An Invitation to the Lord's Salvation (Isaiah 55)

Isaiah 55
(NLT) Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

1 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.

3 “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. 4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. 5 You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

PS: Each and everyone of us black, white, and everything in between, straight or not, sinner or not, we are all God's children of whom He is passionate about having a relationship. He does not wish for anyone to lose his/her life without knowing him. If only you would give Christ a chance in your life for it does not matter where you've been. What matters is where you are headed!

CNN's interview with Brian "head" Welch of Korn

Psalms 23 - a Psalm by King David of God's (the Great Shepherd's) faithfulness

Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
       I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

       He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
       He leads me in the paths of righteousness
   For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
       I will fear no evil;
   For You are with me;
       Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
       You anoint my head with oil;
   My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
       All the days of my life;
    And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
        Forever.

Here's a psalm that speaks of nothing but God's goodness, written by a man who had one of the most tumultuous life that we read of in the Bible. When we read the books of 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, and the books of Chronicles, we read of the life of David from a small shepherd boy, sought out by Prophet Saul to be anointed the next king of Israel, a boy who didn't cross the minds of his parents when Samuel visited his father's house as instructed by the Lord. A young shepherd boy who faced down great dangers while watching over his father's flocks, faced a lion and a bear and had the courage to take them on and kill them. A young boy who would not listen to his brothers' caution when his God and the army of Israel was being challenged by the ungodly, but mighty Philistine warrior Goliath. He faced down this giant of a man and a great warrior that terrorized the entire army of King Saul with nothing more than his faith in the God of Israel and five stones and a sling.

After being anointed the king of Israel, he faced constant dangers on his life from the jealous rage of his king, King Saul. After Saul's death, David became king. He had an up and down life with its fair share of blessings, complacence, sin, repentance, and God's punishment. Yet when he looked back on his life, in Psalms 23 written towards the end of his life, all David saw was the faithfulness of his God throughout his lifetime. A God who considered him, blessed him, honored him, forgave him, strengthened him, protected him, provided for him, and sustained him. J. Vernon McGee, the late servant of Christ, writes, "In Psalms 23 you do not have the musings of a green, inexperienced lad but the mature deliberations of a ripe experience. You see, David, when he came close to the end of his life, looked back upon his checkered career. It was then that he wrote this psalm. The old king on the throne remembered the shepherd boy. Life had beaten, battered, baffled, and bludgeoned this man. He was a hardened soldier, a veteran who knew victory, privation, hardship. He knew song and shadow. He was tested and tried. Therefore in Psalms 23 we don't have the theorizing of immaturity, but fruit and the mature judgment borne of a long life."

This was what prophet Isaiah meant when he wrote in Isaiah 33:17-21,

"Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. You will think back to this time of terror when the Assyrian officers outside your walls counted your towers and estimated how much plunder they would get from your fallen city. But soon they will all be gone. These fierce, violent people with a strange, unknown language will disappear.

Instead, you will see Zion as a place of worship and celebration. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure. The LORD will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross."

Remember that only after you have gone through the valley of shadow of death, and come out on the other side safe and secure, do you realize what David meant by saying,

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil;
 For You are with me;
       Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

May God bless you and give you the courage to face the challenges in your life, for surely if you keep your faith in Him, you will see His righteous right hand holding you up!

Have a most blessed New Year!

Hillsong - Stronger

Steadfast faith

 Isaiah 37:14-20 (also, 2Kings 19:14-19)

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁴ After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: ¹⁶ “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. ¹⁷ Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

¹⁸ “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. ¹⁹ And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

²⁰ Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

The Bible tells us that Hezekiah was a king who "trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel."  It says, "There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time.  He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses.  So the LORD was with him and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute." (2Kings 18:5-7)

The resulting military campaigns by the Assyrian king Sennacherib were successful. Judah fell, its citizens were taken captive, and only the fortified city of Jerusalem remained with Hezekiah.  The prayer at the beginning of this writing is Hezekiah's prayer to his God - Jehovah - in whom he had steadfast faith.  The prayer shows that Hezekiah acknowledged the strength of his enemy, having had first hand experiences of defeat as the towns of Judah fell. But even in his last stand, with Sennacherib's army surrounding Jerusalem, Hezekiah showed steadfast trust in his LORD for a deliverance! He knew his God for who He was! The Almighty, the All Seeing, the All Knowing God! And so he brought his challenge, even though seemingly on his last leg, to his God. To have faith in God when all seems lost, trusting in God when your senses, your experience tells you all is lost will have amazing results.

