Psalms 39: 4-7 “The Temporary Nature of Human Life”

The human life on this earth is so unpredictable. We can’t predict what will happen tomorrow. Today we are alive, tomorrow we are not sure whether we will be alive or not. We cannot decide on the length of our life span. We may exercise and control our food diet well, but ultimately God is the one who decides on human life span. Ultimately God is in control of our lives.
So, in realizing this fact of life, the psalmist asks of the Lord to remind him to number his days. At times we live our lives as if we will be living forever. The amount of investments and plans that we make seems to be never ending. We keep on accumulating wealth as if it will keep us going for the next 200 years. Many a times we forget to realize the temporary nature of life.

In vs 4, the psalmist wanted to be reminded to number his days. Why is it so? Only when we start numbering our days, than we will realize to appreciate others and all that we have. Only than we can completely trust in God because we are of no control over our life span. So, numbering our days will keep us humble and to completely yielded to the Will of God.

Vs. 5 further tells us how weak or frail we are before God. Human life is so temporary and it is just a breath. Breath is something that can not be preserved. The moments you breathe – the air that leaves your respiratory system can not be tracked down. Like the breath we are also without any standing or permanent form. We live for a short while and it will come a time we will die and be forgotten.

Vs. 6 tell us that our life is a mere phantom or shadow that disappears without leaving back any track. All our labor also comes into vain. The psalmist even says that the riches that we accumulate during own life span is left to spend by don’t know who. So life is so meaningless and temporary that nothing we can be proud of.

The agenda of human life is to wait upon the Lord. Vs. 7 tell us in all this hopeless, unpromising, uncertainty of life – we have a hope. Our hope is in the Lord.

Since this life is of no meaning and so brief, we can inherit a better and permanent life that will keep us going forever, that is eternal life. It is only through our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ that we can inherit this eternal life. So, to inherit what is eternal – we need to seek when we live in this temporary world@life. So, what should we do?
Romans 12:1-2
“in view of God’s mercy” – what mercy? When we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for us. His death on the cross substituted us from eternal fire. So, because God was merciful He sends His Son to die for us as a ransom for sin. So, we are required to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Christ is our only hope to make it into heaven. All that He requires of us is to offer our selves as a living testimony unto God.

How we live our life matters the most because we have to sit before His judgment seat (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Life is short and so frail. So, lets us make a full use of it in fearing God and keeping all His commandments that we will inherit eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you belief

Text: Mark 9: 17-27

This miracle took place right after Jesus’ transfiguration experience on the mountain top. Gospel of Mark records this as the last miracle in the Gospel. The story tells us that a man brought his son who was epilepsy due to demon possession to Jesus’ disciples to be delivered. But unfortunately, the boy was not delivered, thus the case was brought to Jesus.

1. The disciples were not able to cast out the demon in this boy because the boys father did not have enough faith. Vs. 19 tells us Jesus’ response to the father’s plea. Here when Jesus said you faithless generation, He was making reference to the boys father as well as the crowd.
In receiving God’s miraculous touch, what matter the most is the faith of the potential recipient than the servant of God who is administrating the healing. This was what exactly happened in this story. Even Jesus did not perform the miracle until the man believed.
Vs. 22 tells us the attitude of this man’s heart. His unbelief in belief. He said “if you are able”……… His unbelief / lack of faith annoyed the Lord (vs. 23). Jesus reinstates here that “All things can be done for the one who believe”. Interestingly, Jesus did not say “all things WILL be done, but instead He said, all things CAN be done”. What does this means. It simply means when we truly believe (100% without doubt) in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, than everything is possible or CAN be done for us. Our faith simply moves the hands of the Lord to perform miracle for us. E.M Bounds in his book entitled “Power in Prayer” says, ‘that the prayer of righteous will move the hands of the Lord’ . Friends if we claim that we belief in God, we better belief in His power 100% - because God often choose not to work in the midst of our unbelief.
Vs. 24 tells us the repentance of this man, he became totally dependent on the Lord and completely believed and then only the miracle took place in his sons life (vs. 25).

There are TWO things that I want to draw of from the text:-

Firstly, most of the times, our unbelief or lack of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ hinders us to receive healing and other forms of blessings in our lives. Sometimes, we claim that we belief in the Lord, but than we also have other alternate things to believe in that undermines our 100% belief in the Lord. So, we fail to receive from the Lord what is due to us. Unbelief will cripple a believer’s life. But FAITH makes all things possible for us (Mark 11: 22-24). The Bible tells us that without faith we can not please God (Hebrews 11:6), So, FAITH is essential not only to receive healing/blessings from the Lord but it is also essential for us to PLEASE God.

