1 Samuel 12:24 - Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
The piece of advice Samuel gave the people stands even today.
Fear the Lord
Serve Him in truth with all your heart
Remember the great things He has done for you
These points may be from the Old Testament but they still form the foundation of the New Testament. For these add to our relationship called LOVE with the Lord.
If we do not acknowledge who God is and give Him the due reverence we will not be able to love Him.
If we lie or try to fool God or ourselves about the evil we do against God, can we call that love?
If we forget every time the things that the Lord has done for us, can we call our relation with the Lord based on love?
If we really love the Lord these three are some of the bare necessary requirement for our relationship with Him.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are my God, my creator. You made me, gave life unto me and with your love protect and prosper me. Lord in my foolishness I tried to ignore You, lie to You and forget all the great things You have done for me. Father I ask your forgiveness for my foolishness. I love You and want to have a close relationship with You. Speak to me Lord and help me Holy Spirit to come to reality with the truth...
I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Let your light shine and glorify God the Father
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Most people think this scripture talks about the light being a good person and doing social work etc. which people will see and glorify God. No, it is not so, our works may impress man but it will not glorify God.
Dig deep into His words to get the true meaning of the scriptures. For the true meaning we need to get into the TVM (Tense, Voice & Mood) of the words – shine and see, and relate them to the three parts of our being - mind, body and spirit.
The word shine has the TVM - Aorist, Active & Imperative
Definitions:-
Aorist: The aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time.
Active:The active voice represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action.
Imperative: The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding.
While the word see has the TVM - Second Aorist, Active & Subjunctive
Second Aorist: The "second aorist" tense is identical in meaning and translation to the normal or "first" aorist tense. The only difference is in the form of spelling the words in Greek, and there is no effect upon English translation.
Subjunctive: The subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility and potentiality. The action described may or may not occur, depending upon circumstances.
When put this into perspective what we shine - in mind we do it irrespective of the past present or future, in body it means we do it actively, physically and in spirit we do it under the authority of the one who asked us to do it (Jesus Christ).
Now coming to see - the second aorist is like a confused tense since it points to another tense, thus logically does need to exist. Therefore the person who sees does not understand what is the use of it with relations to the present, past or future, but in physical sees a manifestation and in spirit does not know where it will lead.
In John 1: 1-5 we see the Word is light and it manifested into flesh as Jesus. Jesus as prophesized by Isaiah (Mathew 4:14-17) was the light and became so as He preached.
Thus our shining is not related to good works or with social service but with preaching the Gospel. For people will not understand why you are doing it or where it will lead to, but will see the manifestation of the Word for they will see miracles and healings. And it is this, which will give glory to the Father who is in Heaven.
This shining you are not supposed to do in the quiet or hiding. You need to do it openly and publicly so the whole world sees the true Light - Jesus. Since we are entering this holy week it is more the necessary be shine the true Light for all to see.
[Prayer]
Father God, I want to give glory to You, for You are worthy of all glory. Give me the courage Father to go out into the world and preach to them the salvation which You have made available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 _ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Matthew 4:12-17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 5:15
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Most people think this scripture talks about the light being a good person and doing social work etc. which people will see and glorify God. No, it is not so, our works may impress man but it will not glorify God.
Dig deep into His words to get the true meaning of the scriptures. For the true meaning we need to get into the TVM (Tense, Voice & Mood) of the words – shine and see, and relate them to the three parts of our being - mind, body and spirit.
The word shine has the TVM - Aorist, Active & Imperative
Definitions:-
Aorist: The aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time.
Active:The active voice represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action.
Imperative: The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding.
While the word see has the TVM - Second Aorist, Active & Subjunctive
Second Aorist: The "second aorist" tense is identical in meaning and translation to the normal or "first" aorist tense. The only difference is in the form of spelling the words in Greek, and there is no effect upon English translation.
Subjunctive: The subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility and potentiality. The action described may or may not occur, depending upon circumstances.
When put this into perspective what we shine - in mind we do it irrespective of the past present or future, in body it means we do it actively, physically and in spirit we do it under the authority of the one who asked us to do it (Jesus Christ).
Now coming to see - the second aorist is like a confused tense since it points to another tense, thus logically does need to exist. Therefore the person who sees does not understand what is the use of it with relations to the present, past or future, but in physical sees a manifestation and in spirit does not know where it will lead.