It was his steadfast faith that led Daniel to not get frustrated when his enemies succeeded in having king Darius pass the law that all subjects in the kingdom should pray to no god, but the king himself. Rather we read,

"But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to this God." (Daniel 6:10)

And for this Daniel was thrown into the lions den.

It was their steadfast faith, that led Shadrach, Mesech and Abednego to refuse to bow down to the statue of king Nebuchanezzar and worship him, and that steadfast faith gave them the courage to say to the king,

"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us.  He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if he doesn't , Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

For their steadfast faith, God rewarded them.  For Daniel, God sent his angel into the lions den to shut their mouth. They were as docile as pussycats in front of Daniel. For Shadrach, Mesech and Abednego, He sent his angel into the fiery furnace. We read their bondages were burnt off, yet not a single hair on their body was burned, nor did their clothes smell of smoke.

Children of God, you will always have challenges in life. Some challenges would appear absolutely insurmountable! When Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, had a military campaign against the kingdom of Judah, where Hezekiah was king, most of Judah fell, but Hezekiah held on to the fortified city of Jerusalem. His steadfast faith would not allow him to concede defeat in face of insurmountable odds.  From his experience he knew that he faced a tough opponent in Sennacherib, but rather than throw in his towel and accept defeat, he brought his challenge to his God's presence and prayed about it, steadfastly trusting in his God for deliverance.  When all was seemingly lost, the LORD sent his angel (one angel) who wiped out a 185,000 of Senacherib's battle hardened soldiers in one night forcing him to withdraw his campaign against Hezekiah.

Philippians 4:6-7 states, "⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

May God's grace give you steadfast faith, and through your actions open the eyes of others to see your God's glory!

Mighty to Save - Hillsongs

Thanksgiving 2011 - Reflecting back on God's goodness

Reflections!

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving in the US. This is a day families get together, cooking up sumptuous feasts, celebrating the day eating, drinking, enjoying the company of family and friends. Aside from the celebrations, we should not lose sight of the goodness in our lives as we live in a strife filled world, and take a moment to thank the LORD who makes it all possible.  We should take the time to share with our next generation of God's grace and favors in our lives.  A few things in my life that I am thankful for...

1. For loving and caring parents who sacrificed a lot for their children
2. For a brother and sisters who would stand with me through thick and thin
3. As a small child I should have lost my right eye to a cactus bush into which I had tripped and fallen face first with one of the thorns going into my eye.
4. As an adult, I should have lost my left eye to central retinal vein occlussion, but for God's grace giving me overnight healing through the power of prayer.
5. As a little boy, doing the things I shouldn't do, I was running on top of the brick wall around our family home, when a loose brick gave way, flinging me into a thicket of rose bushes. Grandma came running and extracted me from the thorny bush. It could have done some serious damage to my eyes, but for God's favor escaped with scrapes all over.
6. As a junior high school student contemplated running away from home as I was unable to meet the expectations of scoring high on my finals.
7. As a teenager in debt beyond my means to repay, unable to sleep for nights, at my wits end I prayed to God for a few minutes of restful sleep. I don't recall ending that prayer, but woke up next morning on my all fours as I had bent down to pray the night before. I believe that night turned the course of my life.
8. His favor allowed me to successfully complete high school and engineering school though I was terrible in math through high school.
9. Almost died as a young adult from an allergic reaction to sea food, but for the actions of my quick thinking family.
10. Employment.
11. His favor in bringing a loving, caring woman into my life - my wife!
12. For his protection as my wife struggled through two rough pregnancies.
13. Gave me two beautiful children!
14. God's favor allowed for promotions in the most unexpected of ways
15. Hearing my (a sinner's) prayer to experience his Holy Spirit
16. God's gentle whispers guiding me along through troubled waters of life.
17. My wife's layoff from employment, though bitter in the beginning, turned out a blessing as she was able to go to college and pursue her desire.
18. Protection on the roads, keeping us safe in accidents that could have been fatal.
19. Escape from financial ruin and allowing for repayment of debts.
20. Purchase of our first family home - a vision that sustained my faith when all seemed to go no where.
21. Renovations of our new home and our my parent's home
22. School admissions for our children - God opened a door that was closed.

