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Week of December
20, 2009 - January 9, 2010
Being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus - Philippians
1:6.
This week, I am sharing
with you my family’s end of year newsletter which we
have rightly titled Our Testimonies 2009. Please
click here to read it in the PDF version to see the
pictures and graphics. I wish you a Merry Christmas and
a Glorious New Year.
Dear families and
friends,
It is with joy in our
hearts that we remember the events in 2009. Indeed, God
has been exceedingly gracious and faithful to us. We
marvel at the mercies and grace God has lovingly
lavished over us individually and as a family.
Bimisola
Bimisola turned sixteen this year in July. She
celebrated this landmark birthday at a paintball arena
with her friends. This summer, she organized a 4-week
girls’ camp for girls’ ages 9-12 years at church. She
demonstrated a high level of organization and
responsibility beyond her age. She also made close
friends at church and at school. Since entering grade 11
in the fall, Bimisola has grown to like her school...
first time in her life! As a result, our family is
staying put in this school district until she graduates
high school. She went to driving school in the summer,
passed her G1 test this fall and is currently taking
driving lessons.
The most remarkable update on Bimisola is how much she
has blossomed into a delightful, cheerful and helpful
young lady. Since her brother left for university, she
has gladly taken over the household chores. She has
become a great support to Bisi in the children ministry
at our church. God has really worked out and is still
working out the scripture verse He gave her at the
beginning of the year: Romans
12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's
will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Bimisayo
This year was really a year of growth for Bimisayo. The
most obvious accomplishment for him was graduating high
school and going to university. Just before he
graduated, he was presented with an Academic Achievement
Award. Being a Life Sciences freshman at McMaster has
taught him a lot, and very little of that has to do with
science. Living away from home has forced him to learn
to take care of himself. He had had to learn to study,
stay organized, handle his money wisely and be
consistent with God. He joined Campus for Christ, a
Christian club on campus that’s really been good in
helping to further develop him as a Christian.
But even before September a lot had been
happening. He became a student leader at our church
youth group and volunteered at the Girls’ camp run by
his sister. He started driving and has become Bisi’s
official chauffeur whenever he is in town. It’s a
win-win situation for both of them because he loves to
drive and she doesn’t. According to Bimisayo, “she
prefers sitting in the passenger seat telling me to go
faster on yellow lights.”
Bisi
Philippians 2:13
sums up 2009 for her: “for it is God who works in you
to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
It has been a time of inside-out growth for her. On the
inside, God kept showing her aspects of her character
that she did not realize were there that needed to be
dealt with. Key areas that the Holy Spirit was and is
still developing her include intimacy with God,
submission, kindness and being yielded to His will.
On the out, she turned 40
years old in April and the family held a surprise
birthday party for her. Wow, was she surprised... and
she thought she was the planner of the family! At the
party, Dele presented her with a beautiful platinum
diamond ring (3rd wedding band... long story about the
first two). In July, she attended a children conference
in North Dakota where she saw and experienced what she
had always envisioned in her heart concerning children
ministry. God used that conference to ignite a fire in
her heart and in the children ministry at church. We are
seeing a tremendous growth in our children and even in
the children workers as well. She is in the process of
stepping into the new direction God is leading her
concerning ministry.
Dele
Dele continues to grow in his walk with God. This year
has witnessed deeper understanding of what it means to
be long-suffering. To God’s glory, several challenges
have been overcome with him virtually having to do
nothing, as he learnt to sit back and watch God sort
things out. God continues to broaden his realms of
influence, and had ministry and professional doors open
miraculously this year. This year witnessed his being
invited to deliver lectures at other university
hospitals and at a provincial conference, and was able
to present his work at many national and international
meetings. He also received an invitation to India and
Nigeria next year to participate at national
conferences.
In ministry Dele continues to enjoy his teaching
ministry within and outside of our local church, but has
also sensed the prophetic gift. Recently there has been
a yearning to go “beyond the ordinary”, and this makes
looking forward to 2010 even more exciting. Dele never
stops to remind us of our God-given scripture in
Philippians 1: 6 - being confident of this, that he who
began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus. He knows that
whatever God has done this year is only the beginning of
His good work.
Our Family
As a
family, we continue to serve the Lord. Dele teaches
different classes at church and once in a while at the
Bible
School. Bisi’s primary focus is the children ministry at church and
ministering encouragement through the Bisiadeyi.com
weekly newsletter she authors. In addition to
participating in Athletics in Action (a Christian sport
club on campus), Bimisayo volunteers at downtown
Hamilton an hour every week to ‘hang out’ with kids.
Bimisola is one of the student youth leaders at church
and serves in the children ministry as well.
In the fall, we cancelled
our cable services!!! Since then, we have had more
quality family time in the evenings. In addition to our
daily morning family devotional time, we started a
family prayer time every Tuesday evening. God has been
gracious to us in making ways for us to be faithful in
coming together every week and granting us testimonies
of answered prayer. Indeed, the saying: “a family that
prays together, stays together” has been very true for
us.
We enjoy opening our
hearts and home to people. From March till October, we
were privileged to have family members and friends as
house guests for varying length of time. Also, several
kids came for sleep-overs, and we have enjoyed
entertaining friends and colleagues at dinner as well.
Bisi cooks, Dele ensures the guests have fun, and
Bimisayo (when he is home) and Bimisola clean-up.
This
year, we made quite a few trips individually and
collectively. Almost every month, Dele had work
conference trips. In March, Bisi went to NYC to help out
her sister who had a baby girl for about 2 weeks. Dele
and Bisi went to Niagara on the Lake for a weekend
get-away early in July. We had a family vacation at the
Darien Lake
Amusement Park
in NY in July. Bimisola travelled to Texas and NYC to
spend time with family members at the end of August. In
August and October, Bisi went with Dele on a couple of
his conference trips to Banff, Alberta and Washington DC
where they both did some fun stuff together during his
free time. Despite the trips, our fun thing to do as a
family still remains hanging out at our living room and
enjoying each other’s company.
Yes, God has shown us His
faithfulness and loving-kindness this year. We look
forward to next year with great excitement and
anticipating of God’s glory. Year 2010 is our year to
walk in the realm of the spirit with God to manifest His
Goodness to the sons of men. We invite you on this
journey with us... all for the glory of God and the
establishment of His will on earth as it is in heaven.
Have a merry Christmas
and a glorious New Year!
God bless you.
The ADEYIs
December 2009
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Week of December
13 - December 19, 2009
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a
new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I
am making a way in the desert and streams in the
wasteland – Isaiah 43:18-19.
The
year is coming to an end. It seems just like yesterday
that we entered into this year on January 1, 2009. I
have been spending my quiet moments reflecting on this
year. God has been so faithful in big and small ways. By
the grace of God, next week newsletter will be my
family’s end of year newsletter in which we recount the
faithfulness of God to us as a family and as
individuals.
There
was a particular aspect of my life that it seemed I had
been going around in circles for a few years. Until my
husband pointed out the close doors I had been getting
in that area, it did not dawn on me that was what had
been happening. It was like Deuteronomy 1:6-7 - The
LORD our God said to us at Horeb, "You have stayed long
enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the
hill country of the Amorites... Praise God, like
Deuteronomy 1:7 enjoins: I have “broken camp”
and I am in the process of “advancing...”
I
believe this is a good time for us to take stock of the
happenings in 2009. First of all, we need to acknowledge
and give thanks to God for His mercies that are new
every morning. Then we need to ask ourselves if we have
fulfilled the plans and purposes of God for us this
year. If we have walked in them, let’s praise God and
have Paul’s attitude: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus – Philippians 3:13-14. If
we have fall short, then John 1:9 - If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness is for
us.
Another thing we need to do is take time to receive from
God what His plans and purpose for us in the next year
are. The starting place is to personalize any prophetic
word from our pastors whom God has placed as shepherds
over us. My pastor said last Sunday that 2010 is the
year for us to walk with God in the realm of the spirit
so that we can manifest – explode – God’s goodness to
men. Wow! That is powerful. I am praying it into my
spirit.
In
addition to that, we need to receive direction from God
in specific areas of our lives. What I have always done
is to ask God for direction only in those areas of my
life that I think I really need Him. Based on the
revelation I got about that area of my life that I had
been experiencing closed door, I am realizing that I
should ask God for direction in every aspect of
my life. The reason it took me a few years to finally
get that that situation is a “mountain go-around” was
because at the end of the year things seemed to be okay
in that aspect.
Dearly beloved, let’s hold on to this Word of God for
2010: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the
past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do
you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and
streams in the wasteland – Isaiah 43:18-19.
Back to top
Week of December
6 - December 12, 2009
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he
saved them from their distress. He brought them out of
darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their
chains. Psalm 107:13-14
In
recent times, I have been thinking about sin and the
consequences of it. When we sin or are living in sin,
there are consequences that result. Yet when we turn to
God in repentance, He forgives us. In some cases, the
consequences get lifted. In other cases, the
consequences may still remain; yet He showers us with
the grace and love to endure them. In reading Psalm
107, I marvel at the mercy and grace of God.
Some
sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners
suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against
the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most
High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they
stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried
to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from
their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the
deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Psalm
107:10-14
The
people in the passage above willfully disobeyed and
turned away from the Lord and they paid the price
through hard labor and aloneness. Verse 13 says:
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he
saved them from their distress. God is simply
gracious; He turned their captivity to freedom.
Four
different scenarios were given in Psalm 107 – two
of which were as a result of willful disobedience and
sin, and the other two were just simply adverse
situations the people found themselves. Yet when in both
cases, “they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
...he saved them from their distress – Psalm 107:6, 13,
19 & 28.” Humanly reasoning, one would think that
those who willfully sinned should suffer a bit more even
though God has forgiven them.
Thank
God, God is God. I believe that was why Isaiah wrote,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts – Isaiah
55:8-9.”
I am
not encouraging people to sin or live in sin just
because God is merciful and gracious. His Word actually
admonishes us: For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say
"No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present
age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and
to purify for himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14.
However, when we sin or are living in sin, the devil
tries to keep us in that state. As human beings, our
thinking is this: you do wrong; therefore, you must
suffer the consequences even if you are sorry. The devil
tries to persuade us to bring God down to our own
thinking level to remain in condemnation. Praise the
Lord, it is written and settled: If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness – 1John
1:9.
Dearly beloved, whoever is wise, let him heed these
things and consider the great love of the LORD – Psalm
107:43.
Back to top
Week of November
22 - December 5, 2009
But
he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness." 2Corinthians 12:9
Yesterday, I went through a dark place and the Lord used
the song below to bring me out. This is what I have in
heart to share this week. I pray the song (to listen to
it, there is a link to YouTube below) will minister
God’s peace and love to your heart as it did mine.
Hillsong
– With all I am
Into
your hand
I commit again
with all I am
for you Lord
you hold my world
in the palm of your hand
and I'm yours forever
CHORUS
Jesus I believe in you
Jesus I belong to you
you're the reason that I live
the reason that I sing
with all I am
I'll walk with you
wherever you go
through tears and joy
I'll trust in you
and I will live
in all of your ways and
your promises forever
CHORUS
I will worship I will worship you forever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns
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Week of November
15 - November 21, 2009
I
wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put
my hope – Psalm 130:5.
David
is one of my favorite bible characters. He was anointed
king when he was a shepherd boy and he did not become
the king of Judah until he was thirty years old and
seven and half years later, he became king over all
Israel (ref. 1Samuel 16:1-13; 2Samuel 2:1-7, 5:1-5).
One thing which stood out about David was that he did
not try to manipulate the situation in any way. Saul was
king when David was anointed and even though Saul hunted
him and he had two opportunities to kill Saul, he did
not.
My
NIV Devotional Study Bible has an insight article: A
Sense of God’s Timing which articulates one of the
things that minister to me about David. Throughout
his wilderness period, David’s position was desperate.
David had one precious asset only: God had promised he
would be king. David believed this promise even when his
situation looked very bad. He would wait for God’s
timing (p.250).
Thinking about David and the way
he patiently waited for God’s timing is very encouraging
to me. Just this morning, I was remembering some things
in my ministry that God has told me would happen. Right
now, there seems to be no physical manifestation of them
even though I can see those things in my spirit.
During those years that David was hiding from Saul, he
was being prepared, acquiring leadership skill by
turning outcasts into mighty soldiers. I know God is
working on me inside out and I will not rush ahead of
Him or take shortcuts to get to where He is taking me.
Jesus
was another person who refused to take shortcuts. In the
wilderness after he had fasted 40 days and nights, the
devil came to him to offer him the kingdoms of the
world. The devil led [Jesus] up to a high place and
showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority
and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can
give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it
will all be yours – Luke 4:5-7." Through the cross,
a way of obedience and suffering, Jesus knew he was
going to get the authority back.
Therefore, Jesus refused to go through the devil’s
route. Instead, he “being in very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped, but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found
in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God
exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father – Philippians
2:6-11.”
Dearly beloved, like David, I say: I wait for the
LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope –
Psalm 130:5
Back to top
Week of November
8 - November 14, 2009
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of
them came to be – Psalm 139:16.
In
reading Psalm 139, I was overwhelmed with how
David articulated God’s intimacy with us. Verse 1-3
says: O LORD, you have searched me and you know
me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my
thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my
lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Dele, my husband, is the one person who knows me so
well, yet even he cannot claim he knows me as well as is
described in those verses. The Psalmist goes further to
say, “Before a word is on my tongue you know
it completely, O LORD – Psalm 139:4.” Most times
when I start talking, Dele knows where I am heading, but
he does not know what I want to say before I open
my mouth.
As I
read the entire passage, I felt a renewed reverence for
the love and greatness of my Father towards me. I
remember years ago when I was in a backslidden state, my
flesh was enjoying what I was doing and I stopped
reading my bible, praying and going to church so that my
conscience will not trouble me. Yet, once in a while I
would feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit. It felt like
He was saying to me, “Bisi, come back to the Father, He
loves you and He is waiting for you.” It was like David
described: If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide
me and the light become night around me," even the
darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine
like the day, for darkness is as light to you – Psalm
139:11-12.
