be careful little ears what you hear… oh be careful little legs where you go…”
What have our eyes been seeing ? What have our ears been hearing ? What have our lips been speaking ? Where have our legs been going ? What have our hands been doing ?
We serve such a Holy God . And we read that ‘For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness”.
God hates sin !! We dealt regarding this a month ago I guess. Jesus Christ is Life !! And Sin is Death !!! They are two opposites ! Where are we standing today ?
Let us get right with God today ! Right now ! This very moment. We need to stop giving excuses for our lies , our sinful acts ,..if we are not right with God now then we will be held accountable !
Do you want the Lord to use you for His every good work ?
We read in II Timothy 2: 20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold or silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Sometimes a lot of us think we can keep doing what we like and also have God in our lives… No ! Its time to be set apart for God… only a vessel of honor sanctified is useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Its time… Throw away that addiction. Today ! Right now ! If there is any sexual addictions in our lives then lets cry out to the Lord right now and ask Him to forgive us and let us surrender our lives completely to Him. If you say that you are a Christian but you still drink or smoke get rid of that habit right now today . For it is better to live one day on this earth being right with God than a hundred years in sin. For this world is just a temporary stop my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Our focus is on eternity - Eternal life.
If we are so prone to gossip, lying ,… oh let us cry out that the Lord will guard our tongues. We need to pray for forgiveness in all humility. Our Father is so so Holy . We cant even to begin to imagine the glory of our God !! Throw away that internet connection if it causes you to sin… throw away your television if it causes you to watch all filth .. cut away that relationship that causes you to sin , to lie and that destroys family….
Let us surrender ourselves completely to His Holy will : to be sanctified … to be set apart for His glory .
God Bless
I Thessalonians 4 : 3-7 (New King James Version)
Wow ! For this is the will of God… Our Sanctification ! We - our bodies ought to be controlled in a way that is holy and honorable and not be treated and used in a way that the heathen do. We are to be vessels of honor to be used by the King ! How careful do we need to be .
Every word that comes out from our mouth , every message , every thought ….
I remember learning as a kid in Sunday school this song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see … there is a Father up above who is looking down with love” and it goes on to say ‘Oh be careful little ears what you hear… oh be careful little legs where you go…”
What have our eyes been seeing ? What have our ears been hearing ? What have our lips been speaking ? Where have our legs been going ? What have our hands been doing ?
We serve such a Holy God . And we read that ‘For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness”.
God hates sin !! We dealt regarding this a month ago I guess. Jesus Christ is Life !! And Sin is Death !!! They are two opposites ! Where are we standing today ?
Let us get right with God today ! Right now ! This very moment. We need to stop giving excuses for our lies , our sinful acts ,..if we are not right with God now then we will be held accountable !
Do you want the Lord to use you for His every good work ?
We read in II Timothy 2: 20-21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold or silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Sometimes a lot of us think we can keep doing what we like and also have God in our lives… No ! Its time to be set apart for God… only a vessel of honor sanctified is useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Its time… Throw away that addiction. Today ! Right now ! If there is any sexual addictions in our lives then lets cry out to the Lord right now and ask Him to forgive us and let us surrender our lives completely to Him. If you say that you are a Christian but you still drink or smoke get rid of that habit right now today . For it is better to live one day on this earth being right with God than a hundred years in sin. For this world is just a temporary stop my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Our focus is on eternity - Eternal life.
If we are so prone to gossip, lying ,… oh let us cry out that the Lord will guard our tongues. We need to pray for forgiveness in all humility. Our Father is so so Holy . We cant even to begin to imagine the glory of our God !! Throw away that internet connection if it causes you to sin… throw away your television if it causes you to watch all filth .. cut away that relationship that causes you to sin , to lie and that destroys family….
Let us surrender ourselves completely to His Holy will : to be sanctified … to be set apart for His glory .
God Bless
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What are we looking at ?
“Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
Jeremiah 32 : 17 (New King James Version)
I would like to share something which I heard from a wonderful sermon last evening . We all are familiar with the story of David and Goliath. Now David had no fear when he saw Goliath . Do you know why ? Because he had faith in God. He trusted entirely on God and not on his own strength . When he saw Goliath he did not compare himself and Goliath and say “Whoa ! This dude is so much bigger and stronger than me…” … no no no … He looked at Goliath and knew he was nothing in comparison with the Lord God Almighty !
A lot of times we find ourselves in a similar situation… Tough problems come up and a lot of times we compare what we can do in our strength with regards to the problem. And then we go ‘Oh this problem is too much for me…. How will I deal with it ?”. That was mistake 1. We shouldn’t be thinking of handling things on our own strength and our own understanding . We ought to be saying ‘Nothing is too hard for my God !” and walk in faith . And this comes only with a personal relationship with our God.
We can attend all the services at church , we can read all the gospel books and sing all the gospel songs but if we don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord then we are missing something major !
The Lord who made the heavens and earth is our Father ! Wow ! Our hearts ought to long to spend time in His presence.
A preacher once asked the congregation “How many of you skipped all 3 meals and did not eat anything because you were so busy with work at the office or house hold work or studies…” No one from the congregation lifted their hands up. Then the preacher asked the congregation “How many of you did not spend time in God’s presence and with His word because you were too busy”… 70% of the congregation lifted up their hands. A lot of us are in the same boat. No matter how busy or tied up we are we always find time to grab a bite to eat. Why is our spiritual food taking a back seat ??
God Bless
Jeremiah 32 : 17 (New King James Version)
I would like to share something which I heard from a wonderful sermon last evening . We all are familiar with the story of David and Goliath. Now David had no fear when he saw Goliath . Do you know why ? Because he had faith in God. He trusted entirely on God and not on his own strength . When he saw Goliath he did not compare himself and Goliath and say “Whoa ! This dude is so much bigger and stronger than me…” … no no no … He looked at Goliath and knew he was nothing in comparison with the Lord God Almighty !
A lot of times we find ourselves in a similar situation… Tough problems come up and a lot of times we compare what we can do in our strength with regards to the problem. And then we go ‘Oh this problem is too much for me…. How will I deal with it ?”. That was mistake 1. We shouldn’t be thinking of handling things on our own strength and our own understanding . We ought to be saying ‘Nothing is too hard for my God !” and walk in faith . And this comes only with a personal relationship with our God.
We can attend all the services at church , we can read all the gospel books and sing all the gospel songs but if we don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord then we are missing something major !
The Lord who made the heavens and earth is our Father ! Wow ! Our hearts ought to long to spend time in His presence.
A preacher once asked the congregation “How many of you skipped all 3 meals and did not eat anything because you were so busy with work at the office or house hold work or studies…” No one from the congregation lifted their hands up. Then the preacher asked the congregation “How many of you did not spend time in God’s presence and with His word because you were too busy”… 70% of the congregation lifted up their hands. A lot of us are in the same boat. No matter how busy or tied up we are we always find time to grab a bite to eat. Why is our spiritual food taking a back seat ??
God Bless
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
To All People
“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds”
Luke 2 :17-18 (New King James Version)
We read in verses 15 and 16 that after the angels had gone away that the shepherds said to one another ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning Christ. And all those who heard it marveled..some versions use the word ‘wondered’.
You and I have a bigger testimony to share to all those around us… It’s the message of the cross ! Not only do we rejoice that Christ came to earth … but we rejoice that He paid the price for our sins and rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And He calls us His own !! We have been ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ .
Yesterday we read what the angel spoke to the shepherds… Luke 2 : 10 “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The good news of great joy is for all people. And the shepherds rightfully went about telling as many people as they could.
We who have tasted the Lord have a great commission . We read in Matthew 28 : 19-20 , “”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen”
Are we leading testimonial lives ? Are we sharing the good news of having Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives ?