Secondly, I want to draw our attention back to Mark 9: 23. Jesus did not say “all things WILL be done, but instead He said, all things CAN be done”. What does this mean? Though faith is the trigger point for God to work miracle in our lives but remember the Bible tells us that it CAN be done and Not WILL be done. Which means it is still under God’s prerogative whether to do it or not. Healing or blessings that we ask or plead of God is still subject to His Will. I am very much convinced that we should at all times ask God with Faith. Because our faith determines God’s answer. However, I will not twist the arms of the Lord since ultimately it is all according to His WILL and not ours. We can only ask and belief. God has the ultimate power to decide whether to give/heal or otherwise. A good Christian is a person who will have 100% faith when he prays but at the same time he /she will be submissive to the WILL of God. Just as Jesus submitted to the WILL of the Father in the garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will but yours be done”.


So, friends lets us achieve and receive great things in life by completely trusting or having faith in Jesus in all our undertakings. At the same time, let us also learn to submit ourselves to the perfect WILL of God.

What is God's expectation of me?

Text: Micah 6:1-8
Micah is one of the Minor Prophets, which is a collection of books that make up the last few pages of the Old Testament. Micah was the prophet of the downtrodden and exploited people of Judean society. He prophesied during a time of great social injustice and boldly opposed those who imposed their power upon the poor and weak for selfish ends.

The name "Micah" is a shortened form of "Micaiah," which means, “Who is like
Yahweh”? Micah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750-732 B.C.), Ahaz (732-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.; 1:1).

The text that was read to us has two parts to it. It is written in a poetic form. The first section is from verse 1 to 5. God seems to be bringing up a case against the Israelites. Yahweh had a case (lawsuit, Heb. rib) to bring against His people. The Lord was summoning Israel to defend herself in a courtroom setting. He addressed the mountains, hills, and foundations of the earth as the jury in this case (cf. Deut. 32:1; Isa. 1:2). The Lord called this jury, which had observed Israel's history from its beginning, to hear His indictment against the nation. If these jurors could speak, they would witness to the
truthfulness of the Lord's claims.

As for the second section (vs 6 – 8), Micah responded to God's goodness, just reviewed, as the Israelites should have responded. This section is entitled “What God Requires of Man”. Today, we will see 3 things that the Lord required of the Israelites and of all of us as a whole.

I. ACT JUSTLY

Or, in other words, act with fairness, honesty, and integrity.

Micah had a special concern for justice, primarily because he saw so little of it.

What God requires of us is that we do what is right and fair in our relationships with other people. Justice involves the sense of a standard of equality among people. It can be as simple as being honest in even the smallest routine business transaction. In Micah, the prophet complained about the person who uses “dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights.” (Micah 6:11)

There is an old saying, “honesty is the best policy.” But for the Christian, that slogan should be, “honesty is the ONLY policy.” Because this is a consistent theme in all of Scripture -- that we are called to be people of fairness and integrity in all our dealings.

In Psalm 51:6 we read, “You desire truth in the inward parts.”

In Proverbs 4:23 we read, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring all the issues of life.”

We must settle it deep in our hearts to be a people of integrity, and be on guard in the battle to “act justly.”

Micah tells us three things God requires of us. One is to act justly. Easy task. But it is hard to make a reality.

II. LOVE MERCY

The second thing that God requires of us is that we “love mercy.” We are also to fill our hearts with compassion and kindness toward one another. The Hebrew word that Micah uses here is translated as “mercy,” is a rich one, used variously as mercy, tender mercies, loving kindness, steadfast love.

It is a word that most often used in a covenant sense, involving the attitude of two parties who are in covenantal relationship with one another. In relation to God’s mercy, it is used most often of His grace, or of UNEXPECTED kindness.

Notice also that the requirement here is not that we HAVE mercy, but that we are to LOVE mercy. There is a big difference between the two. One way of describing the difference is to say that we don’t just do acts of kindness from a sense of obedience or compulsion, but we do them out of love.

There seems to have been an emphasis in Jesus’ teaching on the idea of UNEXPECTED acts of kindness.
1. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it was the one considered least likely to offer help who did so.
2. The parable of the prodigal son reveals to us the heart of a father who accepted his son against the expectation of almost everyone.
3. The story of the woman caught in adultery teaches a compassionate mercy scarcely revealed in Old Testament Jewish law.
4. The dying thief on a cross has a lesson for us about the depth of God’s mercy
Because we have such a merciful God, we are exhorted to have mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
Peter wrote, “All of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted” (1 Peter 3:8).
Mercy is often not what we would show one another; but it is the only response that makes any sense in light of the mercy that God has shown us in Jesus Christ.

III. WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

Have you noticed that when Micah tells us what God expects, the first two things he expects have nothing to do with God. They have to do with how we behave toward one another.

God expects His children to love and get along with one another. He expects His children to treat one another justly and fairly, and He expects His children to love mercy and to show kindness toward one another.
But the third expectation Micah shares is that God expects us to have a right relationship with Him – with God Himself.

That right relationship with God always begins with humility, not arrogance.

Our New Testament reminds us (Ephesians 2:8-9), “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.”

