Great beginning... Ignominious ending! A lesson from the life of King Saul

There are days when the little that I know about myself, makes me question if I will finish this race and be able to say as Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7.  Then, I tell myself to trust the Lord for the Bible says, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." - 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

Few days ago during our nightly family prayer, the scripture we read and discussed was from the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 31. In there we read of the death of King Saul. A very ignominious end to a king who was chosen by Jehovah and anointed by his prophet Samuel to rule over the Israelites. The very first king for the people of Israel! We read, under attack from their enemies, the Philistines, Saul was pinned down and wounded severely.  Also, his three sons were killed in the intense fighting between the Philistines and Israelites. Wounded severely, with no way to escape, Saul committed suicide by falling on his own sword rather than fall into the hands of his enemies alive.  The Philistines cut off his head and mounted his body along with the beheaded bodies of his sons as war trophies outside their city gates.

When we go back to the earlier portions of the book of 1 Samuel, we see the making of the first king of Israel (chapters 8 onward).  Appointed and anointed by God, we read of a naive, scared young man turning into a great fearless warrior and leader for the Israelites. One of his greatest victories was against a huge army of Philistines that Saul fought with mere 600 soldiers (the same enemy that gave him his final defeat!). The Lord gave him victory! We read, "Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel's throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction - against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines.  And wherever he turned he was victorious.  He did great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them." - 1 Samuel 14:47-48.

Saul became the king at age 30 and ruled the nation of Israel for forty-two years. - 1 Samuel 13:1.  As he grew in power and stature, we see the character traits of Saul developing; and they were not pleasing to God. He was selfish, arrogant, lustful, prideful, impatient, petulant, and disobedient to God.  How could the chosen one of God have such character flaws ???

God had predicted that the Israelites would ask for an earthly king just like all the other nations around them at time. He had prepared for his people to succeed by establishing guidelines for them to follow when it happened. In Moses' book of Deuteronomy, chapter 17, verses 14-20, we read God telling Moses, "You will soon arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and you will conquer it and settle there. Then you may begin to think, 'We ought to have a king like the other nations around us.'  If this happens, be sure that you select as king the man the LORD your God chooses.  You must appoint a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner.  The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the LORD has told you, 'You must never return to Egypt.' The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate vast amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.  When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy these laws on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests.  He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives.  That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of this law. This  regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens.  It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way.  This will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel."

What we realize as we read the book of 1 Samuel is that as Saul's fame, stature, and power grew, he failed to acknowledge the LORD for who He is! Meanwhile, his successor, King David, though with some of Saul's same character flaws, was keen on acknowledging God for being God! Where Saul was blatantly disobedient to God and defiant when confronted by Prophet Samuel, David acknowledged his sins and made reparations to God and man. We see the inner working of David's mind and heart as he wrote in Psalms 19:12-13, "How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.  Keep me from deliberate sins! Don''t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin."  In Psalms 139:23-24 we read David's prayer, "Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

It is not so much that we will always be obedient to God's laws and and never fail, rather what matters to God is our free will choices and intentions of our heart.

Lauren Daigle - Trust in You

My God, My God, why have you forsaken me...?

"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" we read in the book of Matthew 27 and Mark 15, Christ cried out in anguish as he hung on Calvary's cross, which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I wondered, why was the plea of the Son of God in the final moments of his life not, "My Father, my Father, why have you forsaken me?" Instead, it was "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.?"

Here was the plea of every man in his desperation. Here was the cry of desperation from every man, woman, and child at the lowest point in their lives. Here was my cry when I'd been down and out.

Who was this man hanging on the cross crying out - My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

If only we could see him through the eyes of Prophet and Apostle John as he wrote the book of the Revelations - the fearsome and awesome God in whose presence one day we will stand!

If only we could see through the eyes of Prophet Daniel - a God most adored by hundreds of millions of angels!

If only we could see through the eyes of Prophet Isaiah - a holy God in whose glorious presence the mighty Seraphims covered their faces and feet with their wings as they flew and worshiped him in a loud chorus, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty. The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

If only we could see through the eyes of Prophet Ezekiel - a God who reigns in indescribable majesty and glory!

If one would look with a little care through the lens of the old testament prophets, he was also the ever merciful God, who even today pursues his love - you and I - at any cost even as we have prostituted ourselves to every lustful desire of our evil heart.