We read in Matthew 5: 15, “”Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
The Lord is our light and our salvation !And we are now the light of the world. And we who now have Christ in us are meant to shine forth for His glory. Who lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket ? No one… why ? because it defeats the purpose of the lamp. But a lamp is to be put on a lampstand for what ? So that it gives light to all who are in the house. Wherever we are and wherever we go, the light should shine forth from within us that people around us will see and give God the glory.
Matthew 5: 16 “”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
God Bless
Luke 2 :17-18 (New King James Version)
We read in verses 15 and 16 that after the angels had gone away that the shepherds said to one another ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning Christ. And all those who heard it marveled..some versions use the word ‘wondered’.
You and I have a bigger testimony to share to all those around us… It’s the message of the cross ! Not only do we rejoice that Christ came to earth … but we rejoice that He paid the price for our sins and rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. And He calls us His own !! We have been ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ .
Yesterday we read what the angel spoke to the shepherds… Luke 2 : 10 “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The good news of great joy is for all people. And the shepherds rightfully went about telling as many people as they could.
We who have tasted the Lord have a great commission . We read in Matthew 28 : 19-20 , “”Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen”
Are we leading testimonial lives ? Are we sharing the good news of having Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives ?
We read in Matthew 5: 15, “”Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
The Lord is our light and our salvation !And we are now the light of the world. And we who now have Christ in us are meant to shine forth for His glory. Who lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket ? No one… why ? because it defeats the purpose of the lamp. But a lamp is to be put on a lampstand for what ? So that it gives light to all who are in the house. Wherever we are and wherever we go, the light should shine forth from within us that people around us will see and give God the glory.
Matthew 5: 16 “”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
God Bless
Monday, November 9, 2009
Born in a Manger
“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger”
Luke 2: 12 (New King James Version)
We read in the prior verses that the shepherds were in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. It is no surprise that they were afraid. But listen carefully to what the angel said.
We read in verse 10, “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The angel tells the shepherds that he has good news for them… and that news is not just regular news… its good news of great joy. And wait there is more … its not just for the shepherds but its for all people ! Verse 11 , “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Wow ! Christ the Lord is born ! He has come as it had been prophesied .
And do you know what was THE sign given to the shepherds to find who was Christ ? We read in verse 12 that the shepherds would find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying where ? In a manger !!
What is a manger ? Its a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals in a stable. Immediately I was reminded of the verse in John 6: 58, “This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” Christ came to world to save us from our sins… and He took our place on the cross and died for our sins that we who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. He did not come to the earth being born in a royal palace. No no no . He lay in a manger signifying His purpose !
Its no wonder that we read in Luke 2:13-14 , “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying : Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
God Bless
Luke 2: 12 (New King James Version)
We read in the prior verses that the shepherds were in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. It is no surprise that they were afraid. But listen carefully to what the angel said.
We read in verse 10, “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The angel tells the shepherds that he has good news for them… and that news is not just regular news… its good news of great joy. And wait there is more … its not just for the shepherds but its for all people ! Verse 11 , “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Wow ! Christ the Lord is born ! He has come as it had been prophesied .
And do you know what was THE sign given to the shepherds to find who was Christ ? We read in verse 12 that the shepherds would find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying where ? In a manger !!
What is a manger ? Its a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals in a stable. Immediately I was reminded of the verse in John 6: 58, “This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” Christ came to world to save us from our sins… and He took our place on the cross and died for our sins that we who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. He did not come to the earth being born in a royal palace. No no no . He lay in a manger signifying His purpose !
Its no wonder that we read in Luke 2:13-14 , “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying : Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
God Bless
ALL things
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
Philippians 4:13 (New King James Version)
I remember always claiming this verse when I had hectic project work and a very crucial deliverable J I rested upon Him knowing that it is only by His grace that I can do anything. And by His strength , by relying upon Him totally I will come out victorious.
The Lord opened my eyes to see the entirety of this verse… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Meaning even when times are tough and I am supposed to go through that tough time I can get through it through Christ who strengthens me.
