29 September 2007
' The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much' Jas 5:16b
This is a promise from God that if we live righteously and pray fervently, our prayers will be effective and produce significant results. Some of us may ask ' I pray but nothing happens' Our problem is that we do not hold ourselves accountable to the scriptures. God's word says that our prayer ought to accomplish much. If our prayer life is not accomplishing much, we should examine our lives. if the prayer life of the church is not accomplishing much, the church should ask what should we do? Is His promise untrue?
James says that fervent prayer avails much. Fervent prayer means we do not quit easily. Fervent prayer means we PURPOSEFULLY spend sufficient time in intercession. Fervent prayer means we cry out to the Father, sometimes in tears, with our heart and soul. Fervent prayer comes as the Holy Spirit assists us in praying with groanings too deep for words. (Rom 8:26)
According to James, our righteousness will ensure effective prayer. God's standard of righteousness is different from ours, for he looks beyond our actions, beyond our thoughts and directly to our hearts. Ask God to search our hearts and ask for His forgiveness and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness in us.
If we adhere to what God requires from us, He will lead us to pray for things that allign with His purposes, and God will answer our prayer in a mighty way.
Amen
Lord, Not Just a Visit but Your Habitation
28 September 2007
' I beseech Thee, show me thy Glory,' Exo 33:18
Many of us will be satisfied if God can visit us on Sunday worship celebrations or our prayer meetings. At certain times, we are satisfied with ourselves, going through life without His visitation.
The people of Israel during the days of Moses were not different from us today. They cried to God to deliver them from the Egyptian masters. They were always busy compiling ' want lists' and 'complaints' to God. When they crossed the Red Sea, they have forgotten what God has done for them.
Moses wanted more than what he has experienced with God. Moses had heard God's voice and witnessed His delivering power. Moses had experienced miracles. Moses had experienced the manifest presence of God. However, he was not just satisfied with a visitation, his soul longed for His habitation. He wanted more than seeing God's finger or hearing God's voice from a cloud or a burning bush. God's abiding presence became his consuming desire and he begged God so that he could see His Glory.
God told Moses ' that canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me and live' Exo 33:20. Many of us would just resigned from this and it would be a close case. But Moses knew ' there was a way'
The Lord told Moses ' Look, you can't see My face, but there is a place by Me where you can see Me as I disappear off in the distance' Exo 33:21-23
The Lord told Moses to 'present himself' to Him on top of the mountain the next morning, and He would hide him in the cleft of the rock while His Glory passed by.
' Now before I ever get there, I am going to reach forward in time to cover you with my Hand while I pass by you. After I pass by, I am going to pull My hand away so you can stick your head out and look in the direction I've gone. Then you will see just a little bit of My 'back parts' as I disappear into the distance' Exo 33:22-23
Moses did exactly what God told him to do and this made a lasting impact in His life.
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us guard our hearts and His dwelling place. Let us pray that whenever we meet as people of God, we do not just invite Him to be a visitor but God who dwells among His people.
Amen
' I beseech Thee, show me thy Glory,' Exo 33:18
Many of us will be satisfied if God can visit us on Sunday worship celebrations or our prayer meetings. At certain times, we are satisfied with ourselves, going through life without His visitation.
The people of Israel during the days of Moses were not different from us today. They cried to God to deliver them from the Egyptian masters. They were always busy compiling ' want lists' and 'complaints' to God. When they crossed the Red Sea, they have forgotten what God has done for them.
Moses wanted more than what he has experienced with God. Moses had heard God's voice and witnessed His delivering power. Moses had experienced miracles. Moses had experienced the manifest presence of God. However, he was not just satisfied with a visitation, his soul longed for His habitation. He wanted more than seeing God's finger or hearing God's voice from a cloud or a burning bush. God's abiding presence became his consuming desire and he begged God so that he could see His Glory.
God told Moses ' that canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me and live' Exo 33:20. Many of us would just resigned from this and it would be a close case. But Moses knew ' there was a way'
The Lord told Moses ' Look, you can't see My face, but there is a place by Me where you can see Me as I disappear off in the distance' Exo 33:21-23
The Lord told Moses to 'present himself' to Him on top of the mountain the next morning, and He would hide him in the cleft of the rock while His Glory passed by.
' Now before I ever get there, I am going to reach forward in time to cover you with my Hand while I pass by you. After I pass by, I am going to pull My hand away so you can stick your head out and look in the direction I've gone. Then you will see just a little bit of My 'back parts' as I disappear into the distance' Exo 33:22-23
Moses did exactly what God told him to do and this made a lasting impact in His life.
We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us guard our hearts and His dwelling place. Let us pray that whenever we meet as people of God, we do not just invite Him to be a visitor but God who dwells among His people.