God expects us to walk humbly with Him. We are arrogant. We are proud. We tend to think that God’s role is to make us happy, to serve us, to answer our prayers. But it is we who are to serve and glorify God. The Israelites were arrogant in their own ways. They were arrogant because they were the chosen people of God. The very special call of God itself made them arrogant people because they failed to humble themselves before God. They failed to realize that it was a God given privilege for them instead they became very proud of their nation and looked down upon others.
At times, we too get proud of who we are, what we have, what we have achieved in live. Lets be reminded that whoever we may be, whatever we may have or whatever we may have achieved in life – we are nothing without God’s grace. Whatever we have received is solely base on God’s grace and not our merits. So, let us humble ourselves before God. The Lord reject the proud and honors the humble.
Humility is what the Lord expects of each of us. Without humility we can even worship God.

SO -- WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US? Not that much, really.
To act justly, To love mercy, and to walk humbly with God – if we notice carefully, we will see that the first 2 requirements are horizontal relationship (between human beings – among one another). The third requirement is a vertical relation (between man and God). God is very concern about our relationship with one another. If our relationship with one another is not right than we can not have a right relationship with God. They are both interrelated. One can not say I love God and hates his brother…..the bible says they are liars.

Obedience leads to success-->realization-->submission

Text: Luke 5: 1-11
Introduction:-
Jesus was teaching a crowd of peoples the word of God. They were listening to him. He had a captive audience, what more could he ask for? But then he saw something else that attracted his attention. He saw two boats by the water's edge. Two old boats used for fishing. There were two boats because fishermen often worked together in a coop arrangement to catch more fish (Bible Background Comm., 201). Jesus saw the fishermen washing their nets that they used to catch their fish. And Jesus changed what he was doing. He stopped. He went over to the boats and asked one of the fishermen to take him out on the boat a little ways from the shore. And the fisherman, named Simon, did just that. Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people from there.

Now Jesus was in a different location. He could still address the people, maybe more effectively since they could all see him now further away from them and his voice may be able to project to more them since he was facing all of them and the shore functioned better acoustically like an amphitheater But I believe there was clearly another reason why Jesus wanted to speak from the boat. He wanted later on to talk to the owner of the boat, Simon.

We can observe 3 things from the text.

1. Obedience leads to success
Peter was the many other people who heard Jesus’ teaching from the shore. After a long night of disappointing fishing session (vs 5), Peter would have set down with frustration and tiredness. Nevertheless, when the word of the Lord came in a form of instruction, Peter obeyed (the use of gar “but” in Gr.). Humanly speaking, Peter was definitely more well versed and expert in the sea. He knows when and how he can catch good fish. But, here in spite of all his knowledge and experiences, Peter chooses to obey Christ. Putting aside all that he knew, he and his companions casted the net as Jesus instructed. Vs 6 tells us the harvest. Yes indeed, the fruit of obedience is blessing and success. If Peter would have relied simply on his expertise and knowledge and refuse to obey, he wouldn’t have not received the great blessing. It was when he and his companions obeyed that they received a bountiful blessing from God.
Are we desperate for blessings in life? Are we also tired and frustrated in life like Peter and his friends? All that is required of us to come out off our barren situation and circumstances is to obey the voice of God. Vs 7 tells us that the blessings were too great that they needed another boat to also contained it. Not only that, the overwhelming blessing was also sinking the boat. When God blesses, He blesses bountifully, He blesses beyond our expectations, and He blesses till our cups overflows – no place to contain it.

2. Obedience leads to realization
This narrative was indeed a great miracle for Peter and his companions. They who were professional in the field were simply amazed by the wonder working power of Christ. Peter knew this Jesus was not a simple man. He knew that He was far greater than what human mind can comprehend.
Thus, (vs 8) Peter expressed conviction of sin in Jesus' presence indicating that he realized that Jesus was very different from himself (cf.Isa. 6:5). "Depart from me," or, "Go away from me," expresses Peter's feeling of uncleanness in Jesus' presence. Jesus' superior ability caused Peter to sense that he was a sinner, one who fell short. "Sinner" (Gr. hamartolos) is one of Luke's characteristic words. Of the 22 occurrences of this word in the Synoptics, 15 are in Luke. "Luke does not use the term pejoratively but compassionately, as a common term applied to those who were isolated from Jewish religious circles because of their open sin, their unacceptable occupation or lifestyle, or their paganism. Luke shows that these sinners are the objects of God's grace through the ministry of Jesus."
"What Peter does not realize is that admitting one's inability and sin is the best prerequisite for service, since then one can depend on God. Peter's confession becomes his résumé for service. Humility is the elevator to spiritual greatness."
Today as we ponder about own spiritual journey, have we come across any moments when we realized how sinful and depraved we are because of sin? Our God is so holy and highly exalted that we don’t even deserve to be ministered by Him? We are to go before God with a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psalms 51:17). Only those who can acknowledge the state of total depravity will be called by God for His noble ministry or rather will be used by God. Peter acknowledgement of His sinful state led God’s invitation into his life (vs 10)

3. Response of obedience – total submission
Subsequently, God’s invitation comes for Peter and his companions to serve God. Interestingly, God never invited them beforehand, but only when they obeyed His voice. God chooses and uses obedient vessels. Vs 11tell us that Peter and his companions, instantaneously responded to God’s call for ministry. They did not think twice. They did not focus on the great catch that they got on that day. But they immediately left everything and followed Jesus. Today, the story of these Disciples is told all over the world because of their total obedience and submission. If we want to find favor in the eyes of God – we better submit 100% to His will. That’s exactly what they did the other day along the lake. God is not desired in our gift, but He is more desired in our obedience to His word and Will.

