Was it the Father's cruelty or man's wickedness...?

Have you ever thought of Christ's death? You know, the way he died, the cruelty that was inflicted upon his body. After all, the prophets had been prophesying over the centuries about the coming of the Messiah and his sacrificial death.  Prophet Isaiah prophesied of what was to happen to the Messiah, the Savior.  We read in Isaiah 52:14, "Many were amazed when they saw him - beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person." Isaiah continued in chapter 53, "3.  He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care." "5.  But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed." "7.  He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.  8.  From prison and trial they led him away to this death.  9.  He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone.  But he was buried like a criminal…"

In Psalm 22, David prophesied of Christ's anguish when he wrote, vs.11- 19, "Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.  My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!  Like roaring lions attacking their prey, they come at me with open mouths.  My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.  My heart is like wax, melting within me.  My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.  My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.  You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.  My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me.  They have pierced my hands and feet.  I can count every bone in my body.  My enemies stare at me and gloat.  They divide my clothes among themselves and cast lots for my garments.  O LORD, do not stay away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!"

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, we read that God's requirement for a sin offering or a burnt offering was for the sacrificial animal to have no defects or blemishes. But by the time Christ had given up his life, he had been slapped around, spat upon, whipped raw, humiliated with a crown of thorns tearing into his skull, his clothes had been ripped off his body. Naked and bruised he was nailed, hands and feet, to a cross. Gasping for air, he hung on that cross on a hill called Golgotha. Crucified between two thieves, he was speared on his side by a roman soldier wanting to make sure if he indeed was dead. Why did he have to be battered so brutally and bruised to the point that he was physically unrecognizable to be the sacrifice he was meant to be? Was God unloading his anger towards man's betrayal and sin? Could a father be so cruel to his son? Or was it man being himself?

All through history we see man's atrocities towards his own kind. History is replete with wickedly cruel events such as during the fascist Nazi Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, Communism under Stalin and Lenin, Romania under Ceausescu, the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot, that have claimed millions upon millions of fellow humans’ lives.  And it still continues in the violence of ethnic cleansing that are seen in Africa, India and other parts of the world.  

Isaiah says in vs. 10 of chapter 53, "But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have multitude of children, many heirs." God's plan was for the sacrifice to be borne by his son, Jesus Christ, so that we can be counted as his children, his heirs. So, was it the Father’s cruelty or his unfailing love towards mankind that caused him to look away as his son was brutalized? I couldn't have agreed more with a preacher whom I heard say, " In the unguarded moments I know my heart is wicked." God help us!

The Anthem by Planetshakers

Psalms 117

                       

                      1. Praise the LORD, all you nations.

                                                      Praise him, all you people of the earth.

                 2. For he loves us with unfailing love;

                                           the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

                               Praise the LORD!

As the year 2013 comes to a conclusion, the shortest Psalm in the Bible captures in its brevity the vast goodness of the LORD towards my family and I through out this year. The year has gone by in a blur. There were many a challenges both in my professional and personal life through out this year; there were many periods of not knowing what actions to take;  sometimes despair took over. But one thing this year has taught me is, and I agree with Rev. Charles Stanley, that you can win all your battles on your knees in prayer. God continued to prove that his love towards us is unfailing - without error or fault, it's inexhaustible! His faithfulness endures - it lasts, lives on, persists, perseveres - forever!

Between the two verses of Psalm 117, if you look far back in the Bible, you will find the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Ruth, Samuel, Gideon, David, Jehoshaphath, and many, many more.  When life's challenges come knocking on your door, turn to God in prayer with a praise filled attitude and you will always experience his unfailing love and faithfulness. You are very dear to God and the Bible teaches us that he is passionate about his relationship with you. This is why Christ was born, became an eternal sacrifice, and today is our high priest.

Put your faith in Christ and may your 2014 be blessed!

Hillsongs - Like an Avalanche

A Fool



the pride of man's labor in the city that never sleeps

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” – Jesus was quoted in Luke 12:21

As a Christian, it is not merely enough for me to believe in God – the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit - not just enough to be a good husband, a good father, a hardworking good citizen, enjoying the fruits of my labor; all worthwhile goals, but Christ would say I was a fool if I was not to have a rich relationship with God. Not just "A" relationship, but a "RICH" relationship. What would constitute a rich relationship with God? How does one develop a rich relationship with God? A rich relationship between two persons, at a minimum, I would think is one that has a deep and strong bond between the two. A relationship based on trust, love and an intimate knowledge of the other.

To answer the first question, Christ taught us that his brothers and sisters (his family) are those who listen to God and obey his commands (Matthew 12:46-50). In Luke, we hear him answer a woman who called out to him from the crowd as he spoke, “God bless your mother – the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!” And his answer to her was, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:27-28). Joshua, who was called to lead the Israelites following the death of Moses, was commanded by God to, “…Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them and you will be successful in everything you do.  Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” (Joshua 1:7-8)

In answer to the second question, “How does one develop a rich relationship with God?” Christ himself is the example for developing a rich relationship with Father God as we see in the gospels of the New Testament. Not only did he know the word of God, he took time regularly to separate himself from the crowd and his disciples so that he may spend time in prayer to Father God by himself. Tell God his heart’s desires, his needs, his fears, his doubts and in return understand God’s plans for him. Meditating (reading, studying, praying and thinking on what you have read) on the word of God day and night, Joshua, who was tasked to lead the nation of Israel, would understand God’s will for him and his people and lead them in obedience to God’s plan for them. God does not want us to forget any details of his commands and thus err in our obedience to him. 

