@ Etude- Consistency
Because Abraham listened to and obeyed My voice and consistently kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Genesis 26 v 5
Abraham habitually listened, persistently obeyed the voice of God as he had built up a relationship of trust with the Lord. Likewise, the first thing we need to do is to listen carefully. If we listen carefully and obey fully, we will be greatly blessed. We will be blessed with descendants or successors and they, too will be blessed like the stars of the heavens or in an immeasurable, infinite way as only the Lord God can. Such a great promise and pattern of consistent obedience should inspire each of us to also listen carefully, obey fully and keep the precepts, principles, patterns indicated in the word of God.
Abraham did not listen, obey, keep the Word off and on or in fits and starts but on a consistent basis, implying day after day, way after way. His consistency of attitude was what pleased the Lord and won His favour. An outstanding faith of this kind is the sure basis or foundation of a life of outstanding leadership and influence. People become inconsistent in life as they listen to many voices, the voice of peers, the voice of kith and kin, the voice of the enemy, the voices of the world. Abraham also failed once when he listened to the voice of fear and thought that he would be killed if he told Pharaoh that Sarah was his wife. He lied to protect himself, saying that she was his sister. Interestingly, the sin is repeated by his son Isaac many years later when he went into the land of a local chief Abimelech.
Habituating ourselves to a lifestyle of listening to the voice of God, His word will lead us to an attitude of obedience, a consistent pattern of conforming to the word and not the world. When we are so consistent, we will experience the great power, grace and many evidences of the outworking of the Lord in our lives. Abraham lived in the age of faith or waiting for the good news of salvation but we now live in the age of the gospel. Our sensitivity and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit on a consistent basis will determine our spiritual success, the completion of the journey we have begun in and with the Lord.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Friday, June 28, 2019
@Etude- Selling One's Soul
UV @ Etude- Selling One ‘s Soul
Jacob said, “ Swear an oath to me today that you are selling it to me for this food”;so he swore an oath to him, and sold him his birthright.
Genesis 25 v 33
Esau in order to satisfy the need of the present, a physical need of hunger, was willing to sell his future- his birthright. Jacob tempted him with a meal of bread and lentils even as the enemy of our souls tempts us to sell our souls for something far less valuable- satisfaction of some physical needs in this world. We should not exchange eternity for anything earthly. Rather, we should value eternal life which is knowing Christ over every knowledge, riches, pleasures, powers of this world. We ought not to make the Faustian choice of mortgaging our souls for prominence, pleasure or power that we want to enjoy in this world. Instead, like the Psalmist we must find all our pleasures at the right hand of the Lord, implying that we will be content to enjoy only what the Lord has willed and purposed for us. Anything else would only bring long term pain, distress and unhappiness into our lives even as it brought the curse of sin into the life of Esau.
For a pot of food, Esau lost his spiritual inheritance that passed onto Jacob. He had not disciplined himself to obey the dictates of his soul or inner being rather than the desires of his appetite. This is the reason Daniel found value in preferring boiled vegetables over the rich feast of the king’s table. He trained his appetite through fasting and prayer to obey the higher calling of his soul. Due to such spiritual training and lifelong discipline, he was not tempted by the king’s offer of much wealth and reward if he interpreted rightly his dream. We too need to train our souls not to obey the baser instincts but chose the path of nobility, generosity, sacrifice and self discipline. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome our own baser instincts or lusts and pride. Since our own knowledge and wisdom is limited while His is not, we should listen to His voice every time and make a choice.
The Word of God tells us that we have a choice to make all the time, all the days of our lives of either life or death, success or failure, happiness or sorrow, blessings or curses. Like Daniel, Joseph and other biblical heroes, we need to make consistent choices in conformity with the pattern or model of the word and not that of the world. Sinful choices engender short term pleasure but long term and eternal pain.
Jacob said, “ Swear an oath to me today that you are selling it to me for this food”;so he swore an oath to him, and sold him his birthright.
Genesis 25 v 33
Esau in order to satisfy the need of the present, a physical need of hunger, was willing to sell his future- his birthright. Jacob tempted him with a meal of bread and lentils even as the enemy of our souls tempts us to sell our souls for something far less valuable- satisfaction of some physical needs in this world. We should not exchange eternity for anything earthly. Rather, we should value eternal life which is knowing Christ over every knowledge, riches, pleasures, powers of this world. We ought not to make the Faustian choice of mortgaging our souls for prominence, pleasure or power that we want to enjoy in this world. Instead, like the Psalmist we must find all our pleasures at the right hand of the Lord, implying that we will be content to enjoy only what the Lord has willed and purposed for us. Anything else would only bring long term pain, distress and unhappiness into our lives even as it brought the curse of sin into the life of Esau.
For a pot of food, Esau lost his spiritual inheritance that passed onto Jacob. He had not disciplined himself to obey the dictates of his soul or inner being rather than the desires of his appetite. This is the reason Daniel found value in preferring boiled vegetables over the rich feast of the king’s table. He trained his appetite through fasting and prayer to obey the higher calling of his soul. Due to such spiritual training and lifelong discipline, he was not tempted by the king’s offer of much wealth and reward if he interpreted rightly his dream. We too need to train our souls not to obey the baser instincts but chose the path of nobility, generosity, sacrifice and self discipline. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome our own baser instincts or lusts and pride. Since our own knowledge and wisdom is limited while His is not, we should listen to His voice every time and make a choice.
The Word of God tells us that we have a choice to make all the time, all the days of our lives of either life or death, success or failure, happiness or sorrow, blessings or curses. Like Daniel, Joseph and other biblical heroes, we need to make consistent choices in conformity with the pattern or model of the word and not that of the world. Sinful choices engender short term pleasure but long term and eternal pain.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
The Attitude of Helpfulness
UV @ Etude- The Attitude of Helpfulness
And she quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, “Drink , and I will also water your camels”, so I drank, and she also watered the camels.
Genesis 24 v 46
Abraham had sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac. Eliezer had determined in his mind that the woman who gave him and his camels water would be the one chosen to be the bride for his master’s son, Isaac. Rebecca arrives at the well just after Eliezer and his caravan reached. As soon as he asked for water, Rebecca responded confirming that she was the one chosen by the Lord to be Isaac’s wife. Rebecca had developed an attitude and character of helpfulness and kindness. This is what made her outstanding and she found grace in the eyes of both the Lord and man( Eliezer).
Eliezer as a faithful servant of Abraham who regarded himself as a faithful servant of God Almighty had fulfilled the promise he had made to Abraham that he would find a bride for Isaac from among his relatives in Haran. Abraham had told Eliezer that the Lord would send an angel to give him a sign. Eliezer had no doubt in his mind when he saw the kindness and grace of the young woman Rebecca. He was further convinced when she told him that she belonged to the family of Abraham’s brother Nahor.
As followers of Jesus, we too must be Good Samaritans in our generation, always ready to help even a stranger, to meet the needs of people who approach us for help. If it is within our power to help, we should not withhold it from them. The Lord will see our faithfulness and reward us in due time as Abraham’s, Eliezer’s and Rebecca’s faith were rewarded. Rebecca’s kindness was a better ornament to her character than the jewels that Eliezer presented to her soon after it was confirmed that she was the chosen one. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control should be the ornament of our own character as we lead spirit-filled lives in Christ.
And she quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, “Drink , and I will also water your camels”, so I drank, and she also watered the camels.
Genesis 24 v 46
Abraham had sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for his son Isaac. Eliezer had determined in his mind that the woman who gave him and his camels water would be the one chosen to be the bride for his master’s son, Isaac. Rebecca arrives at the well just after Eliezer and his caravan reached. As soon as he asked for water, Rebecca responded confirming that she was the one chosen by the Lord to be Isaac’s wife. Rebecca had developed an attitude and character of helpfulness and kindness. This is what made her outstanding and she found grace in the eyes of both the Lord and man( Eliezer).
Eliezer as a faithful servant of Abraham who regarded himself as a faithful servant of God Almighty had fulfilled the promise he had made to Abraham that he would find a bride for Isaac from among his relatives in Haran. Abraham had told Eliezer that the Lord would send an angel to give him a sign. Eliezer had no doubt in his mind when he saw the kindness and grace of the young woman Rebecca. He was further convinced when she told him that she belonged to the family of Abraham’s brother Nahor.
