Another year end - or beginning?

Colossians 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

In Psalms 90:12 - So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Two lines before in the Psalm verse 10 says " The days of our years are threescore years and ten (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80), yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away" On an average man lives for 70 to 80 years although under the curse man can live for maximum 120years.

When God cursed the lifespan of man around the time of Noah's floods; man's life span slowly and steadily started reducing. Before the curse man's earthly life limit was more than thousand years and hence forth became 120 years. Even long after the curse we have very few persons who lived more than 120years, and their secret was their lives were connected with the sanctuary of the Lord (like a High Priest or a Levi who is considered as a priest). That does not mean if we live in some Church we will longer, it means if we make our bodies which we dwell in real temples, then we may live longer. It also does not mean those who live shorter are cursed more.

Understand God's main purpose is to see us saved, therefore at times takes us away when we are at the best state of faith we can get, because of our hearts. Assuming we are not great people in the Lord and live an average life, can we look back at this life and see what we have done with it? Can you and me, be confident and proud that we did not waste this precious opportunity of time. We may have collected lot of material things and made a great name among men. This may carry forward from one generation to the next and still to the next, after that what?

All the name and material things will soon one day be forgotten and wasted but the spiritual wealth we have will be carried with us unto out life with the Lord. The true wealth that we make does not only benefit us alone; it is like a flowering tree which gives beautiful aroma. We may have the tree and the flowers but the aroma spreads even unto the neighbors, no one can stop the aroma from spreading.

The true spiritual wealth we collect can not be stopped from affecting the life of others. There was a beautiful statement I came across with regards to the difference a true Christian and people of this world. At the end one creates wealth, leaves it and goes; and the other walks towards his or her wealth. A year is soon coming to an end; another with start and that on too will also end soon. Time will pass without our knowledge, if we do not do something with it starting today.

[Prayer]

Lord God, You are the giver of life. We thank You for this life You gave us.

We also ask You to forgive us for we have wasted most of this precious life fruitlessly.

Lord, help us starting today that we look seriously at life and its purpose. Help us that we increase our spiritual wealth; wealth which is permanent...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Genesis 6:3 3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31

5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

Genesis 9:29

29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Genesis 11:32

32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

Genesis 25:7

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Numbers 33:39

39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.

Deuteronomy 34:7

7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

Exodus 6:16-20

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Isaiah 40:15-23

15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

Having the presence of the Lord to lead us.

Exodus 33:14 - And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.  

Moses understood what it meant to have the presence of the Lord and to be without it; he refused to bulge without the Lord.  When Moses meant the presence of the Lord, he did not mean the physical presence of the Lord. The word translated as 'presence' is translated more times as 'before' & 'face' and even 'countenance'. 

Sometimes (21 times) it has personified so much that it has been translated even as 'person'.   It really meant the glory of God and the favor of God. Moses knew without the favor of God or the glory of God on the people, the people would not survive in the world. The world hates God and also God’s people, therefore Moses knew that it was only the favor of God which would sustain them in their journey ahead. 

We Christians should realize that we are not loved by this world and this world will do all it can to destroy us. It does not necessarily mean kill us but could mean killing the faith in us and therefore removing our names from list of those who will inherit from the Lord (remove us from the Book of Life).  

Having grace and having favor is different. As believers we all have received grace, grace is given unto us but favor need to earned. It does not mean by our work we will receive favor. It means we need to maintain right position with God to earn favor. It is only when we have righteous standing in the Lord (doers of the Word) will we receive the favor of God.  

Remember when we call ourselves Christian and act as Christians we risk ourselves against this world, and to survive in this world we desperately need the favor of the Lord on us. 

[Prayer]
Lord God, peace with You is more important than everything. 

It is only when we have peace with You we can have peace in this world. Lord, to have your peace we need to walk in righteousness and You know we are weak in our flesh. 

We may not be perfect in our walk in You but your Word says our consistent efforts are sufficient for your favor. Lord we ask your favor be on us not because we deserve it but because we stand in You and You gave your Word...  

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.   

[Reference Scriptures]

Acts 2:44-47 

44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 

45  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 

46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 

47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

What kind of celebrations have you planned?

Colossians 3:14 - And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

As true Christians why do we need to witness for Christ and give the Good News to His people?
Why are we told to love our neighbors as our selves? Why are we told to give in such a way that we receive not here but in Heaven?

The reason we do and should do all this is only for Christ, so that Christ is glorified over all creation.

If we love Christ we will love the people who are a part of Christ - His Body. If we truly love Christ we will keep His Word and show Him unto the world. He was perfect and so we need to show that perfectness unto the world.

This festive season what are your plans? Whom are you giving gifts? Who are your invitees whom you are planning to call over for dinner? Who all are on your list, whom you will pay a visit?
If you are in the world you will do things by which you will be rewarded in the world, but if you are of Christ you will look for rewards which are heavenly.

Jesus gave us a clue of how to really celebrate in Luke 14:12-14

To have a happy celebration call your friends and rich neighbors, but if you want to have a joyful celebration call over people who are needy, like the old woman you have been seeing wearing the same dress almost everyday, or that poor family who's child is always crying to its' parents to buy some toy. It does not have to be only the financially poor but could be a person spiritually poor, like the old man who is very sad since his whole family is far away, or could be physically poor, like the young boy who can not leave his house to go to school or to play.

Just pause for a few minutes and I am sure you will have a list of people with whole you can celebrate a Joyful Christmas. Are you celebrating Christmas because of yourself or because of Christ? If Christmas is because of Christ, do it the way that will please Him. Worship the Lord and celebrate in ways that please the Lord. Do not plan to have a happy Christmas which will end as soon as the holidays are over, but have a Joyful Christmas which will last till the coming again of Christ.

[Prayer]
O Lord Jesus, not again, let not this celebration be all about gratifying of one's carnal self. Let your people celebrating in remembrance of You do it in ways that please You and not your enemy -
the deceiver. Let this Christmas be about You and to show the world who You are. Renew our minds and help us control our worldly desires...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scriptures]

Luke 14:12-14

12 And he said to him also that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors; lest haply they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

14 and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not wherewith to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.

Rejoicing in hope

Romans 12:12 - Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Despite what some might think: Rejoicing or being joyful is not the same as being happy.

Happiness is an emotion which is based on a situation, and when the situation withers away/changes -

the happiness also is lost. One is joyful when there is a change which can not be reverted back.

So - what hope are we to be joyful about?

As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ died, resurrected and ascended to Heaven. This is a proof that Heaven which was shut to man is now open, for one man has entered it. Secondly we also know that He gave is His Spirit - the Resurrection Power by Whom He was successful to perform this feat. We now are in a position which was tested and found successful; this is the hope that we rejoice in.

Are we through then? Definitely Not.

But, we who were at zero position are now at the most favorable position of success. It all matters on we following instructions of the Spirit of Lord Jesus Christ. Now the success is on us are we going to abide or not. If we have made our decision to abide then we should be joyful irrespective of our state of health and mind.

So our rejoicing is not for tomorrow or in the future, but now with all our hearts (minds). In spirit we have yet not received it in full but it will soon be accomplished.

[Prayer]
Lord God, we thank You for saving us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We also thank You for your Spirit by whom we now can have victory over death. Holy Spirit help we know You more and have better
relationship with You. It is only by You that I can be where my Lord is...

I make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[Reference Scripture]

Philippians 3:9-11

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Romans 1:3-6
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: