Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,we greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We feel delighted to meet you through this website. We wish to make the site a blessing to everyone who visits it. The site will have messages of our weekly Sunday Morning Service and of other special seasons which will be of great blessings to you. We are having video messages both live and recorded in our website www.faithtv.in.
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God bless you!
Contact Address Pastor S. Visuvasam No.12-A, Eswari Nagar Pallavaram Chennai - 600 043 Tamil Nadu India
Why Church is necessary? Acts 2:42 'And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.' In the above passage we see about life of early church and how they were built. We read they were steadfast in doctrine and fellowship. Also they were steadfast in breaking of bread and in prayers. Today we are going to meditate why church is necessary and the blessings we receive through Church. The church is a blessing to the people. Pastor Bill Hybels quoted 'the local church is the hope of the world'. When everything is going well, people will not seek the gathering of church. However when there is a problem globally, they immediately come to the church asking for an answer. Church is a blessing to all kinds of people. No matter what language you speak, or what background you come from, the church will still be a blessing. The Church will give you all answers you require. The Church will give healing to all kinds of diseases. The Church will be with us from birth till death. Psalm 122:1 'I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.' The works of the unclean spirits , the words of men, curses nothing can shake the church. The Lord has connected us with an eternal plan in the church. Blessings of fellowship Acts 2:42 'And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.' When we gather as a church we have the blessings of fellowship. The word 'fellowship' comes from the Greek word 'koinonia' which means communion / participation / association. If we require this blessing we need to come together as a church. In oneness we can taste this blessing of fellowship. There is a difference between a group and a team? A group is a collection of individuals however a team consists of people who are working with one goal and motive. Everyone in the team will listen to the captain and they will work towards their goal. Even in our lives, when we assemble in the church we should have one aim as a church. When we have a fellowship with God but not with the church members, it will not do any good. A Christian life is a life of fellowship where we share with others. There is no failure in sharing. We need to be the ones that share and not be selfish. Back in the days of Jesus, a small boy shared his five breads and two fishes. When he shared, he did not end up losing. The Lord Jesus blessed him abundantly. It is also important that we share the faith and good news in the church. The Lord did not call us to be individuals but with ones with fellowship. We read in Hebrew 10:25 'not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.' The people in early church remained steadfast in prayer. They gathered in the church together and praised the Lord. We also read in I John 1:7 'But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.' Many people are entering into darkness because they have abandoned the gathering of Church. The church is the only place which can bring us back to the way of light. Blessing of Strength Ecclesiastes 4:12 'Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.' When we have the fellowship of Church, it will bring strength of the Lord. The church gathering will give us strength. We shall no more be called weak. The place where Lord visits his children is Church. The place of visitation will not have weaknesses or diseases or confusion. When we have the experience of being steadfast , which means we have the experience of prevailing. It is not the experience where we face a situation with fear but is an experience when we are filled with strength of the Lord where we prevail and overcome. The Lord has not called us only to withstand but to overcome. We read in I Chronicles 16:11 'Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore.' When we seek the presence of the Lord, we will have the strength of God. Many people fail to come to church because they are down with sickness or they are depressed. It might be true they are suffering. But when we make it a point to assemble in the church, the Lord will remove all the pain from our lives. The strength of the Lord will be manifested in our lives. We read in Isaiah 40:29 'He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.' The church of the Lord is a place where you will witness an increased strength. Do not wait until Sunday, seek the Lord each and everyday. When we remain in the fellowship, we will witness a strength. We read in Nehemiah 8:10 '..for the joy of the Lord is your strength.' Let us strive to receive the strength from the Lord. Blessing of Service Ephesians 4:11-12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.' We can receive the blessing of service through the gathering of the Church. We need to do the ministry in the church. The Lord has called us to be the body of Christ. In Ephesians we can read about many offices of the church which refers to the different types of ministries in the Church. When we say edifying the body of Christ, it means when we discharge our duties and ministries in the Church. In order to fulfill the will of the Lord, we need to completely carry out the ministries allocated to us. The church is designed in such a way it acts as a blessing to all the members but also for non-members. We read in Mark 16:15 'And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.' The Lord has given us talents and gifts. We need to make use of that for the glory of the Lord. We read in Matthew 20:28 'just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.' The Lord Jesus came to this life to serve and gave his life and redeemed his children in this world. If the Lord has given you a burden in your hearts, a burden concerning the ministry , souls or church. Please surrender to the Lord and start doing the ministry. To do a service is not a burden but a blessing. Amen.