Conclusion:-
"The major application in the miracle of the catch of fish centers on Jesus' instructions and Peter's responses. In the midst of teaching many, Jesus calls a few people to more focused service. Peter is one example of such a call. Everyone has a ministry, and all are equal before God, but some are called to serve him directly. Peter has the three necessary qualities Jesus is looking for. He is willing to go where Jesus leads, he is
humble, and he is fully committed."

The Transformation of Zacchaeus

Text: Luke 19: 1-10

INTRODUCTION
All of us have been to the doctor because we needed help. We may have started with self-medication - taking pills, resting, drinking water - until the point we say, "It’s time I go to see a doctor." We go with expectation that they would be able to diagnose the cause of your illness and prescribe the right medicine. And if they can’t, we are referred to the specialist. They will run a number of tests to determine your problem. These are times of great anxiety, because we do not know what’s wrong with us, and how it can be solved.

Zacchaeus was in a similar situation. Not that he was physically sick - in fact, he was probably quite fit being able to climb a tree. He was an outcast of the society. He needs acceptance, he needs fulfillment... he was spiritually sick. There was this emptiness in his heart. How do we know?

The Bible says he was a tax-collector, and he was rich, being the chief tax-collector. In Jesus’ time, they were hated by the society. Verse 7 - when Jesus wanted to go to his house, the crowd mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a "sinner".

But why? Why was he looked down upon?
1. because of who they work for - the Romans. Jews were forced to pay taxes to Roman government. They were unhappy, but they have no choice. And yet these tax-collecting Jews are helping "foreigners" to collect their taxes - they were considered as traitor to Israel.
2. From what he shared at the end of this story - he has been cheating. People knows them to be dishonest. Why are they so rich? Through dishonest means.

In the Gospels, when tax collectors were mentioned, they were mentioned together with "sinners", "prostitutes". They were of the same class. In Jewish (rabbinical) writings they are classified with robbers.

Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector but the chief tax collector, so he was likely hated even more.

As an outcast, Zacchaeus was not popular among the people, and most likely very lonely. He needed something - probably acceptance, probably fulfillment in life... something that can fill the emptiness in his heart. He was rich, he can buy anything he wants, but money cannot satisfy the longing in his heart.

That probably explain why he has such a great desire to see Jesus. Having heard so much about Jesus, he wanted to see Him personally. He was so passionate about it that he was willing to climb up a tree - Middle Eastern adult, chief tax-collector, wealthy - wearing nice clothes.

This encounter with Jesus changed him completely. He realises TWO things:

(1) HE REALISE THAT JESUS WAS THE ONE LOOKING FOR HIM

He was up on the tree. Jesus was walking by. Everyone’s eyes were on Jesus. Nobody probably take note of him. Yet the Bible says Jesus reached the spot and stopped. He looked up to Zacchaeus and called him!

Was Zacchaeus looking for Jesus? Or was it Jesus who found Zacchaeus? Apparently, it was Jesus who sought Zacchaeus. It was Jesus who stopped under that tree. It was Jesus who looked up. And it was Jesus who called him... by his name! Jesus KNEW his name!

No wonder God revealed to prophet Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." God is not playing hide-and-seek with us. He wants us to know him - as our Creator and our God.

Today, man search for God. We use all kind of means and ways to find God. We thought that by our own efforts we can make it to God. Yet the truth is, God is reaching down towards man. God is revealing Himself to us. The Bible revealed that God came down to this world in the Person of Jesus. Jesus himself said in verse 10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Religion - man looking for God. Christianity - God looking for man. For man looking for God - many obstacles - our finite mind, limited intelligence, language.

Can man really find God? If we play a hide-and-seek game with God, who do you think will win? When God hides, can man find Him. If man hides, can God finds him?
The one more intelligent being - God - will find the one less intelligent - us.

No wonder the Psalmist says (Ps 139:1-14)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Dear friends, you may be small, nobody take notice of you... but God knows you. Even if you’re up on a tree, Jesus knows you’re there. Jesus came to look for you. He is your Saviour. Accept Him today. Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’ seeking love...


(2) HE REALISE THAT JESUS CAN TRANSFORM HIS LIFE

Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’ saving power...

Jesus knew Zacchaeus. He called out his name. First time - never met but he knew his name. "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." (v.5)

He knew Zacchaeus’ heart. He was seeking for Jesus. There was emptiness in his heart.
Jesus inviting Himself to his home. This was the only instance in the 4 Gospels where we see Jesus inviting Himself to someone’s home.

