Happy Easter
The message of Easter is doubly wonderful.
It is wonderful to see the suffering Son coming home to the Father. What a reunion that must have been when Creator embraced Creator and said, "Well done Son. Welcome home." What a wonderful thing to see the bloody Passover Lamb of Good Friday crowned with glory and honor, and handed the scepter of the universe!
But it is also wonderful to hear Jesus say, "I want others to be with me, Father. I want others to share my glory. I want my gladness in your glory to overflow like a mountain spring and become the gladness of others. I want my joy in you to be in them and their joy to be full forever and ever."
On Easter Sunday morning Jesus blew the lock off the prison of death and gloom and returned to the gladness of God. With that he put his sanction on the pursuit of happiness. And he opened the way for sinners to find never-ending satisfaction at the fountain of the glory of his grace.
From the right hand of God he speaks to everyone of us today and invites us to the never-ending banquet: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35) . . . I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25–26).
God's Total Surrender to Us
URGENT - A CALL FOR NATIONAL PRAYER
There is no doubt that we are in perilous times. There is more at stake than your mortgage or retirement or your job.
There are eternal consequences to this moment in history!
During these difficult times I have been comforted with a scripture out of Psalms:
“ I would have been without hope if I had not believed that I would see the lovingkindness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart be strong. Yes, wait for the Lord ”. (Psalm 27:13-14, NLV)
This is not about politics but to pray! Not to decide who was right and who was wrong, but to ask for God's mercy. And that all christians should meet for a time of prayer and repentance. That our leaders would have the wisdom of Solomon and that we should join with one another in humility before God. He is the only one that can help in times like these.
These are critical times—the time to pray is now. Let this be a season of prayer until we see breakthrough for our nation. This is about more than banks, and stock markets, this is about darkness against light. The only answer is to seek God and His wisdom.
Here are some Prayer Points:
1. Pray for a spirit of humility and repentance among our political leaders.
2. Pray for an answer to this economic crisis.
3. Pray for our Sultans, members of parliament, the senate, the judiciary and the executive branch of the government that justice, equality, transparency, responsibility, accountability and God fearing will prevail
4. Pray that church leaders and pastors would heed the call for prayer at this moment.
5. Pray that Christians would understand the signs of the times and activate prayer at a new level.
6. Pray for wisdom for our all in authority including the economic policy makers, bankers and business stakeholders
7. Pray that God would hear our prayers and heal our land as we humble ourselves in repentance before Him.
Transforming Power in the Word of God
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.'
Heb 4:12
Does God's Word ever cause you discomfort? When you read the Bible, does what you read make you uneasy? You are experiencing the reality that the word of God is alive and can read your thoughts and judge your intentions.
When God's Word speaks to you it is always for a purpose. God knows your heart and knows what you need to do to bring your life into conformity to Christ. If you have a problem with sinful talk, the word that comes to you will address the tongue. If you are struggling to forgive, God's Word will confront you with His standard for forgiveness. If pride has a stronghold in your life, God's Word will speak to you about humility. Whatever sin needs addressing, you will find you are confronted by God's Word on the matter.
One way you can escape the discomfort of conviction is to avoid hearing God speak to you. You may neglect reading your Bible and stay away from places where it is taught. You may avoid those whom you know will uphold the truths of Scripture. The best response, however, is to pray as the psalmist did: “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Ps 139:23). Regularly allow the word of God to wash over you and find any sin or impurity (Ep 5:26). Always make the connection between your life and what God is saying to you through His word. Make a habit of taking every word from God seriously, knowing that it is able to judge your heart and mind.
Knowing God's Agenda
'Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.'
Mk 1:35
It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer.
Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world's methods instead of the Father's, He prayed (Mt 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Lk 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father's mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father's will?
Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father's voice.
Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life and he heard many voices from all sorts of people.
-His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were (Mk 1:37).
-The crowds wanted to crown Him king (Jn 6:15).
-Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following (Mt 4:3,6,9).
Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Lk 6:12). Prayer preceded the miracles (Jn 11:42-43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Lk 9:28-31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Lk 22:41-42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Lk 23:46). Follow the Savior's example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life. It is perhaps for direction in your life or a miracle that you are praying for or making an important decision to serve Him or going through pain or difficult period in your life. Seek His Face
We live by Revelation
1 March 2009
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law.