As followers of Jesus, we too must be Good Samaritans in our generation, always ready to help even a stranger, to meet the needs of people who approach us for help. If it is within our power to help, we should not withhold it from them. The Lord will see our faithfulness and reward us in due time as Abraham’s, Eliezer’s and Rebecca’s faith were rewarded. Rebecca’s kindness was a better ornament to her character than the jewels that Eliezer presented to her soon after it was confirmed that she was the chosen one. Likewise, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control should be the ornament of our own character as we lead spirit-filled lives in Christ.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
@ Etude - Desperation
@ Etude – Desperation
Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “ Do not let me see the boy die”. And as she sat down opposite him, she raised her voice and wept.
Genesis 21 v 16
Hagar, the maid had been sent away by Abraham with just a skin bag of water. When the water ran out, she abandoned Ishmael under a bush and sat a little distance away, weeping in desperation. But God heard the voice of Ishmael and revealed to Hagar a well of water. They survived and Ishmael went on to become a strong archer. Ishmael further became the father of twelve tribes. God is faithful and fulfills His promise to different individuals. In our desperation, we tend to give up easily. But the hapless Hagar gives us an example of how God never gives up on us. He sustains us in our desert or wilderness experiences of life.
In times of desperation, the word of God is the well that sustains us. We need to drink deeply of its waters and strengthen ourselves. The Lord will surely hear our cry and come to our help whatever be our situation. Christ in us today as our Saviour and Lord is an indwelling well of hope. Christ in us is the hope of salvation. We do not have to despair but we only need to confide in Him. Hagar on an earlier occasion had run away from the house of Abraham as she could not bear the oppression she was subjected to by Sarah. At that time, the Lord had counselled her to return to the home of Abraham and submit to her mistress Sarah. Years later, Abraham was counselled by the Lord to listen to his wife Sarah and send Hagar and Ishmael away. But the Lord did not abandon Hagar and Ishmael. He gave them hope in a hopeless situation.
The word tells us that the Lord is sensitive to hear even our sighs and moans. He sends his angels to encourage us. He sends the Holy Spirit to comfort and encourage us in our distress. We only need to hold onto our faith and hang on. He gives us hope and a future. It was God who gave Ishmael the skills and strength of an archer so that he could sustain himself and his mother Hagar in the desert. Likewise, in all our most challenging situations of life, the Lord will provide what we need.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
@ Etude -Willingness to Obey
@Etude- Willingness to Obey
God said, “Take now your son, your only son of promise, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22 v 2
God had given an heir to the childless couple Abraham and Sarah. The son born out of this promise of God was named Isaac or “laughter” as he was the cause and source of joy in their lives. Yet, God was asking of Abraham that he sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham did not demur or hesitate. He prepared for the sacrifice even as he hoped in his heart that the Lord would provide an alternative to sacrifice. Often, the Lord tests our hearts by asking of us the very thing we are passionate about. At the crucial moment, God stayed the hand of Abraham as he was about to place his knife upon Isaac.
The attempted sacrifice of Isaac is itself a foreshadow of the sacrifice by God of His own and only begotten Son Jesus for the salvation of all mankind. The ram whose horns were entangled in the thorny bush which Abraham used in place of Isaac is itself a symbol of the Lamb of God, Jesus, provided by God since we have to pay too high a price to redeem ourselves. Today, our homes and hearts are the Moriah on which we need to place our sacrifices – willing and obedient hearts before the Lord.
God will test our faith to check if we are ready to sacrifice the source of our laughter or joy, the blessings we have received as a promise from the Lord. Like Abraham, we must be ready to place everything on the altar of the Lord for what have we but what we have received by the grace and mercy of the Lord. He who did not withhold His Son from us expects us to reciprocate His spirit of sacrifice. Abraham as he went through all the motions of preparing Isaac for the sacrifice held onto his faith that the Lord will provide.
God said, “Take now your son, your only son of promise, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22 v 2
God had given an heir to the childless couple Abraham and Sarah. The son born out of this promise of God was named Isaac or “laughter” as he was the cause and source of joy in their lives. Yet, God was asking of Abraham that he sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham did not demur or hesitate. He prepared for the sacrifice even as he hoped in his heart that the Lord would provide an alternative to sacrifice. Often, the Lord tests our hearts by asking of us the very thing we are passionate about. At the crucial moment, God stayed the hand of Abraham as he was about to place his knife upon Isaac.
The attempted sacrifice of Isaac is itself a foreshadow of the sacrifice by God of His own and only begotten Son Jesus for the salvation of all mankind. The ram whose horns were entangled in the thorny bush which Abraham used in place of Isaac is itself a symbol of the Lamb of God, Jesus, provided by God since we have to pay too high a price to redeem ourselves. Today, our homes and hearts are the Moriah on which we need to place our sacrifices – willing and obedient hearts before the Lord.
God will test our faith to check if we are ready to sacrifice the source of our laughter or joy, the blessings we have received as a promise from the Lord. Like Abraham, we must be ready to place everything on the altar of the Lord for what have we but what we have received by the grace and mercy of the Lord. He who did not withhold His Son from us expects us to reciprocate His spirit of sacrifice. Abraham as he went through all the motions of preparing Isaac for the sacrifice held onto his faith that the Lord will provide.
Monday, June 24, 2019
@ Etude -Compassion
@ Etude- Compassion
Then Abraham said, “ oh may the Lord not be angry with me and I will speak only this once; suppose ten righteous people are found there? And He said, “ I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”
Genesis 18 v 32
Abraham interceded for the people of Sodom whom God had marked for destruction. He pleaded that even if there are ten righteous people in the city, the Lord should not destroy it for their sake. We too need to have such a heart of compassion for our fellow beings, for humanity at large. Abraham stood in the gap between God and man and pleaded for the latter. His faith in the goodness of God enabled him to develop the courage to do so. It is compassion that moved Jesus to tears when He contemplated the destruction that was to come upon Jerusalem.
We cannot be indifferent to the fate of people around us. We need to have the sense of empathy that both Abraham and Jesus manifested in their prayers. We need to constantly uphold people before the Lord and ask for their forgiveness and salvation. Abraham was like an advocate for people before the Lord. Jesus is today our Advocate before the throne of the Lord. It is amazing that our compassion and prayers can alter the destiny of nations and cities. The Lord is moved and touched by our intercessory prayers for others.
To be deeply concerned that others be saved from judgment is a mark of the follower of Jesus. A good portion of our prayer life should be devoted to intercessory prayers for others. The Holy Spirit will teach us how to plead for their lives. He will also communicate our sense of compassion to the Lord. It is the focus of the Lord to save as many as possible. He is pleased when we become partners with Him in Project Redemption by interceding fervently and persistently for souls.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
@ Etude- Call to Leave One's Comfort Zone
@ Etude- Call to Leave One’s Comfort Zone
Now in Haran, the Lord had said to Abram, “ Go away from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.”
Genesis 12 v 1
Abram was asked to leave his native place, his comfort zone and move to a new land shown to him by the Lord. Very often in life, the Lord will also ask us to move out of our comfort zone to a new place or experience, a challenge zone where our reliance or dependence on Him would increase. It might have been a wrenching and painful experience for Abram to leave his father, his relatives and everything he had known from childhood behind him. But he did not hesitate in obeying the call and will of the Lord. It was his attitude of implicit trust in the word, wisdom and will of God that enabled him to obey the call.
The Lord promised to bless Abram in the new unfamiliar territory into which he was asked to journey into. Abram moved with his family hundreds of miles away from his known and familiar native place of Haran. Soon after he reached the country of Judah, he experienced a famine. This did not deter or discourage Abram. He did not complain to the Lord and ask why was he facing these difficulties despite being obedient and faithful to the Lord. He did not know the entire roadmap of the journey the Lord had called him to undertake. He was content to know what to do next. The Lord asked him to take refuge during the famine in Egypt.
A life of faith often requires us to move away from our comfort zone into a new and unfamiliar challenge zone where our dependence on the Lord is tested. The Lord will strengthen our faith through tests and trials. Abram trusted the Lord to do what was best for him and did not doubt His intention. We should know that He has plans not to harm us but to prosper us and to bless us. He holds our hand as we travel through unfamiliar territory of the challenge zone. We might go through a certain difficult time or harsh terrain but it is meant to build our faith, character, patience and inner strength. Instead of despairing and wringing our hands with frustration, worry or fear, we should entrust our lives into the dependable hands of the Lord.
Now in Haran, the Lord had said to Abram, “ Go away from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.”
Genesis 12 v 1
Abram was asked to leave his native place, his comfort zone and move to a new land shown to him by the Lord. Very often in life, the Lord will also ask us to move out of our comfort zone to a new place or experience, a challenge zone where our reliance or dependence on Him would increase. It might have been a wrenching and painful experience for Abram to leave his father, his relatives and everything he had known from childhood behind him. But he did not hesitate in obeying the call and will of the Lord. It was his attitude of implicit trust in the word, wisdom and will of God that enabled him to obey the call.
The Lord promised to bless Abram in the new unfamiliar territory into which he was asked to journey into. Abram moved with his family hundreds of miles away from his known and familiar native place of Haran. Soon after he reached the country of Judah, he experienced a famine. This did not deter or discourage Abram. He did not complain to the Lord and ask why was he facing these difficulties despite being obedient and faithful to the Lord. He did not know the entire roadmap of the journey the Lord had called him to undertake. He was content to know what to do next. The Lord asked him to take refuge during the famine in Egypt.
A life of faith often requires us to move away from our comfort zone into a new and unfamiliar challenge zone where our dependence on the Lord is tested. The Lord will strengthen our faith through tests and trials. Abram trusted the Lord to do what was best for him and did not doubt His intention. We should know that He has plans not to harm us but to prosper us and to bless us. He holds our hand as we travel through unfamiliar territory of the challenge zone. We might go through a certain difficult time or harsh terrain but it is meant to build our faith, character, patience and inner strength. Instead of despairing and wringing our hands with frustration, worry or fear, we should entrust our lives into the dependable hands of the Lord.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
@ Etude- Gratitude
UV3282/10000 @ Etude- Gratitude
And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every ceremonially clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 8 v 20
Noah knew that he owed everything to the Lord God who had called him out in a time of extreme danger to his life and his family. The Lord God had not only saved him and his family but the whole gene pool of species. They had come out of the Ark a family redeemed by the Lord. Noah’s heart was filled with gratitude towards the Lord, His Redeemer. He manifested his attitude of gratitude by building an altar and sacrificing every clean animal and bird there on. The sacrifice was so pleasing to the Lord that He vowed never to curse the Earth again, not to destroy every living thing again. He vowed so despite knowing that the inclination of man’s heart is wicked from his youth. Despite our inherent inclination to evil or sin, the Lord is merciful- this is called the grace of God. Noah was about to be the first in a new race- the race of grace, the people chosen by God to be redeemed.
Gratitude is one of the great attitudes. Gratitude is the altar we build in our hearts for the great salvation the Lord has prepared for us. It is the one altar that transforms or alters our lives and our destiny. It leads to the outpouring of fresh anointing, fresh blessings on our lives. This is the sacrifice that the Lord is most pleased with, not the aroma of burnt flesh or blood but the continually sustained attitude of thanksgiving flowing from the altar of our hearts. It does not begin or end with a formal verbal word of thanks but by changing the very inclination of our hearts from the pleasures and allurements of the seen world to the unseen pleasures that we derive by living at the right hand of the Lord.
Gratitude implies that we do not take for granted any blessing, seen or unseen, we receive from the Lord. We are not ashamed to acknowledge that we received it not on account of our ability, hard work , brilliance, good deeds or character but only due to our reliance on God’s grace. Even as gratitude is one of the greatest of attitudes a man can have, it is quite rare. Most people assume it is their right anyway. Some even gloat over what was only given as a gift from God. People resent the idea that they owe any thing to anybody else. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to say a word of thanks. The remaining nine returned to life as usual. He wanted to give up everything in order to follow Jesus. Gratitude produces a change of direction in our lives. Gratitude engenders joy and humility in our hearts like a quiet spring that always flows.
And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every ceremonially clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Genesis 8 v 20
Noah knew that he owed everything to the Lord God who had called him out in a time of extreme danger to his life and his family. The Lord God had not only saved him and his family but the whole gene pool of species. They had come out of the Ark a family redeemed by the Lord. Noah’s heart was filled with gratitude towards the Lord, His Redeemer. He manifested his attitude of gratitude by building an altar and sacrificing every clean animal and bird there on. The sacrifice was so pleasing to the Lord that He vowed never to curse the Earth again, not to destroy every living thing again. He vowed so despite knowing that the inclination of man’s heart is wicked from his youth. Despite our inherent inclination to evil or sin, the Lord is merciful- this is called the grace of God. Noah was about to be the first in a new race- the race of grace, the people chosen by God to be redeemed.
Gratitude is one of the great attitudes. Gratitude is the altar we build in our hearts for the great salvation the Lord has prepared for us. It is the one altar that transforms or alters our lives and our destiny. It leads to the outpouring of fresh anointing, fresh blessings on our lives. This is the sacrifice that the Lord is most pleased with, not the aroma of burnt flesh or blood but the continually sustained attitude of thanksgiving flowing from the altar of our hearts. It does not begin or end with a formal verbal word of thanks but by changing the very inclination of our hearts from the pleasures and allurements of the seen world to the unseen pleasures that we derive by living at the right hand of the Lord.
Gratitude implies that we do not take for granted any blessing, seen or unseen, we receive from the Lord. We are not ashamed to acknowledge that we received it not on account of our ability, hard work , brilliance, good deeds or character but only due to our reliance on God’s grace. Even as gratitude is one of the greatest of attitudes a man can have, it is quite rare. Most people assume it is their right anyway. Some even gloat over what was only given as a gift from God. People resent the idea that they owe any thing to anybody else. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to say a word of thanks. The remaining nine returned to life as usual. He wanted to give up everything in order to follow Jesus. Gratitude produces a change of direction in our lives. Gratitude engenders joy and humility in our hearts like a quiet spring that always flows.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
@ Etude- Arrogance
UV 3281/10000 @ Etude- Arrogance
He went in to the bed of Hagar and she conceived; and when she realized that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress ( regarding Sarai as insignificant because of her infertility.
Genesis 16 v 4
The servant maid Hagar had come one up on her mistress Sarai as she conceived a child. She looked down upon the barrenness of Sarai and it reflected in her behaviour towards her. She despised Sarai on account of the latter’s barrenness. This is what also happens to us. We are given one blessing or gift and we become proud and arrogant on account of it. We look down upon others not knowing that the Lord in His mercy had given us that blessing or gift. St Paul advices us not to think of ourselves as superior to anyone else but consider what aspect others are better than us and learn from it.
Hagar’s attitude led to her being ill treated by Sarai. She ran away from the home of Abraham and Sarai but the Lord counselled her to return and submit to the authority of her mistress Sarai. Most of the issues in our relationships with others, the frictions and conflicts are due to our attitudes. We need to fine tune it in consonance with the Word of God. We need to humble ourselves before God and our fellow man. This will enable us to find favour or grace. Whatever special gift or blessing we should look upon not as our claim to superiority but as a grace received for which we need to be ever thankful to the Lord.
Our significance or importance is not derived from whom we are, what we have, what we have done or can do, what position we hold but it is derived from Whom we know as our Creator, Redeemer and Benefactor. We do not boast about our wisdom or our riches but that we know the Lord, our God. Our yard stick to determine our worth is not that of our our fellow humans but it is the Lord and His word. We have to measure ourselves against the standards of the Lord described in the Word and finding ourselves short, we ask the Lord for mercy first, and then, to fill the gaps with His grace and glory.
He went in to the bed of Hagar and she conceived; and when she realized that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress ( regarding Sarai as insignificant because of her infertility.
Genesis 16 v 4
The servant maid Hagar had come one up on her mistress Sarai as she conceived a child. She looked down upon the barrenness of Sarai and it reflected in her behaviour towards her. She despised Sarai on account of the latter’s barrenness. This is what also happens to us. We are given one blessing or gift and we become proud and arrogant on account of it. We look down upon others not knowing that the Lord in His mercy had given us that blessing or gift. St Paul advices us not to think of ourselves as superior to anyone else but consider what aspect others are better than us and learn from it.