The
Father knows us so well that “All the days ordained
for [us] were written in your book before one of them
came to be – Psalm 139:16.” Sometimes, when we go
through certain situations in our lives, we feel alone
and it seems like no one around us understand us. The
Israelites must have felt that way before God said to
them, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O
Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God" -
Isaiah 40:27? When we realize like David “How vast is the sum of [God’s thoughts
of us]! Were [we] to count them, they would outnumber
the grains of sand – Psalm 139:17-18;” then we will
not indulge in pity-parties.
Even
though Psalm 139 is a passage I have read many
times and it does not fail to excite me, yet it seems
that my finite mind still does not fully comprehend the
infiniteness of God’s thoughts towards me. I believe
that was why David declared, “Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain – Psalm
139:6.” And Isaiah wrote, “The LORD is the
everlasting God... and his understanding no one can
fathom – Isaiah 40:28.”
Regardless of whether I fully comprehend God’s love and
thoughts towards me or not, I can declare with a
grateful heart, “How precious to me are your
thoughts, O God – Psalm 139:17!” Knowing that,
“My frame was not hidden from [God] when I was made in
the secret place... – Psalm 139:15;” I can yield
myself to Him: Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting – Psalm 139:23-24.
Dearly beloved, “those who hope in the LORD will
renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk
and not be faint – Isaiah 40:31.”
Back to top
Week of October
25 - November 7, 2009
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you
fishers of men."
– Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you
fishers of men – Matthew 4:19."
This was Jesus’ call to his disciples and he is making
the same call to us today. This is a scripture I am very
familiar with, yet when I read it recently, the Holy
Spirit ministered it to me afresh more deeply. The bible
records in the earlier verse: As Jesus was walking
beside the
Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother
Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they
were fishermen – Matthew 4:18.
Peter
and Andrew were fishermen and they were fishing when
Jesus saw them.
We
may be at the place where we are busy doing our own
thing, legitimate stuff and this is not necessarily
wrong. Or we may simply be in a rut. Wherever we may be
right now, Jesus is calling us to come. Dictionary.com
defines the word come as “to approach or move
toward a particular person or place.” Jesus is telling
you and me to approach or move toward him. For us
to come to him; we have to stop what we are doing and
change our direction towards him.
The
next command is “follow me:” simple command, yet
very powerful. When Peter and his brother left their
fishing net to follow Jesus, all they did with the other
disciples was to follow Jesus around (except for the
time Jesus sent out the seventy). They spent their time
in Jesus’ presence listening and watching until the day
of Pentecost. When they were baptized with the Holy
Spirit, the next part of Jesus’ call came to pass:
“and I will make you fishers of men.”
Revelation 4:11 says:
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created (KJV). God has
created us for His pleasure. Our highest calling is
being, not doing. Many times, we get so
focused doing the works of Jesus that we do not spent
time following him by having a deep intimate
relationship with him. His promise is this: when we
follow him, he will make us what he has called us
to be.
The truth is that we cannot do
God’s work in our own power or ability.
`Not by
might nor by power, but by
my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty – Zechariah 4:6.
When we try to go it alone, we end up getting frustrated
and unfulfilled. We need to dwell in the Presence of our
Father, worshipping and knowing Him. In His own time and
in His own way, he will bring to pass what He has called
us to do: for it is God
who works in you to will and to act according to his
good purpose – Philippians 2:13.
Dearly beloved, let us take to heart Jesus’ word in
John 15:5:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in
me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me
you can do nothing.
Back to top
Week of October
18 - October 24, 2009
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up... -
1Thessalonians
5:11
Recently, I read the account of Jesus’ dealings with
Martha and Mary after their brother died in John 11.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out
to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha
said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would
not have died. But I know that even now God will give
you whatever you ask – John 11:20-22." Afterward
Martha’s conversation with Jesus, she went and informed
her sister that Jesus was asking for her. After Mary
received Jesus’ message, immediately she left the house
and went to the tomb to meet him. When Mary reached
the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his
feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother
would not have died – John
11:32." It’s
interesting to note that the words that both sisters
spoke were identical; however, Jesus’ response was
different.
When
Martha “accused” Jesus, she went forward to “profess”
faith in him: “But I know that even now God will give
you whatever you ask – John 11: 22.” As a result,
Jesus gave her the words on resurrection. In Mary’s
case, after she “accused” Jesus, the bible recorded:
When Jesus saw her weeping... he was deeply moved in
spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he
asked... Jesus wept – John 11:33-35.
Both
sisters were grieving the death of their brother and
both believed that Jesus could have done something to
prevent it had he been there. Similar words, different
responses. As I pondered on this, the Holy Spirit opened
my eyes to see something interesting. Martha appeared to
be strong and spiritual, and Jesus responded to her
accordingly. At that moment, he gave her “the Word” as
we would say. However, Mary was simply just grieving and
Jesus mourned with her at that moment; kind of like:
mourn with those who mourn – Romans 12:15.
Like
Jesus, I believe discernment is necessary in determining
whether to encourage people with the Word or just simply
be there for them depending on how they come across. I
began to think about the way we respond to people in sad
or difficult situations. It seemed that we go to the
extreme with those two reactions: we either beat them
down with the Word or we sympathize with them by
allowing them to wallow in their sorrow. What was great
about Jesus is that he did something about the
situation. He raised Lazarus from the dead!
When
we receive discernment that someone is strong or
spiritual enough in a particular situation to be lifted
up by the Word, we should go ahead and give it. But we
should not stop there; we need to stick with them by
praying with or for them and encouraging them until
there is a breakthrough in that situation. Brothers,
if someone is caught in a sin [sad or difficult
situation], you who are spiritual should restore him
gently – Galatians 6:1. With people like Mary, it is
okay to be there for them by “mourning” with them. But
we should go further to help them walk through the
situation until the breakthrough comes. In Mary’s case,
the bible recorded that “[Jesus] was deeply moved in
spirit and troubled – John 11: 33” My Life in the
Spirit Study Bible comments: The word rendered
“deeply moved” pictures profound emotion involving
anger. Jesus was grieved and angered by all the misery
resulting from sin, Satan and death. In other words,
Jesus was filled with righteous anger.
Dearly beloved, let us “encourage one another and
build each other up – 1Thessalonians
5:11.
Back to top
Week of October
4 - October 17, 2009
For
with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see
light – Psalm 36:9.
This
week, I have been speaking to the Lord in psalms and
spiritual songs. As I read the psalms to the Lord, I am
amazed about the goodness and faithfulness of God.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who
fear him,
and he delivers them. Psalm 34:4-7
Praising the Lord using the psalm magnifies Him in my
heart and makes my situations very trivial.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and
the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3
In
the psalms, I see that I do not need to fear the future
for God’s purposes will stand.
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the
purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm
33:6-11
Like
the psalmist, I can unburden my heart unto the Lord.
O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent.
Do not be far from me, O Lord.
Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God;
do not let them gloat over me. Psalm 35:22-24
Also,
like the psalmist, I can encourage myself in the Lord.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the
Jordan,
the heights of Hermon--from
Mount
Mizar.
Psalm 42:5-6
Dearly beloved, say to the Lord with the psalmist:
“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we
see light – Psalm 36:9.”
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Week of September
27 - October 3, 2009
I
have come that they may have life, and have it to the
full – John 10:10.
Recently I was involved in a conversation with someone
whom I believed needed a change of attitude to see a
breakthrough in a particular situation. From the way the
person responded, it was obvious that the need for a
change of attitude was just my own opinion. When I
perceived, after a while, that there was
compartmentalization going on in this person and I put a
stop to the conversation. Later on, I was thinking
generally about the issue of compartmentalization in
believers. We profess that we have received Jesus as our
Savior and Lord and we gladly submit to Him in
“spiritual” matters. Yet, in every other area of our
lives, we do what we think is the best for us
regardless of what the Word of God commands.
Hezekiah, one of the good kings of
Judah, undertook a great religious reform when he became
king to turn his nation from idolatry to the worship of
God. He removed the idols in the land; opened, purified
and repaired the
temple of God; and reestablished the services of the
temple (read 2Kings 18, 2Chronicles 29-31). It
was recorded: In everything that he undertook in the
service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and
the commands, he sought his God and worked
wholeheartedly – 2Chronicles 31:21.
At a
time, Sennacherib king of Assyria invaded Judah and
“spoke about the God of
Jerusalem
as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the
world--the work of men's hands. King Hezekiah and the
prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven
about this – 2Chronicles 32:19-20.”
And it was recorded: So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the
people of
Jerusalem
from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them on every side –
2Chronicles 32:22.
After
Hezekiah’s illness, the king of Babylon sent an envoy
and “Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them
all that was in his storehouses--the silver, the gold,
the spices and the fine oil--his armory and everything
found among his treasures. There was nothing in his
palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show
them – 2Kings
20:13. For
this act, God sent Isaiah to rebuke him.
In
the religious aspect of his nation, Hezekiah “sought
his God and worked wholeheartedly– 2Chronicles 31:21.”
However, when it came to the political aspect, he did
what he thought was right until he encountered problems.
Many of us behave like King Hezekiah. When it comes to
worshipping and serving God, we desire to seek and do
God’s will. On the other hand, in our jobs, marriages,
finances, etc, we follow our own judgment most of the
time. Then when we encounter problems in those areas
that are beyond us, we go to God for help.
It is
God’s desire that we live life to the fullest. Jesus
said, “I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full – John
10:10.” If
abundant life is God’s desire for us, then we short
–change ourselves by compartmentalizing. God wants us to
enjoy the best in every area of our lives. And we can
only experience that by submitting every aspect of our
lives to God’s Word and will.
Dearly beloved, in
all
your ways acknowledge [the Lord], and he will make your
paths straight – Proverbs 3:6.
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Week of September
20 - September 26, 2009
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch
men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left
everything and followed him
– Luke 5:10-11
As I
read Luke 5:1-11 where Jesus called Simon Peter
to become a “fisher of men,” the fact that there are no
coincidences was ministered to me. According to the
passage, Jesus was preaching to a crowd by the Lake of
Gennesaret and he asked to use Simon’s boat to sit and
teach from. When he had finished speaking, he said to
Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets
for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard
all night and haven't caught anything. But because you
say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done
so, they caught such a large number of fish that their
nets began to break – Luke 5:4-6. After all that,
Jesus said to Simon, “...from now on you will catch
men – Luke
5:10.”
This
event was record in Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20,
and John 1:40-42 as well. Matthew’s account
stated: As Jesus was walking beside the
Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother
Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they
were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I
will make you fishers of men." At once they left their
nets and followed him – Matthew 4:18-20.
Mark’s account was similar to Matthew’s account.
John recorded that it was Andrew, Simon’s brother who
brought him to Jesus. Luke mentioned earlier that Jesus
healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever – Luke 4:38-39.
Putting all the accounts of the calling of Simon
together, I marveled at the way all the events propelled
Simon towards the call from Jesus. He had witnessed his
mother-in-law being healed by Jesus. His brother’s
testimony of Jesus, "We have found the Messiah" (John
1:41),
I believe, was a powerful seed. Then I ask myself, how
come it was Simon’s boat that Jesus asked to use? How
come Simon and his companions did not catch a single
fish all night long? After toiling hard all night
without any catch made the overflowing net of fish
extremely miraculous at Jesus’ word. I do not fish, but
I recall that a preacher once mentioned that it is
easier to catch fish when all is quiet. If that is so,
then catching all the fish when it is daylight coupled
with the noise of the crowd Jesus was preaching to
really add to the significance of the net of fish. I
believe that all those events lined up to help Peter
respond to Jesus’ call to be a “fisher of men.”
That
got me thinking about how certain events in my life have
lined up to culminate a form of breakthrough or the
other. For people who do not know God nor His Power, it
is easy to sum up everything to coincidences. Based on
the scripture, there are no coincidences, only
“God-incidences.” Paul articulated it well in Romans
8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who
have been called according to his purpose.”
“For
I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future - Jeremiah 29:11.” As I
meditated on these scriptures and the past events in my
life, I am encouraged that my future is secured in God.
There are a couple of situations in my life that seem
like I am in a rut, yet I do not despair. Adding one of
my favorite scriptures, Proverbs 3:5-6, to the
mix; I know that as long as I trust in the LORD with all
my heart, lean not on my own understanding, and in all
my ways acknowledge Him, He will make my paths
straight.
Dearly beloved, be encouraged that God is lining up
“God-incidences” in your life, so that He would
“prosper you and not to harm you ...give you hope and a
future - Jeremiah 29:11.”
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Week of September
13 - September 19, 2009
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in
all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord – Romans
8:38-39.
Recently, I read Romans 8:31-39 which is on the
love of God towards us. The last two verses really
ministered to me: For I am convinced that neither
death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord – Romans 8:38-39. The phrase
“the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
was the main focus of my mediation.
I
just bought a new bible Life in the Spirit Study
Bible and the commentary on that phrase was: If
anyone fails in his or her spiritual life, it will
neither be from a lack of divine grace and love (vv.
31-34), nor from external force or overwhelming
adversity (vv. 35-39), but from their own neglect to
remain in Christ Jesus. Only “in Christ Jesus” is God’s
love revealed, and only in him do we experience it. Only
as we remain in Christ Jesus as “our Lord” can we have
the certainty that we will never be separated from God’s
love.
As I
meditated on the phrase and the commentary, the Holy
Spirit gave me an illustration. Picture this: a very
dark and dangerous forest in the middle of winter and a
well protected house in the center of it. Inside the
house, there is light, warmth, and food; adequate
facility to ensure comfort. As long as you remained in
the house, you are protected from the danger in the
forest. Linking this illustration to Romans 8:38-39,
the dangerous forest represents the list in those
verses: “death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation” (you may added the list in verse 35
as well: “trouble or hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or sword”). And the
house represents “in Christ Jesus our Lord” and
the light, warmth and food in the house are “the love
of God.”
You
see as long as we remain in the house, the evils of the
forest cannot touch us nor have any effect on us. But
once we step out of the house, we cannot expect to be
protected from the dangers of the forest, in fact, we
become absolutely exposed to the dangers. In the same
way, as long as we abide in Jesus, we experience the
love of God; the world, the devil or any negative
circumstance cannot overcome us. Please get this: the
world, the devil and his host and the storms of life
will come against us. However, the good news is
this: ...in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us – Romans
8: 37.
Any
time we are experiencing trials or suffering, we need to
check our status: are we in the house or are we in the
forest? If we are in the house, we can rest assure that
“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did
not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how
will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things – Romans 8:31-32?” But if we are in the
forest, no amount of prayer and fasting will help us.