Blessing of the word Isaiah 66:1-2 'Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.' In the above passage we can see prophet Isaiah says important things when he concludes his prophecy. The Lord God who has the heaven as his throne and earth is his footstool enquires on the place to be built for him to dwell in. Also the verse says the Lord looks unto the contrite spirit and the person who trembles at his word. We read in John 11:23 'Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.' The Lord not only looks upon those who tremble at his word, he also dwells along with him. The great God who has created the heaven and earth, will come and dwell along with us when we tremble at his word. In Romans 5:5 'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.' In John 11:23, we saw when we love the Lord, we will keep his words so the father will love and come to us to make a home with us. In Romans we see the love of God has been poured upon us through the holy spirit, the hope does not disappoint. The love of a man might discourage us. His love will be short-lived. Many people end their life when they do not get the love they deserve. But the love of God will encourage us. Let us meditate upon the blessings we will receive when we observe to the word of the Lord. Blessing of springing forth Deuteronomy 32:1-2 'Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.' Over here the word of God to compared to the showers of the rain falling on the grass. The word of the Lord is like the dew and rain that falls on the grass. The word of the Lord is being showered upon the earth. When the rains falls upon the ground, the farmers will be very happy as it is rewarding their efforts. Same way when the doctrines of the Lord is showered on our lives we shall witness the blessings are springing forth. The Hebrew word for the word Doctrine talks about the instructions received in the heart. When the blessings are showered upon us, all the blessings that are hidden in the earth will spring forth. We read in Genesis 2:5 'And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.' Until the time of Noah there was no interference of rains on earth. It was filled with dew and created a moisture in the land. When the word of the God and his doctrine which is the rain that will be showered upon us, new blessings will blossom in our lives. When we hear and obey to the word of the Lord, the rain will take away all the curses and obstacles in our lives. It will bring forth new blessings. It is true that the world is a cursed place. We read in Genesis 3:17 'cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.' It is true the blessings will be blocked due to many reasons on this earth. But we need to remember one verse. In Deuteronomy 23:5 'Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.' The Lord has given himself up in the cross, which has turned all the curses into blessings for his children. The Lord has turned curses into blessings. The famines will change, new abundances will spring forth. The showers of blessings will bloom in our lives. The blessings that were hindered and blocked will be restored. All we need to do is to obey and tremble upon the word of the Lord. Blessing of Kingship/Royalty I Samuel 3:1 'And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.' In the above passage we read about Samuel and during his time the word of the Lord was rare. We can call it as a dark period. The 400 years between old and new testament, there was no word of the Lord. Scholars term it as a dark era. During the time of Samuel, there was no open vision. This was the time when the Lord started to speak with Samuel. When the word of the Lord was revealed, it created a huge impact. In the book of I Samuel, we can see two judges Eli and Samuel and two kings Saul and David. We can also say, the book of I Samuel we see about failed Judge Eli and failed King Saul. And there is Samuel the Judge and David the King who were very successful and victorious. When the word of the Lord came to Samuel, Kings were created and commandments were given to them. In new testament, we read in I Peter 2:8 'And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.' The worldly people might stumble. We need to be aware that we are the chosen generation. Our calling is not ordinary. We are called to be Kings. The word of the Lord has called us to lead a life of Kingship. The Lord has called us to be kings and priests. When we honour to the word of the Lord, it will provide us with the blessing of the Kingship. We were the children of this world but God made us his children. He gave us the anointing and nature of the Kings. The word of the Lord molds us ad it will continue to do so. Blessing of test and exaltation Psalm 105:19 'Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.' Here the verse is recorded explaining the life of Joseph. It talks about how Joseph was tested in his life. The word of the Lord will test his children. Joseph was tested but he was honoured and exalted in the end. The word of the Lord will not only test but also will exalt. We read in Psalm 105:16 'Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.' A massive famine interrupted in the life of Joseph. We read in Psalm 105:17-18 '' He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant. Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron.' Joseph was sold as a slave in the time of famine and he was suffering a lot in pain as his feet were chained. When we do not understand why we are going through all these situations in our lives, we need to submit for the testing times. We see Joseph was tested but the entire land of Israel was exalted. When we are tested we should not complain. We need to humble and submit ourselves into the word of the Lord. The words of the Lord will not only leave you tested but will bring about a great exaltation. We need to submit ourselves for the testing. Amen.
Ebedmelech Jeremiah 38:10 'Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.' The above verse took place in the times of Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Also we see about the life of Ebed Melech, an Ethiopian. The meaning of the name Ebed Melech means 'Servant of a King'. History reveals Ebed Melech was a god fearing man and also he did the ministry of rescuing Jeremiah. Albeit Ebed Melech was a gentile, we see him involved in the ministry of saving Jeremiah because of the zeal for God. The Lord was fulfilling his purpose through Jeremiah. However his own people rose against Jeremiah to kill him. During that time, Ebed Melech understood the plans concerning the prophet and helped in the fulfillment of the plan. The Lord gave him wisdom to make use of the technology prevailing at that time to save Jeremiah. Let us see the blessings Ebed Melech received as he became an instrument used by the Lord. Support when forsaken Jeremiah 38:4,6,7 'Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin.' Here we read Jeremiah was forsaken by his own people. His own people who has to support has planned to kill him. Jeremiah prophesied during the time of king Zedekiah , we can also see God's word being with him in 37:17. Jeremiah faithfully brought the word of the Lord to the people. But they hated him. Jeremiah stood out in a time where false prophets were everywhere, but they threw him in a dungeon without father. His very own who should have supported him, hated him. Looking at the situation, Jeremiah would have been curious to know what is going to happen to him and how the Lord is going to save him. In that situation, God raised a man who feared him, Ebed Melech as a support to Jeremiah. When all his people disowned him, the Lord raises an Ethiopian who is a gentile to support Jeremiah. Even in our lives, when our own people throw us in a waterless dungeon , God can bring us support from unexpected people. If we are not receiving enough support from expected places, strangers such as Ebedmelech will support us. The people tried to kill Jeremiah who waited upon the Lord to receive his word. The people said 'For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm'. His own people misunderstood Jeremiah. When we are failed and let down by our own people, the Lord will raise support for us. Let us put our trust upon the Lord and not on man. The Lord will show his support from unknown people from unexpected places. Help from strange place Jeremiah 38:10 'Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.' In this verse we can read lift Jeremiah before he die. We can imagine how much he was tortured until death for spreading the word of God. The Lord raised a help for Jeremiah immediately. The Lord raised 31 men. Ebedmelech whom Jeremiah never knew and 30 men prepared to help him. This is the help from God. It is very common to receive help from known places but it is the nature of God to prepare help from unknown people. When we are denied by our own people to send help, we need to look unto the Lord. We read in Jeremiah 38:11 'So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.' The Lord used the technology of their day using old clothes and rags to help Jeremiah. The Lord knew Jeremiah needed help and he blinded the people from seeing these old clothes and rags. The Lord gave them wisdom and strategies to make use of these old clothes to help him. By using old things, the Lord will give us new strategies. We need to be the vessels used by the hands of the Lord. Only then the Lord will send us help by using new strategies and technologies. When we tried everything and nothing is working out, the Lord will send help in final moments. Honor from God Jeremiah 39:16-18 'Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.' Ebedmelech who supported Jeremiah was honoured by the Lord. Ebedmelech was a gentile yet he was faithful to the Lord and fulfilled his purpose. The Lord spoke to him saying his words will be fulfilled before his eyes. He proclaimed that he will deliver him and the thing he is scared about will not come to pass. The Ethiopian was a vessel used by the Lord. God spoke that i will surely deliver you and you shall not die. The Lord also said your life shall be a prize to you. This is all possible because Ebedmelech trusted on the Lord. May we be ready to fulfil what God desires and trust on him. Ebedmelech trusted in God and received a great prize from the Lord himself. Amen.