Hagar’s attitude led to her being ill treated by Sarai. She ran away from the home of Abraham and Sarai but the Lord counselled her to return and submit to the authority of her mistress Sarai. Most of the issues in our relationships with others, the frictions and conflicts are due to our attitudes. We need to fine tune it in consonance with the Word of God. We need to humble ourselves before God and our fellow man. This will enable us to find favour or grace. Whatever special gift or blessing we should look upon not as our claim to superiority but as a grace received for which we need to be ever thankful to the Lord.
Our significance or importance is not derived from whom we are, what we have, what we have done or can do, what position we hold but it is derived from Whom we know as our Creator, Redeemer and Benefactor. We do not boast about our wisdom or our riches but that we know the Lord, our God. Our yard stick to determine our worth is not that of our our fellow humans but it is the Lord and His word. We have to measure ourselves against the standards of the Lord described in the Word and finding ourselves short, we ask the Lord for mercy first, and then, to fill the gaps with His grace and glory.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
@ ETUDE- COPING WITH HOPE
UV 3280/10000 @ Etude – Coping with Hope
Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “ This man, Eliezer will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Genesis 15 v 4
Abraham was advanced in age and was a little frustrated that he had no natural heir to inherit his name and his wealth. He thought to himself that his servant Eliezer would ultimately inherit it. But the Lord had other plans. He sent him His word to give him hope that he would have a natural heir. Likewise, He sent His Son Jesus to us to give us hope that we will be co-heirs with Jesus of the kingdom of God. When we receive a specific and personalized word from the Lord, it ignites hope in us even in seemingly hopeless situations. The hope helps us cope with the difficult days of our lives.
We need to hold onto the same level of hope as when we first believed the Lord and received His word. If anything, the hope should intensify with time as it is nearing fulfilment. If our hope flags, the enemy or our own natural thoughts could make us resort to desperate measures in our flesh as Abraham and Sarah did when they took a surrogate mother in Hagar. The Lord had not instantly or immediately fulfilled His promise of hope to Abraham and Sarah. The latter ran out of patience and disbelieved that the Lord could do anything more to fulfill the promise for ten years had passed. Often, the Lord’s time table and ours do not agree for He operates against the scale of the eternal and the infinite while we mortals have our eyes on the racing hands of the diurnal clock. We should not look for short term remedies, that prove to be costly options in the long term, by relying on our flesh nature and trying to help the Lord fulfil His will ahead of time.
Hope, then needs to be nurtured with faith and patience. If the Lord has spoken to us a specific word of promise, He is able to fulfill it in His time. We should not attempt to upstage Him or act in haste. It is never too late for the Lord. As we wait with an attitude of hope, we should sustain it with thanksgiving and praise for His faithfulness through the generations of mankind who have gone before us as well as for His faithfulness to His promises that we have already seen fruition and fulfilment.
Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “ This man, Eliezer will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Genesis 15 v 4
Abraham was advanced in age and was a little frustrated that he had no natural heir to inherit his name and his wealth. He thought to himself that his servant Eliezer would ultimately inherit it. But the Lord had other plans. He sent him His word to give him hope that he would have a natural heir. Likewise, He sent His Son Jesus to us to give us hope that we will be co-heirs with Jesus of the kingdom of God. When we receive a specific and personalized word from the Lord, it ignites hope in us even in seemingly hopeless situations. The hope helps us cope with the difficult days of our lives.
We need to hold onto the same level of hope as when we first believed the Lord and received His word. If anything, the hope should intensify with time as it is nearing fulfilment. If our hope flags, the enemy or our own natural thoughts could make us resort to desperate measures in our flesh as Abraham and Sarah did when they took a surrogate mother in Hagar. The Lord had not instantly or immediately fulfilled His promise of hope to Abraham and Sarah. The latter ran out of patience and disbelieved that the Lord could do anything more to fulfill the promise for ten years had passed. Often, the Lord’s time table and ours do not agree for He operates against the scale of the eternal and the infinite while we mortals have our eyes on the racing hands of the diurnal clock. We should not look for short term remedies, that prove to be costly options in the long term, by relying on our flesh nature and trying to help the Lord fulfil His will ahead of time.
Hope, then needs to be nurtured with faith and patience. If the Lord has spoken to us a specific word of promise, He is able to fulfill it in His time. We should not attempt to upstage Him or act in haste. It is never too late for the Lord. As we wait with an attitude of hope, we should sustain it with thanksgiving and praise for His faithfulness through the generations of mankind who have gone before us as well as for His faithfulness to His promises that we have already seen fruition and fulfilment.
Monday, June 10, 2019
@ Etude- Mrs Lot''s Disobedience of Turning Back
UV 3279/10000 @ Etude- Mrs. Lot's Disobedience of Turning Back
But Lot’s wife, from behind him, (foolishly, longingly) looked back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19 v 26
The Lord expects implicit and explicit obedience. We cannot be in two minds and need to give undivided attention to what the Lord asks us to do. Lot and his wife had been redeemed from Sodom that was marked for destruction by fire and brimstone visited upon it by the wrath of God. They were specifically told not to look back at Sodom as they were rushed out of there to safety. Yet Lot’s wife chose to look back with longing at her former way of life, at their lost home and possessions. Consequently, she became a pillar of salt. As believers redeemed in Christ, we too should not look back with regret or longing at our former life. We need to leave it behind, lock, stock and barrel. Instead, we should immerse ourselves in the ways of the Lord.
The story of Lot’s wife tells us that what counts is our redemption. Mrs. Lot’s heart was divided between the world and the Lord. We should not ever turn back to our former selves, our former habits, our former lifestyle, our love of the world and the ways of the flesh. Having placed our hand on the plough of the kingdom of God, we should keep ploughing without looking back. There is no turning back from Jesus. We only need to keep listening earnestly to the still voice of the Holy Spirit and keep moving forward, without pondering on what might have been.
Jesus narrated the story of Lot’s wife to warn his followers that on the Day of Judgment or destruction the things that would happen. One would be saved and one would be left behind of two women grinding corn. Of two men sleeping in the same bed, one would be saved and the other would be left behind. The Lord redeems whom He chooses. True, we are saved by grace and not by either chance or as we deserve it. But our attitudes play a crucial role in His choice. Having been chosen for redemption, we can loose the plot like Lot’s wife by a single wrong decision in a moment. Many of us go through life as if we are a pillar of salt- lifeless, senseless, inert. We are too salty or sanctimonious when all we are asked to do is to add a pinch of salt to the tasteless, hopeless, colourless, powerless, meaningless, purposeless, direction-less lives of people around us so that they too find life tasty, the Lord tasty, the Word tasteful.
But Lot’s wife, from behind him, (foolishly, longingly) looked back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19 v 26
The Lord expects implicit and explicit obedience. We cannot be in two minds and need to give undivided attention to what the Lord asks us to do. Lot and his wife had been redeemed from Sodom that was marked for destruction by fire and brimstone visited upon it by the wrath of God. They were specifically told not to look back at Sodom as they were rushed out of there to safety. Yet Lot’s wife chose to look back with longing at her former way of life, at their lost home and possessions. Consequently, she became a pillar of salt. As believers redeemed in Christ, we too should not look back with regret or longing at our former life. We need to leave it behind, lock, stock and barrel. Instead, we should immerse ourselves in the ways of the Lord.
The story of Lot’s wife tells us that what counts is our redemption. Mrs. Lot’s heart was divided between the world and the Lord. We should not ever turn back to our former selves, our former habits, our former lifestyle, our love of the world and the ways of the flesh. Having placed our hand on the plough of the kingdom of God, we should keep ploughing without looking back. There is no turning back from Jesus. We only need to keep listening earnestly to the still voice of the Holy Spirit and keep moving forward, without pondering on what might have been.
Jesus narrated the story of Lot’s wife to warn his followers that on the Day of Judgment or destruction the things that would happen. One would be saved and one would be left behind of two women grinding corn. Of two men sleeping in the same bed, one would be saved and the other would be left behind. The Lord redeems whom He chooses. True, we are saved by grace and not by either chance or as we deserve it. But our attitudes play a crucial role in His choice. Having been chosen for redemption, we can loose the plot like Lot’s wife by a single wrong decision in a moment. Many of us go through life as if we are a pillar of salt- lifeless, senseless, inert. We are too salty or sanctimonious when all we are asked to do is to add a pinch of salt to the tasteless, hopeless, colourless, powerless, meaningless, purposeless, direction-less lives of people around us so that they too find life tasty, the Lord tasty, the Word tasteful.