In John 1: 1-5 we see the Word is light and it manifested into flesh as Jesus. Jesus as prophesized by Isaiah (Mathew 4:14-17) was the light and became so as He preached.
Thus our shining is not related to good works or with social service but with preaching the Gospel. For people will not understand why you are doing it or where it will lead to, but will see the manifestation of the Word for they will see miracles and healings. And it is this, which will give glory to the Father who is in Heaven.
This shining you are not supposed to do in the quiet or hiding. You need to do it openly and publicly so the whole world sees the true Light - Jesus. Since we are entering this holy week it is more the necessary be shine the true Light for all to see.
[Prayer]
Father God, I want to give glory to You, for You are worthy of all glory. Give me the courage Father to go out into the world and preach to them the salvation which You have made available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 _ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Matthew 4:12-17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 5:15
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
They shall not prevail!
Jeremiah 1:19 - And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Even during the worst situations those who say YES to God and obey his command do not have to fear. For the Lord says to them like He said unto Jeremiah when He is with them however much the world will go against them, none will prevail. Our God is God and He can deliver us even from fire like He did to the colleagues of Daniel. We need to just abide in Him and trust Him. He has proved Himself as a trustworthy and almighty God and now has committed to be with us and in us unlike the ancient days. Are we still going to doubt Him?
Would we like to be like Jeremiah who did go through many problems but was delivered from them all, whom even the kings feared? Or would we like to say yes to the world and enjoy for some time and then be crushed by this same world? The choice is ours.
[Prayer]
Father God, You call unto us like You called Jeremiah. Father God I say YES to you and the mission You want to sent me out to. Take me Lord, lead me and use me according to your plan. Keep me under your wings as to your Word and deliver me from all evil. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Even during the worst situations those who say YES to God and obey his command do not have to fear. For the Lord says to them like He said unto Jeremiah when He is with them however much the world will go against them, none will prevail. Our God is God and He can deliver us even from fire like He did to the colleagues of Daniel. We need to just abide in Him and trust Him. He has proved Himself as a trustworthy and almighty God and now has committed to be with us and in us unlike the ancient days. Are we still going to doubt Him?
Would we like to be like Jeremiah who did go through many problems but was delivered from them all, whom even the kings feared? Or would we like to say yes to the world and enjoy for some time and then be crushed by this same world? The choice is ours.
[Prayer]
Father God, You call unto us like You called Jeremiah. Father God I say YES to you and the mission You want to sent me out to. Take me Lord, lead me and use me according to your plan. Keep me under your wings as to your Word and deliver me from all evil. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Time may run out on you!
Isaiah 55:6 - Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
We often take God for granted --- knowing that God is not going anywhere and thinking we have a long time we put things back for another day. But this another day may not be there for you and I to see. No doubt that God has been more merciful to us because of the grace made available by the sacrifice of Jesus. We also need to remember that one of the characteristics of God is slow to anger; and soon this anger may be seen by us.
Another thing is the mercy of God is not available to everybody in equal measures; for God being righteous does so according to the heart of the person. God may have mercy on a murder and bring him back unto Him but may not have mercy on a robber and the robber may die and suffer damnation. Because if a person hardens his heart towards God's Kingdom; God may harden it further, quicken and multiply that person destruction.
So do not take God, His mercy and love for granted and while He is approachable come to Him. While He opens His ears unto you, call unto Him. While the door is open, change your hearts and enter unto your salvation.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are a patient and merciful God. You are slow to anger but your righteousness compels You to act. Lord, help me to surrender and change my ways while the door is open. Help me not to harden my heart, but let your grace be abundant on me. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Isaiah 55:6 -7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
John 12:37-43
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Exodus 20:5-6
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 6:15-19
15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17 _ Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
We often take God for granted --- knowing that God is not going anywhere and thinking we have a long time we put things back for another day. But this another day may not be there for you and I to see. No doubt that God has been more merciful to us because of the grace made available by the sacrifice of Jesus. We also need to remember that one of the characteristics of God is slow to anger; and soon this anger may be seen by us.
Another thing is the mercy of God is not available to everybody in equal measures; for God being righteous does so according to the heart of the person. God may have mercy on a murder and bring him back unto Him but may not have mercy on a robber and the robber may die and suffer damnation. Because if a person hardens his heart towards God's Kingdom; God may harden it further, quicken and multiply that person destruction.