In the quiet moments when I reflect back on my life, I realize his mercy and goodness that has sustained me even when I walked a life separated from him.  Every day I see the Lord's grace at work in my life. He is walking with me! His Spirit goes ahead of me!

LORD I thank you for all that you are to me - my provider, my protector, my healer, my strength, my friend, my counselor, my teacher, my savior, Abba-Father!!!!

Philippians 4:6 - do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Hillsongs - Still

Lessons from Obedience in Joseph's life...

I was reading the book of Mathew from the New Testament of the Bible and wanted to share some thoughts that the Holy Spirit put in my heart as I read of Joseph's (Christ's earthly stepfather) obedience to God's instructions.

We read in chapter 1 that Joseph was a just man who was engaged to a virgin woman by the name of Mary. But, Mary became pregnant while she was still engaged to Joseph. In a society that judges women very severely for any indiscretion, Joseph upon finding out about Mary's pregnancy decided to break it quietly so as not to disgrace the young woman publicly. [A gentleman, he was!]  While considering this he fell asleep and in a dream, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him not to break off the engagement, rather to go ahead with the marriage to Mary. Without questioning the dream, without considering the societal implications of marrying a woman who had become pregnant out of wedlock, Joseph believed the angel of the Lord who appeared in his dream and told him that Mary was still a virgin and had become pregnant with a child who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says,

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife... Matthew 1:24 (NLT)

Joseph was obedient to the instructions of the angel of the Lord.

Secondly, after baby Jesus was conceived in a manger in Bethlehem and following the visit from the three wise men, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream again and told him to get up and flee to Egypt with the child and Mary. The angel further instructed Joseph to stay in Egypt until he received instructions to return. The reason for this was King Herod wanted to eliminate any competition for his crown and wanted to kill the baby Christ, the future king of Israel! In a manger! Joseph had every right to question the veracity of his dreams, question the power of the almighty God who appeared to be fearful of the motives of an earthly king towards God's child. And where were the mighty angels of God, couldn't they have defended against an earthly force of human soldiers? To add insult to injury, the instructions were to "flee." Flee...Flee!!! Was that the instructions from a mighty God, the supreme being? But we read none of these questions arose in Joseph's mind. He simply obeyed without questioning God's motives. The Bible says,

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother...Matthew 2:13-14

Then following the death of Herod, the angel appeared again to Joseph in yet another dream and told him to return with his family back to Israel. The Bible says that he returned "immediately" to Israel. Following his return to Israel he was yet again instructed in another dream to move to Galilee as Herod's son, Archelaus, was now the king in Israel, and Joseph moved with his family to the town of Nazareth in Galilee. The Bible says,

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.  “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”...Matthew 2:19-23

In the shoes of Joseph, I may have questioned all these dreams and questioned the omnipotence, omnipresence and the omniscience of this God who was sending his angel to me in dreams and was asking to "flee" a mortal king Herod's jealousy driven motives. But, Joseph never questioned God's intentions, nor his power, nor his authority.  He obeyed without questioning! And for that he was rewarded by God, blessed of all men, to be known as the father of Jesus, Christ - The Anointed One!

When we read these scriptures we also see that each time Joseph obeyed God's instructions, a prophecy was fulfilled, to God's glory! I would conclude that Joseph had to be a godly man, who had a very close and personal relationship with his God; full of personal experiences of God's faithfulness and goodness in his life; that had built his faith to be of complete obedience to God's instructions. Obeying God, one can never go wrong!

May God's grace complete our faith to unquestioning obedience to God's instructions!

PS: this message I write here came to me at a time of my disobedience! I recommend you to listen to the following message by Rev. Charles Stanley - When a Fellow Christian Stumbles posted on November 18, 2011. Just click on the link with the title above.

Sin is crouching at the door...

I had looked up the meaning of "intelligence" and "wisdom" in the dictionary that I have and this is what it said,

Intelligence - the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge; the faculty of thoughts and reason; superior powers of mind

Wisdom - understanding of what is right, true or lasting; common sense, good judgement; scholarly learning

"Intelligence" - even the animals and plants have, but "wisdom" - only human beings have. Yet, we fail to make the right decisions in life knowing very well the consequences of those decisions.

The bible teaches us that if we want wisdom, just ask God, and he will give it to us. James writes in the book of James 1:5-6,

If you need wisdom - if you want to know what God wants you to do - ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.  But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

There was Solomon, who asked God for wisdom and understanding to govern his people (1Kings 3:3-14) and God answered his prayer by giving him great wisdom, wealth and honor. We read 1Kings 4:29-34,

God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge too vast to be measured.  In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.  He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda - the sons of Mahol.  His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.  He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs.  He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, and kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Yet this Solomon to whom God gave great wisdom and to whom God appeared twice personally turned away from God and lived a life filled with sin angering God (2 Kings 11:9).  After living a life of excess mired in sin, searching for something he couldn't find in the world, Solomon comes to the conclusion,

"Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person.  God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad."  (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Why do I write this? From the man I was to the man I am since Christ transformed my life, it has been a 180 degree turn in pretty much all aspects of my life and my thinking.  But, I struggle with certain aspects of my life from time to time. Using my intelligence I try to cover up the tracks, but God's Spirit points out the folly of it.  God's wisdom makes me question myself, "What good is it if I have gained the world or should I say fooled the world, but in the process lost my soul."  While struggling with remorse, asking God for forgiveness, the scriptures from the books of James and 1Kings pricked my heart. All God asked Solomon in return for great wisdom, great wealth, and great honor that no other king in all the world could be compared to, was to make the right choice to follow him and obey his commands. It has been my experience that left up to my own devise, I tend to fail miserably.

The Lord says in Isaiah 29:14, "...I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding." Let us not trust in our intelligence nor human wisdom to fool the world, but ask God for his Spirit to give us godly wisdom to discern right from wrong and pursue what is right.  Sin is crouching at the door. Take heed to Christ's warning to Peter in Mathew 26:41, "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.  For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

An awesome song from Rhema Marvane - Just as I am

Be an Encourager

Acts 20:2, 7-12

2 While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through.

7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.

Past couple of weeks have been quite trying for our family. Deteriorating health of aging parents. Faith life wavering. Loved ones living their lives in darkness, walking separated from Christ, forgetting how God had faithfully led us, defended us, provided for us, blessed us. It is painful to see your loved ones struggling to cope with life's demands, and our interventions seem to be futile. It has a way of wearing one down. But it is in my lowest points that I have experienced God's grace pick me up and reassure me with his gentle whispers that no matter what, he is keenly aware of me and will see me through to the end.

The passage above picked my spirit up as I had been praying for God to intervene on behalf of someone who is very dear to me. I have been speaking to a friend trying to encourage him to look on the bright side of life, reminding him of where we once were, where we were today, to see how what we thought were impossible, God had made them possible in our lives. I would remind my friend of God's mercies that we had received in the past and to have faith that the same God was going to be there for us when we get to the next impossible juncture in our lives. It seemed that no matter how much I tried and had been praying the results were not there. I would get angry at my friend and it tears my heart to see what's happening to him. One day, late last week as I was desperately praying to God about the futility of my efforts, asking God for guidance, the passage above was bracketed out by the Holy Spirit.