Sunday, June 9, 2019
@ Etude- Awe
UV 3278/10000 @ Etude - Awe
Then Abram fell on his face ( in worship) and God spoke with him, saying,
Genesis 17 v3
God created all things bright and beautiful but only He remains awesome or worthy of awe. His presence, His very name evokes feelings of awe, of mystery, of wonder and reverence. Abram felt a sense of awe or extreme reverence as the Lord appeared to him and promised to establish a covenant with him and that he would multiply him exceedingly. Only the Lord is deserving of such awe. Abraham fell prostrate on his face as a sign of his reverence. With all other persons, the more we know them, the more familiar we become and often more contemptuous but with the Lord, the more we know Him, the more we hear Him, understand His word and His nature, His power, His wisdom and character, the more awe it will produce in us. The more reverence such knowledge produces in us, the more wise and more blessed we become. We will find favour or grace like Noah and Abraham in the sight of God.
Even Moses and Joshua prostrated themselves in the presence of the Lord. It is a sign not just of reverence but of complete surrender to the will of the Lord. When we do so, we are indicating physically that we owe our entire existence, all that we are and all that we have and hope to have to Him and Him alone. We are inviting the Lord to accept us as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him. Spending a few moments every day in this manner is a very blessed practice and spiritual exercise. It is evidently a sign of our utter humility before the sovereignty of the Lord.
After Abram worshipped the Lord in this manner, the Lord spoke to Him, saying that His covenant is with Abraham specifically and personally. Abram 's name was changed to Abraham as a mark of the transformation of his life and his destiny. The Lord promised that many nations would descend from him, that his life would be exceedingly fruitful, that he would be the father of many nations. Likewise, when we worship the Lord like Abraham, the Lord will transform our identity, our destiny and make our lives exceedingly fruitful. With our limbs still, our eyes closed on the floor, we are making a statement, " Lord, I am next to nothing. You are my everything, my sight, my vision, my strength, my wisdom, my all. " As we lie still in His presence, space and time in our lives coincide and we give room to the Eternal, the Invisible, the Infinite, the Absolute, the Perfect, the Merciful, the Gracious Saviour and Lord. Through the person of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the means of the Word, today, we have a fuller revelation of the Lord. Awe which was earlier based on a fear of the unknown is now awe mixed with love and personal knowledge of the Lord. As the Psalmist David wrote, " Be still and know that I am God." As we lie still in His presence, the Lord reveals that He is the I AM, the True vine, the bread of Life, the Water of life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Resurrection, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the King of Kings, the Eternal Father, the Alpha and the Omega.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
@ Etude- Our Attitude towards Wealth
UV 3277/10000 @ Etude- Our Attitude towards Wealth
that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strip, so that you could not say, " I the King of Sodom have made Abram rich."
Genesis 14 v23
The Lord had blessed Abraham with much wealth and he was contented with whatever the Lord had given him. Abram was not interested in ill gotten wealth. He did not want to take anything from the spoils that his band of men had taken from the chiefs on the other side of Jordan. When the king of Sodom made a generous gesture of offering him whatever they had taken, Abram refused stating as above. It indicated that Abraham was a man of principle. He was not greedy. He did not want to feel obliged to the king of Sodom in any way and did not want the glory or credit of the material blessings he enjoyed to be taken away from the Lord by other men.
The Word of God does not speak against the possession of wealth by human beings. It only says, "When God makes a man wealthy, He adds no sorrow to it." The relentless pursuit of wealth by humans down the ages had brought much sorrow, tragedy and pain on them. It did not provide them the happiness that they thought it would bring them. Instead, if we trust the Lord, work diligently and with persistence and faith, the Lord will bring us into rich desserts in due time. We should possess wealth without being possessed by it. We should acknowledge at all times that we owe it all to the Lord for what have we except what the Lord has endowed us with. He endows us with the skills, abilities, talents from within and bestows us with the opportunities, resources and ideas from above and without. He also gives us the grace and length of life to enjoy what we have earned.
Our sufficiency is of the Lord and we are not unduly distressed with little or unduly proud, arrogant or boastful with plenty. As Paul writes, " We are able to live in plenty or with little." Wealth is not our source of strength but the joy of the Lord is our strength. The awareness, the certain knowledge that the Lord is with us and that He will not forsake us or leave us is what keeps us going and going strong. As for material blessings He sends our way, we by no means refuse it but we should display a stubborn refusal for ill gotten gains that tend to fly away as easily as it is gained. We also recognize that wealth is not meant only for our personal enjoyment but to bless others in their hour of need. Abraham gave a tenth of the gains of war to Melchizedek, king of Righteousness- a precursor of Jesus. He also allowed the servants to keep their share of it. It implies that we need to reward those who labour for it adequately and give to the Lord our tithes and offerings.
that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strip, so that you could not say, " I the King of Sodom have made Abram rich."
Genesis 14 v23
The Lord had blessed Abraham with much wealth and he was contented with whatever the Lord had given him. Abram was not interested in ill gotten wealth. He did not want to take anything from the spoils that his band of men had taken from the chiefs on the other side of Jordan. When the king of Sodom made a generous gesture of offering him whatever they had taken, Abram refused stating as above. It indicated that Abraham was a man of principle. He was not greedy. He did not want to feel obliged to the king of Sodom in any way and did not want the glory or credit of the material blessings he enjoyed to be taken away from the Lord by other men.
The Word of God does not speak against the possession of wealth by human beings. It only says, "When God makes a man wealthy, He adds no sorrow to it." The relentless pursuit of wealth by humans down the ages had brought much sorrow, tragedy and pain on them. It did not provide them the happiness that they thought it would bring them. Instead, if we trust the Lord, work diligently and with persistence and faith, the Lord will bring us into rich desserts in due time. We should possess wealth without being possessed by it. We should acknowledge at all times that we owe it all to the Lord for what have we except what the Lord has endowed us with. He endows us with the skills, abilities, talents from within and bestows us with the opportunities, resources and ideas from above and without. He also gives us the grace and length of life to enjoy what we have earned.
Our sufficiency is of the Lord and we are not unduly distressed with little or unduly proud, arrogant or boastful with plenty. As Paul writes, " We are able to live in plenty or with little." Wealth is not our source of strength but the joy of the Lord is our strength. The awareness, the certain knowledge that the Lord is with us and that He will not forsake us or leave us is what keeps us going and going strong. As for material blessings He sends our way, we by no means refuse it but we should display a stubborn refusal for ill gotten gains that tend to fly away as easily as it is gained. We also recognize that wealth is not meant only for our personal enjoyment but to bless others in their hour of need. Abraham gave a tenth of the gains of war to Melchizedek, king of Righteousness- a precursor of Jesus. He also allowed the servants to keep their share of it. It implies that we need to reward those who labour for it adequately and give to the Lord our tithes and offerings.
Friday, June 7, 2019
@ Etude- Peace Loving
UV 3276/10000 @Etude- Peace Loving
So Abram said to Lot, " Please let there be no strife and disagreement between you and me, nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, because we are relatives."
Genesis 13 v 8
Strife and conflict arose between the herdsmen of Lot and those of Abraham over grazing rights. Abraham immediately sought to address it instead of allowing it to slide and exacerbate tensions. He allowed Lot to have his choice of which area and which direction he wanted to settle. Lot chose the more fertile valley of the Jordan that was well watered and lush with vegetation. Abraham had facilitated a peaceful resolution of what could have caused a lot of bad blood between kinsmen. This throws light on the peace -loving nature of Abraham. It was one of the sources of blessing in his life for as Jesus said several centuries later, " Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God."