So do not take God, His mercy and love for granted and while He is approachable come to Him. While He opens His ears unto you, call unto Him. While the door is open, change your hearts and enter unto your salvation.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are a patient and merciful God. You are slow to anger but your righteousness compels You to act. Lord, help me to surrender and change my ways while the door is open. Help me not to harden my heart, but let your grace be abundant on me. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Isaiah 55:6 -7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
John 12:37-43
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Exodus 20:5-6
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 6:15-19
15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17 _ Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Use wisdom in times of foolishness.
Colossians 4:5 - Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Man has the natural tendency to hebetate according to his habitat. Due to which he also tends to act like a fool when surrounded by foolish people doing foolish things.
Some may disagree with me on this. But when you see closely you will see people tend to adopt traditions, styles, attitudes etc. of people wherein they are living. They do not question or try to understand the reasons, roots of or causes due to which these traditions etc. came into being, yet they will adopt them just to be accepted by society.
What I'm talking about today is not only about what we have been doing since past but also about the new ways of life we have now come out with or will come out with as solutions to our problems. The Lord is telling us to use wisdom at these times. Only when we study the Word of God and educate ourselves about the times will we be able to discern them and use the wisdom God has given us to overcome.
Open any news paper in any part of the world and I am sure you will find some or the other shocking news of how people are getting at each other or trying to find answers to their problems.
Let us believers of the true God, walking in light discern these times and the foolishness of man. Let us be led by the Spirit of God using the knowledge and wisdom given by the Lord.
[Prayer]
Father God, You have given us the Word, which is an instruction manual to us for our salvation. Help us Lord to study and meditate on it and be led by your Spirit so that we may save ourselves and not be victims to calamity and vanity. We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Man has the natural tendency to hebetate according to his habitat. Due to which he also tends to act like a fool when surrounded by foolish people doing foolish things.
Some may disagree with me on this. But when you see closely you will see people tend to adopt traditions, styles, attitudes etc. of people wherein they are living. They do not question or try to understand the reasons, roots of or causes due to which these traditions etc. came into being, yet they will adopt them just to be accepted by society.
What I'm talking about today is not only about what we have been doing since past but also about the new ways of life we have now come out with or will come out with as solutions to our problems. The Lord is telling us to use wisdom at these times. Only when we study the Word of God and educate ourselves about the times will we be able to discern them and use the wisdom God has given us to overcome.
Open any news paper in any part of the world and I am sure you will find some or the other shocking news of how people are getting at each other or trying to find answers to their problems.
Let us believers of the true God, walking in light discern these times and the foolishness of man. Let us be led by the Spirit of God using the knowledge and wisdom given by the Lord.
[Prayer]
Father God, You have given us the Word, which is an instruction manual to us for our salvation. Help us Lord to study and meditate on it and be led by your Spirit so that we may save ourselves and not be victims to calamity and vanity. We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Commit thy way unto the LORD
Psalms 37:3,4,5 - Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
We all want many things, and most times wonder why God doesn't answer our prayers requests. If God were to give everything we desired - we would have been destroyed, because we do not have much understanding of life. Our collective understanding can be compared to the understanding of a five year old as to what the Lord will reveal to mankind in Christ in the days ahead.
To receive the desires of our heart the Lord asks of us four things:
1) Trust in the Lord (have faith)
2) Do good (be righteous)
3) Delight ourselves in the Lord (take pleasure in Him and his Kingdom)
4) Commit our way unto Him (commit our journey / life unto Him)
One would say - the Lord will not give all that we desire but only things which are good. I would say if we do the above things we would in no way ask or even desire for anything which is not good according to God's Kingdom.
We may also say it is impossible to do all these. Even the Lord understands how difficult it is for us. Notice how our verse today is in present tense. This means the Lord tells us to slowly and gradually take this path towards Him. He does not expect of us in one day to be perfect, He tells us everyday to make our efforts to better ourselves and He would be with us to help us. This also explains the Lord being with us even when we are not perfect. As far as we are on this journey the Lord will be with us helping us, guiding us and working through us.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are an understanding Father. You do not abandon us because we are weak but help us and strengthen us to make us strong in You. Your love, mercy and wisdom are beyond measures and You shower them on us with righteousness. Help me Lord on the journey towards You. Strengthen me, guide me and comfort me at all times. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
We all want many things, and most times wonder why God doesn't answer our prayers requests. If God were to give everything we desired - we would have been destroyed, because we do not have much understanding of life. Our collective understanding can be compared to the understanding of a five year old as to what the Lord will reveal to mankind in Christ in the days ahead.