Prayer of Hezekiah II Kings 20:2-3 'Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.' In the above passage we see about Hezekiah's life and his prayer of tears. We can clearly see how he prays to the Lord with confidence as a child of God. He prays with hope that the Lord will answer his prayer. We read in II Kings 18:7 'And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.' When we pray we need have a realization that the Lord is in heaven but also we need to have a realization that the Lord is also with us. At the end of Hezekiah's prayer we can see the amount of faith he had on the Lord. Many prayers are recorded from Genesis to Revelation in the scripture. When the pressure and burden of the situation is great, it turns into tears and cry of prayer. Hezekiah also went through such a difficult situation in his life. Let us meditate how the prayer helped him and how the Lord gave an answer to his prayer. Reality II Kings 20:1 'In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.' When we look into what are all the things that were happening in the life of Hezekiah, we can understand his situation. We see Hezekiah was sick unto death. This was the time prophet visited him. The prophet clearly told him that he will not survive and he will die. Hearing this news from a prophet would have troubled him a lot. Prior to this incident, we can see Hezekiah was sieged by his enemies and the Lord had miraculously delivered him. However now he is again getting into another problem where his life is at risk. But what is the reality of his life? In any kind of situation God is more than enough for him. Bible scholars believe Hezekiah lived with complete trust in God until II Kings 18:7. Hezekiah used to share everything to the God and he will receive deliverance. However in II Kings 18:13-16, we can read his trust turned to his possessions and treasures of the temples. Hezekiah planned to fix these troubles with material things but the problems continued. Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe claims Hezekiah had fear concerning his death and also had a great desire to live and do many things for the Lord (Isaiah 38:9-20). Another Bible scholar MacArthur claims, Hezekiah's house was not in an orderly fashion. Lack of order in his house may have been the reason for his afflictions. Even in our lives, we need to analyze the reality of our own lives. Is it orderly and prepared? How is our life found before the Lord? How we are in trusting God alone or we trust in God also ? Our houses should be open and truthful before the Lord. May the Lord see the reality of our lives. Prayer II Kings 20:2-3 'Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.' Here Hezekiah offers a prayer during his difficult situation. He is facing a fatal sickness and the Lord should heal him. Hezekiah did not pray to God saying to look at his severity of his sickness. He says all what he has done for the Lord in prayer he did not mention anything concerning his sickness. He lists down the things he had done for the Lord. The moment the Lord heard his words, the Lord did not deny and he answered his prayer. When we read in Exodus 20:12 and in Deuteronomy 5:29 , 30:16 he boldly asked for long life as he walked truly in the sight of the Lord. Since he walked faithfully, the Lord did not deny to any of what he quoted in his prayer. Albeit he did not pray for healing, the Lord knew his present need and he fulfilled it. Today we need to check is there any good thing that we can say in prayer ? If we did such good work in our lives where we can use it in our prayer, the Lord will surely answer our prayer. We see it was the time where Hezekiah began implementing many schemes in Jerusalem. The prayer of Hezekiah was not for divine mercy, but prayed that God would remember his character. When he prayed likewise the Lord immediately answered him. We read in II Kings 20:20 'And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?' The tunnel that was built by Hezekiah is of a great benefit to his people and it is still functioning till date. If we still have things to do for the Lord in our life, the Lord will allow us to live a long life. God will never forget the deeds we do for him. There will be an answer to our prayer. Faith II Kings 20:7 'And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.' Over here we see about the faith of Hezekiah. We can see how the Lord miraculously answered the prayer and recovered him. The power of God worked through the medical procedures that was available during those days. The Lord did not choose modern method to heal him. We read in II Kings 20:8 'And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?' This verse is contradicting as to why Hezekiah was asking for a sign because he was healed already in verse 7. Since that illness of boils could not be cured through medicine that is the reason he asked for a sign. We read in II Kings 5:14, Naaman was healed instantly from his leprosy and his skin was completely changed like a skin of a child. Therefore, since Hezekiah did not receive instant healing like Naaman he asked for a sign. We read in II Kings 20:11 'And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.' The Lord worked out a first miracle where he healed Hezekiah from his sickness. Now in order to manifest it outwardly and to strengthen his faith, the Lord worked out another miracle where he brough the shadow ten degrees backwards. In the scriptures, we have numerous instances where the Lord has sent a sign and fulfilled his promises (Gen 9:12-17, Ex 4:1-9 12:12-12 31:12-13, I Kings 13:1-3). The Lord worked our a supernatural sign to strengthen the faith of Hezekiah. Amen.
Escape the rain Genesis 6:17-18 'And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.' We all have nice experiences during rainy season. Many people enjoy getting drenched in the rain and they even play in the rain. We also make paper boats and enjoy during rainy days. However when we get older, we do not like this experience of getting drenched or playing in the rain as it becomes a boring activity. When there is less rain, there is fun. When there is unlimited or heavy rainfall, there is destruction. In the scripture, Noah is a rain expert. We will meditate on certain experiences in his life and see how we can escape from rain. Through rainfall the Lord has given us blessings but at the same time he has also given judgements. In the modern era, we have the concept called cloud seeding to bring artificial rain. Although man has figured out how to start a rain but he does not know how to stop it. In the scripture, we can see how the Lord brings his people in he judgement through rains. During the times of Noah, there was great rain and heavy floods. For the entire world the rain was a judgement and destruction. But for Noah, the rain was a salvation. Even in our lives, the situations that brought a destruction to others, the same situation will give us salvation when we lean upon the Lord. Grace in God's eyes Genesis 6:8 'But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.' When we find the grace of the Lord we shall escape from destruction. Noah was the only person who found grace in the sight of the Lord. In today's world, we are constantly seek favour in the eyes of men. We seek assistance or recognition from them. Also we have a great fear where people will cast their evil eye upon us. We read in Genesis 6:9 'These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.' This is the reason why Noah found grace in the eyes of God. Noah walked with the Lord himself. We should earn a testimony like Noah. The experience of walking with God is when we talk to the Lord. It is the experience of speaking with the Lord in prayer. The life of Noah seemed very simple and normal. He was walking with God. The Lord changed his normal life into something extraordinary. Noah was not born few days before the flood but he was 600 years old during the flood. For hundreds of years he kept walking with the Lord. Since he spent more time with the Lord, Noah gets the same character of the Lord. When we spend more time with the Lord, we will be unique. We read in Acts 4:13 'Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.' Looking at Peter and John, people got to know that they are with Jesus. When we follow the Lord, our primary calling is to spend time with the Lord. When we spend with him and walk with the Lord, we will get the boldness. It is good that we do many things in ministry, but it is also important to spend time with the Lord. Therefore, we require grace of the Lord to escape from rain and we can get that through walking and spending time with the Lord. Follow his commands Genesis 7:5 'And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.' Secondly, we need to follow his commands to escape from the rains. When we do so, the Lord saves us from the destruction. We see Noah does exactly what was instructed by the Lord. During his times, he had no Bible as a blue print. Noah was not selective in following the commands. He did all that was commanded to him. In Genesis 6:13-21, clearly explains the command he received from the Lord and also clear instructions on how his family should lead a new life post floods. The Lord spoke to Noah how their future is going to be. The Lord also tells Noah how he should construct the Ark meticulously and also spoke to him who all should be with Noah inside the ark. What are the three things we need to lead a blessed life? 1. A counsel on how we should face the future. 