Being successful in the secular world and enjoying the wealth ensuing from that success is not a sin. It is God who blesses us. It is a sin when the blessings take more importance in our heart and mind over the one who blessed us.  God wants us to make his kingdom the priority of our life and with that he promised to meet all our needs from day to day.  (Luke 12:31).  He wants us to have a rich relationship with him developed through meditating on his word and a personal prayer habit so that our understanding of who he is continues to grow and mature, and when blessings increase in our life, we may not forget our God who blessed us. Christ teaches us that “Where ever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” (Luke 12:34). This was elaborated through his parable of the “Rich Young Man,” at the conclusion of which he stated that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:16-26)

May God's word be a lamp unto our feet lighting our path ahead of us! God bless you!!

Charles Stanley on Prayer

Let the Dead bury their own Dead

He (Jesus) said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."  Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hands to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62 (NIV)

As I read these scripture portions, Christ's statements seemed very harsh, to the point of uncaring for the feelings of others. This did not seem to fit the Lord who taught to "respect your father and mother," and to "love your neighbor as yourself." Was he really telling these individuals whom he called, that they were unfit to serve God because one needed to bury his dead father and the other just wanted to inform his family of his whereabouts so that they wouldn't need to worry about him? Was this the same Lord who taught about compassion and love for others through his parable of the "Good Samaritan" in the following chapter 10 of Luke?  These teachings seemed contradictory.

Further along in chapter 10 of the book of Luke, we come across an incident in the house of Martha and Mary, two sisters.  "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, " Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, " you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-41.  I was reminded of Christ's answer to Satan who tempted him following his 40 days of fasting. Satan said to Christ, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." But Jesus told him, "It is written [in Deuteronomy 8:3}: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' " Luke 4:3-4.

Reading through these scripture portions it became more clearer, it was not so much that Jesus was telling these people that caring for your family was not important, but wanted to emphasize what one's priority should be. One's priority should be to (read or) listen to the Word of God and obey it.  God emphasized this through the experience of the three disciples: Peter, James and John, during the "Transfiguration of Christ" and we read in Luke 9:35, "A voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.' "

God sent his Son into a sinful and perishing world so that we may find salvation through him - Christ.  It was the Father God's love towards this perishing world that held back His wrath as man brutalized his son - Jesus Christ - on Calvary's cross, treating him like a common criminal. To God, what is of utmost importance is that the sinful and perishing world would find salvation. When Jesus' disciples came back to him following a day of spreading the gospel and reported to him in amazement that they were able to heal the sick and cast out demons in his (Jesus') name, Jesus replied to them, "But don't rejoice just because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of heaven." Luke 10:20. This is what God wants for you and I, to have the assurance that our names are registered as citizens of heaven. Do you have that assurance?

God wants every single man, woman and child to receive salvation. It was God's love for this world that resulted in the sacrifice of his son - Jesus. His compassion for a perishing world echoes in Jesus' instructions to his disciples as he sent them out, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.  Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields."  "Go now," he said, "and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don't take along any money, or a traveler's bag, or even an extra pair of sandals.  And don't stop to greet anyone on the road." Luke 10:2-4.  He implored his disciples to go with a sense of urgency, to go with purpose and not have anything deter them from accomplishing God's ultimate desire - for every single human being to receive salvation!

God bless you!

 Mary did you know - Kathy Mattea



A Purposeful and Fair God !

In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 21:1-5 we read God's prophet Ezekiel prophesying against Israel of his coming judgement,

"Then this message came to me (Ezekiel) from the LORD: 'Son of man, look toward Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries.  Give her this message from the LORD: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheathe my sword to destroy your people - the righteous and the wicked alike. Yes, I will not spare even the righteous! I will make a clean sweep throughout the land from south to north.  All the world will know that I am the LORD.  My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished."

As I read this, it seemed very unfair that the LORD would take out the righteous with the unrighteous. Why LORD, I asked? Aren't you supposed to be fair? As I sat asking these questions, something I had read in the Book of Jeremiah came to mind. In chapter 24, we read of a vision prophet Jeremiah had. We read,

"vs. 1... I (Jeremiah) saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem.  One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with figs that were spoiled and could not be eaten.  Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?"  I replied, "Figs, some very good and some very bad."  Then the LORD gave me this message:  "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.  I have sent them into captivity for their own good.  I will see that they are well treated, and I will bring them back here again.  I will build them up and not tear them down.  I will  plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the LORD.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly."

As I was thinking on these scripture portions, the lives of four exiles named Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel came to mind. They were the young men who were exiled into Babylon along with other captives from the land of Israel and Judah. The lives of these young men played out the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel who were prophesying in the land of Israel and Judah. Prophet Jeremiah's ministry was from about 626 B.C to 585 B.C. and Prophet Ezekiel's ministry was from 593 B.C. to 571 B.C.  Young Daniel and his friends exile in Babylon was from 605 B.C. to 536 B.C.

The Book of Daniel captures their exile and life in Babylon. We read in chapter 1 once the exiles were brought over to Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the chief of his palace officials to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah's royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.  He instructed his chief to select strong, healthy and good-looking young men. Those selected were well versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and good sense, and the poise needed to serve in the royal palace.  These young men were taught the language and literature of the Babylonians. This select group of young men were assigned a daily ration of the best food and wine from the King's own kitchens. They were to be trained for service in his royal court. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took a decision to be obedient to God and not defile themselves with the King's food and wine. The remaining chapter and book talks about God's favor upon these young men through great trials and how in the end they were honored in the Babylonian kingdom by the King himself.  Here we see that God sent the righteous into exile with the unrighteous for their own good. How true was Jeremiah's vision for the righteous though Ezekiel's prophesies seemed so harsh to the whole of Israel!

In light of these scripture portions, we see not an unfair God who whimsically punished both the righteous and the unrighteous to gratify his anger, rather a purposeful and fair God.  May God bless you and keep you!

Hillsong - Hosanna



It's all or nothing...