As children of God, we too should shun strife and conflict and always endeavour to find a peaceful way to resolve issues. The Lord will give us wisdom to resolve conflicts that arise in our families, our neighbourhood and beyond. The heart of Abraham is revealed that later on when Lot's life is threatened by destruction of Sodom where he lived, Abraham intercedes with the Lord and becomes responsible for saving Lot from impending destruction. Abraham had not held any grudge in his heart against his nephew from the past. However, he was not a pacifist for when he found that a local chief had attacked his camp and taken away many of the women of his camp including his nephew Lot from Sodom, Abraham got his small army of trained men to counter attack and retrieved whatever he had lost.
Today, there are conflicts arising in all parts of the world and virtually in all families on issues relating to rights to water of rivers, inheritance of property and so on. As people of faith like Abraham, we are given a special responsibility to be problem solvers and not aggravators of these situations. The Lord looks with favour upon all who are committed to maintaining and promoting peace. This is the reason the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus, "Peace on Earth and good will among all mankind." St Paul also adviced the early believers, " Do your best to live at peace with everyone." Peace is our ideal and goal but like Abraham we should come up with practical solutions and steps to resolve conflict situations. Even law enforcement agencies can learn from the example of Abraham to take proactive steps to prevent the breakdown of peace and order before it reaches a flash point of violence, chaos and mayhem.
So Abram said to Lot, " Please let there be no strife and disagreement between you and me, nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, because we are relatives."
Genesis 13 v 8
Strife and conflict arose between the herdsmen of Lot and those of Abraham over grazing rights. Abraham immediately sought to address it instead of allowing it to slide and exacerbate tensions. He allowed Lot to have his choice of which area and which direction he wanted to settle. Lot chose the more fertile valley of the Jordan that was well watered and lush with vegetation. Abraham had facilitated a peaceful resolution of what could have caused a lot of bad blood between kinsmen. This throws light on the peace -loving nature of Abraham. It was one of the sources of blessing in his life for as Jesus said several centuries later, " Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God."
As children of God, we too should shun strife and conflict and always endeavour to find a peaceful way to resolve issues. The Lord will give us wisdom to resolve conflicts that arise in our families, our neighbourhood and beyond. The heart of Abraham is revealed that later on when Lot's life is threatened by destruction of Sodom where he lived, Abraham intercedes with the Lord and becomes responsible for saving Lot from impending destruction. Abraham had not held any grudge in his heart against his nephew from the past. However, he was not a pacifist for when he found that a local chief had attacked his camp and taken away many of the women of his camp including his nephew Lot from Sodom, Abraham got his small army of trained men to counter attack and retrieved whatever he had lost.
Today, there are conflicts arising in all parts of the world and virtually in all families on issues relating to rights to water of rivers, inheritance of property and so on. As people of faith like Abraham, we are given a special responsibility to be problem solvers and not aggravators of these situations. The Lord looks with favour upon all who are committed to maintaining and promoting peace. This is the reason the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus, "Peace on Earth and good will among all mankind." St Paul also adviced the early believers, " Do your best to live at peace with everyone." Peace is our ideal and goal but like Abraham we should come up with practical solutions and steps to resolve conflict situations. Even law enforcement agencies can learn from the example of Abraham to take proactive steps to prevent the breakdown of peace and order before it reaches a flash point of violence, chaos and mayhem.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
@ Etude - Fear Leading to Lying
UV 3275/10000 @ Etude- Fear Leading to Lying
“ Please tell them that you are my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.”
Genesis 12 v 13
In this uni-verse, we see that Abraham, the man of faith, is fearful. He fears that on account of the beauty of his wife Sara, he would be killed by Pharaoh. The couple had moved to Egypt on account of the famine in Canaan. Fear causes Abraham to resort to lying in order to save his own life. His wife Sara would have been taken by Pharaoh to be his wife but for the Lord intervening by sending many plagues on Pharaoh and his household that opened the latter’s eyes to see that she was actually his wife. In retrospect, we can criticize or judge Abraham to be a liar but often in similar circumstances, we too resort to subterfuge and lies in order to save the day for us.
Fear of certain consequences often induce people to compromise, to either speak lies or to remain silent on many matters. We need the grace of Christ to be fearless and face any consequence. The same disciples who had deserted Jesus became transformed into fearless apostles ready to die for Him after they received the filling of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist spoke the truth about Herod that he was living in adultery with his brother’s wife. Of course, he paid the price with his head. Likewise, St Paul could look Herod and other kings of the age in the eye and speak the truth.
We need boldness and courage to be witnesses of Christ in today’s world, too. There is a price to be paid, consequences that might follow but the Holy Spirit will endow us with the courage and give us the words to speak in different situations. To be fearful is not an option for the believer. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” We are set free from fears that induce us to make the wrong choices, that inhibit our freedom. When we confess our various fears to the Lord, He will give us the grace or inner strength to overcome. Like He intervened in the case of Abraham and Sara, He will intervene and deal with even our formidable foes and enemies or with adverse circumstances.
“ Please tell them that you are my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.”
Genesis 12 v 13
In this uni-verse, we see that Abraham, the man of faith, is fearful. He fears that on account of the beauty of his wife Sara, he would be killed by Pharaoh. The couple had moved to Egypt on account of the famine in Canaan. Fear causes Abraham to resort to lying in order to save his own life. His wife Sara would have been taken by Pharaoh to be his wife but for the Lord intervening by sending many plagues on Pharaoh and his household that opened the latter’s eyes to see that she was actually his wife. In retrospect, we can criticize or judge Abraham to be a liar but often in similar circumstances, we too resort to subterfuge and lies in order to save the day for us.
Fear of certain consequences often induce people to compromise, to either speak lies or to remain silent on many matters. We need the grace of Christ to be fearless and face any consequence. The same disciples who had deserted Jesus became transformed into fearless apostles ready to die for Him after they received the filling of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist spoke the truth about Herod that he was living in adultery with his brother’s wife. Of course, he paid the price with his head. Likewise, St Paul could look Herod and other kings of the age in the eye and speak the truth.
We need boldness and courage to be witnesses of Christ in today’s world, too. There is a price to be paid, consequences that might follow but the Holy Spirit will endow us with the courage and give us the words to speak in different situations. To be fearful is not an option for the believer. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” We are set free from fears that induce us to make the wrong choices, that inhibit our freedom. When we confess our various fears to the Lord, He will give us the grace or inner strength to overcome. Like He intervened in the case of Abraham and Sara, He will intervene and deal with even our formidable foes and enemies or with adverse circumstances.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
@ Etude- Obedience
@ Etude- Obedience
Now ( in Haran) the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.”
Genesis 12 v 1
Abram aka Abraham was asked by the Lord to move out of his own native place Haran to the land of Canaan. He displayed the attitude of unquestioning and willing obedience to the direction of the Lord. Abraham was promised that he would be greatly blessed, his name would be famous, that he would become a great nation, that he would be a blessing and through him all the families and nations of the earth would be blessed. Anyone who curses him would also be cursed. The same blessings we can lay claim to and enjoy when we render willing and unquestioning obedience to the directions of the Lord. Abraham , St Paul later writes to the Hebrews, went where he did not know, he lived as a stranger and dwelt in tents like a nomad. We too are spiritual heirs of Abraham. We should be willing to go places for God, to enter unfamiliar territory, to leave our comfort zone. We should regard ourselves as strangers in this world, a peculiar people. We are like nomads living in temporary places like tents but with hope that when we arrive in the kingdom of God we will have mansions or permanent, eternal dwelling places.
Obeying the word the Lord has for us is the precursor of eternal blessing though we may undergo the temporary discomfort of suffering in this world. The Lord has called us to live with our focus on reaching the Eternal City and being her citizens. This life and its travails are but a preparation for our final destination. The Earth is only our transit station. Our hope in Jesus who declares us worthy citizens of the Eternal City helps us cope with the challenges of this life. Like Abraham, we are not to seek such blessings for ourselves alone but for all nations, families and all people.
The Holy Spirit is hovering all over the earth, looking for such faithful and obedient hearts among mankind, in order to manifest the glory and grace of God. We are to be ready to be channels of blessings to all nations. The Lord wrought in Abraham’s life a change of direction. Canaan itself was not the promised land that the descendants of Abraham was led into but it was the foreshadow of the promised land in eternity. For leaving behind his father, his relatives, his friends and others he knew, Abraham was given scores and hundreds upon hundreds, thousands upon thousands of brothers, followers and family members. Next to Jesus and Moses, Abraham remains a VIP or Very Influential Person of history. The people of three faiths respect the name , Abraham.