As we read this chapter and the preceding ones, we see a Paul beset by difficulties, enemies, death threats on his life, but here he was as he fled the plots and attempts on his life, he kept on encouraging the believers in all the towns he passed through (Acts 20:3). This is our duty as Christians, be encouragers, encouraging others regardless of whether the times are good or bad for us. The remaining passage (Acts 20:7-13) shows how Paul was speaking to believers in Troas, but there was one young man, Eutychus, to whom the message was not doing anything. He was not paying attention to Paul.  The young man was bored, he fell asleep, and fell off the window sill of the third floor apartment and died. Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. There was tenderness, affection, love in the actions of Paul as he bent over the young man, took his limp body in his arms and prayed over the lifeless body. There was no anger in Paul that the young man had not been paying attention to his preaching, though Paul had sacrificed a lot to be there to preach to the believers of Troas. There was no - "he deserved what came to him for not paying attention" - nor any - "this was God's punishment for wasting his apostle's time." Only tenderness and love, a sincere concern to restore a life that apparently was lost.

My feelings were not the same. I was angry at my friend for his unbelief, but sincerely pained that he was not seeking out God. I was praying to God for intervention, as I felt that I could be speaking to my friend encouraging him till I turned blue in my face, but it only seemed to produce very temporary results. He would pull himself together, promising to try harder to get out of the funk and next day find himself again at the bottom of the pit. As I prayed earnestly in hurt for God's help and to show us both his grace, his gentle whispers guided me here in these passages. I will continue to encourage my friend, in love, with patience, praying for him as he is dear to me and believe in God for a deliverance in his time. Lord we need your grace!

A Call to Remember and Obey...

Here in chapter 8 of Deuteronomy are God's commands, cautions, blessings and warnings for his children...

Let Holy Spirit be the wind in our sails directing us homeward

      a command...

"1.  Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today.  Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

      the lean times...

2.  Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.  
3.  Yes, he humbled  you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors.  He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD.

     God's disciplining is not to destroy you but build your character...

4.  For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.  5.  So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you to help you.

     a reminder and a promise...

6.  "So  obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7.  For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with springs that gush forth in the valleys and hills.  8. It is a land of wheat and barley, of grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, olives, and honey.  9.  It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking.  It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.  10. When you have eaten your fill, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

     a caution for the good times...

11.  "But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws.  12. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13. and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, 

     your character will determine the outcome (God abhors pride)...

14. that is the time to be careful.  Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.  15. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry.  He gave you water from the rock! 16. He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors.  He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.  17. He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy.  18.   Always remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with you ancestors.

     Warning...Warning...Warning...

19. "But I assure you of this: if you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods , worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed.  20. Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

Christ teaches us in Luke 12:34, 'Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will be." I pray for God's grace to lead me home.  God bless you!

Remember the bitter waters of Marah

Remember the bitter water of Marah before you get to Massah and Meribah!

Saturday, September 24th, following our family prayer, I sat in the presence of the Lord by myself wanting to get back to where I used to be previously. I used to spend time alone reading and meditating on the Word of God (the Bible) and praying. I was perusing through the book of Deuteronomy and verse 16 of chapter 5 (NLT) caught my attention.

"Do not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah."

The week of September 4th and 11th I had decided to fast during the day time, breaking the fast after 7pm. During the 2 week fasting period my goal was to draw closer to God praying for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What I learned during this time is that in order for me to have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I have to have within me the fruits of the Holy Spirit. More specifically the gift of forgiveness and love, forgiving those who have hurt me deeply. I've always said, "Forgive, but do not forget so you won't fall into the same trap again." But, Christ wants me (us) to forgive those who hurt me and forget the hurt just as he has forgiven and forgotten a thousand wrongs that I have done in my life to the savior who gave his life for me. I was reminded of Peter who denied Christ at his time of greatest need, yet Christ entrusted his entire family (his sheep and lambs) into the hands of Peter and asked him to take care of them. Christ did not give that responsibility to his mother or brother James or any other siblings birthed by Mary, but to Peter.

During this fasting prayer, I was also praying over God's promise to me for a healing from diabetes. I was praying over his promise from Hebrews 6:17-20,

"God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.  So God has given us both his promise and his oath.  These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.  Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence.  This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.  It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God's inner sanctuary.  Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek."