Rev 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
Zacchaeus’ heart longs for Jesus.

Jesus did not merely visit him. He probably stayed for a day or two. No one would want to go into a "sinner’s" house, yet Jesus did because that is why He has come.
Zacchaeus got to know Jesus - who is He and why has He come. He came to know God and His will. Not only did he receive Jesus into his house, he eventually received Him into His heart. He believed Him. He realised he was in need of forgiveness - for his sin and the wrongs he has done. He did that and experienced God’s grace.

It is so beautiful. Jesus came for Zacchaeus because He knew he was lost. We are all lost, the Bible says. Isa 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way..." We do not know God, our Creator. We have sinned. Unless there is some intervention, we are eternally lost. But God came for us... by sending Jesus.

Zacchaeus too was lost in sin, until God intervened in a merciful way. It is the same for us today.
God knows you... He came to look for you. How can we be hiding? How can He not know what is going on in our lives? If Jesus can call Zacchaeus by name... God can call each one of us by name.

When Zacchaeus believed and accepted Jesus, something happened. He experienced a transformation... His heart was changed. Jesus states in verse 9: This day[today] is salvation come to this house. Zacchaeus experienced a new life - "abundant" life.

Verse 8 - give half of my possessions to the poor - love for the needy...; pay back 3 times the amount those I have cheated...sign of true repentance.

Previously - living for self, now - care for the poor, needy. Previously - cheating others, now repaying those whom he had cheated; he was utterly honest……he would have literally become bankrupt because half of his possession he gave to the poor, the rest of it he return in 3 times to those who he has cheated.

Zacchaeus was deeply convicted by his sin and desired to walk right, in obedience to God. No one can change him, no rules can help him, no education can correct him - but Jesus transformed him. How? When he believed the words of Jesus. Faith in Christ changed him.

2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

God can change your life and mine, if we allow Him. Put your trust in Jesus. We can become new creation in Christ. God will give us a new heart - a new desire to walk right and do well. Only Jesus can transform our lives from what we were, into something new and wonderful.

CONCLUSION
Luke 19:9-10
Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house... For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

We are lost, but we do not know. Many followed Jesus, but few truly believe what He says. Zacchaeus believed and was blessed. Would you want to believe Him today?

Do you know that you are lost and in need of rescuing?

God still loves you today. He came to seek and save you. Zacchaeus experienced Jesus’ seeking love and saving power. There was nothing special in Zacchaeus for Jesus to single him out. Jesus simply loved him.

God can change Zacchaeus, He can change you. He made you in the first place. You think you go to church to look for God? Actually, God has led you into His church so that you can hear Him. He is calling you to return to Him today. Invite Him today into your life.

Then we will experience the same joy Zacchaeus had that very day!

What Hinders Your Blessing

TEXT: Joshua 7: 1-12
Victories after victories were experienced by the Israelites in the wilderness days. Either against nations or nature, God led the Israelites victorious. Even entering into the promise land was a great victory. All that they needed to do was to march around the walls of Jericho by sounding the horn and on the final day shouted to claim the land – the walls of Jericho collapsed (Josh 6:16).
But here comes an episode of defeat that the Israelites and Joshua had to face. All this while Israel and Joshua were greatly proud and happy about the victories the Lord has given them. But in chapter 7, the defeat that they encountered broke them and melted away their courage (7: 5). Joshua the great man of God who was called by God, commissioned by God, encouraged by God is now broken in a great disappointment (7: 6). Why should this disaster come against them? Was their enemy greater than them? Not at all. Ai was a small country with small military strength comparing to Israel. But then why did the Israelites lose the battle?

Lesson # 1: The disobedience of one individual can have a negative effect on the whole community.

To uncover the identity of the one who sinned, God tells Joshua to line up the people, tribe by tribe, family by family, household by household, man by man. Sanctification and purification were needed. The household of God has been dirtied and it was time for the mess to be cleaned up.
Achan is eventually indicted as the culprit. Achan had been relatively successful in covering up his sin up to this point. But as Joshua works through from tribe to family to household to individual he finally comes to Achan. Then, and only then, does Achan acknowledge his sin and confess that he is the cause of Israel’s troubles. (v. 20)
Achan is the epitome of the dark side of every individual and every community. All of us have within us the potential to fall, and fall hard.
He admits to having taken three things that were supposed to be destroyed or turned over to the Lord’s treasury: a beautiful Babylonian coat, 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels.
Notice the way Achan describes the sequence of events that led up to his sin:
1. (v. 21) “I saw…” This is the beginning of all sin: the looking, the desiring, the envying for what we know we cannot have. Looking at those beautiful items was more than enough temptation for Achan.
2. (v. 21) “I coveted them…” There’s no doubt that Achan didn’t need any of those things. What was he going to do with them? He couldn’t use them. Imagine if he tried to wear that Babylonian coat out in public. All he could do with them was take them out, touch them, and feast his eyes on them. Maybe there was some kind of personal satisfaction in knowing he possessed something so beautiful and so rich. But to whom was he going to boast about them. When we possess forbidden things, or engage in forbidden activities, what good is it to us? What good is a treasure that you have to keep hidden so no one will find out about your sin?