Pr 29:18
The world operates on vision. God's people live by revelation. The world seeks grand and noble purposes and goals to achieve. People dream up the greatest and most satisfying things in which they can invest their lives. Institutions establish goals and objectives and then organize themselves to achieve them. God's people function in a radically different way. Christians arrange their lives based on the revelation of God, regardless of whether it makes sense to them. God does not ask for our opinion about what is best for our future, our family, our church, or our country. He already knows! What God wants is to get the attention of His people and reveal to us what is on His heart and what is His will, for God's ways are not our ways!
(Isa 55:8-9).
Whenever people do not base their lives on God's revelation, they “cast off restraint.” That is, they do what is right in their own eyes. They set their goals, arrange their agendas, and then pray for God's blessings. Some Christians are living far outside the will of God, yet they have the audacity to pray and ask God to bless their efforts!
The only way for you to know God's will is for Him to reveal it to you. You will never discover it on your own. When you hear from the Father, you have an immediate agenda for your life: obedience. As the writer of Proverbs observed: “Happy is he who keeps the law.”
Count It All Joy
' Mt brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need' James 1:2-4
When this passage was written by James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the early church in Jerusalem, it was a time of horror, persecution and hardship for the early believers.
Yet he calls for his fellow believers to face all kinds of trials and testing with joy, faith, and optimism. He never asks us to wish for hard times but he reminds us that hard times- whether financial, physical, relational or emotional - combined with faith, are opportunities for becoming a mature person seasoned with salt.
If you are facing adversity in your life right now, take heart, and know that God is doing something wonderful and new in your heart and life.
' When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flame hurt you. This is because I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.' Isa 43:2-3
Reaons to Hope
' Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times' Rom 12:12
When a man named Saul met Jesus in a blinding light, his life was never the same again. He went from persecutor to encourager, from arrogance to humble preacher, from self-sufficient to reliant on God. One other remarkable change that took place in his life is that instead of fixing his eyes on the past, he now looked to the future with great sense of hope (Phil 3:13-14)
Some of the compelling reasons that Paul has the hope even in the midst of adversity include:
- God forgives us: 'since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. When we are at peace with God, the future is always bright irrespective of the circumstances around us.
- God favours us: He shows His great love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We do not have to crawl to Him and beg Him to help us with our problems. He is absolutely thinking of us
- God turns our suffering into hope: 'We also have the joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience, and patience produces character, and character produces hope..(Rom 5:3-4) With God at work in our lives, the very trials that could crush our spirit actually make our hope even stronger.
- God helps us when we are weak: One of the reasons we feel hopeless is that we just do not believe we have what it takes to overcome challenges. Not to worry, says God, I'll do it for you what you cannot do for yourself.
Hope keeps you youthful, optimistic, and joyful.
Just as You Are
' But Moses said to the Lord, " Please Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even Now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and cannot find the best words' Exo 4-10
We live in a world that the best athletic, the best looking, and the most near perfect get noticed. Many of us question our own abilities and are fearful to fail and move forward.
One of the greatest leaders in all history, Moses, had the same hang-up. When God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, Moses was full of excuses.
But when Moses trusted God and stepped out from his comfort zone and moved in faith and obedience, he was able to accomplish much. God is his enabler and fulfilled His promise that he will help him to speak and teach him on what to say. (Exo 4:12)
Yes, we need to strive for excellence in our lives. We need to continually improve ourselves. But we should not forget that God gives us things to accomplish that are beyond our abilities and can use us no matter what it seems to standing the way.
No matter how much work you think you need right now, be assured that God can use you just as you are.
Take us back to the Heart of Worship
' He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. ' Mal 3:3
The quality of our worship is not based on activities, the quality of our music or the songs that we sing but on our character. Churches mistakenly assume that it has to do with the impressiveness of the building, the sound system and the eloquence of the preaching.
Genuine worship originates from the heart and if our relationship with God is not healthy, all these things are nothing more than religious pageantry.
The Levites were the worship leaders of their day and their task was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. Before they could even perform these tasks, God has to refine them, purging them of any impurities.
Merely being members of the religious profession or having special positions in the religious institution did not guarantee their religious activities would be acceptable to the Holy God.
Today, we tend to look to external things to enhance our worship but the quality of true worship rests in us. Attending a religious service will not automatically ensure an encounter with God.