Though I have been off of medicines for the last three years, my body has felt fine unlike when I was on all kinds of medicine for my diabetes.  During my two weeks of fasting I felt fine and strong. But faith waivers and fear creeps in and my prayer becomes a complaint session asking God to act now forgetting all that he had done for me in the past. He heard my prayer for peace and a few minutes of restful sleep when as a seventeen year old I was deep in debt, unable to sleep, wanting my life to end; he was the God who heard my plea for his Holy Spirit on February 25, 2007; the God who enabled school admission for my children to the same school which turned them down initially as we lived in a different zone; a God whose gentle whispers led me, sustained me, encouraged me, strengthened me, protected me, gave me overnight healing restoring my sight. "Do not test the LORD your God as you did when you complained at Massah." was a reminder for me to continue in faith.

When you read the book of Exodus, chapters 15 through 17, we read the Israelites experience with the bitter water at Marah. Exodus 15:22-24,

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water.  When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).  Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

Now if you read the preceding sections, you see an Israelite people who were singing their praises to God for delivering them from the Pharaoh, taking them safely through the Red Sea, but then they reached Marah. The bitter water at Marah made them forget that they were just before singing and extolling the glory and might of their God who had delivered them from slavery under the Pharaoh of Egypt and a certain death at the the Red Sea. They forgot the walls of water standing upright as they passed through dry ground in the Red Sea. Following their Red Sea experience, God then provided these complainers mannah and quail from heaven in chapter 16. Even after repeatedly seeing these amazing deeds, the might of their sovereign God, experiencing how this God was able to provide for their needs from nothing, experiencing how their God was in complete control of the elements and their circumstance, in chapter 17 of Exodus, we read of a people who were ready to stone Moses when they had travelled through the Sinn desert and reached Rephidim. They complained and grumbled against Moses and God as there was no water to drink.  They forgot the bitter water at Marah. Again, God provides water for them in a miraculous way as Moses takes his staff and strikes the rock at God's command; water gushes out of the rock to satisfy the thirst of all the people. Moses named this place, Massah - "the place of testing" and Meribah - "the place of arguing."

There is a very important reminder for every christian in Exodus 16:32 following God's provision of mannah - the heavenly food, "Then Moses gave them this command from the LORD.  " Take two quarts of manna and keep it forever as a treasured memorial of the LORD's provision. BY doing this, later generations will be able to see the bread that the LORD provided in the wilderness when he brought you out of Egypt." The "treasured memorial" is your daily testimony, a calling to remembrance, in front of your children, grand children, family, the world, of God's past provision, mercies, deliverance, blessings on a daily basis for as long as you live, giving thanks to the Lord. This would remind you daily and strengthen you, giving you the faith to trust in your LORD, a sovereign God as you arrive at the next impossibility in life.

The christian walk is not a life of comfort, but a walk of faith, a walk of faith entrusting the LORD to provide where you are unable to deliver. Always remembering of God's past goodness, thanking for past blessings, without grumbling and complaining about the present situation, but praying about it.  Believing the God who made your bitter water of Marrah drinkable, is able to provide again as you walk through your desert, thirsty and parched. Let your life be a constant testimony to Christ's blessings, remember his goodness every time you pray so that your children see and hear and wonder about your God, putting in them a desire to know this God of yours. Let us not be at Massah and Meribah, but remember the bitter water of Marah that God sweetened for us and continually praise him.  May God bless you in your walk of faith!

The Bible is a vast and deep ocean full of God's glorious treasures...

Hey, just wanted to post a recent thought. You know, the Bible is like a vast and very deep ocean. You see of it depending on how deep you are willing to venture into it.  There is a certain knowledge of the ocean you gain by standing on the shore day after day and just gazing out at the ocean, the ebbs and tides, the occasional fish or mammal or bird that breaches its surface.  Then there are the snorkelers who swim closer to the surface and are able to see the magnificent oceanic life right under the surface, the corals and the fishes and creatures that live in and out of those corals. Then there are the deep sea divers, who put on the scuba gears and dive further deep and are able to see even more magnificent things.  Then there are the few, the deep sea adventurers, scientists, who use remote operating vehicles (ROVs) to venture to the deepest corners of the oceans and come up with amazing ocean life pictures that the rest of the world has never seen or known to exist. Depending on how much you are willing to invest your time and effort into studying the mysteries of the ocean and the life there in, you walk away with amazing information that's impossible to get from standing on the shore and studying, or snorkeling or scuba diving.  Each level of effort bears a more different fruit.