Jesus did call out to his father - at the garden of Gethsemane before the trial and suffering began, he cried out "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Mark 14:36) But his Father, God the creator of you and me, rejected his son's plea on behalf of his creation (we) by not taking the cup of suffering away from his son.  Rather he let him face the suffering that was our cup to drink, for our sins. His sacrifice was the price paid for you and I to be called the sons and daughters of the most high God.

On Calvary's cross Jesus was not the God who by his God nature somehow lessened his pain and suffering, but endured it all as a man who had lost complete and total control of his situation and had none to turn to for a little solace.

Here was the holy, glorious, awesome, and mighty creator of whom Apostle Paul summarized in the book of Hebrews, chapter 2, "Because God's children are human beings - made of flesh and blood - Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death." Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and life. The one who believes in me will live, though he dies." (John 11:25)

David's prayer of praise

In the book of 1st Chronicles we find the prayer of David, a man whom power, prestige, fame, wealth, countless success on the battlefield and his peoples' adoration for their king did not corrupt when it came to his relationship with his God. In chapter 29 we read that he was a leader who lead by example. Today when our leaders mostly practice "Do as I say, don't do as I do," it is refreshing to see David led by example. Don't get me wrong, David was a man with many shortcomings, but when it came to his relationship with God, he knew exactly who he was and who his God was. David never forgot that he was the forgotten shepherd boy, whom God brought out of obscurity and ignominy, and made him one of the greatest kings of Israel who united the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Here is his prayer of praise from 1 Chronicles 29:10-20,

10 Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.

 May God's Word be a lamp unto our feet.

Elevation Worship - I will look up

Is a nominal Christian life enough?

As I was reading the parable of the three servants in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, from the Bible, this question came to mind - Is a nominal christian life enough?

Parable of the Three Servants:

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Would living a clean life without committing major crippling sins out of the fear of God be enough for a Christian? Would not that be the same as the servant who was given the one bag of silver (one talent), who buried it out of fear that should he lose it, his master would punish him. For he saw his master as a harsh man who liked to get a return without sweating his own brow. Isn't God, though just, harsh out his justness, for he punishes man for his sin? When we see the outcome for this servant though he had preserved his masters bag of silver, he had not lost a single piece and returned it in kind to his master upon his return, I am afraid a nominal Christian life is not enough. The master had left the shares of silver with the three servants for a very long time. Two of them successfully doubled the shares given them. One kept it intact. The master's response to the one who kept the talent given him intact was that he had ample time to get even a small return, if only the servant had just deposited the silver in a bank.  The interest over the long period would have given his master some increase.

Getting through each day as a Christian is not enough. A Christian has to bring some increase for his master, even if it is a nominal increase for the kingdom of God. You may not be a great speaker, nor a great writer;  your people skills may be lacking; you may not be much of an influence in your community; you may lack self esteem and lacking in faith. Yet there is something you can do for the kingdom of God in a small way. Jesus Christ came in to this world to pay a very steep price for our freedom from the bondage of sin. He died for us, rose from death  and returned to heaven as our high priest, pleading mercy on our behalf. One day he will return to collect the dividends.  What have you done with the talent of silver given to you?

HRockChurch - Set my heart on fire

Divorce and Remarriage - A position paper by the General Presbetery of the Assemblies of God

While this blog is intended to be a testimony to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, at times I will be posting information that is relevant to a Christian in general. The below two paragraphs are a quote from the full text of a Position Paper published by the General Presbetery of the Assemblies of God Church. My personal belief is that a Christian should never entertain the thought of divorce, should never consider divorcing their spouse, for God hates divorce. Both spouses should work towards resolving their differences and continue in the marriage for the sake of their family.  But, what is a person to do if the other person walks out of the marriage? Below is a quote from the text to which a link is provided further down where you can access the complete position paper that outlines the Church's position on Divorce and Remarriage...

Jesus made explicit what was previously implicit, “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6; cf. v.8). Divorce was not a part of God’s original intention for humanity. His purposes in marriage are hindered when the marital covenant is deliberately broken. The divine purpose can only be realized as the husband and wife subject themselves to Christ and each other, as described in Ephesians 5:21-31.

God’s hatred for divorce, however, is not to be interpreted as condemnation of those who themselves are not at fault, but have been divorced and victimized by the ungodly actions of their spouses. The divorce laws and teachings of the Old Testament were designed to add a measure of protection for the innocent, not to heap guilt upon the victims of circumstances over which they had little or no control.

http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/position_papers/pp_downloads/pp_4189_divorce_remarriage.pdf

A teaching video by the Casting Crowns for their video 

The Casting Crowns - it's a slow fade

Hope for the hopeless

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the holy days.  Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches.  Crowds of sick people - blind, lame, or paralyzed - lay on the porches.  One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?"