When I have been praying for the salvation of loved ones and I don’t see anything happening I wont give up hope – How ? Through Christ who strengthens me ! Do we realize that ? I know I didn’t .
Sometimes when we don’t see answers for our prayers over a period of time we begin to weaken… and that’s when we need to remember ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. We need to say ‘Lord even in this period of waiting I will wait patiently because You are my strength and even though waiting is tough but I can do all things through You”
We read in verse 12 , “ I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”. Wow ! ALL things :-)
We are not of the world . We are citizens of heaven ! Did you know that ? We read in Philippians 3:20 ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
We are foreigners in this world. We are not native of it J Our Father is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
And we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Be it waiting patiently on Him , be it facing persecution for His name’s sake , be it going through tough times… we can do all things..
Not by our might , nor by our power…but by His Spirit !
Next time when you go through a tough situation , or when things are just beyond comprehension …remember… you can get through it through Christ who strengthens you. You may not always have an answer to the question why … but when you are walking in accordance to God’s Holy will , you know you are being shaped right !
Struggling with addiction ? It doesn’t matter what it is .. be it bad vocab , lying , smoking ,… sexual immorality … You can overcome it and be set free. How ? Through Christ who strengthens you .
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
God Bless
Philippians 4:13 (New King James Version)
I remember always claiming this verse when I had hectic project work and a very crucial deliverable J I rested upon Him knowing that it is only by His grace that I can do anything. And by His strength , by relying upon Him totally I will come out victorious.
The Lord opened my eyes to see the entirety of this verse… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Meaning even when times are tough and I am supposed to go through that tough time I can get through it through Christ who strengthens me.
When I have been praying for the salvation of loved ones and I don’t see anything happening I wont give up hope – How ? Through Christ who strengthens me ! Do we realize that ? I know I didn’t .
Sometimes when we don’t see answers for our prayers over a period of time we begin to weaken… and that’s when we need to remember ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. We need to say ‘Lord even in this period of waiting I will wait patiently because You are my strength and even though waiting is tough but I can do all things through You”
We read in verse 12 , “ I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”. Wow ! ALL things :-)
We are not of the world . We are citizens of heaven ! Did you know that ? We read in Philippians 3:20 ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
We are foreigners in this world. We are not native of it J Our Father is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
And we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Be it waiting patiently on Him , be it facing persecution for His name’s sake , be it going through tough times… we can do all things..
Not by our might , nor by our power…but by His Spirit !
Next time when you go through a tough situation , or when things are just beyond comprehension …remember… you can get through it through Christ who strengthens you. You may not always have an answer to the question why … but when you are walking in accordance to God’s Holy will , you know you are being shaped right !
Struggling with addiction ? It doesn’t matter what it is .. be it bad vocab , lying , smoking ,… sexual immorality … You can overcome it and be set free. How ? Through Christ who strengthens you .
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
God Bless
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Proclaim praises of Him
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
I Peter 2 : 9-10 (New King James Version)
Wow ! We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour , we who obey His word – We are a chosen generation ! We are a royal priesthood ! We are a holy nation ! We are His own special people .
Isn’t that amazing ! We are His own special people ! The King of kings and the Lord of lords has us as His own special people !!
Do you know what we are to do as His special people ?
Proclaim praises of Him ! Telling the world how awesome it is to have Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. That we were once in darkness but He called us into His marvelous light.
Are we doing that ?
Proclaim praises of Him ! Telling the world how once we were not a people but now we are the people of God , telling people we who had not obtained mercy now have obtained mercy .
Oh how good it is to serve such a wonderful loving God … He is our Lord , our Father , our best friend ! What a joy it is to just be able to praise Him !
Are we proclaiming praises of Him ?
Some of us take a neutral approach and we just say yes God is good. Do we tell people yes Jesus Christ is amazing ? To so many of us God has opened doors to share what the Lord has done. But we don’t use it . Instead we say ‘Oh… I will pray for them in my house….’