The Bible I find to be similar.  As a casual reader, you glean some information. But if you dive into the depths of God's knowledge contained in this book of life, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Bible will be that vast ocean that opens up its mysteries and unimaginable treasures as you venture in deeper.

Before your Bible study, say a short prayer, asking God's Holy Spirit, the teacher, the one who was sent to this world to lead us into all truths, to open up the mysteries and truths of God's Word, and you will not be disappointed. You will be amazed at what you discover! Ask God to write his Word on your minds and your hearts so that you may understand God's Word and obey it, and he will do that by leading you through specific experiences in life. May God bless you and keep you strong in faith!

John 14:26, But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Let our daily testimony be as David's in Psalms 101...

Michael Angelo's sculpture of David

Psalm 101 (New Living Translation (NLT))

A psalm of David.

1 I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.
         I will praise you with songs.


2 I will be careful to live a blameless life—
         when will you come to help me?


   I will lead a life of integrity
         in my own home.


 3 I will refuse to look at
        anything vile and vulgar.


    I hate all who deal crookedly;
        I will have nothing to do with them.


4 I will reject perverse ideas
        and stay away from every evil.


5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
        I will not endure conceit and pride.


6 I will search for faithful people
        to be my companions.
   

   Only those who are above reproach
        will be allowed to serve me.

 7 I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,

         and liars will not stay in my presence.


 8 My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
         and free the city of the Lord from their grip.

[I pray with David, LORD -- Search me and know my heart, Test me and know my thoughts. Point out within me anything that displeases you LORD and lead me along the paths of everlasting life.]

The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson

Francis Thompson
1859-1907

I am presently reading the book, "Jesus among other Gods" by Ravi Zacharias and came across this poem by Francis Thompson. I would recommend that you add this book to your reading list. Bro. Zacharias is an extraordinarily brilliant man, what a soldier for Christ and Christendom! He introduces the reader to the poem as following,

"Readers of English poetry will recall the turbulent life of Francis Thompson.  His father longed for him to study at Oxford, but Francis lost his way in drugs and failed to make the grade on more than one occasion.  Those who knew him knew that inside was a slumbering genius, if only his life could be rescued.

When Francis Thompson finally succumbed to the pursuing Christ, he penned his immortal 'Hound of Heaven,' describing the years behind the moment of transaction:

I fled Him down the nights and down the days.
I fled Him down the arches of the years,
I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways
of my own mind: And in the mist of tears
 I hid from Him, and under running laughter
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
Down titanic glooms of chasmed fears
 From those strong feet that followed, that followed after
 For though I knew His love that followed
 Yet I was sore adread
 Lest having Him I  have naught else beside.
All that I took from thee I did but take
 Not for thy harms
But just that thou might'st seek it in m arms.
All which thy child's mistake fancies are lost
I have stored for thee at home:
"Rise, clasp my hand, and come."
Halts by me that footfall:
is my gloom after all,
shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly.
Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
 I am he whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, that dravest me."

PS: this is the short version of the poem. The original is a 182 line poem.

Joseph - a testimony to God's faithfulness

"Until the time came to fulfill his word, the LORD tested Joseph's character" ...(Psalms 105:9)

Recently while reading Psalms 105 the above verse made me wonder why would a God who is omniscient need to test the character of Joseph. After all omniscience means "to know everything infinitely." That would mean Joseph's God knew all about Joseph.  God knew Joseph was not going to fail God no matter what situation Joseph was put in. He knew Joseph was going to pass with flying colors. Why then test his character?

When we read the book of Genesis, chapters 37 through 46, we see a Joseph who was very young and naive, living with his parents and half brothers, a Joseph who lacked maturity, yet was sincere and did not seem to have any malice in him. The betrayals, hardships, the valleys and peaks in his life were molding his character.  God was preparing him for much greater responsibility: to provide for his father's family  and save an entire nation from the ravages of a seven year drought and resulting famine. Through Joseph's life God was going to display his faithfulness for there was a prophecy that this naive young Joseph was going to be elevated to a high position.