All we need to do is simply step into the house by
getting ourselves back under the Lordship of Jesus and
we will begin to experience the love and power of God in
our lives all over again.
Dearly beloved, like the words of this song say: O, give
thanks unto the Lord; For He is good, for He is good;
For He is worthy, worthy; For He is good, for He is
good.
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Week of September
6 - September 12, 2009
I am
the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me
and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you
can do nothing – John 15:5.
This
week, I am sharing from a Christian fiction I just
finished reading - The Listener by Terri
Blackstock. I highly recommend that you purchase a copy
of the book, I ordered mine from Christianbooks.com. For
those like me who do not like the plot of a novel given
away, I will just say the book is about a man, Sam
Bennett, who could hear people’s hearts deepest needs
simply by looking at them.
Towards the end of the book, Sam was sharing with the
members of his church about people’s “most common
spiritual needs.” Based on listening to the people’s
hearts desires, he said, “Well, they need to know that
they’re loved, that there’s hope, that there’s healing,
that someone’s in control, that they’re not a product of
their past, that they can be forgiven, that they can be
useful, that they’re made in the image of God...” Sam
summed it up and stated, “Anybody you walk up to, if you
were to ask them what their deepest need was, and if
they were to be perfectly honest, if they even knew...
their answer would be Jesus Christ.”
Even
though this book was fiction, it really ministered to my
heart. It got me thinking. As the book portrayed, people
can be looking very happy and well put together on the
outside but inside they are really hurting. A paragraph
in the foreword by Randy Alcorn articulated my thoughts,
“As we see in The Listener, everyday people with
great needs pass beneath our radar. We need to change
our radar setting and learn to see those people and
their needs. Neighbors, coworkers, parents we sit by at
our kids’ games, the mail carrier, bus driver, grocery
checker, pizza guy, UPS delivery person... they all need
Jesus...” And my prayer was that I would sense, see and
hear past the outer exterior to the heart cry of people
around me. I asked for the boldness and grace to share
Jesus with them.
Another thing which ministered to me in the novel was
about the heart need of a believer. In the book, after
Sam finished talking about the heart needs of unsaved
people, someone asked him, “What if they already know
Jesus? What would their need be then?” Sam replied, “The
bottom-line, basic need of every real Christian is to
bear fruit like Christ... Every true Christian has that
need, whether they want to admit it or not. The Holy
Spirit in them, it just yearns for that. And the further
they are from fulfilling it, the emptier they are...”
You
know this is so true. Regardless of the cares and
pleasures of the world we face daily as believers, when
we peel away those layers what is left is the need to be
fruitful. That is why even when our needs get met,
though there is that momentary joy and relief, yet there
is an emptiness that lingers if we are not bearing
Christ-like fruits in our lives.
Dearly beloved, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are
the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he
will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing –
John 15:5.”
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Week of August
23
- September 5, 2009
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact ...Yet
he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise
of God ...being fully persuaded that God had power to do
what he had promised - Romans 4:19-21.
During this week’s bible study at church, part of what
my Pastor shared was on TRUTH and FACT. He said that a
truth cannot be changed, but a fact can be changed. As
believers, we need to face the fact with the truth, and
that standing on the Word of God will bring the truth
into reality. My Pastor’s teaching on truth and fact
really ministered to me that night. The next morning as
I pondered on this teaching, the Lord dropped Romans
4:18-21 into my heart, and that got me even more
excited.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became
the father of many nations, just as it had been said to
him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in
his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good
as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and
that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver
through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was
strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being
fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had
promised.
Romans 4:18-21
The
fact of Abraham situation was that at 100 years of age,
“his body was as good as dead” and his wife’s
womb “was also dead.” It was at the age of 75
years old that God first told Abram (as he was called
then), "To your offspring I will give this land –
Genesis 12:7." Abraham was younger then and through
his wife scheming, they ended up with Ishmael from
Hagar. Now 15 years later when God appeared to Abraham,
He was more specific this time: I will bless
[Sarah] and will surely give you a son by her –
Genesis 17:16. The bible recorded that: Abraham
fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a
son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah
bear a child at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to
God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing –
Genesis
17:17-18!"
God
is gracious. He reaffirmed to Abraham, "Yes, but your
wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him
Isaac – Genesis
17:19” Here
was a couple God told that they would have a child when
all physical realities were stacked against them.
However, Abraham faced the fact with the truth:
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that
his body was as good as dead--since he was about a
hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the
promise of God... – Romans
4:19-20.
He held on to the truth of God’s promise, being fully
persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised
- Romans 4: 21.
As I
meditated on these scriptures, I received such clarity
in my mind about faith confession – believing and
standing on God’s Word in the face of opposing facts. In
the past, I knew in my heart about confessing
God’s Word despite contrary circumstances. Yet once in a
while when thrown with certain specifics, I am unable to
articulate what I believe. Glory to God, that evening I
was able to share with a sister on facing facts with the
truth of God Word. This sister had a medical condition
that was worrisome to her. As she told me about her
concerns, I directed her to what God’s Word said about
her situation. I told her that though the facts were
negative, yet the truth of the situation was what the
Word of God declared about it and that was what she
should hold on to. Essentially, though she should
acknowledge the fact, yet she needed to stand on the
truth of God’s Word to change the fact to align with
God’s Word.
Dearly beloved, face the fact with the truth! Without
weakening in his faith, he faced the fact ...Yet he did
not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God
...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what
he had promised - Romans 4:19-21.
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Week of August 9
- August 22, 2009
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in
him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
thankfulness – Colossians 2:2-7.
I
would like to share the things the Holy Spirit
ministered to my heart as I read about Elijah’s
encounter with the prophets of Baal in 1Kings
18:16-40. In
Israel,
prior to this time, the people had strayed away from
worshipping God under the kingship of Ahab. Elijah told
king Ahab to summon the people and the prophets of Baal
to Mount Carmel. When the people and prophets were
gathered, Elijah said, "How long will you waver
between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him;
but if Baal is God, follow him -1Kings
18:21."
The bible recorded that “the people said nothing -
1Kings
18:21.” That
was remarkable to me; it showed how far away the hearts
of the people had drifted from God.
As
the account went, Elijah laid out the rules of the
contest: each side will get a bull, prepare it for
sacrifice on the wood without the fire, each side will
call on the name of its god, and “the god who answers
by fire--he is God – 1Kings
18:24.”
To this, the people agreed. Elijah allowed the prophets
of Baal to have the first go. After they had prepared
their sacrifice, the prophets of Baal called on the name
of their god, shouting, dancing, prophesying and
slashing themselves with swords and spears until their
blood flowed. Mid-way in their sacrificing, Elijah began
to taunt them and this only made them more frantic.
For
those prophets to agree to the contest and the way they
called upon Baal, it occurred to me that they truly
believed that it was possible for Baal to send down
fire. I could just picture the scene in the spiritual
realm: the angelic host standing guard around the venue
and Baal and his demonic host making unsuccessful
attempts to penetrate the angelic hedge. I believe this
was the first miracle that occurred.
From
morning till evening, the prophets called on Baal to
send down fire but to no avail. Now it was Elijah’s turn
and he summoned the people to his side. With 12 stones
representing the tribes of
Israel,
he made an altar for the sacrifice. For more dramatic
effect, he dug a trench around the altar and requested
that 12 large jars of water be poured in it. The altar
and the sacrifice were drenched in water. Then Elijah
stepped forward and prayer this simple yet powerful
prayer:
"O
LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known
today that you are God in Israel and that I am your
servant and have done all these things at your command.
Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know
that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning
their hearts back again." 1Kings 18:36-37
Glory
to God, the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the
sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also
licked up the water in the trench – 1Kings 18:38.
And the bible recorded: When all the people saw this,
they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The
LORD--he is God – 1Kings
18:39!"
As I
meditated on this passage, I saw two categories of
Christians: those like the people and those like Elijah.
Those like the people are those who proclaim the
Lordship of Jesus only when they see or experience the
supernatural in their lives. When things are not going
as expected, they draw back from God. They fluctuate
between the kingdom of God and the world. Yet there are
those like Elijah who are “the people that do know
their God [are] strong, and do exploits – Daniel
11:32 (KJV).”
These ones are “rooted and built up in [Jesus],
strengthened in the faith... – Colossians 2:7.”
These are also the ones who intercede and walk in the
supernatural so that like Elijah prayed, “people will
know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning
their hearts back again – 1Kings 18:38.”
Dearly beloved, so then, just as you received Christ
Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built
up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness – Colossians 2:2-7.
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Week of August 2
- August 8, 2009
He who watches over you will not slumber... The LORD
will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your
life. Psalm 121:3&7
The
month of July has been very busy for me: I travelled out
of town three times; held a birthday party for my
daughter; assisted her with her 4 weeks Girls’ camp;
finished off one of my online courses; and in the
children ministry at church, I am overseeing the
implementation of multiple programs and new curriculums
all at once. Glory to God, despite everything I have not
felt overwhelmed or stressed out in anyway. I am glad to
have a break to write this newsletter.
Yesterday, I was reading 2Samuel17:1-23 about the
advice of Hushai and Ahithophel to Absalom after he
overthrew his father, David as the king of Israel.
Ahithopel gave a wise counsel to Absalom to pursue David
and his men while they were still weary and weak.
Unfortunately for Absalom he decided to hear Hushai’s
(who pretended to betray David) advice which cautioned
against fighting David immediately so that Absalom could
gather more men to fight. Absalom and his men ended up
taking Hushai’s advice and that later led to their
destruction.
As I
read the passage, some things were ministered to my
heart. The bible described Ahithopel’s counsel like
this: Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave
was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how
both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's
advice. (2Samuel
16:23) There
are people like Ahithophel who are held in such high
regard that their words can do or undo things in our
lives. It reminded me of what someone once shared with
me about how he was failed at a professional exam. He
had done well in all the different parts of the exams
except for one part where his result was at borderline
level. The examiners had the discretion either to pass
or fail him and they failed him. He found out later that
one of the examiners had said some things that convinced
the other examiners to fail him.
Then
I thought of Hushai who had the wrong motive in advising
Absalom. The bible says, “The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know
it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 – KJV) When someone is giving
you an advice, you cannot really tell the motive behind
it. That is why we need to commit all our ways to the
Lord like one of my favorite scriptures enjoins us:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge
him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs
3:5-6)
The
advice that Ahithophel gave was very sound, yet it was
rejected because “...the LORD had determined to
frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to
bring disaster on Absalom.” (2Samuel
17:14)
Like Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against
us?” (Romans 8:31) Clearly the Lord was with David,
and He frustrated the counsel of Ahithophel and Absalom
against David.
Dearly beloved, as I mediated on the passage, I realize
that no matter the ‘Ahithophel’ and ‘Hushai’ in our
lives, when we commit our lives to God, their evil
counsel will not prevail against us. God is gracious.
Psalm 121:3&7 says: he who watches over you will not
slumber... The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he
will watch over your life. Amen.
Back to top
Week of June 28 -
August 1, 2009
Being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus – Philippians 1:6.
This
week, I am sharing a testimony. In the children ministry
of my church which I coordinate, God gave me a fantastic
solution to a couple of issues that has been a challenge
to us. Every children worker is scheduled to work one
Sunday a month and then be in the adult service for the
rest of the month. Even though this is a good system,
the downsides are that there is no continuity for the
children and no opportunity for the individual teacher
to follow-up. For a long time, these issues have
bothered me and I have prayed and thought about them.
When I could think of no practical solution to these
problems, I just gave up.
Glory
to God, at the beginning of this week while going
through the new curriculum we bought for the children
ministry, God dropped the solution into my heart. The
amazing thing is that the solution is so simple! It just
had to be God. (Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to
share the idea until I have shared it with all our
children workers) The solution not only addressed the
issues of continuity and follow-up, but there was an
added benefit of raising up children workers to do what
I am doing.
Just
the day before the idea came; I had called up some
children workers to help out in a skit production for
the children and arranged a time to meet with them. It
just worked out that most of those children workers were
among the key people to help implement the idea. So I
just called the rest of the key people and requested
that they join us for the meeting.
Before the meeting, during our weekly family prayer
night, I asked my family to pray about the idea. My
husband received this scripture that we used to pray:
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power... –
Psalm 110:3 (KJV). And this scripture came to pass.
None of the children workers whom I invited had any idea
what the meeting was about except for one person. I was
very pleased after I shared the idea that everyone at
the meeting was very excited and willing to implement
the idea. This confirmed to me that He Who gave me the
idea is willing to implement it as well. Being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus – Philippians 1:6. God is gracious.
This
morning as I pondered over all that has happened, I just
marveled at the goodness and faithfulness of God. He is
indeed the Alpha and Omega, He know the beginning and
the end. And He is able to bring all things to pass. And
this song came into my heart:
When I think of the goodness of Jesus
And all He has done for me
My very soul shall shout, “Hallelujah!”
Praise God for saving me
Dearly beloved, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is
good. His love endures forever – Psalm 136:1.
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Week of June 21 -
June 27, 2009
This is what was spoken by the
prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour
out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters
will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old
men will dream dreams.’” - Acts 2:16-17
In
Joel 2:28-29, God declared: And afterward, I will
pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. Even on my servants,
both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those
days. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit
came upon the disciples and they began to speak in other
tongues; the people around thought they were drunk with
wine. Peter stood up and explained: These men are not
drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “`In
the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on
all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
young men will see visions, your old men will dream
dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will
pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy
– Acts 2:15-18.’”
The
account of the day of Pentecost is one I have read many
times, and when I read it again this Tuesday, God gave
me this revelation from it: the last days started
from the day of Pentecost. When Prophet Joel was
prophesying, it was futuristic: Even on my servants,
both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those
days – Joel 2:29. In the New Testament, when Old
Testament scriptures are quoted, it is usually when they
are happening or fulfilled. When Jesus quoted Isaiah
61:1-2, he ended the quote by saying: "Today this
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing – Luke
4:21."
When Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32, he quoted it to
explaining what was happening to the apostles at that
time.
Many
believers will tell you that these are the last days
based on events happening around the world, yet when it
comes to the move of the Holy Spirit (God pouring His
Spirit on us); it is an event they are praying for to
happen. The good news is that it started happening since
the day of Pentecost. When we get this revelation, we
will start walking in the reality of it. We will stop
asking God to pour out His Spirit upon us, and we will
start prophesying, seeing visions, and dreaming dreams.