To receive the desires of our heart the Lord asks of us four things:
1) Trust in the Lord (have faith)
2) Do good (be righteous)
3) Delight ourselves in the Lord (take pleasure in Him and his Kingdom)
4) Commit our way unto Him (commit our journey / life unto Him)
One would say - the Lord will not give all that we desire but only things which are good. I would say if we do the above things we would in no way ask or even desire for anything which is not good according to God's Kingdom.
We may also say it is impossible to do all these. Even the Lord understands how difficult it is for us. Notice how our verse today is in present tense. This means the Lord tells us to slowly and gradually take this path towards Him. He does not expect of us in one day to be perfect, He tells us everyday to make our efforts to better ourselves and He would be with us to help us. This also explains the Lord being with us even when we are not perfect. As far as we are on this journey the Lord will be with us helping us, guiding us and working through us.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are an understanding Father. You do not abandon us because we are weak but help us and strengthen us to make us strong in You. Your love, mercy and wisdom are beyond measures and You shower them on us with righteousness. Help me Lord on the journey towards You. Strengthen me, guide me and comfort me at all times. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Do not give up!
Haggai 2:4 - Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:
As we see the situation in us and around us being bad let us not look at it but let us put our hope in the Lord and gain courage and strength from Him and His Word. Whatever may be our spiritual state or our physical state, the Lord is saying today to us do not worry for I am with you and I will soon change things for you.
You may be really low in spirit not able to even pray many a times, yet the message to us is to keep trying for the Lord is with you and soon you will have a good communication and relationship with the Lord.
You tried reading the Word of God and may not be able to understand it and the message to you is keep trying for the Lord with help you and reveal the depths of His Word to you.
You may be a person very impatient or one who loses control over your anger very quickly, or falls to your desires many a times knowing it harms you. The message for you is still keep trying the Lord is with you and He will help you. You will overcome your self and will be victorious.
You may not be able to express your love for someone due to which there is misunderstanding among you, the message to you is keep trying the Lord is with you and soon He will change the situation.
You may be not is good grounds in your business or the place you work. Your finances may be of concern to you, and the message to you also is be strong and do not give up for the Lord is with you and He will change things for you and around you.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are a merciful God. In your anger You allowed man to suffer but your love and mercy overcame your anger and open the doors of blessings on your people. Lord we look for the opening of these doors once again in our lives. May your Hand be over us and your countenance shine on us always. We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
As we see the situation in us and around us being bad let us not look at it but let us put our hope in the Lord and gain courage and strength from Him and His Word. Whatever may be our spiritual state or our physical state, the Lord is saying today to us do not worry for I am with you and I will soon change things for you.
You may be really low in spirit not able to even pray many a times, yet the message to us is to keep trying for the Lord is with you and soon you will have a good communication and relationship with the Lord.
You tried reading the Word of God and may not be able to understand it and the message to you is keep trying for the Lord with help you and reveal the depths of His Word to you.
You may be a person very impatient or one who loses control over your anger very quickly, or falls to your desires many a times knowing it harms you. The message for you is still keep trying the Lord is with you and He will help you. You will overcome your self and will be victorious.
You may not be able to express your love for someone due to which there is misunderstanding among you, the message to you is keep trying the Lord is with you and soon He will change the situation.
You may be not is good grounds in your business or the place you work. Your finances may be of concern to you, and the message to you also is be strong and do not give up for the Lord is with you and He will change things for you and around you.
[Prayer]
Father God, You are a merciful God. In your anger You allowed man to suffer but your love and mercy overcame your anger and open the doors of blessings on your people. Lord we look for the opening of these doors once again in our lives. May your Hand be over us and your countenance shine on us always. We ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Do not be led by man but by God
1 Corinthians 7:23 - Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
One of the greatest things that angered God against the Israelites was when they asked for a human king even though the Lord was leading them and had delivered them from all adversaries.
We are people of the flesh living in carnal desires and therefore tend to always rely on physical things. We tend to trust man more than God. Many a times, in this weakness we follow the person who bought us to the Lord and land up rejecting God whom we need to follow.
The mission of every person working as a shepherd for God's Kingdom is to bring the lambs to a stage where in they can be led by the One Shepherd - Holy Spirit. But many land up following another sheep but not the true Shepherd.