Amen
He is at Your Right Hand
27 September 2007
' I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved' Ps 16:8
What does it mean to set the Lord always before me? It means that you choose to relate everything you encounter to your trust in God. What you choose to focus on becomes the dominant influence in your life. If you choose to focus on your problems, your problems will set the direction of your life. If you focus on people, then people will determine what you think and do.
In biblical times, the right hand is the most distinquished position, reserved for the one's chief adviser and supporter. When you choose to focus on Christ, you invite Him to take the most important position in your life as He is your Counselor and Defender. When people insult you or hurt you or mistreat you, you should seek direction from Your Counselor on how to respond. When you are facing a crisis or an important decision in your life, you have the Counselor and Guide at your right hand. When you face a fearful situation, turn to Him who is just beside you and take courage from the Advocate at your right hand.
How awesome to know about the magnitude of God's grace, even Christ should stand beside you to guide you and counsel you and defend you! How could you ever become dismayed over your situation with Christ at your right hand? What confidence this should give you!
Amen
' I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved' Ps 16:8
What does it mean to set the Lord always before me? It means that you choose to relate everything you encounter to your trust in God. What you choose to focus on becomes the dominant influence in your life. If you choose to focus on your problems, your problems will set the direction of your life. If you focus on people, then people will determine what you think and do.
In biblical times, the right hand is the most distinquished position, reserved for the one's chief adviser and supporter. When you choose to focus on Christ, you invite Him to take the most important position in your life as He is your Counselor and Defender. When people insult you or hurt you or mistreat you, you should seek direction from Your Counselor on how to respond. When you are facing a crisis or an important decision in your life, you have the Counselor and Guide at your right hand. When you face a fearful situation, turn to Him who is just beside you and take courage from the Advocate at your right hand.
How awesome to know about the magnitude of God's grace, even Christ should stand beside you to guide you and counsel you and defend you! How could you ever become dismayed over your situation with Christ at your right hand? What confidence this should give you!
Amen
Empty Yourself
26 September 2007
' And who desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many' Mat 20:27-28
Disciples are expected to relinquish more than new believers. Those who lead and feed must relinquish more than disciples.
Moses was fed at Pharoah's table and he was subjected to the disciplines of Egyptian royal house and was educated and trained in all the ways of Egypt. The bible tells us that Moses was ' learned in all wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds' Acts 7:22-23
However, after 40 years, he decided to visit his Hebrew brethren and he spent another 40 years in the wilderness...in a desert of relinquishment, before he was ready to do God's way. He was mighty in speech until 40 years when he had an intimate encounter with God and he became a stutterer. God has to leave a mark in his life as a reminder that He touched him and changed him forever. God has to remind Jacob about his limp and it was Paul's thorn in the flesh. Sometimes God has to remind us of our encounter with Him and he will leave a mark in us.
Moses was at the height of his career. He had prestige, power, wealth and influence with the royal house of Pharaoh. However, he has received the divine commission from the royal house of the most high God. He was called by God to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of slavery but God has to change him first and be freed from the shadow of his former house and spend 40 years of shepherding in the wilderness to prepare him for the next 40 years as a deliverer.
Let us take heart that He is refining us and he has to take us out in order we can be taken in for His Glory and His Tasks ahead of us. When we pray, Your Kingdom Come....we have to let our kingdom go....when we pray Your Will be Done....we have to relinquish our will and do His will
Amen
' And who desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many' Mat 20:27-28
Disciples are expected to relinquish more than new believers. Those who lead and feed must relinquish more than disciples.
Moses was fed at Pharoah's table and he was subjected to the disciplines of Egyptian royal house and was educated and trained in all the ways of Egypt. The bible tells us that Moses was ' learned in all wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds' Acts 7:22-23
However, after 40 years, he decided to visit his Hebrew brethren and he spent another 40 years in the wilderness...in a desert of relinquishment, before he was ready to do God's way. He was mighty in speech until 40 years when he had an intimate encounter with God and he became a stutterer. God has to leave a mark in his life as a reminder that He touched him and changed him forever. God has to remind Jacob about his limp and it was Paul's thorn in the flesh. Sometimes God has to remind us of our encounter with Him and he will leave a mark in us.
Moses was at the height of his career. He had prestige, power, wealth and influence with the royal house of Pharaoh. However, he has received the divine commission from the royal house of the most high God. He was called by God to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of slavery but God has to change him first and be freed from the shadow of his former house and spend 40 years of shepherding in the wilderness to prepare him for the next 40 years as a deliverer.
Let us take heart that He is refining us and he has to take us out in order we can be taken in for His Glory and His Tasks ahead of us. When we pray, Your Kingdom Come....we have to let our kingdom go....when we pray Your Will be Done....we have to relinquish our will and do His will
Amen
Reassurance in the Midst of Trials
25 September 2007
' Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you' 1Pet 4:12
Trials can easily tempt us to be discouraged and doubt God's love. This happened during the time of emperor Nero who persecuted the christians and many were discouraged and doubted God's love. With such cruel persecution going on, Peter wrote this verse to reassure those undergoing persecution of God's unfailing love.