In other words, we will begin walking in the
supernatural.
The
question you may ask is: if God has indeed poured out
His Spirit upon us, how come we are not seeing the
manifestation of it? I will give you 2 answers. The
first answer is that you are not seeing the
manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit because
you are not aware it is happening. Throughout history,
starting from the time of the apostles, we have read
accounts of great revivals. Even now, there are parts of
the world that the move of the Holy Spirit is in
manifestation. The one that comes readily to mind is in
my country, Nigeria: the Holy Ghost Conferences
organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God. At
these meeting, the gifts of the Holy Spirit is in
operation and people get saved, healed and delivered in
great numbers.
The
second answer is because you are not hooked up. A dear
brother, teaching on our Wednesday Bible Study on
Hearing the Voice of God, said God is always speaking
but we need to tune to His frequency to hear Him. He
gave an illustration about the radio station
broadcasting and to listen, one would need a radio tuned
to that station. It is the same with the outpouring of
the Spirit, it is happening in the spiritual realm. For
it to be manifested in the physical realm where we can
see it, we need to be connected to the Holy Spirit
frequency.
Last
night when I shared this revelation at a prayer meeting,
someone asked, “How do you hook up?” A sister answered
by saying the starting point is faith: God’s Word says
it; I believe it and that settles it. When we accept
this truth that the outpouring of the Spirit is in the
now, then we will have expectations in our hearts. In
our lives and services, we will expect the outpouring of
the Spirit. These expectations will lead to yieldedness.
In yielding, we will indeed prophesy, we will indeed see
visions, we will indeed dream dreams. The manifestation
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit will become a common
occurrence in our midst.
Dearly beloved, let us know that the ultimate goal of
the outpouring of the Spirit is this: And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of
the Lord shall be saved – Joel
2:12 (KJV)
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Week of June 14 -
June 20, 2009
(Continued
from last week)
But the
people that do know their God shall be strong, and do
exploits
- Daniel 11:32.
Daniel had so distinguished himself in
Babylon
and had publicly attributed all his successes to God,
that he was a big testimony to the four kings. Through
Daniel, God was exalted and feared not just by the kings
he served under but also by the kings who came after
him. In these days, we need to let the world see our God
through us. It all started for Daniel when “the king
ordered Ashpenaz... to bring in some of the Israelites
from the royal family and the nobility-- young men
without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude
for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to
understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace.
He was to teach them the language and literature of the
Babylonians... They were to be trained for three years,
and after that they were to enter the king's service –
Daniel 1:3-5.” Obviously, Daniel was privileged. The
good news is that in Christ, “You are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus... There is neither Jew
nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are
all one in Christ Jesus – Galatians 3:26-28.”
Daniel went the extra mile when he
“purposed in his heart
that he would not defile himself
with the portion of the
king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank...
– Daniel 1:8 (KJV).”
According to
MacArthur Study Bible,
“the pagan food and drink was devoted to idols; to
indulge was to be understood as honoring these
deities... foods that God’s law prohibited were items
that pagans consume.”
For Daniel to eat the king’s meat and drink the king’s
wine would be disobedience to God’s law. What are those
things that are the king’s meat and drink in our
lives: internet, television, games, relationships, work,
etc? Whatever those things are, we need to purpose in
our heart to lay them aside: ...Let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles... – Hebrews 12:1. Daniel did not just
desire in his heart not to defile himself, he went ahead
to do something about it. He asked the official assigned
to them, "Please test your servants for ten days:
Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink
– Daniel 1:12.” He replaced the king’s meat and wine
with vegetables and water (which had not been defiled
with idolization). It would have been foolishness for
Daniel to reject the king’s meat and wine and starved
himself to death. We need to find out from God what our
vegetables and water are. What ready comes to
mind is reading the Word, prayer, fasting, serving, etc.
If we resolve to give up those things that constitute
the king’s meat and wine in our lives, then we
must replace them with vegetables and water.
Daniel was the spoke person for the three other Jews
youth: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. From the wording
of the account, the idea to refrain from eating the
king’s meat and wine seemed to originate from Daniel. It
is possible that it was he who got his three friends to
go along with him. How contagious is our faith? Do we
encourage other believers in their faith walk with our
lives? When Daniel and his friends eat only vegetables
and drank water for 10 days; at the end of the ten
days they looked healthier and better nourished than any
of the young men who ate the royal food – Daniel 1:15.
As a result, they were given only vegetables and water
for the entire 3 years of their training. And God
rewarded them: to these four young men God gave
knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature
and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and
dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the
king to bring them in, the chief official presented them
to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he
found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every
matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king
questioned them, he found them ten times better than all
the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom –
Daniel 1:17-20. God is not a respecter of persons
and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God
will always reward us for our obedience and faithfulness
towards Him. You need to persevere so that when you
have done the will of God, you will receive what he has
promised – Hebrews 10:36.
Daniel’s spiritual gifting was that he could
understand visions and dreams of all kinds – Daniel
1:17. He freely utilized this gifting to the glory
of God. When he was about to reveal and interpret King
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him, he said, “No wise man,
enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king
the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in
heaven who reveals mysteries – Daniel 2:27 – 28”.
Years after, when King Belshazzar displayed irreverence
in using the goblets from God’s temple, Daniel did not
hesitate to rebuke him. “O king, the Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and
greatness and glory and splendor... But you his son, O
Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew
all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the
Lord of heaven... – Daniel 5:18, 22-23.” He was bold
and courageous in declaring the counsel of God even to
the king of the most powerful nation on earth who had
the authority to order his death for such words. We
have different gifts, according to the grace given us –
Romans 12:6. We need to use whatever gift God has
blessed us with to honor Him and to bless others.
Accounts of Daniel’s dedication to
service in his secular work were remarkable. It was
recorded: Now Daniel so distinguished himself among
the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional
qualities that the king planned to set him over the
whole kingdom – Daniel 6:2. Out of jealousy, when
his fellow administrators tried to find grounds for
charges against him in the way he conducted his work,
they were unsuccessful. They could find no corruption
in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt
nor negligent – Daniel 6:4. Wow, what a testimony!
Can people around us say that about us? Do you see a
man skilled [and
diligent – Amplified Bible] in his work? He will
serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men
– Proverbs 22:29. Daniel was skilled and diligent
and he indeed served before kings; what about us?
Daniel 11:32
capsulated Daniel’s life:
but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
He had a relationship and constant fellowship with God.
When King Darius issued the decree to have everyone pray
to only him for 30 days, the bible recorded: three
times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving
thanks to his God, just as he had done before – Daniel
6:10. New American Standard Version says: ...and
he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day,
praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had
been doing previously – Daniel 6:10. Daniel knew
the God he served, he was strong and he did exploits.
That was why he was a
catalyst in the events
leading to the rebuilding of the temple in
Jerusalem after the exile.
These are the last days.
And this gospel of the
kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a
testimony to all nations, and then the end will come –
Matthew 24:14; for the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover
the sea - Habakkuk 2:14.
What are we doing to establish the will of God on earth
as it is in heaven (Matthew
6:10)?
Like Daniel, we need to know God so that we can be
strong and do exploits
Back to top
Week of June 7 -
June 13, 2009
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of
the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea -
Habakkuk
2:14.
These
are indeed the end times. Jesus said, “And this
gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole
world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come – Matthew 24:14.” And Habakkuk
declared: For the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover
the sea (2:14). I have
heard men of God say that the wealth in the hands of the
heathen will be turned over the believers for the
propagation of the Kingdom of God in these end days.
Something similar happened during the time of the return
of the Israelites back to Judah and Jerusalem after the
70 years of exile in Babylon.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of
Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon
came to
Jerusalem
and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king
of
Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the
temple of
God. These
he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god – Daniel 1:1-2.
Then
further down in Daniel 5:1-4, King Belshazzar
brought the gold goblets which had been taken from the
temple of God and he and his nobles, wives and
concubines used them for drinking wine. Of course, God’s
judgment fell on him and his kingdom was taken from him
that night (Daniel
5:30).
Why would God allow stuff from His temple be put in the
temple of the Babylonian idols in the first place?
Using
my reference bible, in the book of Ezra, there was a
record of the decree issued by King Cyrus that said:
Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God,
which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem
and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their
places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be
deposited in the house of God – Ezra 6:5. Thus when
the Israelites returned to Judah after the 70 years in
exile, the articles of gold and silver were given back
to them. It became clear to me that God was just using
the temple of the Babylonian idols as a storage place.
Another discovery was that as a result of the opposition
brought about by the leaders of the Tran-Euphrates
against the returned exiles, King Darius issued his own
decree: Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do
for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this
house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully
paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of
Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.
Whatever is needed--young bulls, rams, male lambs for
burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt,
wine and oil, as requested by the priests in
Jerusalem--must
be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer
sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for
the well-being of the king and his sons. Ezra 6:8-10
In
addition to the original temple articles being returned,
a heathen king contributed extensively to the building
of the
temple of
God.
The
rebuilding of the temple after the exile was possible
through the return of the articles of gold and silver
taken from the
temple of
God
years ago and the wealth of the Babylonian kingdom (Ezra
5). I am yet to do a study on the claim that God is
going to deliver the wealth into the hand of believers
in these last days for the spread of the Gospel. Yet one
thing is certain, the good news of Jesus as well as the
glory of God is going to be spread to the entire world.
So whether taking the gospel to all nations will be
through the miraculous signs and wonders or through
financial prosperity to gain access to million through
technology or a combination of both is unclear to me.
However, I am sure that God is going to use His people
to spread this good news of Jesus: ... the people
that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits
– Daniel
11:32 (KJV).
In
studying the life of Daniel, I realized that Daniel was
a catalyst in the events leading to the rebuilding of
the temple in
Jerusalem
after the exile. In Daniel 1:8, it was recorded:
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor
with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of
the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile
himself (KJV). As a result of his commitment and
sacrifice, God reward him with wisdom and understanding
ten times better than his peers (Daniel
1:17-20). As
I studied Daniel’s life further, I saw that his
steadfast fellowship with God, his spirit of excellence
that he displayed in his secular work and his usage of
the abilities God blessed him with brought glory to God.
The four kings whom Daniel served under all acknowledged
the greatness of God through the various miracles and
interpretation of dreams God performed through Daniel.
Daniel was able to tell King Nebuchadnezzar his dream
and also interpreted it for him. And the second dream
Daniel interpreted for the king came to pass immediately
and exactly. Both times, Daniel stated that he was able
to do these extraordinary things only through God alone.
In the end, King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged and
declared: ... I praised the Most High; I honored and
glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an
eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to
generation... Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt
and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he
does is right and all his ways are just. And those who
walk in pride he is able to humble – Daniel 4:34-37.
For
King Belshazzar, Daniel was able to read and interpret
the inscription on the wall which no one in all Babylon
could read. Daniel was not among the enchanters,
astrologers and diviners brought in to decode the
inscription; but the reputation he had gained during
Nebuchadnezzar’s time made the king send for him (Daniel
5:10-13). The speech Daniel gave King Belshazzar as
he read and interpreted the inscription exalted God and
he refused to take any reward: Then Daniel answered
the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give
your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read
the writing for the king and tell him what it means –
Daniel 5:17. That night the judgment God melted upon
King Belshazzar came to pass as Daniel foretold.
King
Darius became the next king whom Daniel served under as
one of the three administrators. Now Daniel so
distinguished himself among the administrators and the
satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king
planned to set him over the whole kingdom – Daniel 6:3.
The bible recorded that his fellow administrators
and the satraps were jealous of his success and tried to
bring him down. But ...they could find no corruption
in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt
nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never
find any basis for charges against this man Daniel
unless it has something to do with the law of his God –
Daniel 6:4-5." Therefore, they got the king to make
a law that no one should make any request to any god
except the king for 30 days. Of course, when Daniel
learned that the decree had been published, he went home
to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward
Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks
to his God, just as he had done before – Daniel 6:10.
The administrators and the satraps reported Daniel to
the king and he was thrown in the lions’ den. God
delivered Daniel from the lions and King Darius issued a
decree: ...in every part of my kingdom people must
fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the
living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not
be destroyed, his dominion will never end... – Daniel
6:26.”
The
only thing said about Daniel service under King Cyrus
(the king after Darius) was that “...Daniel prospered
during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the
Persian – Daniel
6:28.”
From
Ezra
5:13,
the decree King Cyrus published about the return of the
articles of gold and silver was issued in his first year
as king. According to the MacArthur Study Bible,
“Daniel bridges the entire 70 years of
Babylonia
captivity (ca. 605-536 B.C.; cf. 1:1 and 9:1-3); ...Ezra
led the second return from
Persia (ca. 485 B.C.)....” By the time the King Darius in Ezra wrote his decree
(years after Daniel), the God of heaven was still very
much revered in
Babylon:
Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these
elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of
God:
The
expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the
royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so
that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed--young
bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God
of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested
by the priests in
Jerusalem--must
be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer
sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for
the well-being of the king and his sons. Ezra 6:8-10
To be
continued.
Back to top
Week of May 31
- June 6, 2009
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him gently - Galatians 6:1.
Over
the years, I have been privileged to hear people’s life
stories. Sometimes, some stories show that those people
are in difficult situations as a result of the wrong
choices they have made. The thought such as: how on
earth could you have done that would pop up in my
head As I think along that line, the Holy Spirit usually
would interrupt with this word:
grace.
Even though, I may never make such mistakes yet I have
made many other kinds of mistakes that other people may
wonder: that is so dumb, what was she thinking?
In
John 8:1-11, a woman caught in adultery was brought
to Jesus for judgment. Those teachers of the Law and
Pharisees would probably never commit adultery in their
entire lives, so it was easy for them to feel
self-righteous. One of the Ten Commandments is: You
shall not commit adultery – Exodus 20:14. They were
the keepers of the Law and they wanted to see that it
was followed as they pointed out to Jesus: ... In the
Law Moses commanded us to stone such women – John 11:5.
Jesus’ response was, "If any one of you is without
sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her – John
8:7." This was indeed grace in action.
In my
life, I have made some stupid choices which have
resulted in negative consequences. Yet God has been very
gracious to me. Usually when I realize my mistake, I
immediately say my God-please-get-out-of-this-mess
prayer. Many times, God divinely intervenes and
nullifies the negative consequence almost immediately.