2. A counsel who all should be there with us and how to lead a life with him. 3. A counsel on how to establish the work in the future. Even in our lives, we are worried about the future. We might be worried about how we are going to handle certain people in the future. Start reading the word of the Lord and act accordingly. When we read the word of the Lord, it will clearly dictate us on how we need to handle things. We just need to follow his command concerning his future. Stay in the ark Genesis 7:23 '.. and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.' Finally to escape the rain, we need to stay inside the ark. The ark represents the house of the Lord. During the times of calamity, we need to seek refuge in the ark of the Lord. When we stay in the place where the Lord has planted us, we can escape from the rain. Though it is not easy but it is important and necessary. It is very key that we remain in the church that the Lord has kept us. We need to remain in the fellowship of the saints. Noah stayed 377 days inside the ark which is more than a year. When Noah and his family were inside the ark they were given protection and were provided. But also they were given responsibilities. Even in our lives, do not abandon the fellowship of the Church due to temporary hardships. We should not be just spectators in the church but we need to take responsibilities. We need to do the ministry together as a church. The Lord has called us to do his ministry to serve him. The ark was a safe place because everyone inside had a responsibility and fulfilled their duty well. In Exodus 35:21 'And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.' If you have the desire to support the ministry, you can immediately proceed. The Lord will change us people who are building the ark and remain inside the ark. Amen.
Loved by God I John 4:11 'Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.' Here the verse indicate the Lord God has loved us hence we need to love one another. When we show the love towards others, there will be a selfish motive. But the Lord has loved us without any expectations. It reveals the loving nature of God the father. We read in John 3:16 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' We need to understand that the Lord loves us so much. Jesus shows us the example of God the father loving us selflessly. Therefore Jesus desires for those who receive the father's love to become more like him. Since we received the love of the father, it is expected of us to love the Lord. We read in Romans 8:28 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.' Although God loved us without any expectation yet we will receive all good things when we love him back. Everything will work together for good when we love the Lord. There are few saints in the bible who are loved by the Lord. We shall meditate how the love of the Lord has changed the evil into good in their lives. SOLOMON II Samuel 12:24 '..and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.' The Lord began loving Solomon from when he was born. This is the reason why he received blessing after blessing in his life. Since Solomon found favour from his birth, prophet Nathan was sent to name him. We read in II Samuel 12:25 'And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.' The name Jedidiah means the beloved of Yah. It was a reflection of his father David's name which means beloved. The unity of this name denotes the continuing love of God from David to Solomon's dynasty. In I Kings 3:12 'Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.' From reading this verse we understand that Lord loved Solomon and so he did everything according to his words. What more we want in this world, if the Lord could do whatever we say? The Lord is approving everything for Solomon and also the Lord gave him incomparable wisdom. When we put God first, the Lord will add everything in our lives according to Matthew 6:33. The life is Solomon is beautiful but also gives us caution that we should not abandon the love of God. We read in I Kings 3:14 'And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.' The Lord gave all the blessings to Solomon but with a condition. No matter how much God loves us, we need to ensure to follow his commandments and statutes. When we fail to love our God and fail to keep his commandments, our blessings will be in question. We read in I Kings 11:6 'And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.' Unlike David, the ways of Solomon were not righteous in the sight of God thus his destruction began. When we read I Kings 11:9 , the loving God warned him twice yet he turned his heart away from God. His life is a big lesson to all of us. It is true the Lord is ever loving, but the question is are we faithful? Are we faithful to the blessings we received from the Lord? How is our love found? Are we loving the Lord whole heartedly ? LAZARUS John 11:5,36 'Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!' Here we people have witnessed how much Jesus loved Lazarus. The entire family of Lazarus was loved by Jesus. And they faced same troubles and afflictions like the worldly people. We read in John 11:4 'When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.' Here we see Jesus was apprised that Lazarus was sick. However Jesus says the sickness was not unto death but for he glory of God to be revealed. Jesus says there is a difference between the troubles others face and the troubles we face. The troubles faced by others will be unfavourable. But for them who are loved by the Lord may face some problems but in the end the glory of the Lord will be revealed. Amidst of all our trials and troubles, we will witness the glory of the Lord. We read in Exodus 1:19 'And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.' The children of the Lord are strong. We need to keep confessing this statement. In John 11:15 'And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.' When we go through tough situations, we need to understand that Lord allows certain situations so that our faith is grown. There can be situations which we do not understand why it is happening in our lives. In John 11:40 'Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?' We need to believe that the Lord has permitted this situation to grow our faith and should be ready to witness his glory. Truly speaking, when we believe we shall see the glory of the Lord. In John 12:9,10 '' Here we see many people gathered there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus. The Lord changed Lazarus as a vessel to reveal his glory. History tells us that Lazarus lived boldly for Jesus till the end of his life by enduring many sufferings and glorifying the Lord through all situations. Through Lazarus many kept their faith and believed in Lord Jesus. Many people invested their faith in Jesus through Lazarus who is loved by the Lord. Since we the children of the Lord who are loved by the Lord should represent Christ. We need to drive people to Christ. We should not be a stumbling block to others. We need to be an example and a testimony to the glory of the Lord. Amen.