"I can't sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred up.  While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me."  Jesus told him, "Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat, and walk."

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking! - John 5:1-9

There are times when it seems time stands still. The future seems oh so bleak. Nowhere to go, and life's headed in a downward spiral. No one to pull you out. No one to turn to. No one who cares. As you stand and look around, it seems there is always some one getting blessed, it's just not you. The man by the Bethesda pool seemed to be just such a person who saw his life slipping away without any chance of pulling himself into the pool when the angel stirred the water so that he may get his healing. "I can't sir, for I have no one to help me in to the water. While I am trying to get there, someone ALWAYS gets in ahead of me," he answered to Christ's inquiry if the man wanted a healing.  Thirty eight years is a long time to be sick, and lying by the side of the pool, he watched others get healed.

I wondered about the physical condition, appearance, odor around this person who had been lying by the pool of Bethesda for a long time. No one to care for him. No one who cared about him. Why did Christ pick him to speak to out of the crowds of sick -  blind, lame or paralyzed - who lay there on the porch of the Bethesda pool? No matter what the reason, the fact is, Christ showed pity on him!

After healing the man Jesus told him, "Now you are well; stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you." - John 5:14.  In the Old Testament we read God spoke to Moses as he passed in front of him, "I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God.  I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness.  I show this unfailing love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.  Even so I do no leave sin unpunished, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations." - Exodus 34:6-7

God calls out to his creation, "Turn to me now, while there is time! Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning.   Don't tear your clothing in your grief; instead, tear your hearts. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful.  He is not easily angered.  He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you." - Joel 2:12-13

He gives hope to the hopeless!!

Evangelist Lee Stoneking at the United Nations

The Great "I AM"

But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they won't believe me.  They will ask, 'Which god are you talking about? What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?"

God replied, " I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said, " Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.' This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout generations. - Exodus 3:13-15

I AM??? Yes, indeed His name is the Great "I AM!" For HE IS my strength, my provider, my sustainer, my healer, my comforter, my teacher, my counselor, my leader, my defender, my protector, my friend, my creator, my Abba (Father)! He is my strength when I am weak; in him is my courage when I am afraid; he is my counselor in my confusion and indecision; he is my strong tower, the cave that I hide in. He is the one who broke addictions and set me free; created in me a new person. Indeed, this will be his name - the Great I AM!. It has always been his name, and it will be used throughout generations... The Great I AM to my children!

Commit your anxieties and your burdens upon Jesus Christ.Your future is secure in his hands! Yahweh, He is the Great I AM! My all in all !!God bless you!!!

The Revelation Song - Phillips, Craig & Dean

Say Something - the WorshipMob

Living off the Master's Table...1

The Last Supper by Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. - Psalms 121:1-2

About three weeks ago, the LORD did something for me, he resurrected something that was dead and forgotten. At work, I have a staff who is of tremendous help to me and others. A young man who has proven himself invaluable with his work ethics and helpful nature. As we work for a government employer, it is important that staff are certified in their employment titles by taking and passing civil service exams. If not, they run the risk of layoffs. This young man had taken multiple civil service exams, but being that he was lower down in the rank, had not been called by any government agencies as they had not gotten down to his list number.

Finally, in November 2014 he was called for an interview by a different agency than ours. I reached out to our Human Resources department for assistance with transferring the young man's title from the other agency to ours in case he was picked up by that agency. There is such an agreement between agencies so that critical staff may continue to work for their current employer and minimize disruption of service. It is also important that there are employment slots for the position/title being interviewed. I came to find out that just recently our agency instituted the title the young man was going to be interviewed for by the other agency.

On the day of the interview the other agency had called six individuals for interview for two vacancies;  off the six, my staff was fifth on the list. Alas, that agency after interviewing the first four candidates decided to hire from them and did not interview my staff member.  He was sent off without an interview. It was a great disappointment for him and I. Our agency could not do anything unless he was interviewed and picked up off the list for the transfer to take place. I instructed my staff to call the other agency and let them know of his predicament, but he was not able to get through to the person in charge of the interviews, so left a voice mail. He never received a response back.

I continued to keep my staff's matter in prayer - that God would take care of it for me and him. He needed the civil service certification to prevent being laid off from work and I needed him as he had proven himself indispensable to our daily operations.