Even when I am not aware that I have made poor choices,
God still does that. Still, with the negative
consequences God allows me to go through, His grace has
proven to be sufficient for me.
I
bless God that His Word and His gracious dealings with
me help me not to condemn people. I do not condone sin
in any way and I believe that I should speak “the
truth in love – Ephesians 4:15” at the same time.
Sometimes people tell me things because they want me to
valid their actions. Most of the time, believers know
when they are doing what is wrong. However, human nature
is such that it gets defensive when attacked with the
truth. Knowing that the Holy Spirit lives inside of them
and their conscience is alive in Christ, I just ask
them: what do you believe God’s Word and will are for
you in this situation? Even when their response is
unscriptural, I have learned to hold my tongue and
commit them to God in prayer. I have realized that if
someone does not ask for my advice, he/she probably
don’t want it nor would he/she receive it if offered.
Now
what of people who do ask for advice? Paul’s admonition
in Galatians 6:1 is very useful: Brothers, if
someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should
restore him gently. The goal of any advice to people
who have made wrong choices should always be
restoration.
Also, God’s wisdom is key in “speaking the truth in
love – Ephesians 4:5.” After David committed
adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband, God sent
Nathan to rebuke David. Before Nathan told David God’s
Word for him, he first laid the foundation by telling a
parable to put David in the right frame of mind
(2Samuel 12:1-6). Nathan exercised wisdom in passing
the message to David so that after he told David what
God actually said, David repented and the journey to
restoration began.
Dearly beloved, if someone is caught in a sin, you
who are spiritual should restore him gently - Galatians
6:1.
Back to top
Week of May 24
- May 30, 2009
The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full – John 10:10.
This
week, I would like to share an experience I had two
Fridays ago with the One Homeless Night program
organized by my church youth group. Even though this
program was mainly for the youth, adults were encouraged
to participate. The event was for us to go on a guided
tour of the streets of downtown Toronto to see and hear
about the conditions and challenges of homeless people,
sleep in one of the shelters for the night and
distribute breakfast on the streets to those who needed
it the next morning.
I
must confess that I was one of those people who had
wrong preconceived ideas about the homeless in
Canada.
I had lived a very sheltered life in the sense that I
had never smoked, mistakenly drank alcohol only once,
never stepped inside a club, never used drugs and I had
been a Christian most of my life. Back in Nigeria, we
have homeless people due to poverty but no welfare
system and hardly any shelters. I had thought that here
in
Canada
where there is a welfare system and lots of shelters,
there should not be any homeless person on the street. I
went for the One Homeless Night program mainly out of
curiosity: I wanted to know why any one would live or
sleep on the street when there are shelters available
for him/her.
We
drove downtown to the first shelter where we were to
spend the night. One of the founders shared with us
their mission and took us around the shelter. In one of
the rooms we gathered in to wait before we went to the
next shelter, I saw one of the resident’s artwork that
touched my heart. The artwork had an inscription that
goes like this: Everyone has the right to be
appreciated, loved and accepted. As we walked from
that shelter to the next shelter that night, those words
kept ringing in my mind when I saw people dressed
differently from what I was used to especially men
dressed as women. It is one thing to see such people on
television; it is another thing to actually see them in
person.
This
was my first time walking those streets of Toronto
downtown at night. The guided tour started at the second
shelter and we were taken through the different
districts that made up the core of Toronto downtown. A
part of me was a bit overwhelmed at the sights I was
seeing, while another part of me kept asking for the
grace to see through Jesus’ eyes. I saw so much glitter
and glamour, the buildings, shops, signs and lights. We
passed people dining outside of restaurants, walking and
laughing, all seeming to have such a good time. Yet in
the midst of all that, we saw other people walking or
sitting on the sidewalk with the hopeless look on their
faces. It was such a painful contradiction.
The
men who took us on the tour told us the challenges
facing the drug addicts and those with mental
disabilities on the streets which were compounded by the
inadequacies of the welfare and shelter systems. It was
lot of overwhelming information that brought about these
questions in my mind: what can I do, where do I even
start, can I make any difference at all? I was glad when
both our tour guides told us practical ways we can make
a difference: by praying, giving, volunteering, and
reaching out to those around us in love.
Later
when I got home and processed all I had seen and heard,
I realized that the core of the problem is spiritual.
The problems facing people on the street is like a big
wound and the solutions provided by the welfare system
and some of the shelters are just covering the wound
site like band-aid or even bandage while the wound is
still festering underneath. I came to the conclusion
that it is only Jesus who can heal the wound.
The
entire experience was an eye opener for me. I have
realized that it is not for me to pass judgment on why
people end up on the streets. The reality of the
situation is they are on the streets. My concern should
be how I can contribute in taking them off the streets.
My prayer is that the seeds of compassion that has been
sown in me through the One Homeless Night program will
grow and bear fruits unto laboring in that harvest field
for God’s kingdom.
Dearly beloved, the thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy; [Jesus has] come that they may
have life, and have it to the full – John
10:10.
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Week of May 17
- May 23, 2009
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul
said was true – Acts 17:11.
This
morning during our family devotion, the passage we read
was 1Corinthians 2:6-16. As we read verse 9:
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love him," it reminded me how easy it is
to take the scripture out of context. I have heard
Christians quote this scripture (there is even a song
with a beautiful tune) out of context. It is quoted to
illustrate how great and incomprehensible the wisdom of
God is and Isaiah 55:8-9 - “For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares
the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than
your thoughts” is used to back it up. However, the
next verse declares: but God has revealed it
to us by his Spirit -1Corinthians
2:10.
Therefore, these scriptures should always be quoted
together: However, as it is written: "No eye has
seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God
has prepared for those who love him" -- but God has
revealed it to us by his Spirit – 1Corinthians 2:9-10.
Another similar example in the same passage is in
verse 11: For who among men knows the thoughts of a man
except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no
one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
This scripture also implies that the things of God are
indiscernible to us. On the other hand, quoting this
scripture with the next verse gives a complete picture:
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except
the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one
knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world but the
Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God
has freely given us – 1Corinthians
2:11-12.
The last misquoted scripture in the same passage is
verse 16a: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that
he may instruct him?" Quoting the verse in its
entirety is more accurate: "For who has known the
mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But
we have the mind of Christ.
Anytime we take the scriptures out of context, we get
half-truth or even a lie; and we short change ourselves.
This is an old trick the devil uses to get believers. He
used it against Eve when he said: Did God really say,
`You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? (Genesis
3:1) Unfortunately for Eve, in response, she too
misquoted what God said: "We may eat fruit from the
trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat
fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden,
and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
(Genesis 3:2-3) The underlined words were not part
of what God said: And the LORD God commanded the man,
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
(Genesis 2:16-17) When Eve took the fruit and saw
that she did not drop dead, she must have assumed that
the devil was right after all and went ahead to eat the
fruit.
The
devil used this same trick with Jesus in the wilderness.
The devil told Jesus: "If you are the Son of God," he
said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "`He will
command his angels concerning you, and they will lift
you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your
foot against a stone.'" (Matthew 4:6) This scripture
was quoted accurately. Yet when you take time to read
the entire Psalm 91, you will realize that God
gave us those promises to cover us as we go about our
daily business. It is not for us to willfully put
ourselves in harm’s way as Jesus accurately pointed out
to the devil: "It is also written: `Do not put the
Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:7)
To
avoid scriptural half-truths or lies, we must be
diligent in our study of the scriptures. Now the
Bereans were of more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the message with great
eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see
if what Paul said was true – Acts 17:11. You would
think that someone as great as the Apostle Paul would
have his teachings accepted without question. Yet the
Bereans were commended for not only receiving the
teachings eagerly but also taking the time to examine
their accuracy.
The
Word of God tells us that we have the Holy Spirit in us
to teach us and show us the truth: But the Counselor,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you – John 14:26. Also,
as for you, the anointing you received from him remains
in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as
his anointing teaches you about all things and as that
anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has
taught you, remain in him – 1John 2:27. I want to
put in a word of caution here. Even though we have the
Holy Spirit to teach us, yet God has provided us with
teachers, pastors, people with the 5-fold ministry gifts
to build us up: It was [Jesus] who gave some
to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to
prepare God's people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity
in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ – Ephesians 4:11-13. We must
never disdain the ministry gifts in people who instruct
us in the Word. Like the Bereans, we need to receive
God’s Word with eagerness. And also like the Berean, we
must take time to examine the scriptures every time we
hear or listen to a message.
Dearly beloved, be a Berean.
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Week of May 10
- May 16, 2009
...God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I
forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
Once in a while, we go through
dry spells in our Christian walk. Circumstance seems
overwhelming. Sometimes we wonder whether we are making
any eternal impact in the lives of those around us or
those we serve. And the tendency is to want to be alone
to sort things out. However, the danger in that
is that the situation will get magnified. Before we know
it the feeling of hopelessness will set in and we think
that God has forsaken us. The good news is this: God has
promised, “Never
will I leave you;
never will I forsake you – Hebrews 13:5.”
In the midst of our
circumstances and feelings, God is with us.
There was a time that Jesus sent His disciples ahead of
Him so that He could pray by Himself. While the
disciples were on a boat during the fourth watch at
night, Jesus walked on water to go to them. After they
got over the fear of seeing Jesus walking on water,
Peter asked, “Lord, if it's you... tell me to come to you on the water – Matthew
14:28.” Jesus
commanded him to come. Matthew 14:29-31 recorded:
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water
and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was
afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save
me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught
him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you
doubt?"
Peter’s experience illustrates the problem and solution
very well. Peter started out in faith and he actually
“walked on the water and came toward Jesus – Matthew
14:29.”
The problem started when he took his eyes off Jesus and
started to see the wind. He stopped depending on the
power and grace of Jesus to walk on water. That is when
Peter began to see the circumstances that the wind was
very strong and fear then set in. Of course, he began to
sink. Thank God, he had enough sense to call on Jesus
and
immediately Jesus reached out his
hand and caught him – Matthew 14:31.
Periods of dry spells happen to the best of us.
They usually creep in when we remove our eyes from Jesus
and start depending on our own strength. This regression
is very subtle. Things we have been asking for God’s
help and grace to do; we get so good at doing them, we
just start taking them for granted. It usually is not
immediately obvious to us that we have stopped depending
on God’s grace. That is when the stress begin to come
in. The way to put a stop to the dry spell is to turn to
God. I have the following three suggestions to help us
in turning to God:
The first is to remind ourselves of God Word.
`Not by
might nor by power, but by
my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty
– Zecheriah 4:6.
Come near to God and he
will come near to you – James 4:8.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint
– Isaiah 40:31.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you –
1Peter 5:7.
God’s Word has the power to turn our eyes back to God.
The second is to take time periodically to subject
ourselves to a Holy Spirit search light like
David did.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my
anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in
me, and lead me in the way everlasting – Psalm
139:23-24.
God is gracious: the Holy Spirit will indeed show us
what went wrong. We should then response by repenting:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness – 1John 1:9. We can go further by
asking the Lord to “Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me
the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit,
to sustain me – Psalm 51:10 &12.”
And
the third is to take Paul’s admonition seriously: Let
us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and
all the more as you see the Day approaching – Hebrews
10:25. One of the benefits of going to church
regularly is that we get refreshed. There is power in
corporate anointing. God will use the worship, the
sermon, a smile or a hug, etc to turn our attention back
to Him.
Dearly beloved, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith... – Hebrews 12:2.
IT IS WELL!
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Week of April 26
- May 9, 2009
And
we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to
his purpose - Romans 8:28.
Last
weekend, a friend called my attention to Genesis
1:6-8 where God separated the waters and created the
sky on the second day. And God said, "Let there be an
expanse between the waters to separate water from
water." So God made the expanse and separated the water
under the expanse from the water above it. And it was
so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening,
and there was morning--the second day – Genesis 1:6-8.
Do you know that it was the only day that God
created something and the phrase And God saw that it
was good was not used?
My
friend pointed out that the waters were used in judgment
during the flood: In the six hundredth year of Noah's
life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on
that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth,
and the floodgates of the heavens were opened - Genesis
7:11. Also, the devil and his forces dwell in the
heavenly realms or the sky as it were: For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms – Ephesians 6:12. According
to my friend, it was for those two reasons that God did
not declare the creation on the second day good.
I had
read Genesis chapter 1 many, many times and I
never noticed that God did not call the second day good.
I was so intrigued by this discovery that I decided to
meditate on the creation chapter once again. This
time, another revelation I got was on the creative power
of God. Out of nothing, God created everything. Apart
from the expanse of waters and the sky, every other
thing that God created was good.
Then
I thought on the different creations of God. How did He
know to make a certain creature this way and the next
creature that way? Take for example, the ant: my little
knowledge from my high school biology and the Animal
Planet channel tells me that there are different species
of ants; and each species of ant has different
appearance and characteristic. As I pondered on the
creative power of God, I marveled at the awesomeness and
mighty power of God.
The
Holy Spirit then ministered Romans 8:28 - And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose
to my heart. The reason that it is possible for God
to work in all things for our good is that He is able to
create a total new situation if needed.
In
the book of Joshua, when the children of Israel were
fighting against the Amorites (in answer to Joshua’s
prayer) the sun stood still for a day:
On
the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of
Israel:
"O sun, stand still
over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."
So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed
going down about a full day. There has never been a day
like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to
a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
Joshua 10:12-14
This
creative power of God is available to me in Christ
Jesus! No matter how down or negative a situation is,
God is still able to work in it for my own good. He is
able to orchestrate situations to make certain that the
original situation ends up for my good. If necessary,
God will put His creative power at work so as to bring
into existence a total new situation just so that the
end results for my good.
Dearly beloved, that is why God ...is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according
to his power that is at work within us – Ephesians 3:20.
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Week of April 19
- April 25, 2009
He
who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor
from the LORD
– Proverbs 18:22.
For the printable
version of this article, please
click here
This
week, I would like to share my latest article with you
on Dating: The Scriptural Perspective. With two teenage
children, the issue of dating has featured in our
conversation. Dating seems to be the in-thing to do when
one becomes a teenager even among the Christian circle.
Having both a son and a daughter has given my husband
and me the opportunity to explore God’s Word on the
issue from both sides of the coin. Dictionary.com
defines a date as an engagement to go out
socially with another person, often out of romantic
interest.