With a ring on my finger which would support a man and his family for a year I confront the poor man "at my door." I know what my duty ultimately is; my problem arises out of my unwillingness --- or my inability, if you like --- to do that duty.  God says: . . . "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away"  (Matthew 5:42) . . . .  But I answer: "God, I cannot do that; thou seest that I cannot do that; and since I cannot, wilt thou not tell me what to do short of that?"  But God does not again reply.  He has nothing more to say.

  - John Knox

The speck in your brother's eye

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you.  If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.  If you give, you will receive.  Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over.  Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

 

This was Jesus' teachings from Luke 6:37-38.

I'd been reading the book of Ezekiel from the Old Testament of the Bible, on and off, for the past couple of months. Ezekiel was called and commissioned by Yahweh during Judah and Israel's exile in Babylon. Prophet Ezekiel's commission was to be the watchman for Israel calling them out for their sins against their God. His commission was to say to them, whether the Israelites listened or not, what God told him to tell them.  We read, "Son of Man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first.  Listen to them carefully for yourself.  Then go to your people in exile and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not." Ezekiel 3:10-11.  "Son of Man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel.  Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately." Ezekiel 3:17.

Ezekiel prophesied against the Israelites as and when God spoke to him. From chapters 4 through 24 of the Book of Ezekiel, we read several prophesies against Israel, God's chosen people.  The prophecies, time and again warn them of God's coming judgment and punishment for their sins against God. But then from chapter 25 onwards, God told Ezekiel to prophesy against Israel's neighboring kingdoms about God's judgment that was to come upon them. The reasons for God's anger are worthwhile to consider...

A message for Ammon -"Give t he Ammonites this message from the Sovereign LORD! Because you scoffed when my Temple was desecrated, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile, I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country..." Ezekiel 25:3-5.  "And the Sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped and stamped and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people, I will lift up my fist against you.  I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely.. Then you will know I am the LORD." Ezekiel 25:6-7.

A message for Moab - "And the Sovereign LORD says: Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations..." Ezekiel 25:8-11.  Moab marginalized Israel when it was down.

A message for Edom - "And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah..." Ezekiel 25:12-14.  Edom avenged themselves when Israel was weak from God's punishment.

A message for Philistia - "And the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of revenge and long-standing contempt..."  Ezekiel 25:15-17.

A message for Tyre - "Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, 'Ha! She who controlled the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been destroyed, I will become wealthy!" Ezekiel 26:1-2.  Chapters 26, 27 and 28 go into detail on God's coming judgment against the great trade cities of Tyre and Sidon who were once trade partners of Israel and Judah during the times of David and Solomon. Tyre and Sidon looked to expand their territory at Israel's misfortune, though well deserved.

A message for Egypt - "...for you collapsed like a reed when Israel looked to you for help.  Israel leaned on you, but like a cracked staff, you splintered and stabbed her in the armpit.  When she put her weight on you, you gave way, and her back was thrown out of joint..." Ezekiel 29:6-8.  Chapter 29, 30, 31 and 32 go into more details on reasons for the judgment against Egypt. It took advantage of Israel's misfortune and helped to speed up Israel's destruction.

When we break the law of the land that we live in, the law punishes us for it.  But when it comes to breaking God's commands, it is God who punishes people for their shortcomings, their sins against God. You and I should not presume, it is our God given right to pass judgment on others. Even to Ezekiel, God's appointed watchman over Israel, God warns him to first listen to His (God's) words for himself (Ezekiel), and then to go and point out to the Israelites what God had told Ezekiel. Let us not stand aside in self righteous contempt as our brother or sister  stumbles, for God himself says, "I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people.  I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.  Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?" Ezekiel 33:10-11. Believers in Christ are the new Israelites! As we correct our brothers and sisters, let us be careful to not let hypocrisy and self righteous contempt creep in to us. Let us examine ourselves to see what "logs" lie in our eyes before pointing to the speck in our brothers and sisters' eyes.  Be careful of what you do to and for others, it will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over.

Let us uphold each other in prayer!

Turn your eyes...
 



Awesome God

When he (Jesus) had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will Catch many fish."

"Master, Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing, but if you say so, we'll try again." And this time their nets were so full they began to tear!  A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, " Oh, Lord, please leave me - I'm too much of a sinner to be around you."  For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him.  His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people! - Luke 5:10

The past one year work has been very challenging. Summer 2013 came and went. I didn't get to take vacation with my family.  I have been in the middle of closing out one complex project and executing others. The experiences during these times have been a first for me, and it has been an amazing journey.  As in the scriptures quoted earlier, the amazement of Peter and the others were from the size of the catch from the same place they had fished all previous night and had come up empty.

My team is overseeing an $18 million dollar project of which approximately $10 million was defined scope and contracts were executed with vendors. Remaining work was being put in place as the main project was ongoing. The proposals received from contractors and subcontractors for the additional work was 100-300% above our estimates and budget. Negotiations were stressful.  As we tried determining the reason for the price variation, we realized that the contractors were putting in the exorbitant cost figures probably knowing that we had our backs to the wall.

There were meetings that I walked out of without much expectations as we could not come to terms.  When I took my current job, it was on a promise from God that he was going to lead me, he was going to have his Spirit go ahead of me and make the impossible, possible. I started fasting and praying expecting God to move the mountains for me and scheduled a final series of meetings with the vendors. We scheduled additional site meetings to go over the scope of the remaining work. I was amazed at the meekness of our counterparts at the last series of cost negotiating meetings. We successfully negotiated all the change orders under our budget.  As each meeting with the separate vendors concluded, mostly within half hour of its starting, I knew in my mind and heart without an iota of doubt that God was present making their arguments moot and giving our arguments favor in their minds. All I can say is, my team and I, as Peter and his group, were awestruck at the results.  He makes the impossible, possible!

Thank you Lord!

Helen Baylor - Our God is an awesome God!