Now ( in Haran) the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.”
Genesis 12 v 1
Abram aka Abraham was asked by the Lord to move out of his own native place Haran to the land of Canaan. He displayed the attitude of unquestioning and willing obedience to the direction of the Lord. Abraham was promised that he would be greatly blessed, his name would be famous, that he would become a great nation, that he would be a blessing and through him all the families and nations of the earth would be blessed. Anyone who curses him would also be cursed. The same blessings we can lay claim to and enjoy when we render willing and unquestioning obedience to the directions of the Lord. Abraham , St Paul later writes to the Hebrews, went where he did not know, he lived as a stranger and dwelt in tents like a nomad. We too are spiritual heirs of Abraham. We should be willing to go places for God, to enter unfamiliar territory, to leave our comfort zone. We should regard ourselves as strangers in this world, a peculiar people. We are like nomads living in temporary places like tents but with hope that when we arrive in the kingdom of God we will have mansions or permanent, eternal dwelling places.
Obeying the word the Lord has for us is the precursor of eternal blessing though we may undergo the temporary discomfort of suffering in this world. The Lord has called us to live with our focus on reaching the Eternal City and being her citizens. This life and its travails are but a preparation for our final destination. The Earth is only our transit station. Our hope in Jesus who declares us worthy citizens of the Eternal City helps us cope with the challenges of this life. Like Abraham, we are not to seek such blessings for ourselves alone but for all nations, families and all people.
The Holy Spirit is hovering all over the earth, looking for such faithful and obedient hearts among mankind, in order to manifest the glory and grace of God. We are to be ready to be channels of blessings to all nations. The Lord wrought in Abraham’s life a change of direction. Canaan itself was not the promised land that the descendants of Abraham was led into but it was the foreshadow of the promised land in eternity. For leaving behind his father, his relatives, his friends and others he knew, Abraham was given scores and hundreds upon hundreds, thousands upon thousands of brothers, followers and family members. Next to Jesus and Moses, Abraham remains a VIP or Very Influential Person of history. The people of three faiths respect the name , Abraham.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
@ Etude - Faith
@ Etude- Faith
Then Abram believed in ( affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to ) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man)
Genesis 15 v 6
Abram, the former name of Abraham, the father of faith as He came to be known in later ages, had an attitude of faith or trust in the Lord. A childless aged couple that Abram and Sara were, with both past the age of child bearing, the Lord promised them that they would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believed in the promises of the Lord even though at the time there was no physical evidence of it being fulfilled, the possibility of it coming true was also very remote. Given the reality of the world and our circumstances, it is often a great challenge to believe the Lord and His promises.
Scripture states that we need to believe that not only God exists, that He is faithful and able to do that which He has promised us. We need to affirm continually the specific promises we are praying and hoping that it would come true in our lives. We need to rely on these promises and act as if it is being fulfilled. When we so remain steadfast in our faith in the Lord and His word, it is attributed to us as righteousness. Faith is the source of our salvation, our victory, our blessings. In the absence of faith, even Jesus could not do miracles in some places He went to. Faith implies that we trust the Lord more than we trust anyone else on Earth. It begins a relationship and communication with the Lord based on love. We who are otherwise insignificant become significant in the eyes of the Lord. He begins to count us as one of His children and a part of the kingdom of God. We no longer rely entirely on our owns strengths or abilities but rely on the power and grace of God.
Faith moves mountains by opening up fountains of hope, joy, power inside our hearts. We have not only a direct hotline connection to communicate with the Lord but a channel through which the blessings and power of the Lord flows in and through our lives. We are called to have not a blinding faith but a binding faith, in the sense, we do not say good bye to our reasoning, the need for discipline, diligence and persistence, the scope for the natural and the scientific elements in our lives. Faith is what binds all these aspects of our lives into a meaningful, effective and useful pattern.
Then Abram believed in ( affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to ) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man)
Genesis 15 v 6
Abram, the former name of Abraham, the father of faith as He came to be known in later ages, had an attitude of faith or trust in the Lord. A childless aged couple that Abram and Sara were, with both past the age of child bearing, the Lord promised them that they would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believed in the promises of the Lord even though at the time there was no physical evidence of it being fulfilled, the possibility of it coming true was also very remote. Given the reality of the world and our circumstances, it is often a great challenge to believe the Lord and His promises.
Scripture states that we need to believe that not only God exists, that He is faithful and able to do that which He has promised us. We need to affirm continually the specific promises we are praying and hoping that it would come true in our lives. We need to rely on these promises and act as if it is being fulfilled. When we so remain steadfast in our faith in the Lord and His word, it is attributed to us as righteousness. Faith is the source of our salvation, our victory, our blessings. In the absence of faith, even Jesus could not do miracles in some places He went to. Faith implies that we trust the Lord more than we trust anyone else on Earth. It begins a relationship and communication with the Lord based on love. We who are otherwise insignificant become significant in the eyes of the Lord. He begins to count us as one of His children and a part of the kingdom of God. We no longer rely entirely on our owns strengths or abilities but rely on the power and grace of God.
Faith moves mountains by opening up fountains of hope, joy, power inside our hearts. We have not only a direct hotline connection to communicate with the Lord but a channel through which the blessings and power of the Lord flows in and through our lives. We are called to have not a blinding faith but a binding faith, in the sense, we do not say good bye to our reasoning, the need for discipline, diligence and persistence, the scope for the natural and the scientific elements in our lives. Faith is what binds all these aspects of our lives into a meaningful, effective and useful pattern.
Monday, June 3, 2019
@ Etude - Enmity
@Etude-Enmity
And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed(offspring) and her Seed; He shall fatally bruise your head, and you shall only bruise His heel.
Genesis 3 v 15
The idea of enmity is born in the heart of mankind soon after we first yielded to temptation or evil. The serpent spirit or satan is declared the ultimate enemy of mankind.
He is the enemy of our souls. He is also the enemy of the Seed of God born of woman – Jesus who becomes one of us in order to redeem all of us. The terrible act of crucifixion is likened from the eternal perspective to only the bruising of the heel of the Son Jesus. That being so, all the suffering the enemy visits us with in our lifetime is only a bruise, too. None of us will come out of this life alive physically but our souls will emerge from this life almost unscathed. This is the victory Christ guarantees and establishes for us in the eternal realm.
The enemy of our souls will also make many who like us are the seed of woman to be our rivals, opponents, enemies. But as the word says, “ If God be for us, who can be against us.” He will vindicate us in due time. Often God raises our enemies to be powerful and formidable in order to give us a testimony of His amazing deliverance and grace. While we are to wary of our spiritual enemy, we need to be forgiving and generous to our earthly ones. We need to understand that we, too lived once like enemies of God and extend the same mercy and grace He received us with when we chose to return to Him.
Jesus said so wisely to His followers, “Be wise or shrewd as the serpent but gentle as the dove.” In other words, we need to know our enemy and His ways, how He would use our earthly enemies to trip us, too. The enemy knows us inside out, having got inside the head of the first couple with just a few verbal suggestions. He uses our strengths, our weaknesses, our own thoughts and even those in our inner circle as he did with Judas. He need not always appear as a vile serpent but can appear as an angel of shining light or in the innocuous words of our companions. We do not have to invite trouble with our own words or actions or behaviour. We need to be wise in our choices. We also need to be proactive, to think ahead of time the moves of our eternal and earthly foes, to thwart these or nip it in the bud at the earliest stage. We should not use such dangerous knowledge of the viles and snares of the enemy to harm others but to prevent harm to ourselves and our loved ones. Prayer and the Word are our best defence, our fence of protection against the works of the enemy of our souls, our shield of faith, our sword of the spirit to strike a mortal wound on the head of the enemy.
And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed(offspring) and her Seed; He shall fatally bruise your head, and you shall only bruise His heel.
Genesis 3 v 15
The idea of enmity is born in the heart of mankind soon after we first yielded to temptation or evil. The serpent spirit or satan is declared the ultimate enemy of mankind.