Some
have rationalized dating to be a means of having fun
with the member of the opposite sex. However, the
question is: what kind of fun is that? When you date
someone, you give the impression that you are interested
in him/her romantically. As the dating continues, you
increase the chances of getting emotionally attached to
the person. Most of the time, dating has resulted in the
sin of fornication. When dating does not result in
marriage, you have given out a piece of yourself that
you should have reserved for your husband/wife and have
put yourself through unnecessary heartache. I believe
that dating is worldly.
As a single person, you may ask:
shouldn’t I go out and have fun? Sure, you may go out
and have fun but you should be careful what kind of fun.
Going out with a bunch of people to restaurants, shows,
etc is ok. But going out with a member of the opposite
sex even if it is platonic in nature is unwise. It sends
the wrong message and it gives room to the devil to
cause unnecessary hassle for you ...
do not give the
devil a foothold –
Ephesians 4:27.
From my observation of dating, the
person dating does not necessarily date because he/she
is sure it is going to end in marriage. In dating, the
person has this underlying assumption: let me go out
with this person to find out if he/she is the one. If
he/she is, then we may consider marriage; but if he/she
is not, then I move on to the next person. The
Christianized dating is this: let me go out with this
person to find out if he/she is the one God has
chosen for me and as I date him/her I will pray for God
to speak to me. Based on God’s Word, there is something
fundamentally wrong with this picture because
we live by
faith, not by sight –
2Corinthians 5:7.
Also,
you may ask, how do I get to know who I am supposed to
marry? God’s Word tells you: trust in the LORD with
all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your
paths straight – Proverbs 3:5-6. God is not a
hit-and-miss God. If you say you believe God’s Word,
then you should be willing to live your life by it. From
the way I see dating and even courtship being done in
the Christian circles, there is unbelief and worldliness
attached to it. My question is this: why should you date
someone you are not sure is God’s will to be your
wife/husband? God’s Word states: He who finds a wife
finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD –
Proverbs 18:22. The Word of God did not talk about
boyfriend or girlfriend, or man or woman you are
romantically interested in. Being romantically
interested in someone and going out on a date with or
even courting that person without being sure that he/she
is God’s will for you is just giving room for
unnecessary temptation of fornication and heartbreak at
the end.
The
bible says, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all truth... – John
16:13.” Also,
“...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of
God – Romans
8:14.”
You have the Spirit of God to lead you and guide you
into all truth. Knowing how important marriage is to
God, do you think that He will leave you in the dark
about knowing who He intends for you to get married to?
I tell my son, “When the time is right for you to get
married, God Himself will lay that desire in your heart
and He will lead you by His Spirit to that special girl
He has chosen for you.” Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in
the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he
will make your paths straight.” You can apply this
scripture to the issue of a husband or wife. When you
date supposedly to find out who God’s will as
husband/wife is for you; then you are not trusting God,
you are leaning on your own understanding, you are not
acknowledging God in your way and you are not allowing
God to make your paths straight.
A
dear beautiful sister gave me a great analogy about
marriage that God gave her months before she got
married. When she became convinced that dating was the
wrong way to getting a husband, she wondered how she
would ever get to meet Mr. God’s will. To
quiet her mind, God gave her a vision. She saw herself
as the daughter of a mighty king. And when it was time
for marriage, this king sought out princes from all over
and ended up selecting the best of the best for her. She
did not have to do anything except wait patiently,
trusting that her father had her best interest at heart
and would provide the best prince for her. Some months
after this vision, a tall, dark, handsome and kind godly
man came her way that was everything she had prayed for
and much more. The ending to this beautiful story is
that they are now happily married.
Now
you may ask, when I met the person I know is God’s will
for me to marry, shouldn’t I go out with him/her to get
to know him/her? My answer for you is court her or allow
him to court you. For the sister I mentioned above, it
was not until after God confirmed to both of them that
they were meant to get married that she started going
out on dates with him to get to know him better.
Courtship as defined by Dictionary.com is a man's
courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman
(usually with the hope of marriage). However, if you
are courting someone or being courted and you are not
sure that the person is God’s will for you, then that is
wrong as well. With courting, the goal is marriage. The
courting period allows both of you to get to know each
other. An important point to note is that courtship is
not a license for sexual intimacy.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future – Jeremiah 29:11.”
To every single person, I say, God desires the best for
you. However, you will only get the best God has for you
if you believe and live by His Word. God’s Word says:
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives
favor from the LORD – Proverbs 18:22. As a man, seek
God’s face in finding a wife; as a woman, seek God’s
grace in waiting to be found.
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Week of April 12
- April 18, 2009
And
who knows but that you have come to royal position for
such a time as this? - Esther 4:14
This
morning as I read once again about Jesus’ death, burial
and resurrection account in the gospel of Luke, I was
struck by Joseph of Arimathea’s role in the burial of
Jesus. The bible records: Now there was a man named
Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man,
who had not consented to their decision and action. He
came from the Judean town of
Arimathea and he was waiting for the
kingdom of
God. Going
to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it
down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb
cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid –
Luke 23:50-53.
In all the four gospels, there is an account of Joseph’s
part in the burial of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of Jesus. He
was also a member of the Council which falsely accused
Jesus after his arrest (though the bible stated that
Joseph did not consent to the council’s decision and
action). It took courage for Joseph to go before Pilate
to ask for Jesus’ body; in fact, Mark records that:
Joseph of Arimathea... went boldly to Pilate and asked
for Jesus' body – Mark
15:43. By
going before Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body for burial,
Joseph publicly declared his allegiance to Jesus.
With
Nicodemus, Joseph buried Jesus’ body in his own tomb
according to the Jewish customs (John
19:38-40). The
tomb Jesus’ body was buried in belonged to Joseph which
was cut out of rock and which no one had been laid.
Thinking about the tomb, I wonder what would have
happened to Jesus’ body if Joseph had not buried him in
the tomb. Maybe, it would just have been dumped in a
mass grave where bodies of criminals who were crucified
were dumped. If so, how would the resurrection of Jesus
have been obvious to the two Marys and the disciples
before they actually saw the risen Jesus? As a result of
Joseph’s generosity, we can refer to the empty tomb in
declaring the resurrection of Jesus; and this prophesy
about the Messiah in Isaiah 51:9 - He was assigned a
grave with the... rich in his death was fulfilled.
As I
pondered on Joseph’s actions, I remembered Mordecai’s
admonition to Esther: And who knows but that you have
come to royal position for such a time as this? (Esther
4:14) I am not sure if Joseph of Arimathea was
mentioned else where in the bible other than in
reference to the role he played in Jesus’ burial. Yet by
his act of burying Jesus in his own tomb, Joseph
fulfilled the destiny that God laid out for him. Every
situation and action in his life up to that point
brought him to the place where he could go before Pilate
and ask for Jesus’ body. Joseph was probably born into a
privileged family (a circumstance he had no control
over) which led to him being a member of the Council.
The bible records that he was good and upright man, this
definitely was based on his actions over the years. He
was a secret disciple of Jesus who bought a tomb for
himself, also facts based on his decisions and actions.
On his part, going to Pilate was a courageous action and
using his own tomb was a generous action.
Joseph’s situations, decisions and actions led him to
the point of playing a significant role in Jesus’
burial. I am sure Joseph did not sit down to analyze his
decisions and actions to result in burying Jesus’ body
which would then be recorded in all the gospels. He was
just living his life. And all his decisions and actions
to that point led to him doing something great that was
of eternal value.
How
can our own lives count for eternity? What purpose do
our circumstances contribute to eternity? What decisions
are we making that will add up for eternity? What
actions are we doing that have value for eternity?
Dearly beloved, as we ponder on these questions, mediate
on Paul’s exhortation to us in Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will
is--his good, pleasing and perfect will
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Week of April 5
- April 11, 2009
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also
should wash one another's feet – John 13:14.
This morning, as I read the account of John and James’ mother’s
request to Jesus for her sons to be allowed to sit at
Jesus’ sides in His kingdom in Matthew 20:20-28;
I remembered what I shared about
how Jesus
“who for the joy set before him endured the cross –
Hebrews 12:2” two Heart
Words ago. I wrote
that Jesus did not
have to stay on that cross and suffer; while on that
cross, it was totally possible for Him at any point
during that 3-hour period to decide that he had had
enough and to get the powers of heaven which were at his
disposal to free himself from the cross. But Jesus did
not quit and get off that cross because He knew
that the cross was not the end but rather a glorious
beginning, hallelujah! It was the knowledge of God’s
purpose for Him and mankind that kept Jesus on the
cross.
Back to Matthew 20:20-28, in replying His
disciples’ indignation with the two brothers, Jesus
said,
"You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great
among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be
first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many – Matthew 20:25-28."
Just taking Jesus’ response at face value, it seems like an easy thing
to do... serve. As believers, most of us serve in one
capacity or the other in our local churches and even in
the community. However, Jesus talks about serving and
being a servant or slave in Matthew 20:25-28. As
I pondered on serving and being a servant, I realized
that there is a big difference. It is easy to serve when
it fits into our schedule and we can determine what the
service is, the duration and timing. And if for whatever
reason, we decide that we’ve had enough, we withdraw our
services and move on. However, being a servant is a
lifestyle. It is serving that is based on us
knowing that it is God’s will for us to serve.
As I
considered these two accounts, Jesus’ endurance on the
cross and being a servant in the kingdom, I understand
that the common factor was knowledge. Jesus knew
that God’s will for Him was to be the sacrificial lamb
for our sins. Our serving in the kingdom is based on us
knowing that just like Jesus; God’s purpose for
us is not to be served but to serve. It is a combination
of knowing God’s will and who we are in Christ.
The
account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in John
13:1-17 clearly illustrated the effectiveness of
knowledge in being a servant. Every time I read this
passage, verses 3, 4 and 12 always stand
out to me: Jesus knew that the Father had put
all things under his power, and that he had come from
God and was returning to God; so he got up from
the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a
towel around his waist... When he had finished washing
their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his
place... Jesus knew God’s will for Him and who He
was; as a result He did not feel insecure, nor His self
esteem diminished in any way nor His position threatened
by doing a servant chore. Jesus left His place, washed
His disciples’ feet and returned to His place. He was
still their Lord and Teacher, and washing His disciples’
feet had not changed that: Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another's feet – John 13:14.
Having this same knowledge and
attitude as Jesus will help us to have a true servant
heart. Knowing God’s will for us and who we are in
Christ will help us to do even the most demeaning chores
without being appreciated and continue to serve
regardless of inconvenience to our schedules. Also,
knowing God’s will for us and who we are in Christ will
not diminish our self esteem by serving. Even if we are
taken for granted or unappreciated, it will not hinder
our service. After all, a servant is usually
unappreciated and taken for granted and Jesus gave this
illustration about being a servant in
Luke 17:7-10:
"Suppose one of you had a
servant plowing or looking
after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he
comes in from the field, `Come along now and sit down to
eat'? Would he not rather say, `Prepare my supper, get
yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink;
after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the
servant because he did what he was told to do? So you
also, when you have done everything you were told to do,
should say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done
our duty.'"
Dearly beloved, “Now that you know these things, you
will be blessed if you do them – John
13:17.”
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Weeks of March
22 -
April 4, 2009
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it - 2Timothy 3:14.
Last week I shared on
Hebrews 12:2 -
Let us fix our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. The summary of
last week’s Heart Words is this: Our daily walk with the
Lord requires spiritual self-discipline. The goal of our
daily walk with the Lord is godliness which Paul says
“has value for all things, holding promise for both the
present life and the life to come – 1Timothy 4:8.”
Just like how Jesus “who for the joy set before him
endured the cross – Hebrews 12:2,” we need to focus
on a richer relationship with our Father and the joy of
fulfilling God’s plan for our lives to help us be
consistent in our daily walk with the Lord. And the key
is to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith – Hebrews 12:2.”
This week, I would like to continue with how to endure
during difficult times and overcome. In this
life, Paul said, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted – 2Timothy
3:12.”
Like Rick Warren said, “Life is a series of problems:
either you are in one now, you're just coming out of
one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.”
However, the good news is this: Consider it pure
joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything – James 1:2-4. At different times in our
lives, we experience difficult times which I believe God
allows us to go through and overcome to help us become
more and more conform to the image of Christ. God will
not allow us to go through more than we can endure and
overcome. No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you
be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are
tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it
– 1Corinthians
10:13.
Having established that difficult times will definitely
come, how do we avoid going under when such times arise?
After Paul told Timothy that godly life involves
persecution, his advice to the young man was:
...continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of – 2Timothy
3:14.
What was it that Timothy had learned? Reading further,
the answer was the scripture which Paul declared, “is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work – 2Timothy 3:16-17.” Through reading our
bibles, we learn and become convinced of the will of God
for our lives. The key word in Paul’s advice to Timothy
was for him to continue. It all comes back
to the basic: reading the bible which is part of our
daily walk with the Lord.
Early
in my walk with the Lord, I used to have what I called
a break. That means after I have gone through a
difficult time (mind you, during that time, I try to
pray and read my bible as if there was no tomorrow); I
would tell myself that I deserved a break from praying
and reading my bible. Unfortunately, the break usually
lasted till another difficult time and the vicious
circle continued. Those difficult times were such a
struggle for me and a couple of times, I actually
backslid as a result. Looking back now, it was just by
the grace of God that I remained a believer. After some
years of going round the same set of mountains
over and over again, I realized that there was no magic
formula available to help me endure difficult times and
overcome them. Then I learned the importance of a
consistent daily walk with the Lord. After that, to the
glory of God, enduring and overcoming difficult times
have not been a struggle anymore. Now when I go through
difficult times, the Holy Spirit brings to my
remembrance previous Word of God I had read or grants me
revelation knowledge as I read God’s Word. As those
words get ministered to my heart, I stand upon them in
faith. By so doing, I “continue in what [I]
have learned and have become convinced of – 2Timothy
3:14.”
Through a consistent daily walk with the Lord, I am able
to “fix [my] eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of [my] faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God –
Hebrews 12:2.”
Dearly beloved, the way to endure difficult times and
overcome is to “...continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of – 2Timothy
3:14.”
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Week of March 15 -
March 21, 2009
Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God - Hebrews 12:2.
This
week, during a bible study time with my children on the
death of Jesus, the phrase who for the joy set
before him endured the cross in Hebrews 12:2
was ministered to my heart. The many bible teachings
that I have heard on the death of Jesus on the cross all
agree that it was a very painful experience for Jesus.