 



Visions of Yahweh...

I want to mention from the Bible visions of God's glory seen by three mighty prophets of Yahweh (Jehovah) and two apostles of Christ. These visions gave them a glimpse at the awesome glory of God and in his glorious presence the realization of their utter sinful nature. The vision of Christ enabled Stephen to not count his life worthwhile to save, for he could have asked God for protection and God would have saved him from the hands of his murderers, instead he prayed for forgiveness for his enemies as he was being stoned to death.  These visions enabled these men to count everything here at hand worthless in light of the coming glory that they would be part of.  Today, in death, Stephen's testimony glorifies Christ more than a lengthy lifetime of achievements could. I wonder what it would be like to experience such visions...

In the book of Isaiah, chapter 6, we read of Prophet Isaiah's vision of Jehovah, "In the year King Uzziah died, I (Isaiah) saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.  Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings, they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew.  In a great chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!  The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.  Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful  man and a member of a sinful race.  Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!"

We read of the vision Prophet Ezekiel had of Jehovah. In chapter 1 of the book of Ezekiel, verse four onwards we read, "As I looked, I saw a great storm coming toward me from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light.  The fire inside the cloud glowed like gleaming amber.  From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and two pairs of wings.  Their legs were straight like human legs, but their feet were split like calves' feet and shone like burnished bronze.  Beneath each of their wings I could see human hands.  The wings of each living being touched the wings of the two beings beside it. The living beings were able to fly in any direction without turning around.  Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.  Each had two pairs of outstretched wings - one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.  They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in all directions without having to turn around.  The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and it looked as though lightning was flashing back and forth among them.  And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.  As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one wheel belonging to each.  The wheels sparkled as if made of chrysolite. All four wheels looked the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.  The beings could move forward in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.  The rims of the four wheels were awesomely tall, and they were covered with eyes all around the edges.  When the four living beings moved, the wheels moved with them.  When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.  The spirit of the four living beings was in the wheels.  So wherever the sprit went, the wheels and the living beings went, too.  When the living beings moved, the wheels moved. When the living beings stopped, the wheels stopped.  When the living beings flew into the air, the wheels rose up.  For the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.  There was a surface spread out above them like the sky.  It sparkled like crystal.  Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others' wings, and each had two wings covering its body.  As they flew their wings roared like waves crashing against the shore, or like the voice of the Almighty, or like the shouting of a mighty army.  When they stopped, they let down their wings.  As they stood with their wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.   Above the surface over their heads was what looked like a throne made of blue sapphire.  And high above this throne was a figure whose appearance was like that of a man.  From his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire.  And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.  All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining through the clouds.  This was the way the glory of the LORD appeared to me.  When I saw it, I fell face down in the dust,  and I heard someone's voice speaking to me."

Prophet Daniel writes of his vision in chapter seven of the Book of Daniel, verses 9-10, "I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge.  His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool.  He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, and a river of fire flowed from his presence.  Millions of angels ministered to him, and a hundred million stood to attend him.  Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. Verses 13-14 write, "As my vision continued that night,  I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven.   He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world,  so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him.  His rule is eternal - it will never end.  His kingdom will never be destroyed."

Then there was the vision Stephen saw prior to him being stoned to death for preaching Christ. We read in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter seven, verses 55 onwards, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.  And he told them, " Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" Then they (the Jewish leaders) put their hands over their ears, and drowning out his voice with their shouts, they rushed at him.  They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.  The official witnesses took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.   And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And he fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.

In the Book of Revelations, Apostle John wrote of the vision he saw of Christ during his exile in the isle of Patmos for preaching Christ.  We read in chapter one, verses ten onwards, "It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.  Suddenly, I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast.  It said, "Write down what you see, and send it to the seven churches:  Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.  And standing in the middle of the lampstands was the Son of Man.  He was wearing a long rode with a gold sash across his chest.  His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.  And his feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.  He held seven stars in his right hand, and  sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.  But he laid his right hand on me and said,  "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last.  I am the living one who died.  Look, I am alive forever and ever! and I hold the keys of death and the grave.  Write down what you have seen--both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen later.  This is the meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

The Bible talks of an awesomely glorious God, whose love for man was such that he stepped down from his glory to take the form of a commoner, so that everyone could identify with him, from the rich to the poor, the sick, the destitute, the prostitute and the neglected. He is so very passionate to have a relationship with you and I that he took the punishment for our sins and paid a steep price for our atonement, gave his life on Calvary's cross. He is coming again to gather his people. Will you and I be counted among his people? Today we live in a time of God's mercy and grace. Today is the time to repent of our sins, for tomorrow is not ours. Today is the time to accept Christ into your life, no matter where your life has been, no matter what sin you have been wallowing in, Jesus Christ will accept you as you are. God bless you!

Hillsongs - Hosanna



God's Righteous

King David writes in Psalms 37:25, "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous (godly) forsaken or his children begging for bread."

This was written by the shepherd boy who became a king, anointed by God, the king who united Judah and Israel. He was someone who had experienced sheer loneliness, great pain of losing his children, betrayal at the hands of his beloved son, humiliation, starvation, and grave dangers; yet when he looked back upon a lifetime of experiences, he saw the goodness of his God.

Who are the righteous? Prophet Moses writes in Deuteronomy 6:25 (NLT), "For we are righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us." We cannot pick and chose what we deem appropriate to suite our desires, it's all or none!

Was David a perfect man, obedient to all God's commands? No, we read in the old testament that he had many shortcomings, some acts he committed were very egregious, yet when he was confronted with his sins, his remorse was sincere and he wanted to make whole to God and man for the wrongs he had committed. One outstanding character of David that we see in the Bible is his desire to please God more than anything else.