Church leaders should not hide behind the religious walls and every child of God must allow God to refine their heart until it is pleasing to Him.
Let no one look down on you
' Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith , in purity' 1Tim 4:12
Timothy was a sincere young man who earnestly desired to serve the Lord. Yet, his service is hindered by some who doubted his abilities. Timothy had a tender nature and was sickly (1Tim 5:23). Paul urged Timothy not to allow this insecurity to blunt his zeal and faithfulness in doing what God had told him. Rather than arguing with those who criticised him, Paul urged him to live as an example of godliness. Paul urged him to live a life that was so spotless in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity that his life could serve as a model for others in the church to follow. Timothy's life was to be the evidence that God had called him. God looked beyond Timothy's youth, timidity, and physical weakness and saw his sincere heart.
Many of us can identify with Timothy. Perhaps, some things about you seem to disqualify you from serving the Lord effectively. You may come from a sinful past or little education, or money or status. You may have experienced failure in your service for the Lord. Do not allow this to prevent you from following God's will. Your areas of weakness may be God's means of demonstrating His strength. Allow God to demonstrate His call upon you by transforming your life into a model of godliness.
Amen
Tender Mercies
' let us then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. Then we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it' Heb 4:16
Many times we seem to exhaust all possible strength to meet our pressing needs, it is always a comfort to know that God remembers us:
- God sent rainbow to Noah as a symbol that His love for man would never waver (Gen 9:14-15)
- God allowed a young shepherd boy to conquer a mighty warrior with a single sling shot and a single stone (1Sam17:49)
- Jesus healed a blind man (Mark8:22-25) and a man who never walked (Matt 9:2-7)
Today, God is still at work in our world and in your life. Sometimes we need to open our eyes to see His tender mercies in our lives.
Towel and a Basin
" If then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done for you' John 13:14-15
One of the issues that mattered most to Jesus' disciples was who was the most favoured and important to Jesus. James and John, asked their mother to help them secure the seats of honour in Jesus' kingdom (Matthew 20:21)
Jesus response is that she did not know what she was asking and her sons were more interested in benefits of power but not sacrifice. Otherwise, these sons of Zebedee could be in the left and right side of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, before Jesus was arrested (Matthew 26:40-46)
Instead they slept and fled after Jesus was arrested. They could have been in the left and right side of Jesus when He was hung on the cross but stayed in the crowd.
Jesus taught them the true meaning of greatness. Jesus used the towel and basin principle. He washed their feet - the duty of a servant. Even Peter could not understand this fundamental truth of greatness. In all areas of life, to be great is to know how best we can serve one another. As a parent, we serve our children, when we grow up, we serve our parents, our employers, our clients, our country, our loved ones and our peers.
We live in a competitive and self-aggrandising world where examples of humility, kindness, helpfulness, and caring for others first are hard to find.
Great is the reward, the sense of purpose and self satisfaction are what we reap if we follow our Master's footstep.
He is our comfort
'He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us' 2 Cor 1:4
The message here gives us comfort and hope for the broken. He is God of all comfort who reaches down to us with a healing touch. God will never forsake us even when our brokenness is our own making. God is still kind and merciful and always on our side. He is present in the midst of all circumstances. God can turn all tragedy into triumph (Ps 30:11).
No human thoughts or words can explain away or provide comfort for our suffering and pain. His ultimate expression of comfort is the gift of salvation and eternal life through the death of His son Jesus Christ (1Pet 3:18). He brings us to God, the source of all comfort.
He Hears us
'Then those who fear the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a BOOK of Remembrance was written before Him. For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name ' Malachi 3:16
We can take comfort to know that God listen to our cries and heard them. What is significant here is that when we share the same burden and concerns together and agree in prayer, God chooses to respond to their unity by making His powerful presence known in their midst (Matthew 18:19-20)
If you are carrying concerns about your family or your church or your friends, ask God to bring like-minded believers around you to share the burdens with you in conversation and in prayer. As you face your concerns, seek out those believers with whom you can stand and share your load.
God remembers them and written these in His book of remembrance.
Daily Dependence
' Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and He will give you success' Pro 3:5-6
The moment we turn our eyes from Him and we trust ourselves more than Him, we are heading toward a spiritual decline in our walk with Him. It cuts both ways.