For one, it seems a character has to be developed to cope with future responsibilities that would be placed on a person. Aside from this, as you face the situations you are in, your courage and faith while facing life's challenges glorifies God. For your faith and courage bears a testimony to God's faithfulness and will strengthen another person going through similar struggles. Joseph's life has been a source of strength for me, to know that when things are not in my favor and future seems tough, my God is right beside me watching over me.  It gives me hope that God will make things right in his time.

James the brother of Jesus writes,

"For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."...
James 1:3-4

So my friend take note, when you a child of God has to go through persecution, trials, pain and hardships in life, your faith and courage will be strengthening those around you, those on whom you impact.  The way you carry yourself will glorify your God by the victorious testimony you bear!

Remember Jesus said,

¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. ¹⁸ You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. ¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time." ...Mathew 10:16-17

 May Christ continue to strengthen you and encourage you in your walk of faith. God bless you!

Laura Story - Blessings

Jesus, the Man, the God, our heavenly High Priest

Hebrew 2:14-18 (KJV) reads,

14.  For as much then as the children are partakers of the flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same: that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15.  and deliver them [us] who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage.

16.  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17.  Wherefore in all things it behooved him [def: behoove = to be necessary or proper for] to be made like unto his brethren [us], that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18.  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.

Note, vs 14-15... how did the birth and death of Jesus break the bondage of death, the fear of death?  Think about it -- what gives us the hope for tomorrow as we live our day to day lives? It's our experiences from the yesterdays and today!

Since we, today,  have good health, good jobs, good finances, are surrounded by families that love us and we love, we have hope or the expectation through this knowledge that the conditions will continue to be there tomorrow when we wake up the next morning from our nightly sleep.

Similarly, with God taking birth as a man - Jesus, conceived in the womb of a woman, grew up and lived among men, experienced the emotions and suffering as any other man, betrayed by the ones he loved, convicted for a crime he did not commit, sentenced to death like a common thief, died on the cross, having been resurrected on the 3rd day as witnessed by the apostles and hundreds of others, when we by faith believe in this Jesus, the son of God, we gain the knowledge and come to the conclusion that death in our earthly body is not the end.  This faith gives us the hope for a glorious future with God.  Death does not hold its fearful grip upon us as it is replaced with the hope of the resurrected Christ, the resurrection life as shown by Christ.  As we grow in faith, our experiences and knowledge acquired in our walk with the Holy Spirit, continues to build in us the hope of the resurrection life.

I love the way the King James Version of the Bible has verse 17 - Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto us - men.  He could have chosen to have the nature of angels, but it behooved him [def: behoove - to be necessary or proper for] to choose to be as the "seed of Abraham," a man, so that when he represents us as our highpriest in God's inner most sanctuary - the Holy of Holies - He will be merciful and faithful to all mankind of whom he was one!

There is a chasm between God's full understanding of man and man's perception of what God's understanding is.  Jesus the man, the Lord, bridges this chasm! King Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." But, there comes a day when we will see him face to face and all doubts will be removed. Halleluiah!

Help thou my unbelief

There are times in life we face situations that make us wonder why we've have been dealt such a harsh hand.  I believe it's a way God draws us towards him. When we realize that our capabilities, our wealth, our connections are not enough to overcome the unbearable burden that has been placed upon us, Christ would come to our rescue if we call upon him.  The obstacle is placed in our paths for us to reckon the power of God, to realize who our creator is and give him the adoration and worship he deserves!  He is a merciful God, who helps us by building our faith step by step towards complete/total faith in HIM.

We read in the book of Mark, chapter 9, from the Bible about a young dad who brings his ill son to Christ for a healing. The scripture reads,

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.

15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.

17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.

18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy.

22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can'?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit.“Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting.”

If you entrust your needs into the hands of Jesus Christ and ask him to help you overcome your situation no matter what it is, to help you overcome your unbelief in his power, build up your faith to entrust in him the things you can't seem to carry on your own, he will certainly hear the plea of his beloved people for whom he gave his life willingly on Calvary's cross. He has already ransomed you with his life on that cross. What will he not do for you? There is nothing he will not do for you! Trust him!

Help thou our unbelief Lord!

You Hold  Me Now... Hillsongs