In February 2015, approximately three months after my staff had been called for an interview that never happened, one day, I walked into my office and was checking through my emails. [My staff's November 2014 interview was not on my mind, nor his. It was dead and gone. The young man was already preparing for other civil service exams.] There was an email from the Human Resources department, and I couldn't believe my eyes at what I was reading. The other agency that did not even interview my staff had decided to pick him off the list and transfer his title to our agency. I called the young man to my office, shut the door and asked him to read the email that HR had sent to me. His jaws dropped in total disbelief at what he was reading. It was impossible! But that day my God showed again that he is the one who makes the impossible possible and the possible a reality!

The Bible says that upon hearing the news of Lazarus' illness, Jesus did not hurry back to his side. He returned to Lazarus' sisters three days following Lazarus' death and burial. Why? For God time is immaterial, circumstances are immaterial, process is immaterial. He resurrected a Lazarus who had died and in whom's lifeless body decay had set in. To Martha, one of Lazarus' sisters, Jesus said, "Believe and you shall see God's glory!" - John 11

I testified to him about Jesus Christ and how I had been praying for him.  Together we said a prayer of thanks to my God. I pray this will be a new beginning for this young man. I pray that the seed fell on good ground and will return a thousand fold for the glory of this God!

The only King for ever - Elevation Worship

Psalms 87 - A God who loves all from the beginning of time

Sir Francis Thompson

1 On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the LORD.

2       He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel.

3 O city of God,
          what glorious things are said of you!

4 I will record Egypt and Babylon
          among those who know me-
  also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.
          They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

5 And it will be said of Jerusalem, "Everyone has become a citizen here."
          And the Most High will personally bless this city.

6 When the LORD registers the nations,
          he will say, "This one has become a citizen of Jerusalem."

7 At all the festivals, the people will sing,
         "The source of my life is in Jerusalem!"

Thinking back to what I had read in the book of Matthew, chapter 1, which lists Jesus' earthly father Joseph's genealogy and verses 4-6 of this Psalm, Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia - these were all pagan nations that contributed to some of the most painful history in Israel's existence. Yet God promised to count them all as citizens of Jerusalem!!!

Jehovah was/is/always has been a merciful God who included the repentant - the wicked, the prideful, the sinful, the forgotten, the leprous lives and the foreigner - in his son's earthly family tree so that the entire world may come to know the LORD as a merciful, loving, and forgiving father! A God who gives second chance(s)!! A God who welcomes with open arms the ones who seek him. Isn't he the father in the parable of the lost son?

The God of the Old Testament and the Savior of the New Testament, - he is the same yesterday, today and forever! A God who loves his creation, man created in his own image, that his own breathe gave the first life in the garden of Eden. Sir Francis Thomson, a poet, a drug addict, wrote of this God and his pursuit of the sinner's heart in his poem - The hound of heaven! He will pursue you to the ends of the world to have you in his arms again. Will you stop running from him and give him a chance?

A Good... Good Father - House fires II

The Samaritan Woman

Three quarters of chapter 4 of the Gospel according to John is about a nameless woman, known only as the Samaritan woman and her encounter with Jesus Christ. Samaritans were hated by the Jews, thought of as second class, considered to be beneath a Jew to associate with. From this class of people was this woman with even more pitiful place in society. She was married five times and divorced; she was presently living in sin with a man to whom she was not married. She was at the public well to get water at noontime, a time of day when no other women were around. She comes across as a lonely figure as she had no companions with her when she had the encounter with Christ. (In Genesis 24:11-13, we see typically women went to the well to draw water in the evening and usually in groups.)

The amazing thing is that the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the awesome creator described in the book of Revelations chapter one (and other sections of the Bible, in the book of Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel) during his discourse with this nameless woman, he did not blame her for the predicament she was in her life, for her past mistakes, but offered her the gift of life.  Jesus told her, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me and I would give you living water." John 4:16.  This water he offered, he tells her, "... takes away thirst altogether.  It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life."

Next, upon being confronted with the truth about her life, she realizes that she was not standing in front of an ordinary man, rather he must be a prophet of sorts. Her next question I think gives insight in to her personal state - she had been on a personal quest ! Having been a failure in life with five failed marriages to show for trailing her past, her present condition no better than the past, she wanted to know if Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim was the right place to worship God. "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet.  So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?" John 4:19-20.  It may be that she had prayed, prayed hard, for her "lot in life" to improve, but didn't know why God had not answered her prayers.