God loves us and wants to bless us. He is truthful and he is faithful, ever loyal to his people. There is only one requirement of his people - obey all his commands.

Can we overcome this seemingly harsh requirement? Absolutely Yes, with his grace. Please see a previous blog - "Is Salvation for every one?"

Other blogs on the topic of Salvation:

1.  An invitation to the Lord's Salvation.
2.  A master plan for the fallen man's salvation
3.  Can we lose salvation?

Chris Tomlin - Lord I need You

Oh Christian, throw caution to the wind at your peril

Recently one Sunday morning, before going to church with my family, I sat down to pray and meditate on the Word of God for some time. My prayer was for God to speak to me from his Word for my own benefit.

I opened up the Bible to Psalms 38, a Psalm written by King David. This Psalm reflects a dark period in David's life, a period filled with strife, fear, depression, loneliness, and we read David's pitiful pleas to God to not abandon him, to not stand away from him, to protect him from his enemies who seemed to have the upper hand over him. The Psalm starts out with his plea to God, "O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger! Don't discipline me in your rage! Your arrows have struck me deep, and your blows are crushing me." (vs. 1-2). The Psalm ends with another plea, "Do not abandon me, LORD. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior." (vs. 21-22)

As I sat thinking over the Psalm, I was sitting under our living room ceiling fan and it blew the pages over. Thinking I was reading Psalms 18, I thumbed through the pages to Psalms 18 and started reading it. It also is a Psalm written by David. But this Psalm was a Psalm of hope, boldness, courage, strength, and assurance of victory in God. The Psalm starts out, "I love you, LORD; you are my strength.  The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold."  It ends with a proclamation, "You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever."  (vs. 1-2).  After I finished reading the Psalm, I sat there thinking, hmmm... This was not what I was reading before. Finally, I found the Psalm I had started out with, Psalms 38, and read again and noticed the stark contrast in the tone and statements of the two Psalms written by the same man, King David, whom God had proclaimed to be a man after God's own heart.

I saw the reason for the mood in Psalms 38 in verse 4 and 5, "My guilt overwhelms me -- it is a burden too heavy to bear.  My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins."  And in verse 18, we read David confess to the LORD, "But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done."

In Psalm 38, we see a fallen David, someone who had succumbed to life's temptations, while in Psalms 18, we see a David who loved his God and delighted in obeying his commands. We read, "He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me." Why does God delight in David? "The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.  For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.  I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.  The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight." (vs. 19-24)

Verses 25 and 26 of Psalms18 hits the nail on the head, so to speak, pointing out David's state of affairs as he wrote the two Psalms. "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.  To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile."

This was a caution to me: to be careful with my daily choices in life. If I walk with integrity in God's sight, I will be able say with David, "In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall." (Psalms 18:29).

Apostle Peter warns, "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

Hey Christian, throw caution to the wind at your peril!

May God's grace sustain you and bless you!

Lord, make my time here on earth matter...

James, the brother of Christ, writes the following in the Book of James, "Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.  Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.  Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.  For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.  You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you. - (James 5:1-6, NLT)

PS: God is not against the wealthy, but he certainly wants you to examine what place does he have in your life.  Please see the following blog article... http://hesthelighthouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-eye-of-needle.html

True Wisdom

If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth.  And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise.  That is the worst kind of lie.  For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.

 

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no partiality and is always sincere.  And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. - (James 3:13-18)

Fear No Evil...

Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me... (Psalms 23:4, a Psalm of David)

Today as I write this blog, my mom was scheduled for mastectomy. She was to be lying on an operating table undergoing the surgery, but for God's grace, she's home giving God all the praise.

Earlier this April, during a routine health examination and mammogram, her doctor discovered a lump in the right breast. Following which, they conducted a sonogram, following which an MRI was performed confirming the presence of the lump and measuring its size (2.5cms to 5cms). A biopsy was conducted of the tissue sample and it returned positive for cancer. The lump was big enough that it could be felt by a hand examination.  PET scan, bone scan and other procedures were performed to see what stage the cancer was at.  As the family moved full speed ahead with appointments with cancer specialists and second opinions to plan out the next steps, there have been many of our families, friends from our church and outside who have been diligently fasting and praying for her ever since her health condition was shared with them.

I attended the Pre-operative appointment with my mom on May 21st at the hospital as the surgery had been scheduled for June 4th.  On May 28th late in the evening another appointment was scheduled with the surgeon as mom during her self examination could not feel the lump in her breast anymore. The surgeon was kind enough to accommodate us as he wanted mom to be fully sure of what was going on with her body and did not want the decision that had already been made to be changed on the day of the surgery, June 4th. The doctor after going through all the options again, performed an exam and he also could not feel the lump. He gave the possible medical reasons for the tumor's shrinkage. While waiting for the surgery date, mom had also been under the treatment of a medical oncologist who had put her on pills to reduce the size of the lump. She had been on that treatment for two to three weeks, but had stopped it for more than a week or two as the decision to undergo mastectomy had been made. Another reason was that the medicine had a side effect causing severe body pain and aching bones. Mom has rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

The doctor suggested another sonogram and a biopsy of one lymph node as there were few days before surgery to appease mom's belief that she had been cured. In any case the doctor was clear to us that even if these tests should come negative, it does not rule out the presence of cancer as an MRI and a biopsy of the tissue sample had confirmed the tumor to be cancerous.

All through this ordeal, by God's grace, my sister-in-law had been able to get the necessary medical appointments in very short time. And so, another sonogram and a biopsy for one lymph node was performed on May 30th. The sonogram did not show the lump as it had previously clearly shown, but the medical staff stated there were some vague anomaly in the location of the tumor so they did not rule it out. (I would think no medical staff would want to rule out something that which they had previously seen clearly.) As we waited on the results of the biopsy from the lymph node, the church and family members have been fasting and praying morning and evening at my parent's residence.  The biopsy result from the lymph node came negative. Mom was encouraged by these results and requested the surgery be cancelled.