Eyes of the Lord Deuteronomy 11:12 'A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.' As per the above passage, we see the eyes of the Lord are set upon the land and that is the key reason why it is blessed. The eyes of the Lord are focussed on us. If there is any set backs or issues in our family, the eyes of the Lord will see it and it will take care of us. The Lord who is watching us knows everything about our lives. The eyes of the Lord is fully aware of the current expenses as well as the upcoming expenses in our lives. The Lord will lead us in such a way that our needs are met. Today, we need to pray that our family should always be in the centre of his observation. In this world, we desire that some people's eyes should not fall on us. The eyes of the man always creates trouble for us. When the Lord's eyes are set on us, we will receive all the blessings. We read in II Chronicles 16:9 'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. ' The eyes of the Lord is running to and fro throughout the land to give his strength to his children. We shall meditate on the blessings we will receive when the eyes of the Lord is set on us. Remove affliction II Samuel 16:12 'It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.' Here we see about King David as he goes through a very difficult situation where he is chased by his own son. David requests the Lord to see his affliction and expects the Lord to repay him for good for his curse. The Lord not only removes the affliction but also fills us with his goodness. In II Samuel 15:14 'And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.' David was going through a situation which is very uncommon. He was chased by his own son. In the passage we see David is fleeing to save his own life from his own blood, his own son. During situations like this, we might wonder if the Lord has forsaken us. We may not understand why God permits certain things in our lives. We need to believe that the Lord is watching over all the affliction we are going through in our lives. Amidst of his affliction, the Lord strengthened David to declare in faith saying 'the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.' In II Samuel 15:31 'And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.' Here we see David offers a small prayers when he heard the news regarding Ahithophel. David did not complain or worry he prayed to the Lord. When we read further, we can see the Lord changed the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. During difficult situation, we need make declarations of faith and a prayer of faith. The Lord honoured the faith by answering the prayer of David. Rewards the faithful heart I Samuel 16:7 'But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.' In the above passage, we see the Lord looks at the heart. A man may fail to understand us but the Lord looks into our heart. David was not regarded or respected in his family. He was looking after the sheep whereas his seven brothers were presented before Samuel. We read in I Samuel 16:11 'And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.' David who was tending the sheep of his father was chosen by the Lord. Everyone saw David as a child but the Lord saw him as a King. This is the privilege the Lord gives to someone who is very faithful in their work. We read in Matthew 25:21 'His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' We also read in I Samuel 17:28 ' And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.' In this passage we read David was faithful in few the Lord gave him. It is very important that we are faithful over few things as the Lord is watching over us. The Lord did not want David to tend the sheep but he wanted him to rule over the people. When we read in Luke 15:11-32, we can understand the parable of the repented son. His life began as a master ended as a servant. He began as a wealthy man but ended as a pauper. He began in luxury but ended in slavery. The life of David reveals that God sees the faithfulness of his heart. We read in I Samuel 10:24 'And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.' Previously when Samuel anointed Saul, there was none like him as he was tall and had a good stature. But when Samuel anoints David he might have been doubtful seeing the appearance of David. But the Lord saw his faithful heart. The Lord protected Samuel that he did not misjudge and anoint his brothers. More than the outward appearance and strength the Lord sees the faithfulness of heart. We read in Proverbs 4:23 'Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.' Today we need to ask the Lord why he has chosen you when there are better people in the family ? Did the Lord consider our skills and appearance ? The measurement or criteria of the Lord is different. In I Samuel 16:13 'Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.' This is the reward of his faithfulness. The Lord saw his faithfulness and rewards his faithful heart. The spirit of the Lord remained with David and never departed from him. In the scripture when we read I Samuel 10:6,10 and in I Samuel 11:6 , the Lord descended on Saul twice but he left. Also in Judges 14:6,19 15:14 - The Lord descended on Samson three times to complete his work and then left. However in David's case, the Lord never departed from him. The Lord will look into the faithful heart and he will remain in us. May the Lord look on our hearts and continue to dwell on us. Amen.
Take off Sandals Exodus 3:5 'And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' In the above passage we see the Lord gives a command to Moses to put off his shoes. This incident took place in a very important time in the life of Moses. It was the time where the Lord leads Moses into his ministry and it becomes a turning point in his life. He was around 80 years in the time where he experiences the experience of burning bush. It is a common thing to see a bush burning due to hot weather conditions but here the bush was burning with fire but it was not consumed. Here Moses gets an experience of hearing the voice of the Lord and knowing the will of the Lord. The Lord instructs him to take off his sandals as the place where he stands is holy. In the scripture, we can spot the usage of Sandals in many places where it symbolises certain meanings. We read in Genesis 14:22-23 'And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.' Also in Ruth 4:7 'Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.' And we read in John 1:27 'He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.' When we read all these verses, we can see they have used sandals to convey certain truths symbolically. Even colloquially, we use the term sandals when we scold others. Sandals always carry a good amount of dirt and dust in them. But it has been used in the scripture to convey important things in the bible. How does removing sandals look like in our life? Humility Exodus 3:5 'And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' Over here the Lord speaks about the experience of humility. Moses had many things in his life to boast himself. He had a royal education, training and skill set which differentiated himself from others. We can imagine the knowledge he possessed in the kingdom of Egypt. Moses was brought up in a affluent background. Before we are exalted we must be humble. In the Hebrew culture, the servants used to remove their shoes when they work. Similarly, the Lord asked him to take off his shoes when he was called to do the ministry of the Lord. Also when we read the verse the Lord asks him not to draw closer. However the Lord expects his children to draw closer to him. Bible scholars say, there is difference between nearness and familiarity. Many times we do not value something which is near to us because it has become familiar. The Lord asks him to come near him and not to become so familiar with him. Many times we do not feel the value of certain things when it has become familiar to us. When we have this kind of behaviour or mindset, we need to have an experience of humility as it will lead us to pride. Also when Moses was called to do the ministry, he gives all wrong reasons saying he is slow of speech and tongue. Moses lists down all his weakness but this is not humility. He utters all these words out of fear. Therefore disqualifying ourselves is not a sign of humility. Moses was asked to take off his sandals to receive that humility. God's Presence Exodus 3:5 'And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' Here we see an awareness of God's presence. The Lord teaches him the experience of knowing the presence of the Lord. The word of the Lord reminded him that the place he stands is not a normal place but a holy ground. Moses reaches that place out of curiosity to see what is going to happen but the Lord changed it as a place seeking the Lord. Moses realises that the presence