During the time of Christ, Jerusalem was the holy city for the Jews and Mount Gerizim for the Samaritans.  Based on her present state in life she may have thought that her prayers had gone unanswered because her place of worshiping God was not right! To her question, Jesus answered, "Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24. Christ seemed to be telling her that she needn't run helter skelter seeking God, rather for the true seeker of God he was right beside them. God was right beside her where she stood!

Regardless of her lot in life, we also see that she knew of the Messiah, the one called Christ.  She knew he was coming.  She had an expectation that he will have answers for her questions when he came.  For this faith, Jesus revealed himself to her, "I am the Messiah!" John 4:26.  As we continue to read this story, we see that many accepted Jesus as the Messiah through the testimony of this nameless woman. The nameless woman, with no position in society, led many from her village to Christ!

This is who Jesus Christ my Lord is. He accepts those who lack acceptance in society. He engages the society's useless to bring him glory! Apostle Paul wrote, "Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy and he gave himself to purchase our freedom." 1 Corinthians 1:27-30.

Don't ever give up hope. May God bless you!

Broken Vessels

A Sovereign God

In the book of John (ch 4:43-54), we read about a government official from the city of Capernaum, who upon hearing that Jesus was in the nearby town of Cana, went over to visit him for he had heard that Jesus could heal and his son needed a healing. The Bible says the son was "very sick." When he found Jesus, he begged him to go with him to Capernaum as his son was "about to die."

Jesus' answer was not one of sympathy, as we would typically see in other instances in the Bible. Jesus asked, "Must I do miraculous sign and wonders before you people will believe in me?" This must have had to do with his experience with the Pharisees and other Israelites that we read of in preceding chapters and the other gospels, for the Pharisees always asked Jesus for a sign from heaven even after they had witnessed the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the leper healed, and the dead brought back to life. People who knew of Jesus' upbringing as a carpenter's son found it hard to swallow all that Jesus said and did (refer to John 6:41-42). And that's probably why Jesus said, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own country." (John 4:43). The dialogue continues between Jesus and the official. The official pleads with Jesus, "Lord, please come now before my little boy dies." And Jesus' response was sort of dismissive, "Go back home. Your son will live!" (John 4:50). Next, what is remarkable is the official's reaction.

We read, "And the man believed Jesus' word and started home." Absolute faith in what Jesus had said! He was not shackled with disbelief as some others who found it hard that the carpenter's son would proclaim such fantastic statements (John 6:41-42). He was not shackled with pride that a lowly Jew would not pay more respect to an official and accompany him immediately.  Rather there was absolute faith on part of the official in what Jesus told him and there was an action of faith, for he started to walk home to his son. On the way back, he was met by some of his servants who gave him the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to feel better and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!" The official/father realized it was the same time that Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." (John 4:51-54)

There are times when our prayers don't bear the result we want, in the way we want. But I would encourage you to have faith in God who is sovereign.  Which means he has total and absolute power over all your circumstances and he will cause what is good for you to happen in your life. The official could have gotten mad at Jesus' response to him. He could have thrown it all away, and the life of his son, by reacting in anger. But his faith and the resulting action brought a healing to his son and salvation to his entire family! (John 4:53)

Break Every Chain

Journey

Just musing...  Life is a journey, full of experiences, some good, some bad, and some out right painful. There are friendships gained and some lost. Loved by some and hated by others. And some who just don't care. Who we are is a result of many who have "lent a hand" on the way. Parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends and total strangers. There were many who stood alongside during the peaks of life, some who stood by in the valleys, and other times, all alone, totally desolate.  By definition "Lend a hand" does not seem to have any permanence in it. "Lend" by definition is to allow to be borrowed for a time.

Yet there has been one who has been a constant by my side. Never letting go. Christ, my savior, saw me through some of the darkest times of my life. Patient was he when I did not know him. Merciful was he when I had fallen. Gave me hope when the road ahead looked bleak. Strengthened me when I thought I couldn't take it any more. Gave me rest when sleep deserted me. The Atheist would say, it is the human nature to rise above one's circumstances, the survival instinct. I know me and it ain't I !

I surrender - Hillsongs

Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal...

Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal... Yet  as a Christian it is your responsible duty to continue to do good to those who betray your trust. And in his time God will elevate you - in your home, in the eyes of your peers, no matter where you stand today. This was the lesson from the life of Joseph as I read through the chapters of the book of Genesis.

The affection of his father, Jacob, gained Joseph the jealousy of his brothers.  His naivete earned him their hatred. His loyalty and truthfulness got him prison time. His friendship and service did not bring him an honorable mention. Yet, the Bible teaches, he was obedient to God and continued to do good!