Achan said, “I saw…I coveted…I took…They are hidden….” This is the sequence of events that all of us follow when we fall into sin. It starts with the look, which leads to the desire (coveting), which ends in eventually finding an opportunity and taking it. Last of all, we hide our sin. That which we wanted we cannot fully enjoy because we’re always hiding it so no one will know.

There is someone who knows, however. A much deeper truth about Achan’s sin is also evident: disobedience to God is a malignancy that has serious effects on the whole community of believers. Thirty-six men lost their lives because of Achan’s sin. The nation went down to defeat because of Achan’s sin.
My sin cannot be isolated from you, and your sin cannot be isolated from me. There are corporate consequences of our sins; even those that are hidden from the eyes of men.

Lesson # 2: God’s judgment is not to be taken lightly.

Achan’s story is one of the saddest in the Bible. A good man overcome by the evil desires of his heart. It’s a story that’s been repeated over and over throughout history. Good men, godly men, men intent on doing God’s will, men blessed with success because of their godliness, but in one moment are brought low by succumbing to the temptation of Satan.
Achan, the coat, the gold and silver, his family and all that he owns are taken to the Valley of Achor and there they are stoned, then burned with fire, and finally a great heap of stones are raised over them as a reminder of Achan’s sin.
I’d like to sugarcoat this whole story and tell you that when Achan confessed his sin, God forgave him and everything was all right—but that isn’t what took place. All around us we see evil men committing terrible atrocities and never suffering the consequences their sins deserve, while good men, godly men, by one act of disobedience will suffer with consequences that seem overwhelming and unjust.
Why? We can hypothesize all day about why God did what He did to Achan, but here’s the lesson to be learned: God is God, and God’s judgments are always just, and God’s judgment is not to be taken lightly.

Quiet Time

We all live in such a busy world. At times we find it very difficult to divide our time between family, work and ministry. Some of us even have a greater struggle – we have no time for God. As beings created by God, we need to spend quite time with the creator on a regular basis. What a quiet time is? A quiet time is a daily time I set aside to be alone with God, to get to know Him through the Bible and prayer. Your time alone with God should be the top priority in your schedule for many reasons.

In reading Gen 1:27, we must understand that there was nothing else created that was given the privilege that human beings have given of being able to fellowship, talk to, and communicate with the creator of the universe. And, that is what we were created for. Rev 3:20 also reveals to us God’s desire always has been and always will be to have fellowship and communion with human beings. That’s why we were created, and if we don’t do that we are missing out on our greatest purpose in life.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the fellowship that God created us for was broken. God had to send His son, Jesus, to earth to make that fellowship possible again by taking away our sins. God didn’t send Jesus to die only to make our going to heaven possible. He did it because He wants a relationship with us and fellowship with us.

A quiet time is important first of all because God created us that way originally and then because Jesus died to restore it after it was broken by sin.
Mark 1:35 tells us that even Jesus observed His quite time with God. If Jesus knew the need for constant communication with God and He was the son of God, how much more do we need that constant, everyday time where we are together with Him

A Christian Family

Family is a God ordained institution. Thus, a Christian family must be a holy family because God who ordains our families is Holy. In Ephesians 5: 21 Paul admonishes the church that we are to subject to one another out of reverence to Christ. We don’t subject our self because of fear of man or the culture and the system; instead we submit and subject to one another in reverence to Christ.

Vs. 23 – explains to us the reason why a woman should submit to her own husband (vs. 22). The man is the head of the family…not the women. So, naturally the woman submits to his authority. Being the head of the family, the man does not have any upper hand over his wife but instead he has a greater responsibility to shoulder. A God given responsibility. The head of the family is accountable to God for the conduct of his whole family.

The husbands are accountable to God on his family affairs both spiritually and earthly. Even though Eve ate the fruit first, God approached Adam first to question him about what he and Eve had done (Gen. 3:9). The husband's leadership makes the wife's submission reasonable. It requires taking the initiative, integrity, and serving the wife.

A good manager creates an environment in which each person can achieve his or her maximum potential. A responsible father also keeps his children under control (1 Tim. 3:4). Leading as a head is one of the husband's primary responsibilities in marriage. The husband must be able to give direction not only to manage the finances of the family, but he also leads and directs the family in spirituality. The husband must lead the wife and children to pray everyday, and meditating upon God’s word and Christian worship. The wife and the children must see the husband portraying the headship of Christ in the family. If the husband does this, then, the wife will automatically submit to him.
Holiness in a family can only be attained when each of the family members are committed to the Lord and first submit to Him.