of the Lord has surrounded him. In verse 3 we read he wanted to see a great sight of the bush however he receives the presence of the Lord in the later part. The presence of the Lord gave him boldness, a divine direction and strength. All these while he was scared in the wilderness he never went to Egypt to face the consequences. He was living his life without any direction. The presence of the Lord gave him boldness to face things and gave him a clear direction to move forward in his life. Above all the Lord strengthened him in the new path. As long as we have the promises of Lord we have the presence of the Lord in our lives. We read in Exodus 3:8 'And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.' The Lord gave a clear promise to Moses and reveals his plans and purpose. Moses knew the Lord will be with him until he fulfills the promises in his life. The Lord who has sent his promises will also send his presence. We read in Exodus 33:15 'And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.' Moses knew that without the presence of the Lord his journey will not be fruitful. From the time Moses was loner till he was leading the whole crowd, the presence of the Lord was with him. Letting go of the Past Exodus 3:5 'And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' The Lord teaches an experience of letting go of the past. The Lord brings a new beginning in the life of Moses. A new chapter or journey unfolds in his life. The shoes and sandals will have all the dirt where we remove them before entering inside the Church. When we remove all the sinful activities in the past and submit ourselves in the presence of the Lord we will witness a new phase in our lives. When Moses submits himself, he gets a new assignment and a leadership role to him. Moses had anger issues in his past where he took wrong decisions when he saw a Hebrew and Egyptian was fighting. Back in his royal life, his dreams and visions could have been different. He might have had many plans concerning Egypt. But the Lord asked him to let go of all such things and expects Moses to submit himself. The Lord is ready to give an experience of new beginning in our lives. We need to analyse the stumbling blocks and we should be ready to let go off those things. As per scripture, the days of our lives are seventy years and it can extend upto eighty due to strength. The Lord proved that he used Moses when he was eighty and started a new beginning in his life. The Lord led Moses and changed him as a leader in his life when he let go of his past. Amen.
Islands Isaiah 51:5 'My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.' In the above verse we read islands are waiting for the Lord and it is waiting in hope for the arm of the Lord. We can understand that Islands are waiting for the work of the Lord to be manifested in their lives. Usually, people who live in an island have a different mentality than others. Their ideology and behaviours will be different. These people will not socialize with others and will always feel lonely. Many people have this island mentality where they say they are isolated and no one to care about them. If these island mentality needs to change, we need to wait upon the Lord for his salvation. We are going to meditate the spiritual experiences found in three different islands and how the Lord will lead us through that experiences. Clauda Acts 27:15-16 'And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat.' Over here we can learn about Paul's voyage on a ship where he sadly describes about his experience in Clauda island. Here we can read they had so much work to come by the boat. In verse 14, we read about a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon. Since they cannot sail against the tempestuous wind their ship was caught. And they were sailing in the direction of wind. Even in our lives, we are not able to bear certain things that come against us. We are going in the way where life is taking us. Same way in that situation, they took all efforts to secure the ship. We read in Acts 27:10 'And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.' Before the voyage on a ship, Paul cautions the people by giving his counsel on what is going to happen. However, they ignored his counsel and begins their journey. It was a word of caution, they were troubled hearing the word of the Lord. When we read Acts 27:11-12, we can see they trusted the counsel of the captain of the ship and others over the counsel of Paul, the man of God. When we read Acts 27:13 'And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.' Looking at the soft winds they had concluded they were safe and their counsels were working right. However, their happiness was short lived. We read in verse 14 'But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.' Everything will seem fine when we despise the counsel of God but let us not forget that there is a danger that awaits. Even in our lives, there are a lot of people to give counselling. We cannot do something thinking that majority of the people are supporting that activity. It is very important that we need to wait upon the Lord. We need to act according the counsel of the Lord. Even in the ship, they used all their calculation and efforts. They took a decision neglecting the counsel of the man of God. They faced a great loss despite great efforts and precautionary measures. They lost all the hopes of survival. In this island, we learn how to surrender to the will of the Lord and not an intelligence of a man. Malta Acts 28:1 'And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.' Here we see they did not reach this destination as per plan. The ship reached here accidentally due to the strong winds. In verse 28:11, we can understand they stayed in the island of Malta for three months due to shipwreck. We read in Acts 28:3 'And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.' After the shipwreck they reached the shore and they were warming themselves. When Paul was gathering the bundle of sticks a viper bit him. Satan was trying to destroy them in the ship through rough winds and now through viper. However Paul shook off the viper into the fire, and felt no harm. Paul saw it as an insect not as a snake. Paul did not run away seeing the snake. This situation might be a negative one but it is used to reveal the work of the Lord. It becomes a foundation for the Lord to continue his work. People who witnessed the incident thought he was God. The Lord used the unfavourable situation and showcases the people that he was with Paul. As we see the work the Lord in our lives, it encourages us to believe that God is able to do even greater miracles. By the work of the Lord, our faith will be strengthened in adverse situations. Looking at the shipwreck and his stay in malta, Paul might have though to himself that no work is happening in his ministry for three months. We read in Acts 28:8 'And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.' Publius is the governor of Malta and he was chief officer who took care of him for three days. While Paul was visiting them, Publius's father was sick and of a bloody flux. Paul laid his hands on him and healed him. The Lord revealed his healing through Paul during his course of stay in Malta. Whether it is a small or big disease, the Lord can heal though an earnest prayer. The power of the Lord will be revealed through our prayer and it will bring healing. We learn a lesson in Malta that prayer of faith reveals the power of the Lord and it will heal great sicknesses. Patmos Revelation 1:9 'I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.' We see John was tormented for preaching the doctrine of the Lord. Apostle John was deported to Patmos which was 112KM away from Ephesus. The island of Patmos is located near present day Turkey as a tree less deserted rock island. It is very difficult to reside in that rock island till date. Amidst of such torments and fatal situations, the work of the Lord never ceased. The divine revelations concerning the end of times were received on that island. The rapture of Jesus, second coming and prophetic heavenly happenings were revealed to John. All these things were revealed in tough situations and not at favourable situations. Without the book of revelations, the Bible would have been incomplete. Even in our lives, we need the revelation of how God is leading us and how he is going to lead us. We might face island like situations which are fatal and cruel. The Lord will change our situations with the revelations of the Lord. The Lord will clearly provide his timeliness and we will witness his divine work. The Lord will reveal why we are called and chosen. All our suspicions , doubts will change into clear revelations. We learn from this island that it gives a revelation that we may feel many tribulations but our future is in the hands of the Lord. Amen.