If we would just submit ourselves and pray ‘Lord use me’ you wont believe how God will work ! God has used a sticker on my bike , a verse on my desk … my job ,.. to open doors to share His word ! Our God is so amazing . He doesn’t need us… but yet by His grace and mercy He has chosen us to do His will. With what reverence should we be sharing the joy of the Lord !
Couple of years ago when I was in New York , I took a bus as always to get to work . And as the bus stopped at some stop , this lady with worn out clothes who was sitting somewhere at the back of the bus, walked by me and thrust a paper into my hand and got off the bus. And I opened my hand to find this old , a little crushed gospel tract and I wondered “Lord what is this all about ? Why would this lady give this to me … “ The tract was about the gift of salvation and I remembered the lady did not have anything else with her … It was not like she was passing out tracts or anything… this was the only one she had and from the looks of it , it seemed like it was her personal one. As I reached office I continued to pray and then the Lord opened my eyes to see what I was to do with that tract. The Lord led me to order copies of the tract and send it to my church in India. And I did that. I have no idea to whom the tracts were distributed and what was the result of it. But I do know the Lord had a purpose and I know it was fulfilled.
Isn’t our Lord just so amazing ! He will use us in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. What our Lord desires is obedience . And He will lead us and show us what is to be done.
Are we willing to proclaim praises of Him ? God might ask you to talk to a stranger , to share a book , to send out a mail , to pray ,…. His ways are beyond our comprehension. The important question is this … Are you willing to come out of your comfort zone for Him ?
God Bless
I Peter 2 : 9-10 (New King James Version)
Wow ! We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour , we who obey His word – We are a chosen generation ! We are a royal priesthood ! We are a holy nation ! We are His own special people .
Isn’t that amazing ! We are His own special people ! The King of kings and the Lord of lords has us as His own special people !!
Do you know what we are to do as His special people ?
Proclaim praises of Him ! Telling the world how awesome it is to have Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. That we were once in darkness but He called us into His marvelous light.
Are we doing that ?
Proclaim praises of Him ! Telling the world how once we were not a people but now we are the people of God , telling people we who had not obtained mercy now have obtained mercy .
Oh how good it is to serve such a wonderful loving God … He is our Lord , our Father , our best friend ! What a joy it is to just be able to praise Him !
Are we proclaiming praises of Him ?
Some of us take a neutral approach and we just say yes God is good. Do we tell people yes Jesus Christ is amazing ? To so many of us God has opened doors to share what the Lord has done. But we don’t use it . Instead we say ‘Oh… I will pray for them in my house….’
If we would just submit ourselves and pray ‘Lord use me’ you wont believe how God will work ! God has used a sticker on my bike , a verse on my desk … my job ,.. to open doors to share His word ! Our God is so amazing . He doesn’t need us… but yet by His grace and mercy He has chosen us to do His will. With what reverence should we be sharing the joy of the Lord !
Couple of years ago when I was in New York , I took a bus as always to get to work . And as the bus stopped at some stop , this lady with worn out clothes who was sitting somewhere at the back of the bus, walked by me and thrust a paper into my hand and got off the bus. And I opened my hand to find this old , a little crushed gospel tract and I wondered “Lord what is this all about ? Why would this lady give this to me … “ The tract was about the gift of salvation and I remembered the lady did not have anything else with her … It was not like she was passing out tracts or anything… this was the only one she had and from the looks of it , it seemed like it was her personal one. As I reached office I continued to pray and then the Lord opened my eyes to see what I was to do with that tract. The Lord led me to order copies of the tract and send it to my church in India. And I did that. I have no idea to whom the tracts were distributed and what was the result of it. But I do know the Lord had a purpose and I know it was fulfilled.
Isn’t our Lord just so amazing ! He will use us in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. What our Lord desires is obedience . And He will lead us and show us what is to be done.
Are we willing to proclaim praises of Him ? God might ask you to talk to a stranger , to share a book , to send out a mail , to pray ,…. His ways are beyond our comprehension. The important question is this … Are you willing to come out of your comfort zone for Him ?
God Bless
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)