I am fully with my mom on her belief that she has been cured of cancer, as I personally am a beneficiary of God's amazing grace and miracles of which I have blogged previously.  As we wait in prayer and thanksgiving, we are fully assured that God's glory will be fully seen without an iota of doubt that He is sovereign and that He is God indeed. Yesterday, she turned 70 years old. Please keep my mom in prayer so that as her faith grows, she will be able to strengthen others as Christ told Peter in Luke 22:32.

Transfiguration of Christ

In Matthew, chapter 17, we read about the transfiguration of Christ. "Six days later (after the revelation to Peter of who Jesus was, the Messiah, the Son of the living God - Mat 16:16) Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain.  As the men watched, Jesus' appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became dazzling white.  Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.  Peter blurted out, "Lord this is wonderful! If you want me to, I'll make three shrines, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.  Listen to him." The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.  Jesus came over and touched them, "Get up," he said, "don't be afraid."  And when they looked, they saw only Jesus with them.  As they descended the mountain  Jesus commanded them, " Don't tell anyone what you have seen until I, the Son of Man, have been raised from the dead."

There were these following questions in my mind, as I read the passage, that have been on my mind for some time,

1. What was the significance of the transfiguration of Jesus?
2. Why was Moses and Elijah the ones who were present and not one of the other prophets, say, Abraham, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Nathan, John the Baptist, or someone else?
3. Why did Christ ask his disciples not to talk about what they witnessed here on the mountain top to anyone until after he had been resurrected from the dead?

The transfiguration of Christ is a critical connection of Christ's God-ness and humanness. But then from the very beginning of Christ's ministry, from his baptism onwards the oneness of Christ the man and Christ the God was apparent. John the Baptist and those standing by when Christ was baptized witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Christ in the form of a dove and heard the voice from heaven say, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the common man in the temple and on the street, and his disciples witnessed the awesome power of Jesus over demons, sickness, death, the wind and the waves, his power to multiply provisions (he fed the multitudes twice with a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish), his power to provide resources in the most unimaginable of ways (as with the coin in the mouth of the fish that Peter caught to pay taxes as instructed by Jesus) were proof of his powers beyond that of an ordinary prophet of God. His disciples witnessed Jesus curse the fig tree and it withered away. So to all, his supporters and his detractors, one thing was apparent, his power to create, resurrect, restore and destroy! He was not just an ordinary prophet of God!

So why the transfiguration?

One thing we note prior to the transfiguration was Jesus started talking about his death and resurrection. First, not in a plain manner, as he referred to his death and resurrection by stating to a disbelieving crowd looking for a miracle from heaven that the only miracle he was going to give them was the sign of Jonah, as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days before being put back on shore. He stated this twice (Matthew 12:39-40 and Matthew 16:4).

But, following Peter's declaration of Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus started plainly and openly telling his disciples of his coming death and resurrection. (Matthew 16:15-17, 21and Matthew 17:22-23). He had started to repeatedly tell his disciples of  what was to come to prepare them when it arrived.  Witnessing the transfiguration of Christ, seeing the presence of Moses and Elijah on that mountain top speaking to Jesus, and then hearing the heavenly voice proclaiming Jesus as God's beloved son and commanding the disciples to listen to him gave the disciples a connection to the old testament prophecies of the Son of God and a glimpse into a realm they had not seen before, but believed in - the afterlife, eternity.  Jesus had begun preparing his disciples for a life after his death, resurrection and ascension. These disciples would be taking the message of salvation through a risen Christ across the world.

Why Moses and Elijah, and not another prophet?

If you look into the characters of Moses and Elijah, there were some similarities they shared with Christ the man.  Moses was the leader of the Israelites ordained by God to lead the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and in to the promised land so that God may have a new relationship with his people.  Moses was one of the most selfless leaders and God said about Moses that there was no one more humbler than him.  When it came to Elijah, he was a prophet who was so very zealous for the things of God.

Also, there were two other peculiarities about their life and death. Moses following his death we read in the book of Jude that his body was carried to heaven by archangel Michael. Regarding Elijah we read in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 2, that he was carried away to heaven, alive, in a chariot of fire drawn by horses of fire in plain sight of witnesses.  Now here stood Moses and Elijah in front of Peter, James and John speaking with Jesus, the same Moses and Elijah, about whom the Jews knew and the events surrounding their lives that I write here. May I suggest that God was preparing his disciples in the spirit so that they may see the correlation between the Old Testament teachings they knew and the things that were to come in Christ's life - his death, resurrection and ascension.

Jesus knew that following his arrest, without his leadership, his disciples would scatter.  These were experiences that were going to strengthen them during those times of doubt and give them the conviction and resolve to carry out God's work and spread the gospel of salvation through the risen Christ.

Why not witness about the transfiguration experience until after the death and resurrection of Christ?

At the proper time, following the chain of events, the disciples' testimony of what they had heard and seen, with their personal experiences of Jesus, the Christ, carried such conviction that not even the threat of torture and death could persuade them to change their testimonies as they preached the gospel of salvation through the risen Christ across this world. Most of the disciples paid with their life for their convictions.  In their deaths, the disciples sealed their testimonies in blood, giving us the assurance of the hope of salvation in Christ.

May God bless you!

PS: what were Elijah and Moses speaking about with Jesus? Read Luke chapter 9.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

When we look at the lives of Abraham (the Father of Faith, the Father of a Nation), his son Isaac (the Promised child) and his grandson Jacob (the Promised Nation - Israel), their lives were filled with great struggles, tremendous hardships, terror of death, maddening stress and great personal sacrifices even as they followed God's instructions.  They were obedient though it cost them.  In the end their descendants were blessed, a proven resilient bunch, a tiny pin prick of a nation on the world's map, that has survived its hostile surrounding because God's hand is with them.