Wise David I Samuel 18:14 'And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.' The above verse acts as a testimony about David. It is very imperative we lead a wise living. The beauty of the scripture is that it records both the success as well as his failures of David. We see David was not wise in one particular aspect of his life but in the verse we read he was wise in all his ways. This chapter records three times concerning the wisdom of David in different circumstances. When we say to act wisely it signifies we act with prudence. When we read chapter 17, we can learn about David's victory against Goliath. After his victory, David faces a lot of changes in his life and he acted wisely in different situations. Wisdom in authority I Samuel 18:5 'And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.' Here we see read David behaved wisely wherever Saul sent him. And he was also carried out things in a wise manner. Many people have good intentions but when they put them in action it will not prosper. Under the authority of Saul, David was wise. Since David acted wisely, he found favour in the sight of Saul's servants. Also he was given an authority due to his wise behaviour. If we require favour from our authorities, we need to obey them and act wisely. When we are in a leadership positions, we need to have a the experience of learning and sharing our experiences to others. Bible scholars suggest David secured this position in a very young age. Since David acted wisely, the Lord gave him exaltations. There is a formula found in the life of David - Wisdom, Obedience and exaltation. He acted wisely and submitted himself which led him to great heights in his life. Even in our lives, we are waiting for promotions in our job. We need to analyse if we are true to the current role we are working on. We need to ensure we act with the wisdom the Lord gave us and we need to obey to our authorities/bosses. We can say we are working under a very toxic work culture or working under a tough boss. In the scripture, David was working under a horrible boss. Saul was doing everything against David as he hated him so much. Yet David acted wisely in his work. In the verse we can see he was accepted in the sight of all the people. Therefore, when we act wise in our current position the Lord will exalt us by giving us favour in the sight of people. Wisdom in adversity I Samuel 18:13-14 'Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.' Initially we saw David was in a good position where Saul set him over the men of war. However in the above verse he was demoted. From place of exaltation he was pushed back in his life. Yet he behaved himself wisely in all his ways. When we was facing lacks and oppositions, he continued acting wisely. The Lord God was with him during this difficult situation. In verse 12, we see Saul was afraid of David as the Lord was with him. The fact that the Lord was with David gave two reactions. One, it gave wisdom to David. Two, it made Saul getting afraid of David. In this phase, we can read Saul had everything with him. He was good looking, he had his own kingdom and what not. But he did not have the experience where the Lord was with him. David on the other hand had nothing. The Lord gave him abundant exaltation as he was with David. As per the scripture, Saul attempted to kill David for eleven times by sending men against him or tried to smite with spear. We read in the scripture, Saul's spear missed to kill David two times. David would have killed Saul using the same spear as he previously defeats bear, lion , Goliath and Philistines many times. But he did not so. David was going through a difficult phase in his life yet he did not intend to kill Saul. Amidst of adversity, David acted wisely and did not lay his hands on Saul. He chose wisdom over anger in times of adversities. If the Lord is with us, he will fight for us. We read in I Samuel 18:28 'And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David..' Looking at the way how David is handling the situation, Saul knew the Lord was with David. Even in our lives, we might face difficult situations. We need to seek the wisdom of the Lord in our adverse situations. Wisdom in popularity I Samuel 18:30 'Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.' We see David gained popularity among the people. Everybody loved him and they sang songs for David. His name was honoured among the people. David had a lot of opportunities to choose the path of pride but he chose the path of wisdom. He chose to be a wise man. Even in our lives, wherever we are planted by the Lord in this world we need to act with wisdom. People around us should testify concerning us. Humility is the key to popularity. Jesus is the greatest role model to all of us how we need to act humble. We the children of God should not act humble but we need to be humble at heart. Bible scholar suggest David kept taking the heart and mind of a shepherd. There is a difference between an identity and reputation. Identity refers to how we see ourselves whereas reputation is what others think of us. When we confuse identity with reputation it might create trouble. Our identity should be always rooted in Christ. In verse 23, David refers to him as lightly esteemed man. Later in verse 30, we read his name was much set by. He was made a highly esteemed man. Even in our lives, we may underestimate us. When we act wisely in all kinds of situations, our name will be made great. The Lord will exalt his children. Amen.