Peter used the words 'fiery trials.' Whatever the trials and troubles, they come with a purpose. The word 'fiery' in Greek refers to a smelting furnace that refined metals of their unwanted elements. The same picture was given in Ps 66:10 ' For thou hast tried us, O Lord; thou hast refined us as silver is refined' So the fiery ordeal refers to the various sufferings God allows in our lives to purify us.
Peter reminded us today that these trials are not out of ordinary or some strange thing. Trials should be seen as part of life. they might catch us off guard at first, but we can confidently deal with them, knowing God's loving care for us never fails.
'We can be certain of God's unfailing love for us, no matter how unexpected or difficult any trial might be'
Amen
' Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you' 1Pet 4:12
Trials can easily tempt us to be discouraged and doubt God's love. This happened during the time of emperor Nero who persecuted the christians and many were discouraged and doubted God's love. With such cruel persecution going on, Peter wrote this verse to reassure those undergoing persecution of God's unfailing love.
Peter used the words 'fiery trials.' Whatever the trials and troubles, they come with a purpose. The word 'fiery' in Greek refers to a smelting furnace that refined metals of their unwanted elements. The same picture was given in Ps 66:10 ' For thou hast tried us, O Lord; thou hast refined us as silver is refined' So the fiery ordeal refers to the various sufferings God allows in our lives to purify us.
Peter reminded us today that these trials are not out of ordinary or some strange thing. Trials should be seen as part of life. they might catch us off guard at first, but we can confidently deal with them, knowing God's loving care for us never fails.
'We can be certain of God's unfailing love for us, no matter how unexpected or difficult any trial might be'
Amen
His Word Will Never Fail
24 September 2007
' And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you;not one word of them has failed' Joshua 23:14
Towards the end of his life, Joshua took time with the people of God to review the things that God had done for them.God had given them an impossible task to conquer a foreign and hostile land with fortified cities and armies more powerful than their own. They just went into the enemy territory with God's promise that He will take care of them. Now Joshua looked back over the experience and reminded them of God's faithfulness to His word. They enjoyed god's provision for every need in their struggle.
When we are going through trials or crisis, we wonder if God will be faithful to His promises. We focus on our problems, and our trust in God begins to waver. For 25 years Abraham waited for the promise of a son whom God had promised earlier. As David was fleeing from Saul, he may have been uncertain how God would keep His promise to make him king. But after his long and prosperous reign,he could recall how God has sustained him and the faithfulness of God's promise.
You, too, can rely on God today. He is faithful. Are you going through crisis? Hold on to the promises of God. Look back into your life and recount the many ways in which God has been faithful to His word.
Amen
' And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you;not one word of them has failed' Joshua 23:14
Towards the end of his life, Joshua took time with the people of God to review the things that God had done for them.God had given them an impossible task to conquer a foreign and hostile land with fortified cities and armies more powerful than their own. They just went into the enemy territory with God's promise that He will take care of them. Now Joshua looked back over the experience and reminded them of God's faithfulness to His word. They enjoyed god's provision for every need in their struggle.
When we are going through trials or crisis, we wonder if God will be faithful to His promises. We focus on our problems, and our trust in God begins to waver. For 25 years Abraham waited for the promise of a son whom God had promised earlier. As David was fleeing from Saul, he may have been uncertain how God would keep His promise to make him king. But after his long and prosperous reign,he could recall how God has sustained him and the faithfulness of God's promise.
You, too, can rely on God today. He is faithful. Are you going through crisis? Hold on to the promises of God. Look back into your life and recount the many ways in which God has been faithful to His word.
Amen
Comfortable to Bondage?
23 September 2007
And the foremen said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Ex 5:21
It is possible for people to become so accustomed to their bondage that they resist efforts to free them. The Hebrews had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred years. Slavery meant that they were not free to do God's will or to go where they wanted. Moses had come to tell the Israelites how they could experience freedom, yet they were more concerned about the reaction of their taskmasters than they were about pleasing God. For them to be free would mean that the pharaoh they were serving would be angry! It would mean that the Egyptians they had served all their lives might attack them. Freedom from their slavery did not seem to be worth the hardships they would inevitably endure.
When God sets out to free us, there will often be a price we will have to pay. Grief can be a terrible form of bondage, yet we can become comfortable with it. We can grow so comfortable with fear that we don't know how to live without it. As destructive as our sinful habits and lifestyle might be, we may prefer living with the familiar, rather than being freed to experience the unknown. We may recognize the harmful influence of a friend but choose to reject God's will rather than offend our friend.
As incredible as it seems, the Israelites were angry at Moses for disrupting the life of slavery to which they had grown accustomed. Have you been lulled into a comfortable relationship with your bondage? Do you fear change more than you fear God? Are you willing to allow God to do what is necessary in order to free you?
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