For this, God's favor was upon Joseph when his brothers considered killing him; when he was sold to the Arab traders; when he came to Potiphar's house; when he ended up in Potiphar's prison; and when he was brought out and appointed to the highest rank in the land, second only to the Pharaoh. God's favor upon Joseph was not a hidden matter, but it was apparent to all around him. For God gave Joseph success and blessed everyone around him!

All through, the humility of Joseph was remarkable. In verse 33 of Genesis, chapter 41, we read of Joseph's counsel to the king, "My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide program." Here was Joseph who had spent more than a decade away from the love of his father and mother, forcefully sold into slavery by the very brothers he loved, rotting away in a foreign prison, forgotten by all, yet he did not use this golden opportunity in front of the king to get out of the prison by trumpeting the ability to interpret dreams as his own. He did not recommend himself to administer the king's program to battle the coming famine, nor did he make a proclamation to deliver success if appointed as an overseer of the king's program. He continuously, without fail, gave God the glory and gave his counsel without an expectation of a remuneration!

When Christianity is replete with self proclaimed prophets, apostles and miracle workers who trumpet achievements as their own, like warriors of old would display enemy scalps, for the world's recognition, we have to remind ourselves that our savior Christ loved the Pharisees, the Sadducee, and the unbeliever. He forgave his detractors - the ones who rejected him, publicly ridiculed him and then killed him! Christ was able to forgive them because he was humble and he continues to forgive us our shortcomings. Isaiah 53 speaks of his humility and sacrifice. Lord grant us your grace to be humble that we may forgive our detractors and continue to do good.

I need you now by Plumb

Billy Graham - 1957 New York Crusade - Who is a Christian?

The hypocrisy in me - a Christian !

While I want my friends circle and associates to be "perfect" Christians - the ones who are filled with the Holy Spirit, "exercising" the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthian 12), I tend to forget the fruits of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthian 13 and Galatians 5:22-26) displayed through me is just as important, if not more important. In Matthew, chapter 1, the earthly genealogy chosen by Jehovah for his son, Jesus, was inclusive of a forgotten one, a rejected one, a foreigner, a sinner; the good and evil are listed in the genealogy of Christ - the Prince of Princes, the King of Kings, the LORD of all, the Creator of everything I can see and that which are hidden from the view of my naked eyes, that which I understand and that my mind cannot fathom!

Mathew 1, lists in Christ's genealogy the offspring of a woman named Tamar - the forgotten daughter-in-law of Judah of whom we read in the book of Genesis, chapter 38, who bore him sons; the offspring of Rahab - the prostitute from the book of Joshua, chapter 2; the offspring of Ruth, the Moabite (non-Jewish foreigner) daughter-in-law of Naomi (She had a book named after her in the Bible); the offspring of Bathsheba who committed adultery with King David while she was married to Uriah as we read in the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 11.  And King David himself who committed premeditated murder of Uriah as we read in the latter portion of the same chapter. There was the good king Uzziah, whose pride resulted in leprosy for reasons listed in 2 Chronicles, chapter 26; there was king Ahaz, who doubted God as we read in the book of Isaiah, chapter 7; and the evil king Manasseh of whom we read about in 2 Chronicles, chapter 33.

God did not discount the obscure lives, nor the foreigner; the good and the evil who repented. As we read in the book of John, Christ said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into this world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no condemnation awaiting those who trust in him..." - John 3:16-21

As bible verses are quite often quoted to discredit and reject those who already have been qualified by Christ, in the book of Malachi, chapter 2, there in lies a warning to the Priests - "The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and this is what I gave them.  This called for reverence from them and they greatly revered me and and stood in awe of my name.  They passed on to the  people all the truth they received from me.  They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.  The priests' lips should guard knowledge, and people should go to them for instruction, for the priests are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.  But not you! You have left God's paths.  Your 'guidance' has caused many to stumble into sin.  You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites," says the LORD Almighty.  "So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people.  For you have not obeyed me but have shown partiality in your interpretation of the law."

In the book of Matthew, chapter 21, while using the story of the two sons to teach the Pharisees and leading priests the point about being obedient to God, Jesus stated, "I assure you, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.  For John the Baptist came and showed you the way to life, and you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to turn from your sins and believe him." - Matthew 21:28-32.

May the truth that is the Word of God guide us in all our decisions!

Brandon Heath - Give me your eyes