Do not be a stumbling block I Corinthians 8:13 'Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.' Apart from preaching the doctrines in his epistle, Paul also speaks about a behavioral changes that we need to have in our lives. Paul says if certain works or practices that we do on a daily basis hinders someone, we need to abstain from doing it. If our works looks to be a stumbling block to other people, we need to stop it. Though it may not be a sin, if that causes the other person stumble, we must abstain from doing it. Due to our activities, it might impact another believer who is saved and redeemed by the Lord. We read in Matthew 18:7 'Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!' The verse clearly says woe to that man who creates an offence which is creating stumble in this instance. Like for instance there are people with broken bones because of the banana peel that we threw in the streets. Though we do not realize it is a big sin, other people are getting impacted due our behaviour. We read in Romans 14:16 'Let not then your good be evil spoken of.' We must avoid the good things that may be interpreted as evil. Let is abstain from these offenses mentioned in the scripture. Faithfulness in Finance Matthew 17:27 'Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.' Over here we can see tax collectors asked Peter if their teacher pay taxes or not. Jesus did not intend to offend them as he gives instruction to Peter instead. Jesus emphasizes on how important it is to be faithful when it comes to finances. Jesus instructs his disciples to be faithful in money matters that we do not make other stumble. Even in our lives, as a responsible citizens of this country we need to pay our taxes. We need to be faithful as Jesus. We should not be a stumbling block when it comes to finances. When we are not faithful in handling our finances, people who are impacted will stumble and they will end up leaving the church. The Lord shed his blood for each and every soul in the church. If our actions are offending them and chasing them away from the church, who is responsible? Our walk should not make others stumble. Our life should not act as a hindrance to others. If your offences had chased people away from the church, we need to reconcile with them. We need to ensure we bring them back to our church. Faithfulness in Truth John 6:61 'When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?' Here we see disciples who heard the doctrines stumbled. When they could not handle the harsh truths they were offended. In this chapter we see Jesus is sharing many deep secrets and revelations for his disciples which becomes very hard for them to digest. They stumbled and complained because they could not believe his teaching on eternal life. Even in our lives, when pastor starts preaching in the church, Satan will try to deviate us from listening to the doctrines. In John 6:41-44, 48-54 we see Jesus clearly teaches concerning his divinity. We read in John 6:68-69 'Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' After teaching his doctrines, Jesus saw many of the disciples went back complaining. But Peter gives a response to Jesus which made him happy. Jesus is looking for those who will listen to his teachings. Jesus looks for people like Peter who can make him happy. We read in Colossians 1:28 'Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.' The primary duty of any church is to be preach the doctrines as per the scripture and the ones who listen to the doctrines should learn and grow in Christ. May we remain faithful and perfect in doctrine and prepare to meet Jesus. Faithfulness in Spiritual Children Matthew 18:6 'But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' This verse clearly explains the damnation of a person who creates others stumble. When we read Matthew 18:2 , Jesus brings a small child and teaches a lesson to the people. Little ones represent those who are young in faith. Due to the activities that we do, they will be impacted easily. They would stumble over small things. Children use to learn very quickly and it is very easy to teach them. We must tell children only the things they need to know or they will stumble easily. Today we need to analyse ourselves if we are teaching our children with the right things. We need to ensure we do not share unwanted things to the children. Our activities should not stumble not only others but also our own family and children. We should not disrupt peace in church and other peoples lives. We need to be careful in our speech , activity and walk. We read in Matthew 18:10 'Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.' Let us not think lowly of anyone. Not only our activities, we need to be clean in our mind. We should not despise anyone. We need to consider everyone else bigger than us. Let us not stumble anyone and be a blessing to others. Amen.
David's time of trial I Samuel 23:1 'Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.' David went through a lot of ordeal and struggles in his life. He travelled in the path of trials and suffering yet the hand of the Lord never departed from him. In the above passage we read David was apprised about a shocking information that Philistines have robbed Keilah. However when we read from verses 1-5, we can clearly understand how he rescues Keilah from the Philistines. We can meditate what are all the trials he went through when he redeems his people. Although the chapter begins with a bad note, the Lord gave a massive victory within five verses and ends with a good note. We read in I Samuel 16:13 'Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward..' From this verse we understand that David had not been appointed as a king over Israel in an authorised form in front of all the people in the land. However the responsibility to be as a King came directly through the anointing of the Lord. It pushed him to do something to save the land of Israel. People might have thought to himself that Saul is the King over Israel and let him handle the current situation of Keilah getting robbed by the Philistines. These people could have told David not to take any actions as people in the land will understand the incompetence of Saul to handle the situation. But David did not think in such a way, he faces the battle with the courage and strength given by the Lord God. He proves his responsibility before he became a King. It is indeed a lesson to all of us how David receives the victory and how he handled situations at the time of trial. Let us meditate and learn from the careful steps that David took and receive victory over trials. Counsel from God I Samuel 23:2 'Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.' Here we read that David seeks the approval from the Lord. David sought the counsel of the Lord and ensures he does not do anything against the will of the Lord. In this verse we can see David makes a supplication to the Lord and in the same verse the Lord approves his request. Even in our lives, we need to seek the counsel of the Lord and he must avoid acting against the will of the Lord. Let us not do things in our own fashion and desire. The Lord expects his children to seek his divine counselling. If we act carelessly, Satan might overcome us. We read in Psalm 112:7 'He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.' When we fear the Lord, we will not be afraid of any bad news. A god fearing person will always lean upon the Lord. He will trust in the Lord alone and he will be very courageous. The Lord is always there with him to deliver him. We read in Psalm 112:6 'Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.' No evil things or tidings can shake the person who trusts in the Lord. Many people are in depression on hearing many evil news. Due to this depression, it strains their energy and impacts them physically. In order to come out of depression, we need to keep listening to the word of the Lord and secondly we need to life a live trusting on the Lord. During difficult situations, we need to seek the counsel of the Lord and we need to do the right thing. When we trust in the Lord, we shall overcome trials in our lives. Courage from God I Samuel 23:3 'And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?' Over here we see about the confessions of people who were with David. They were apprehensive about going to the battle as the evil news brought distress on him. They clearly explained their situation and tells David they are sore afraid. They are worried saying what more would become of them if they go to Keilah. When Satan brings unwanted fears in our lives, we need to be reminded that the Lord can deliver us. Fear is the step of defeat. When we are scared, we give room for Satan to ruin us. We read I Samuel 23:4 'Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.' On hearing what people said, David enquires to the Lord again as fear gripped the people. David was not at all hesitant to enquire the Lord repeatedly. When David enquired the Lord initially in verse 2, the Lord answered to him and ask him to go attack Philistines and save Keilah. However, when David enquired on the Lord again in verse 4, the Lord answers that he will deliver Philistines in his hands. The Lord assured him that he will pitch in and do things for him. This strengthened David in that situation and it gave him courage. Even in our lives, the Lord will change his stand to encourage his children. The Lord will attempt to train us to go to battles but we should not say NO to the Lord. By the courage of the Lord, we will obtain victories in our lives. Gift from God I Samuel 23:5 'So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.' In the path of trails, the hand of the Lord was with them and it gave them victory. David leaned upon the Lord alone and it fetched him victory. Like how they robbed off Keilah, we read a similar situation in Judges 6:4 'And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.' It seems to be a usual practice where the enemies will rob the threshing floor by destroying the produce of the earth. But the Lord gave David a victory in such a way that even Philistines were robbed off in the same way. In the scripture we read, Philistines were robbing only the threshing floor. During the battle, the children of the Lord took back even their flock and livestock. This is the gift that they received the Lord. The children of the Lord might have felt that they had lost everything but the Lord restored not only what they lost but gave them gifts. We read in Ephesians 3:20 'Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.' David leaned on the Lord during trials. He not only came out overcoming the trials but was satisfied with the gifts of the Lord. Amen.