Holiness @ work place

Holiness is the trait of a Christ follower. Thus, holiness must be seen in all walks of our life. Another important aspect of life that often Christians do not live in holiness is at work places. Some Christians and very holy in the church, at times in the family but they are not at the work place. They argue that work place has got nothing to do with our faith and belief system. Work place is a ‘worldly’ thing that we are involved in which God is not concerned about.

Let us be reminded, a child of God remains a child of God and are required to live one standard lifestyle be it in church, home or at work places. So, as a Christian, we need to live a holy life even at our work place. People at work must see the differences in our speech and action. Christ must be portrayed in all our words and actions.

Paul in Ephesians 5: 5-8 admonishes the believers to bear a good testimony at work place. Do not be pretenders but be obedient and sincere in all that you do. The simple reason why we should shine at our work place is because we must first acknowledge that the vocation which we are in is God’s calling for us. If you are clerk at this point of time, you better be the best clerk in your office because we are the bondservant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men (vs. 7-8). Remember!! By serving our earthly masters (bosses) faithfully and sincerely, we are actually rendering a faithful and acceptable service unto God. Do not cheat at work place (undue Medical Leave, claims etc…). Do not abuse the office facilities (misusing the facilities for personal gain – telephone, Photostatting, printing etc..) God is dishonored when His children bears a poor testimony at work.
Holiness is all about living things the right way. In this context, it is living right and acceptable in the eyes of your bosses and of God

The Redemption of Humankind

Redemption of humankind was the plan and initiative of God. Jesus is our High Priest who has redeemed us once and for all with His precious blood. The atonement of Christ replaces the sacrifice system of the Jewish tradition. The Jews were instructed to offer blood sacrifices to the Lord as an atonement for their sins (Leviticus 17:11).

1. The nature of the atonement
- Blood was required as atonement for sin because blood symbolizes life.
- The OT concept of animal blood was just a temporary atonement. Every time, you sin you need to sacrifice an animal and offer its blood as an atonement.
- Whereas, the blood of Jesus was an eternal atonement. It has paid the price of sin once and for all (Heb 10:10; 7:27).
- The blood of animal does not have a permanent effect but the blood of Christ has the permanent effect. That means the redemptive sacrifice of Christ is eternal in nature and we don’t need to do anything else to be saved from our sin. No more sacrifices are needed (no need of blood; or any other forms of sacrifices needed – balding of heads, fasting, paying of penance – self inflicted injuries/suffering for our sins.)
- All that is required of us to be saved is to repent and belief (John 3:16)

2. The purpose of our redemption
- God had His purpose and plans placed before us in everything. Likewise in His redemptive plan for humankind He has a special purpose. Vs. 14 – tells us the purpose of our redemption is to serve the Lord. Many of us receive this free gift of redemption / salvation and walk away with it. But, is that the purpose why the Lord saved us? Was it for me to enjoy with my family and loved ones. NO- it is simply more than that. We are saved with a purpose to serve God. How do we serve God.
i – by worshipping Him
ii – by serving one another – come and serve Him thru your Church ministries – we have many area on which we need volunteers. Drive van, teach church school, prayer ministry, visiting ministry, etc…. – we are saved so that we may serve Him.
- It is a call for all of us to serve God.

3. The reward of our redemption
- What do I get through this redemption? Vs. 15 – an eternal inheritance. I have the hope of eternity through the work of Christ. Since we have obtained "eternal redemption" (v. 12) through the death of our Mediator and the "eternal [Holy] Spirit" (v. 14), we can have hope in an "eternal inheritance." In contrast, believers under the Old Covenant enjoyed mainly temporary blessings. The New Testament revelation concerning the inheritance that believers can merit by faithful perseverance in the faith and good works is extensive. Some passages indicate that it involves participation in the wedding banquet at the beginning of the messianic kingdom (e.g., Matt. 25:1-13; et al.). Others present it as involving a specially honorable resurrection (Luke 20:35; Phil. 3:10-14). Still other passages speak of it as reigning with Christ (Matt. 19:27-28; Luke 19:17-19; 22:28-30; Rom.8:17-21) or as treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21, 29; 19:21; Luke 12:32-
33; 1 Tim. 6:17-19). It also involves receiving praise and honor from Jesus
Christ and the Father (Matt. 6:1, 5, 16; 25:21; John 12:26; 1 Cor. 4:5; 1
Pet. 1:6-7; 2 Pet. 1:10-11). These honors are sometimes spoken of as
crowns (Phil. 4:1; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:6-8; James 1:12;
1 Pet. 5:1-4; Rev. 2:10; 4:9-10).

Conclusion:-
Our redemption was the initiative of God which was fulfilled and completed in Christ Jesus. All that we need to do is to believe in Christ and be saved.