1) Pride: it is unhealthy and when such arrogance slips into our thinking, we become convinced that we are in control of our own world and this will affect our behaviours, our attitudes, and our relationship with people around us. Pride stinks the nostril of our God.
2) Despair: this happens when we face inevitable difficulties and setbacks of life that are outside of our control - illness, a difficult relationship and an economic downturn.
To have strong defense against these 'odds' , the bible tells us to daily trust in Him for He is the source of all good gifts, provisions, the only safe refuge. When life becomes difficult, he steers us from the twin dangers of pride and despair.
Psalms 40:3-5 , God reminded us that he is always thinking of us despite our disobedience and rebellion against Him. It is a privilege to know that He is thinking of us. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that His thoughts toward us is for our well being and it is the thought of peace in us and we will have an expected end.
Take heart, God will not abandon us. It is us who abandon Him.
The Lord's Vineyard
'What more could have been done to My vineyard ,That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?' Isa 5:4
The prophet Isaiah told the story of a man with a vineyard on a fertile hill. The man cultivated the ground and removed the stones so that nothing would hinder the vines’ growth. He planted only the best quality vines. He built a tower in the middle of the vineyard so he could watch for wild animals and intruders. He constructed a wine vat so that he would be ready for the ripe grapes.
Then he waited. Rather than producing good grapes, however, the vineyard produced worthless ones. The story illustrates the relationship between God and His people. God has done everything necessary for us to produce an abundance of spiritual fruit in our lives. He saved us when we were without hope. He gave us His Holy Spirit to produce fruit in our lives (Ga 5:22-23). He removed our sin so that we are free to serve Him. We have the Bible in numerous translations. We have access to more Christian books, music, videos, conferences, schools, radio and television stations, magazines, and seminars than ever before. There are churches of every kind and size. We have teachers and pastors to instruct us and encourage us. Most of all, we have direct access to God through prayer. Jesus said that to whom much is given, much is expected (Lk 12:48).
One day God will hold us accountable for all that He has done for us. He will ask us to show Him the fruit of all of His bountiful provision for our lives. What will He find?
Wait on the Lord
'Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Ps 27:14
Waiting is one of the hardest things to do. We want to be people of action. We feel better if we are doing something to address our need, but waiting forces us to rely on God. David learned what it meant to wait. He was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel, then spent years waiting for the day God's Word would come to pass in his life. As he waited, a paranoid, egocentric king occupied the throne that had been promised to him. David spent his time hiding in caves and living among his enemies. As he waited he saw good friends murdered and his family and possessions taken. He saw Israel's enemies wreak havoc on his nation. Perhaps no one ever faced greater adversity while waiting upon God's promise than David did. He certainly understood what it meant to become discouraged and fearful.
But David also enjoyed the reward for waiting upon the Lord. He became the greatest king in Israel's history, and, more importantly, through his trials he became a man after God's own heart. The psalms David wrote during his days as a fugitive have been cherished words of encouragement for millions of people through the ages. Through David's descendants came the Messiah. David's willingness to wait has blessed us all.
Times of waiting on the Lord can be some of the most precious moments in your life (Jn 11:1-6). If you are waiting on God for something, read Isa 40:31 and find encouragement as you wait for Him to fulfill His promises to you.
Knowing God
'And God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.” Ex 6:2-3
As God has walked with His people through the generations, He has progressively revealed His nature according to His purposes and the needs of His people. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew Him as God Almighty, because they needed His mighty power to protect them from their enemies. Moses and the Israelites learned that God was Lord, Master over every nation and every thing. God not only delivered them from the most powerful ruler in the world, but also brought them into the Promised Land. They came to experience Him as Lord, preeminently powerful over the pagan gods of their day.
God will continue to reveal His character to you according to your needs and according to His purposes. You will come to know more and more about Him as you obey Him. When you grieve, He will come to you as Comforter. When you are in need, He will demonstrate that He is the Provider. When you face a serious challenge, He will reveal that He is God Almighty.
Your understanding of God's character ought to be greater now than when you first became a Christian. You ought to know Him today better than you did five years ago. Sadly, some Christians continue to live year after year with the same basic knowledge of God that they had when they first began walking with Him.
Whatever your present situation, view it in the light of what God is teaching you, through circumstances, about Himself and you will come to know God in dimensions you have never known Him before.