All three underwent exceptional tests of faith and in the end God proved to them that He was a Sovereign God, totally in control of their situations, faithful in his promises to each. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died at peace at a ripe old age, regaining all they had lost and much more. Ishmael (!!) and Isaac together buried their father Abraham at his death at the age of 175. Esau (!!) and Jacob were present, at peace with each other, at Isaac's death and buried him together; Isaac was 180 years old. Joseph, the son who was presumed dead, and his brothers were there to bury their father, Jacob, at his death at the age of 147. Today, when Christians worship, we call out to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, faithful in his promises to the very end.

Apostle Paul echoes his forefathers' lives in 2 Corinthian 4:7-18 (NIV) as he spread the gospel of Christ,

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

This is the way of the Christian, facing exceptional challenges in life, building up resiliency to withstand the onslaught from God's enemy - Satan and his powers.  Our future is secure in God's hands, for we read Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:24,  "the one who has called you is faithful and He will do it."

PS: You can read about the life of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob starting in the book of Genesis 11:27 - Genesis, chapter 50.

A Master Plan for the fallen man's salvation

The Father (Jehovah) - The Son (Jesus Christ) -  The Holy Spirit

Following the fall of man - Adam and Eve's disobedience and eventual punishment by banishment from Eden and God's presence, the Old Testament Israelites had only seen the glorious God in the amazing feats performed through Moses and the prophets.  The Israelites experience of God was as that between a powerless man and a superpower - unexplainable, yet real. He was that superpower that delivered them from slavery in Egypt, parted the Red Sea, provided manna daily for forty years, split the rock and quenched their thirst, went ahead of them as a pillar of fire at night and as a cloud cover during the day in their journey through the desert to the promised land and doer of many, many, more awesome deeds.  For the common man, this God was awesome and fearsome, but hard to relate to.

From a man's perspective, does he really understand our fears, our doubts, our pain, our struggles? Does he understand what makes us sad and what gave us joy? Does he know who we are inside, deep within? Does he know what makes us tick?

And so, in his great love and mercy, God became man, born of a woman, grew up as a carpenter's son, lived a life that of a common man. In his earthly life, Jesus showed that though he was awesome in power (as he showed by the fantastic miracles he performed), he was kind, loving, compassionate, merciful and forgiving (as he showed in his healing of the sick and the crippled; deliverance to the demon possessed; forgiveness of sins - as experienced by the woman caught in adultery; and resurrection to the dead - able to transform a morbid sinful life into a new life in him.). He taught us that he understood our shortcomings, as we see in his warning to Peter of his coming betrayal, yet after it happened, he forgave and restored Peter as the head of the Church.  He showed that he was patient and forgiving when he answered Peter that he should forgive someone 70 times 7 (until forgiveness became second nature to him) to Peter's question if forgiving someone 7 times for their wrong was sufficient. He never raised his hand nor his voice against his tormentors as he was tortured and punished for crimes he had never committed.  He came so we would have someone to identify with - a man - with our qualities (yet sinless).  We read in the John 17:26, as Jesus prayed to his Father, "And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you.  I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them." Here was a God who made it possible for man to relate to him.

Christ's earthly ministry was limited to the geographical bounds of the regions he was born and lived - the towns of Israel and Judah. But the Gospel or the good news of salvation was for the entire mankind. Following his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, his Holy Spirit was sent to earth to indwell in men and women, his disciples, who were commissioned by Christ to spread the good news. With the Holy Spirit in them, the disciples will now have the power, strength and resolve to go into the world to witness what they had seen and heard, and thus do the ministry of Christ without tiring.  They would need a supernatural power, a power from God, and so Jesus the man had to return to his Father God and send his Holy Spirit to be with man forever, to enable God's servants and disciples to do the work of the ministry - spread the message of salvation to all mankind across the world. Christ the man was there in body with a few (when compared to the billions and trillions yet to come) who witnessed him as God, and for all to know about him, see his redeeming love and saving grace, his witnesses needed to go out in his power to proclaim his good news.

Jesus explains this connection to the next phase, the arrival of the Holy Spirit, in John 16:7-11, " But it is actually best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Paraclete (the counselor, the comforter, the encourager, the advocate) won't come.  If I go away, he will come because I will send him to you.  And when he comes he will convince the world (the entire humanity - no longer geographically bound) of 1) its sin, 2) God's righteousness, and 3) the coming judgement.  The world's sin is unbelief in me.  Righteousness is available because I go to the father (as our high priest, our go between) and you will see me no more.  Judgement will come because the prince of this world has already been judged."  The Message of salvation to the entire world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus acknowledges to the disciples that there is so much more he wants to reveal to them, but it would be an overload. The truth will be revealed in its due time.  We read in John 16:12-15, "Oh there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now.  When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard.  He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me.   All that the Father has is mine; that is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me."

Following his crucifixion, death and resurrection, prior to his ascension to heaven, Jesus told his disciples, "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Satan can no longer point to man and say that he has a God who does not understand him. A God who sits way up in heaven, on a high and exalted throne, surrounded by millions upon millions of angels worshiping him,  carrying out his commands; a God so detached from all the despair man faces. A king disconnected from his subjects.  Satan was once before successful in tricking Adam and Eve in to sin, convincing them to eat the fruit that God had forbidden them from eating. His ruse then was that if they were to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely not die, but have their eyes opened with the knowledge of everything good and bad, just like God. Man fell for it. After Christ's birth, life, death on the cross and resurrection we no longer have an excuse that this God cannot relate to us and our dire circumstances.