And based on Matthew’s account of the death of Jesus,
Jesus was on the cross for at least 3 hours: When
they had crucified him... From the sixth hour until the
ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the
ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice... – Matthew
27:35-46.
What
struck me was that Jesus did not have to stay on
that cross and suffer. While on that cross, it was
totally possible for Jesus at any point during
that 3-hour period to decide that he had had enough and
to get the powers of heaven which were at his disposal
to free himself from the cross. But, praise God, he did
not do that; instead the bible said that he “endured
the cross.” What helped Jesus endured the cross was
that he had his sight on the “joy set before him.”
Through the gut-wrenching pain on the cross, I believe
Jesus was thinking of yours and mine salvation, our
reconciliation with God, our freedom from the dominion
of sin and darkness, etc. He knew that the cross was not
the end but rather a glorious beginning, hallelujah!
I was
sharing with my children that we need to follow Jesus’
example in endurance in our daily walk with the Lord.
The obvious comparison with Jesus’ experience on the
cross based on Hebrews 12:2 is to endure through
hard times. Yes, in hard times, we need to endure by
setting our sights on the light at the end of the
tunnel. However, even in our daily walk with the Lord,
we need to be consistent. We must not allow the
distractions of this world to hinder our daily walk with
the Lord.
Exercise is an analogy that comes to mind. When we
exercise, the goal is usually to win in a competition,
lose weight or just have a healthy lifestyle. From my
personal experience, being on the treadmill for 45
minutes is no picnic. As I start to feel the effect of
the running on my muscles, thoughts flutter through my
mind about getting off the treadmill. But what keeps me
on that treadmill is knowing that I am achieving a
healthy lifestyle and I may shed a pound or two in the
process. And I find myself praying continuously to God
for the strength to keep run and the grace not to get
off the treadmill.
Paul was instructing Timothy:
For physical training is
of some value, but
godliness has value for all things, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come – 1Timothy
4:8.
Godliness refers
to having the proper attitude and conduct before God in
everything – John MacArthur, the MacArthur Study Bible.
In his commentary on 1Timothy 4:8, MacArthur
said, “Exercise is an athletic term denoting the
rigorous, self-sacrificing training an athlete
undergoes; spiritual self-discipline is the path to
godly living.”
Our daily walk with the Lord requires spiritual
self-discipline. The goal of our daily walk with the
Lord is godliness which Paul says “has value for all
things, holding promise for both the present life and
the life to come – 1Timothy 4:8.” Just like how
Jesus “who
for the joy set before him endured the cross – Hebrews
12:2,” we need to focus on a richer relationship with our Father
and the joy of fulfilling God’s plan for our lives to
help us be consistent in our daily walk with the Lord.
Dearly beloved, the key is to “fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith – Hebrews 12:2.”
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Week of March 8 -
March 14, 2009
Your kingdom come, your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven –
Matthew
6:10.
After
the Philistines returned the ark to the Israelites, it
stayed at Kiriath Jearim in Abinadab’s house for 20
years before David believed that it was time to move it
to Jerusalem (1Samuel 6:21 – 7:2, 1Chronicles 13:1-4).
Sometimes, God may put something on our heart to do; or,
we just want to act in obedience to God’s Word.
Whichever way we perceive God’s will, the next step is
to go ahead to do it. Like David, it is time to bring
the ark to Jerusalem. In doing God’s will, the big
question is how do we go about achieving it?
As recorded in 1Chronicles 13,
David constructed a new cart for transporting the ark.
They moved the
ark of God from Abinadab's
house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it –
1Chronicles 13:7.
Unfortunately,
when they came to the threshing
floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the
ark, because the
oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah,
and he struck him down because he had put his hand on
the ark. So he died there before God – 1Chronicles
13:9-10. David
and the Israelites were sincere in bringing the ark to
Jerusalem, but they were sincerely wrong. They knew the
ark symbolized the Presence of the Lord and it should be
in their capital city for everyone to have access to it.
However, they carried out the will of God in a heathen
way. In 1Samuel 6 when the leaders of the
Philistines were discussing with their priests and
diviners about how to return the ark to Israel, the
suggestion which came up was this:
Now then, get a new cart ready...
Take the ark of the
LORD and put it on the cart – 1Samuel 6:7-8.
David and the Israelites followed the Philistines’
example,
they moved the
ark of God from Abinadab's
house on a new cart... – 1Chronicles 13:7.
From David’s example, just doing God’s will is not
enough. God’s will must be done in God’s way. Like
David, it is possible to do God’s will the way the world
does it. From David’s comment in
1Chronicles 15:13,
he did not take time to find out how God would want him
to transport the ark to Jerusalem.
In Numbers chapter 4,
God gave specific instructions about how the ark and the
different parts that made up the tabernacle were to be
carried by the Levites. In Exodus 25:14-15, it
was stated that the poles were to be used to carry the
ark: Insert the poles
into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it.
The poles are to remain in the rings of this
ark; they are not to be
removed. Whenever God
lays something on our hearts to do, we need to take the
time to find out from Him how He wants us to proceed.
Also, like David, we may have
attempted to carry out God’s will and it did not turn
out the way we expect. David was sincere in his attempt
to bring the ark to Jerusalem. It was recorded that
David and all the
Israelites were celebrating with all their might before
God... – 1Chronicles 13:8.
However, the fact that they were sincere and celebrating
before the Lord did not prevent the death of Uzzah. God
is not obliged to honor our efforts if we do not follow
His way in doing His will.
However, the good news is this: God is gracious. He is a
God of second, third, fourth and even unlimited chances.
Like Paul told Timothy:
if we are
faithless,
[God] will remain
faithful, for he cannot disown himself – 2Timothy 2:13.
Even though David was angry at the death of Uzzah (which
was the consequence for the Israelites not following
God’s way of carrying the ark), yet he did not stay in
that state of anger. After 3 months, David realized
their error:
It
was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the
first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger
against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it
in the prescribed way – 1Chronicles 15:13.
The second time around, he made
sure that they inquired of the Lord and got the
direction needed. And
the Levites carried the
ark of God with the poles
on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance
with the word of the LORD – 1Chronicles
15:15.
Doing God’s will in His way went well for the
Israelites. From the account of the transportation of
the ark, God’s will must be done in His way. We must be
careful that we do not do things of God in the way the
world does them. It is our responsibility to find out
from God’s Word how He wants us to accomplish His will.
As children of God, our knowledge of God is progressive.
We cannot afford to give up just because we have missed
it in the past. Whatever it is that we have not done in
God’s way in the past, it is time to move on. Take the
time to find out how God would want you to do what He
has laid on your heart to do and do it.
Dearly beloved, our desire and prayer concerning God’s
will for us should be:
...your will be done on
earth as it is in heaven –
Matthew
6:10.
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Week of March 1 -
March 7, 2009
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in
him, he will bear much fruit... - John 15:5.
This
Wednesday, at the end of my church’s bible study on the
gifts of the Spirit, the minister asked our congregation
if it was possible to manifest the gifts of the Spirit
and still live in sin. In response, two scriptures were
given: Romans 11:29 - For the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance (KJV) and Matthew
7:22-23 - Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive
out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell
them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers!' Then my pastor made the comment that
when a person yields to the Holy Spirit, at that moment
it is possible for that person to manifest the gifts of
the Spirit and yet cuss the next minute if he/she stops
yielding to the Spirit of God. He went on to explain
that a man’s character is what counts and not the gifts
being displayed.
As I
reflected on my pastor’s response, I realize that God is
merciful and He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
Once in a while in the scripture, we see people whom God
dealt with in judgment instantly as a result of their
sinful ways like Gehazi, Ananias and Sapphira, etc. Yet
the majority of people mentioned in the bible used
mightily by God were sometimes living in sin at the
time. Samson was a great example, as long as he had his
long hair; the anointing for great strength was upon him
even though he was having unholy relationships with
pagan women.
King
David was another example. In 2Samuel 11:1, it
was recorded: In the spring, at the time when kings
go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men
and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the
Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in
Jerusalem.
While the Israelites were at war, David committed
adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah.
There was no record that the Israelites lost that battle
as a result of David’s sins (unlike what happened to the
Israelites during the time of Joshua when Achan sinned –
Joshua 7). In the next chapter 2Samuel 12,
God sent Nathan to David to confront him of his sins and
David repented.
Like
Romans
11:29
says for the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance (KJV); once God gives us abilities, those
abilities stay with us. As a result, there is a tendency
for us to get comfortable as long as we are being used
by God to bless others and things seem ok in our lives.
To prevent ourselves from being sucked into a false
sense of security, sometimes, we need to do what David
did in Psalm 139:23-24 - Search me, O God, and know
my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting. Please note that this is not the same
as going about with a sense of guilt; for God assures us
in Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (KJV).
What I am talking about is that once in a while, we need
to submit ourselves under the searchlight of the Spirit
of God. God is gracious, at other times without us
initiating such, the Holy Spirit convicts us of things
we are doing wrong. In which ever way that the sins in
our lives are brought to the surface, the response
should always be repentance and re-dedication.
One
other thing which ministered to me at the bible study
was when the minister admonished us to desire the gifts
but seek the Giver of the gifts. As I meditate upon all
these things, I realize the key to having good
character, living holy lives and having the gifts of the
Spirit being manifested in our lives is to have and
maintain our relationship with the Lord.
Dearly beloved, John 15:5 sums it all up: I am
the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me
and I in him, he will bear much fruit...
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Week of February
22 - February 28, 2009
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will
he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things? …I am convinced that… neither the present nor
the future… will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 8:32,
38-39.
At a
prayer meeting at church, the sister who led the meeting
asked us to read the entire chapter of Romans 8.
As I read, two set of verses stood out in my heart and
those verses read as one like this: He who did not
spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will
he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things? …For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
- Romans 8:32, 38-39.
Romans 8:32
has been one of my favorite scriptures since 2005 when
God gave me a revelation of it. It was on a summer day
in 2005 when my husband, Dele, and I were taking a walk
around our neighborhood at Pittsburg, PA in the United
States. Dele and I were reminiscing about the
faithfulness of God to us since we got married. As a
family, we have had our share of challenges, the
greatest being financial, yet through them all we could
declare like the psalmist: I was young and now I am
old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or
their children begging bread – Psalm 37:25. As we
talked, I was so overwhelmed with God’s provision to us
and I asked myself: what have we done to deserve such
goodness? It was then the Lord ministered Romans
8:32
to my heart. God’s goodness to us is NOT based on what
we did or did not do; the answer is simply that God is
gracious!
The
dearest person/thing to God is His Son, Jesus, and if He
could give up Jesus for us, then there is nothing He
will not give us. The phrase graciously give us all
things really blew me away. You know it is possible
to give grudgingly or out of compulsion, but Romans
8:32
tells me that because God gave up Jesus for us, then He
will give us every other thing gladly and freely.
Dictionary.com defines gracious as pleasantly kind,
benevolent, and courteous; characterized by good taste,
comfort, ease, or luxury; indulgent or beneficent in a
pleasantly condescending way, esp. to inferiors; and
merciful or compassionate.
My
family entertains a lot and the analogy that I identify
with concerning God’s graciousness has to do with
serving food to guests. It is like making effort to cook
the best meal possible, then artistically laying out the
food in the best serving dishes before inviting the
guests to eat. What this does for the guests is to make
them feel very special and loved; that is exactly how
God’s graciousness of His provision makes me feel.
At
the prayer meeting as I read Romans 8, verses 38 and
39 just flowed as an extension of verse 32: He
who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously
give us all things? …For I am convinced that neither
death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 8:32, 38-39. As a
result of God’s graciousness, I am convinced of His
love. Out of all the things listed in verses 38 and 39,
what jumped out to me was: neither the present nor
the future. That means that the economic recession
of the present or/and uncertainty of the future CANNOT
separate me from God’s love nor stop His gracious
provision towards me to cease.
Dearly beloved, God is faithful. [God] who did not
spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will
he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things? [Therefore, be] convinced that… neither
the present nor the future… will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
- Romans
8:32, 38-39.
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Week of February
15 - February 21, 2009
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of
the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and
fall, but we rise up and stand firm – Psalm 20:7-8.
One
of the attractive things about the nursing profession is
the job security. So when reading one of my nursing
textbooks, I was shocked to learn that in the mid-1990s
nurses were actually laid off in Canada! This discovery
coupled with the dismal news I heard on CNN daily about
job losses due to economic recession got me thinking. If
we do not realize it yet, these are the last days and
things are only going to get tougher. Christians have
shifted into survival mode: doing overtime to get more
money, cutting back on giving, reducing or stopping
church attendance, etc. This might work, but only for a
short time and with enormous stress. However, the good
news is that Jesus told us: "I have told you these
things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome
the world – John 16:33." We need to totally put our
trust in the Lord because this is the only thing that
will help us overcome.
The
psalmist said, “I was young and now I am old, yet I
have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children
begging bread [regardless of the economic situation]
– Psalm 37:25 (words in bracket mine).”
This is a popular scripture among Christians, but do we
truly believe it? Take the issue of our jobs: in these
days it is the blessing of the Lord that we still have
our jobs. These jobs which the Lord has blessed us with,
we use as excuses not to serve the same Lord. Please do
not get me wrong: I believe in hard work and I also know
that there are certain jobs in which one has no control
over work hours. What I am getting at is that when we
allow our jobs to hinder us from having a relationship
with God or serving Him; then there is something not
right. In these days of economic hardship, choosing to
spend extra time at our jobs to impress our bosses at
the expense of our relationship with or service to God
will not help us. “For promotion cometh neither from
the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God
is the judge… - Psalm 75:6-7 (KJV).” Our keeping our
jobs or even getting new ones depends on the favor of
the Lord.
Also,
to cope with this economic recession, some of us rob God
of our tithes. I use the word rob because God’s
Word says that 10% of your income does NOT belong to you
no matter your rationale. Will a man rob God? Yet you
rob me. "But you ask, `How do we rob you?' "In tithes
and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation
of you--because you are robbing me. – Malachi 3:8-9.
If we truly trust God and believe that He is our Source,
then we will obey His Word about tithes. We will “Bring
the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be
food in [God’s] house – Malachi 3:8-10.