Even Jesus who is the Good Shepherd did not lead them all the way; He too bought them to a stage and handed them over to the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost the fire that was within them was so much that the very nature of each one of them changed.
The Father paid the price; Jesus being man obeyed the Father and became the way to lead all to the Father. We too must be like Jesus connecting people to the Father.
If you have been blessed by someone who opened your eyes to know God, grow to a stage but stop following the person and start following God. If you believe in Jesus Christ the Spirit of God is given unto you. By you not following the Holy Spirit and continue following man is insulting God.
[Prayer]
Father God, You paid a heavy price to redeem me. Lord, I thank You and ask You to bless those whom You have send to bring me to know You. Lord, now I want to be led by You alone and want to be an instrument to lead others like me to You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
1 Samuel 8:4-20
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles
One of the greatest things that angered God against the Israelites was when they asked for a human king even though the Lord was leading them and had delivered them from all adversaries.
We are people of the flesh living in carnal desires and therefore tend to always rely on physical things. We tend to trust man more than God. Many a times, in this weakness we follow the person who bought us to the Lord and land up rejecting God whom we need to follow.
The mission of every person working as a shepherd for God's Kingdom is to bring the lambs to a stage where in they can be led by the One Shepherd - Holy Spirit. But many land up following another sheep but not the true Shepherd.
Even Jesus who is the Good Shepherd did not lead them all the way; He too bought them to a stage and handed them over to the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost the fire that was within them was so much that the very nature of each one of them changed.
The Father paid the price; Jesus being man obeyed the Father and became the way to lead all to the Father. We too must be like Jesus connecting people to the Father.
If you have been blessed by someone who opened your eyes to know God, grow to a stage but stop following the person and start following God. If you believe in Jesus Christ the Spirit of God is given unto you. By you not following the Holy Spirit and continue following man is insulting God.
[Prayer]
Father God, You paid a heavy price to redeem me. Lord, I thank You and ask You to bless those whom You have send to bring me to know You. Lord, now I want to be led by You alone and want to be an instrument to lead others like me to You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
1 Samuel 8:4-20
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles
Monday, May 4, 2009
Your fight is not against the devil but your own self
Revelations 2:7 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Most of us have made Satan an excuse. He is so intelligent that he plays his game in that very same way, so as to not come in the front. The word Satan means 'adversary' - one who withstands. Realize this His only aim is to deprive us of the prosperity which God wants to bless us, by keeping us under the curse and the wrath of God. His powers are restricted until the last days so he can roar like a lion but can not attack us unless we surrender to him.
To destroy us he influences our carnal self. Carnal - means the body and mind which longs for self appeasement. The way to destroy Satan in our lives is by breaking our carnal self like Jesus broke the Bread - His Body. Therefore the Bread is the Bread of Life only when you understand and abide in it.
So just be eating it will not give us eternal life, but when we understand it and abide by it - it surely will give us eternal life.
So next time when we receive the Bread during the service, I invite each one to reflect on the breaking of the Bread so as to receive Christ and eternal Life.
[Prayer]
Father God, we thank You for the sacrifice of your Son Jesus. By Him, You have showed us how to overcome our carnal self. Help us Lord in breaking this nature of Adam and bring in the nature of Jesus Christ, by which we receive the inheritance of Abraham and eternal life. I make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Luke 24:13-31
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Most of us have made Satan an excuse. He is so intelligent that he plays his game in that very same way, so as to not come in the front. The word Satan means 'adversary' - one who withstands. Realize this His only aim is to deprive us of the prosperity which God wants to bless us, by keeping us under the curse and the wrath of God. His powers are restricted until the last days so he can roar like a lion but can not attack us unless we surrender to him.
To destroy us he influences our carnal self. Carnal - means the body and mind which longs for self appeasement. The way to destroy Satan in our lives is by breaking our carnal self like Jesus broke the Bread - His Body. Therefore the Bread is the Bread of Life only when you understand and abide in it.
So just be eating it will not give us eternal life, but when we understand it and abide by it - it surely will give us eternal life.
So next time when we receive the Bread during the service, I invite each one to reflect on the breaking of the Bread so as to receive Christ and eternal Life.
[Prayer]
Father God, we thank You for the sacrifice of your Son Jesus. By Him, You have showed us how to overcome our carnal self. Help us Lord in breaking this nature of Adam and bring in the nature of Jesus Christ, by which we receive the inheritance of Abraham and eternal life. I make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Luke 24:13-31
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
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