• Does this God relate to the common folks? Jesus, the Son of God, was born in a manger (where cattle was kept), grew up a carpenter's son, lived and carried out his ministry among the common people.
• Does this God understand hardship? A carpenter's son, he had to work for a living until his ministry started at the age of thirty, for definitely he was not born into a family of wealth. He endured all things like any man.
• Does he understand pain? Oh, how much more than you and I would ever know. Deserted by all he loved, betrayed by the one he trusted, denied by one of his closest, rejected by the ones he came to save, accused of wrongs he did not commit, whipped raw until his flesh tore from his back, tortured and taunted, and finally crucified like a common thief. Does he know pain?
• Does he understand separation and loneliness? Father God turned away from the cries of his son on Calvary's cross, forsaken for our sins.
• Does he have compassion for mankind? there was not a leper, a sick, a prostitute, a destitute that he did not care for to restore. There was not a cry for help that he turned a deaf ear to. There was not a broken heart that he did not mend. He willingly took the punishment for man's sin and with his blood purchased a  pardon for us all

This is the time for the works of the Holy Spirit. I want to quote a preacher I hear on the radio on Sundays, "Soon and very soon there will come a day, when time will be no more." Are you ready to meet your maker? Dear friend, do not turn a deaf ear to the message of Salvation through Jesus Christ. I would love to see you on the other shore. I pray for God's grace that I will complete this race and reach that destination.  May God's grace be with us all!

Hillsongs - Open my eyes

Because he live by the Gaithers

A Christian's testimony

Just wanted to put my thoughts out there...

A Christian's daily public and private life should bear a testimony to our savior Jesus Christ. It should not turn off someone from finding Christ. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:3,

"We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry."

A Christian's life in itself should be a ministry for Jesus Christ.

Prophet Samuel in his farewell address to the Israelites after appointing Saul as their king, boldly made the statement,

"I have done as you asked and given you a king.  I have selected him ahead of my own sons, and I stand here, an old, gray haired man.  I have served as your leader since I was a boy.  Now tell me as I stand before the LORD and the anointed one - whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong."

And the crowd answered,

"No, you have never cheated or oppressed us in any way, and you have never taken even a single bribe."

Samuel declared, "The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses that you can never accuse me of robbing you." - (1 Samuel 12:1-5).  A lifetime of service that could not be faulted with!

When you look at Joseph's life in Potiphar's house, upon being approached by Potiphar's wife to sleep with her, his response while refusing her advances was,

"Look, my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God." - (Genesis 39:6-9)

Joseph could have sinned and gotten away without his master knowing. He could have quieted any witness against him as he was the most powerful man in the household with authority over his master's entire household and servants.  But his moral compass was such that he could not even conceive of deceiving his master's trust placed in him, nor sin against his God - Jehovah.

We as Christians should continuously question our motives and actions, answer honestly, and let the truth we discover lead us onward in our Christian walk.  Our lives should never allow an unbeliever to fault our God, rather enable others to find this God. God bless you!

Jesus Culture - Walk with me

the Eye of the Needle

Put your hands into his and let him lead you.

In the book of Mathew we read of a conversation between a religious young wealthy man and Jesus Christ. The topic of their conversation was eternal life. We read,

Someone came to Jesus with this question: "Good Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life?" "Why call me Good. There is none good, but one," Jesus replied, "that is God." "But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments."

Which ones? asked the man. And Jesus replied, "'Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.  Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The young man replied, "I have obeyed all these commandments. What else must I do?"

Jesus told him, "if you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor , and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard Jesus, he went away sadly because he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  I say it again, it is easier for  a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God."

The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.  Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." _ (Matthew 19:16-26)

There are two ways to eternal life: one by fully (in intent and deed) following the ten commandments of God (Exodus 20:1-17) or two, as Christ mentioned to his disciples - with the help of God or his grace. But, he also showed the futility of man to be in obedience to God's commandments of their own accord when he said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. Does God have anything against the wealthy? Absolutely not!

The young rich man who came to Christ, though he thought himself to be righteous, obedient to all of God's commandments given through Moses, was indeed not able to keep them, for he walked away sadly as it was hard to give up all his possessions and follow Christ. Was Christ really asking him to give it all up and follow him? After all Christ knew people needed money to live. He himself appointed Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, in charge of the finances for himself and his disciples.  Christ wanted to poke a little hole in the self-righteous bubble of this young man to show the real state of his heart. God did not occupy the foremost place in this young heart.

When we study the teachings of Christ in the book of Matthew, chapters 5 through 7, we realize that it is impossible for man to be in complete obedience to the ten commandments, for Christ taught that our thoughts and intents carried the same consequence as the deeds.  He taught, "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are angry with your brother, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you say "you fool" to someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.' (Matthew 5:21-22).  With respect to adultery, Jesus taught, "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-30). With respect to money and possessions, he warned, "where ever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." 

This is true with not just money and possessions, but whatever is your first love, your primary focus in life. Christ teaches us that the first and most important command is to love your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your spirit and all your strength. And he said that it was equally important to love your neighbor (all those who live around you, that surround you in this world - your fellow human beings!) just as yourself.  He teaches us that all the other commandments and demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40). So you see, it's not so much wealth that trips you up, but what takes up your heart. What are your passions?

God created man and woman to love him of their own accord, and by loving him do what pleases him. He knew our weakness and so he sent his son, Jesus Christ, who is the sacrifice for our sins. Obedience to God in all walks of our lives, that which was humanly impossible, has been made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. By his grace we are made sufficient.

Apostle John writes in 1 John 2:1-2, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation (conciliation; the conciliatory sacrifice) for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."  Apostle John addresses his audience as "little children"; was he referring to our helpless state when it comes to living a sinless life? All you have to do is realize your littleness and need for his help. Call out to Jesus and he will help you because he has ransomed you and I with his life. We can do it through Christ! God bless you!!!

Third Day - Cry out to Jesus