There
is blessing in tithing: Test me in this," says the
LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that
you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent
pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your
fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD
Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed,
for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD
Almighty - Malachi 3:10-12. When you give your
tithe, you are obeying God and confirming that He is
truly your Provider. In addition, God blesses you by
giving you more blessings and preventing a drain on your
income.
I
encourage you to do the math with me on this issue of
tithing. Look back in the last month and think about
extra expenses (such as taking the bus because you
missed a
ride), the bad things God has prevented from happening
to you (such as getting under a shelter in time before
the rain spoils your new hairdo), and the good things
God has blessed you with (someone buying you lunch when
it was unexpected). I deliberately gave examples of
things that are almost inconsequential to most of us
because we tend to take such things for granted – good
or bad. Now try to put monetary values to all the things
you are able to come up with for the last month. You
will realize that this equation in Malachi 3:8-12
holds true: when you give your tithe, you have more;
when you do not give your tithe, you have less.
Reducing or stopping our church attendance is another
way we try to cope with this harsh economic times. Most
of the time when we allow other things in our lives to
affect our church attendance negatively, the probability
is that our personal relationship with and service to
God are deficient as well. Hebrews 10:25 urges us:
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and
all the more as you see the Day approaching. We go
to church to worship God, hear His Word and fellowship
with each other. Through this, we get refreshed and
encouraged to keep running the race set before us. There
is so much stress already that we face daily which drain
us; why do we short change our selves of getting
refilled by not fellowship with God and our brethren on
a regular basis?
Dearly beloved, what is going to get us ahead in these
days is to know that: Some trust in chariots and some
in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up
and stand firm – Psalm 20:7-8.
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Week of February
8 - February 14, 2009
With
the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand
years are like a day – 2Peter 3:8.
I was
watching the Super Bowl with my family and friends (and
for someone who had very little knowledge of the
football game), I got excited when the Steelers’ player
got a touchdown from 100 yards, I think, in just 17
seconds before the end of the first half! Then someone
made a comment that it takes God just a second to change
a situation. And that got me thinking about the
greatness of God. Throughout the Scriptures, there are
instances of the manifestation of God’s awesome power.
In
Genesis 1:3, the bible records: And God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light. Such a
simple verse and yet so profound! “God said,” “and
there was.” That is all it takes God to manifest His
power and greatness.
Abram
was 75 years old when God first told him: "To your
offspring I will give this land – Genesis 12:7." The
physical manifestation of this Word of the Lord did not
come to pass until Abraham was about 100 years old - 25
years later. Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he
had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had
promised. Sarah became pregnant… - Genesis 21:1-2.
You know, conception occurs in that instant when the
sperm fuses with the egg. Sometimes, years may elapsed
between the time God said and the time it came
to pass, yet it takes only a second to transition
from when it was not to when it was.
Let’s
look at Joseph’s life: he was 17 years when God gave him
the dreams about him ruling over his brothers. Then he
was sold as a slave and ended up in prison. It would
seem impossible in human reasoning to correlate his
situation with his dreams. The way it is in the world
system is that you work hard and rise up the career
ladder so that one day you end up at the top. All it
took was for God to give Pharaoh two dreams no one else
could interpret but Joseph. The bible records in
Genesis 41:14: So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put
you in charge of the whole
land of
Egypt."
That single pronouncement by Pharaoh changed Joseph life
completely - from prison to the palace!
The
account of the withered fig tree occurs in the gospels
of Matthew and Mark. In Matthew’s account, it was
recorded that the fig tree withered immediately. Then
[Jesus] said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!"
Immediately the tree withered – Matthew 21:19. In
Mark’s account, it was the next day that the disciples
noticed: In the morning, as they went along, they saw
the fig tree withered from the roots – Mark 11:20.
Jesus used that opportunity to teach them about prayer:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be
yours – Mark
11:24 (notice
the word and). I believe in instantaneous answer
to prayer when it is done in faith. The physical
manifestation might take a while, but as far as God is
concerned, it is done!
In
Daniel chapter 10, Daniel had a vision and 21 days
later, angel Gabriel appeared to him and said, "Do
not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set
your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself
before your God, your words were heard, and I have come
in response to them. But the prince of the Persian
kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one
of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was
detained there with the king of
Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in
the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come -
Daniel 10:12-14."
The
instant Daniel prayed, God answered. We humans are the
ones who operate in the realm of time. We count days,
weeks, months and years, but God operates in a timeless
eternity. As soon as He says it, it comes to pass: in
the spiritual realm, it is done!
Dearly beloved, With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day –
2Peter 3:8.
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Week of
February 1 - February 7, 2009
“For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
I
have been thinking about God’s dealing with us. Just
when I think I can contain His ways in a box, another
thought pops up that seemly contradicts my previous
thought. The healings Jesus performed in the gospels are
an example. In John 4:46-53, a royal official
whose son was sick came to Jesus and “begged him to
come and heal his son, who was close to death – John
4:47.”
Instead of Jesus going with him, Jesus told him, “You
may go. Your son will live – John 4:50.” Of course,
by the time the royal official got home, his son was
healed. Yet in Mark
5:21-43,
Jairus came to Jesus and begged him, “My little
daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her
so that she will be healed and live – Mark
5:23.”
Jesus went with him. In this case, by the time they got
to Jairus house, the daughter had died but Jesus brought
her back to life.
As I
pondered on these two passages and asked myself: why
would Jesus go with one father to his house and not go
with the other father even though their request were the
same? Based on the accounts, it seemed obvious that
Jesus needed to go with Jairus because the daughter
ended up dying. Yet based on Mark’s account of the
story, Jairus daughter was still alive though sick when
her father came to Jesus; why didn’t Jesus say the same
words he said to the royal official and have the same
outcome?
God
referred me to John chapter 9 where Jesus healed
the blind man. When Jesus’ disciples asked him why the
man was born blind, Jesus replied, “This happened so
that the work of God might be displayed in his life –
John 9:3.” The end result of the royal official’s
son healing was that “he and all his household
believed – John
4:53;”
and for Jairus’ daughter, “News of this spread
through all that region – Matthew
9:26.” In
both instances, the two fathers got what they requested:
their children getting well. More importantly, God was
glorified through the salvation of the royal official
and his household, and the faith and praise caused by
the miracle of raising the girl back to life.
In
recent times, I have also been thinking about the ways
God has been dealing with me and those around me. I
realize nobody can claim a monopoly on God’s ways.
Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is
impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to
him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him.” Our faith levels are
different, yet God is still gracious in meeting our
needs.
I
remember when we went to Nigeria, the first couple of
days I was terrified anytime I was been driven – the
driving patterns was simply crazy. On the third day, as
I was having my quiet time, the Spirit of God led me to
Psalms 121 and ministered verses 7&8 to
me: The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will
watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your
coming and going both now and forevermore. Such a
peace this psalm brought to my heart and I was able to
enjoy going out. Now can I conclude that people who pray
for journey mercies have no faith? No, that would be
wrong of me because I was praying the same prayer the
first 2 days until I got a revelation of God’s
protection.
In
the same vein, faith for daily provision can be
expressed in two different ways. Matthew
6:11 says,
“Give us today our daily bread.” Whereas Matthew
6:33
says,
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things [food included] will be given to
you as well.” Based on the first scripture, one
person might make it a point to ask and believe God for
provision of food daily; while based on the second
scripture another person would just take it for granted
that God will provide food daily because he is seeking
God’s kingdom.
I am
realizing that God deals with each person in unique
ways. Our revelation of God is different and also
progressive. That is why we cannot afford to compare
ourselves with the next person or our yesterday’s
experience with today’s.
Dearly beloved, Paul sums it up in Romans 14:1-8:
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment
on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat
everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats
only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not
look down on him who does not, and the man who does not
eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for
God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone
else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.
And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand.
One
man considers one day more sacred than another; another
man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully
convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as
special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to
the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who
abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us
dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord;
and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live
or die, we belong to the Lord.
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Week of January
25 - January 31, 2009
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should
restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may
be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2
At one time or the other, we make
wrong decisions or take wrong actions, and go through
some kind of struggles or challenges. Of course, how we
handle such things depend upon our reliance on God’s
Word and grace. I find that if we have gone through a
struggle, we find it easier to identify with the next
person going through such. That is why Paul wrote:
Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in
all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from
God – 2Corinthians 1:3-4.
Conversely, when we have not gone through a situation
and we see others going through it, it is so easy to be
critical of them. We think, how can so-and-so do this,
he should know better? However, we sometimes forget that
something which poses to be a non issue for us (like
smoking, for example) may be a great struggle to others
even though they are believers. The first part of Paul’s
admonition comes in:
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should
restore him gently – Galatians 6:1.
When we see our brethren “caught in a sin,” we should ask
God for the grace to be compassionate. Like Jesus told
the Pharisees, "If any one of you is without sin, let
him be the first to throw a stone at her – John 8:7."
Being
compassionate does not mean we condone or gloss over
sin, nor does it gives us permission to excuse the sins
in our lives. Being compassionate means recognizing that
our brother has done wrong, yet he is still our brother
and we must love him. More especially when such a
brother has repented, who are we not to forgive him when
our Heavenly Father says, “If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness – 1John 1:9.”
Paul’s admonition to us continues: “But watch
yourself, or you also may be tempted – Galatians 6:1.”
Victory over sin on a daily basis is totally based
upon our dependence on God’s Word and His grace. The
moment we start thinking that we are better than other
or that we have it altogether, what we are doing is
self-reliance. All it takes is to fall into one kind of
sin and continue in it, after a while, all other kinds
of sin become very easy to indulge in. It is God’s Word
that sets the standard for us; it is the fear of God
that gives us the desire to keep the standard; and it is
the grace of God that helps to not to fall below the
standard.
With compassionate hearts, we are
able to “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way
[we] will fulfill the law of Christ – Galatians 6:2.”
We should always realize that we are member of the same
body: Now you are the
body of Christ, and
each one of you is a part of it – 1Corinthians
12:27.
Therefore, “If
one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one
part is honored, every part rejoices with it
– 1Corinthians
12:26.”
Dearly beloved,
“let us not
love with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth – 1John
3:18.”
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Week of January
18 - January 24, 2009
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the
man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work - 1Timothy 3:16-17.
1Timothy 3:16-17
is a popular scripture which I believe most of us are
familiar with. Recently when I came across this
scripture, God opened my eyes to see a new dimension of
it which really excited me… you know me; it takes very
little to get me excited! All Scripture is
God-breathed… – 1Timothy
3:16. It is
the Word of God and it is “living and active. Sharper
than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart – Hebrews
4:12.”
Sometimes when we read the scripture: a truth or
revelation is ministered to us which sets us free, faith
comes to increase our faith level, or our minds are
renewed to change our mindsets. Reading the scripture is
never in vain even if we do not “feel” anything the
moment we are reading it. Why? Because the scripture
“…is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness – 1Timothy
3:16.”
Being
in children ministry, this is very encouraging to me.
Every Sunday, my teachers and I teach the children from
the bible. Once in a while, I ask myself: Is the Word of
God we are teaching the children making any difference
in their lives especially the little one? God is
gracious, sometimes we see in the children or parents
give us testimonies about the effect of the Word; and
these encourage us. Now reading that “all Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness – 1Timothy
3:16” reaffirms the importance of our ministrations
to the children regardless of whether we get to see the
end result or not.
However, the phrase “thoroughly equipped for every
good work” got my attention. That is the goal of the
scripture. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has
created each and everyone for good works. Our good works
may differ but ultimately the end result is the same:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven – Matthew 5:16 (KJV).
Being
“thoroughly equipped for every good” means that
when we read the scripture: we are taught what is and
how to do a good work; we are rebuked if we fail to do
the good work; then we are corrected to do the good
work; and we get trained in righteousness to enable us
continue to do the good work.
Dearly beloved, based on 1Timothy
3:16-17,
we have no excuse for not doing good works.
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Weeks of January
4 - January 17, 2009
I
do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But
one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus
- Philippians 3:13-14.
Happy New Year to you!
It is customary at the beginning
of a new year to have resolutions. The Psalmist said,
“Teach
us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart
of wisdom” Psalm 90:12.
I believe it is a good
thing to take time to take stock of all that has
happened in the previous year, that is, “count our
blessings.” When we take stock with thankfulness, we
tend to look ahead with a positive attitude and a heart
of expectation for the New Year.
As
a family, at the end of the year, we take time to put
down what the Lord has done for us in a newsletter
format and share it with our friends. We term it “Our
Testimonies” because we realize that all is the Lord’s
doing and it is marvelous in our sight. Does that mean
that nothing bad happened to us during the year?
Obviously not! We have our share of challenges just like
every other family but we choose not to focus our
attention on such because God’s Word assures us,
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD
delivereth him out of them all” Psalm 34:19 (KJV).
Whatever challenges we are going through, it is just a
matter of time, the Lord will see us through them all.
During the last days of the year, my husband and I take
time individually to seek God’s Face for the New Year
for our family. On the first day of the year, during our
family devotion, we share whatever we believe the Lord
has laid upon our hearts for the New Year. Sometimes it
is a re-affirmation of what God has promised us before.
God is not bound by time. As a family, God has given us
two key scriptures that we have stood upon and are still
standing upon which we see clearly the manifestations of
them in every situation in our lives.
The first one is “For surely, O LORD, you bless the
righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a
shield” Psalm
5:12.
God blessed us with this Word in 2001 just before we
relocated to America. Our stay in the US was truly
characterized by God’s favor in all our endeavors. Then
in 2006, prior to our relocation to Canada, we were
assured that “being confident of this, that he who
began a good work in you will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6.
These two scriptures we remind ourselves at the
beginning of the year and this January 1, 2009 was no
exception.
In
addition, individually we take stock on the old year and
seek God’s Face for the New Year for our lives,
ministries and jobs/schools. For me, I am grateful for
all God did and used me to do in 2008. My attitude is
like that of Paul, “I do not consider myself yet to
have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” Philippians
3:13-14. Two thoughts propel me along: one, these
are the last days and the time is short; and two, like
my Pastor says, I want to go to the grave (or get
rapture) empty. There is so much God has deposited in me
to do for the
Kingdom
of God and the harvest is plentiful; I want to be among
the laborers in God’s harvest field.
Dearly beloved, the year just started and let us be like
Paul: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ
Jesus” Philippians 3:13-14. It is well!
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