He is the enemy of our souls. He is also the enemy of the Seed of God born of woman – Jesus who becomes one of us in order to redeem all of us. The terrible act of crucifixion is likened from the eternal perspective to only the bruising of the heel of the Son Jesus. That being so, all the suffering the enemy visits us with in our lifetime is only a bruise, too. None of us will come out of this life alive physically but our souls will emerge from this life almost unscathed. This is the victory Christ guarantees and establishes for us in the eternal realm.
The enemy of our souls will also make many who like us are the seed of woman to be our rivals, opponents, enemies. But as the word says, “ If God be for us, who can be against us.” He will vindicate us in due time. Often God raises our enemies to be powerful and formidable in order to give us a testimony of His amazing deliverance and grace. While we are to wary of our spiritual enemy, we need to be forgiving and generous to our earthly ones. We need to understand that we, too lived once like enemies of God and extend the same mercy and grace He received us with when we chose to return to Him.
Jesus said so wisely to His followers, “Be wise or shrewd as the serpent but gentle as the dove.” In other words, we need to know our enemy and His ways, how He would use our earthly enemies to trip us, too. The enemy knows us inside out, having got inside the head of the first couple with just a few verbal suggestions. He uses our strengths, our weaknesses, our own thoughts and even those in our inner circle as he did with Judas. He need not always appear as a vile serpent but can appear as an angel of shining light or in the innocuous words of our companions. We do not have to invite trouble with our own words or actions or behaviour. We need to be wise in our choices. We also need to be proactive, to think ahead of time the moves of our eternal and earthly foes, to thwart these or nip it in the bud at the earliest stage. We should not use such dangerous knowledge of the viles and snares of the enemy to harm others but to prevent harm to ourselves and our loved ones. Prayer and the Word are our best defence, our fence of protection against the works of the enemy of our souls, our shield of faith, our sword of the spirit to strike a mortal wound on the head of the enemy.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
@ Etude - Regret
UV 3271/10000 @ Etude- Regret
The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was deeply grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6 v 6
The Lord regretted the creation of mankind for He had endowed them with the power of choice. As Cain was told, “ .. sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you ( to overpower you), but you can master it. “ But the wickedness and depravity of mankind increased from generation to generation. The imagination and intent of the hearts of mankind were only evil continually. God saw how debased and degenerate mankind had become. This filled His heart with sorrow.
We, too, in the course of our lives regret some of the things we did or chose. Regret causes us to change the course or direction of our lives. When we make our lives the temple of God, we will not fall to temptations. If we choose to make our lives pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, we contribute to our own well being. We will have little to regret when we look back at our lives. We should not conform to the templates of this world or the patterns of behaviour and communication of this world but allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives to the templates or patterns of behaviour and communication of the Word.
Regret and sorrow in the Lord’ s heart had deadly consequences for the world for He decided to destroy the existing civilization with a flood. But He made exceptions by choosing to redeem Noah and his family who lived a just life. From the family of Noah came Humanity version 2.0. This version too also erred and continues to err against God. But this time round, the Lord instead of sending flood or fire to destroy, sent His Son Jesus to redeem mankind. We, too have the choice to live lives that please our Lord and God. Jesus described Himself as the Way- the Way to be at peace with God and to please Him all our lives. None of us should be a cause of regret for our Lord and Redeemer but we should endeavour to be a source of delight and pride to Him.
The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was deeply grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6 v 6
The Lord regretted the creation of mankind for He had endowed them with the power of choice. As Cain was told, “ .. sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you ( to overpower you), but you can master it. “ But the wickedness and depravity of mankind increased from generation to generation. The imagination and intent of the hearts of mankind were only evil continually. God saw how debased and degenerate mankind had become. This filled His heart with sorrow.
We, too, in the course of our lives regret some of the things we did or chose. Regret causes us to change the course or direction of our lives. When we make our lives the temple of God, we will not fall to temptations. If we choose to make our lives pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, we contribute to our own well being. We will have little to regret when we look back at our lives. We should not conform to the templates of this world or the patterns of behaviour and communication of this world but allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives to the templates or patterns of behaviour and communication of the Word.
Regret and sorrow in the Lord’ s heart had deadly consequences for the world for He decided to destroy the existing civilization with a flood. But He made exceptions by choosing to redeem Noah and his family who lived a just life. From the family of Noah came Humanity version 2.0. This version too also erred and continues to err against God. But this time round, the Lord instead of sending flood or fire to destroy, sent His Son Jesus to redeem mankind. We, too have the choice to live lives that please our Lord and God. Jesus described Himself as the Way- the Way to be at peace with God and to please Him all our lives. None of us should be a cause of regret for our Lord and Redeemer but we should endeavour to be a source of delight and pride to Him.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
@ Etude- Happiness
@ Etude- Happiness
And the Lord God planted a garden(oasis) in the east, in Eden ( delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.
Genesis 2 v 8
The Lord God delighted or derived pleasure or happiness from what He had planted and whom He had created. Since we are created in His image, we too seek happiness in whatever we do. Genuine pleasure, joy or happiness is therefore, an attitude that each of us should cultivate and enjoy. Happiness does not lie in achieving or becoming some thing but it lies in being with God. The Creator delighted in His creatures, likewise, we need to delight in our Creator and Redeemer. The Father in heaven delighted in His Son Jesus and said, “ My beloved Son, listen to Him. “ He delights in us when we delight in Jesus, listen to His word and delight in it. It should be our chief delight or main source of pleasure, joy, happiness and strength. Yet, Jesus is called the “Man of Sorrow” as He embraced and took upon Himself all the sorrows of mankind so that we be truly happy in Him. We are therefore, not to withhold our sorrows to ourselves but share it with Jesus.
What the Lord with complete wisdom and knowledge delights in – when it becomes our source of joy, it gives us immense strength to confront the daily challenges of life and to overcome these. The Lord delights in our genuine praise and worship. He delights in wisdom and that we value it over the wealth, power and fame of this world. The Lord found delight in the work of His hands and we, too should find pleasure in whatever work we do. In fact, we need to work as if we are to please Him as our ultimate Boss. The Lord delights in creativity, in giving an unique stamp to everything He created.
The Lord delights in the fruit of the Spirit manifest in our lives. He finds pleasure in us when we show patience, love , kindness, humility in our relationships and interactions with our fellow beings. He finds happiness when we exercise faith. He finds happiness when we use all our gifts and talents and attribute the results to Him. He finds happiness in grateful hearts. It does not however, mean that we cannot find pleasure or enjoy good company, good food, good music, good literature, films or anything else. Whenever and wherever we find such joy, we should thank the Lord.
And the Lord God planted a garden(oasis) in the east, in Eden ( delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.
Genesis 2 v 8
The Lord God delighted or derived pleasure or happiness from what He had planted and whom He had created. Since we are created in His image, we too seek happiness in whatever we do. Genuine pleasure, joy or happiness is therefore, an attitude that each of us should cultivate and enjoy. Happiness does not lie in achieving or becoming some thing but it lies in being with God. The Creator delighted in His creatures, likewise, we need to delight in our Creator and Redeemer. The Father in heaven delighted in His Son Jesus and said, “ My beloved Son, listen to Him. “ He delights in us when we delight in Jesus, listen to His word and delight in it. It should be our chief delight or main source of pleasure, joy, happiness and strength. Yet, Jesus is called the “Man of Sorrow” as He embraced and took upon Himself all the sorrows of mankind so that we be truly happy in Him. We are therefore, not to withhold our sorrows to ourselves but share it with Jesus.
What the Lord with complete wisdom and knowledge delights in – when it becomes our source of joy, it gives us immense strength to confront the daily challenges of life and to overcome these. The Lord delights in our genuine praise and worship. He delights in wisdom and that we value it over the wealth, power and fame of this world. The Lord found delight in the work of His hands and we, too should find pleasure in whatever work we do. In fact, we need to work as if we are to please Him as our ultimate Boss. The Lord delights in creativity, in giving an unique stamp to everything He created.
The Lord delights in the fruit of the Spirit manifest in our lives. He finds pleasure in us when we show patience, love , kindness, humility in our relationships and interactions with our fellow beings. He finds happiness when we exercise faith. He finds happiness when we use all our gifts and talents and attribute the results to Him. He finds happiness in grateful hearts. It does not however, mean that we cannot find pleasure or enjoy good company, good food, good music, good literature, films or anything else. Whenever and wherever we find such joy, we should thank the Lord.
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