Good Friday - He paid away my sins

Introduction
When you spend some time in the Word looking at the crucifixion, you soon find yourself consumed with emotion. At first glance, the casual reader might think the crucifixion lasted about an hour or less. But the Gospel writers with great detail tell us that the entire episode took up a quarter of a day. His hands and feet were nailed to wood at 9 A.M. He uttered three statements and then darkness fell. Then there was silence “until about the ninth hour”, 3 P.M. Darkness fell over the earth like a thick, hot blanket. And there was silence. Then just before He died, the Lord Jesus uttered again, several statements. Remember, there’s no such thing as surviving crucifixion. Death always comes.
Peter, an eyewitness, tells us that even though He was reviled, He didn’t revile in return. Isaiah tells us, “just like a little lamb before his shearers is silent” so he opened not His mouth in retaliation. In all, Jesus made seven statements from the cross. The first was toward those who crucified Him. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. The second was uttered to a thief hanging near Him and Jesus said, “This day you will be with me in Paradise”. The third statement was to His mother, He said, “Woman behold your son” and to John, “behold your mother”.

I. A Statement of Anguish (Matthew 27:45-56)
The fourth statement is the most anguishing of all and that’s the one Matthew records in Matthew chapter 27, verse 46. Called by one man the most staggering sentence in Gospel record, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” There was a thick darkness all around. It seemed as though nature bowed in sympathy as its Creator was put to death. It seems as though its heart is broken and it give no light. The darkness at the crucifixion of Christ represents God’s divine judgment on sin. The cross became the place for the pouring out of His wrath. Jesus was the recipient of divine judgment, God’s judgment upon sin. And in the darkness, out of that place where death existed, from that crown at Calvary, the words came. “My God! Why have You forsaken Me?” In Matthew 27:45, Matthew prepares the scene for us. (Read Matthew 27:45.) From noon until 3 in the afternoon there were two things present: darkness and silence. (Read Matthew 27:46.) Somewhere around three o’clock Matthew records Jesus makes this statement. There are three things I want you to see in this statement.

A. He Screamed the Statement
It’s not true of the other six statements, but it’s true of this one. Jesus screamed it. In verse 46, the words “cried out” are a combination of two words: to shout and it’s prefix is “up”. “To shout or scream up.” I6t is often used in Scripture for a guttural scream, a roar. In fact, Psalm 22 uses this word and renders it “roar”. Psalm 22 is one of the greatest of the Messianic Psalms. Look, please, at Psalm 22:14. This Psalm looks forward to the coming, the life, and the death of the Messiah. This is perhaps the most vivid account of Jesus’ person at Calvary. (Read Psalm 22:14-18.) You cannot deny that Psalm 22 is written about Messiah. In Psalm 22:1, the same words are found as in Matthew but given to us centuries before the Savior came. (Read Psalm 22:1.) A literal rendering of the word “groaning” is “roaring”. This same word used to describe the guttural roar and scream is used to describe the roar of a lion. Job uses it in his own book in his own account in chapter 3. In the terrible condition of his soul, Job describes himself as roaring or shrieking when his food was placed before him. (Read Job 3:24.) He said, “When that food was brought before me, my body cried out from the pain. I didn’t want food!” Now back to Matthew 27. That’s the word used for Jesus’ crying out. So in the darkness, picture it, there’s been silence then suddenly, abruptly there is the screaming from the lips of our Lord, “MY GOD! MY GOD! WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?” That seems to be the proper setting for the fourth statement Jesus gave.

B. Recorded Exactly As Jesus Said It
Notice that the statement is given to us exactly as Jesus said it. In fact, there is another sentence given to us in another language. The Holy Spirit has preserved it through the centuries in the transcribing of the text. The Holy Spirit made sure there is this original sentence in the original language, not translated into our language, “Eli, Eli, lama sabacth’oni!” Why does it appear like this? First of all, that is Aramaic and not Greek. Jesus spoke Aramaic; that was the tongue that He used. So we have reverted to the mother tongue of the Lord Jesus in this statement. Why? I believe it seems to capture the depth of feeling, the trauma that must have gone through the mind of Jesus at that moment. There’s nothing quite like the expressions of the mother tongue to get that feeling across. So He screamed this statement and it’s given to us exactly as He said it in Aramaic.

C. Estrangement Between the Father and the Son
Thirdly, this statement reveals that there was a distance, an estrangement between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus spoke to His Father three times while on the cross. Only here does He address Him as God. Both of the other two times, He calls Him Father (Abba). It’s almost as if you would walk up to your father and address him as mister. There is a distance, an alienation here. He addresses Him as thought He is removed from Him and indeed He is. Their fellowship has never been broken. But now He is experiencing it! But further, note the word “forsaken”. “He’s forsaken Me.” But why did the Father forsake Him? Of all time when Jesus needed the Father it was then. Why wasn’t He there? Well, two verses answer the question for us. Turn to II Corinthians 5:21. Hold your place there and turn to Psalm 22:3. Why did He leave Him alone on the cross at that moment? (Read II Cor. 5:21.) The first “He” is God the Father.
The following “Him” is God the Son. God the Father made God the Son who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. Why? That we might become the righteousness of God in Him. At this moment on the cross all the sins of the world were poured upon Jesus and He bore them. All the sins of man from the beginning to the ending of time were at a point in time borne by Christ. God caused Jesus Christ to bear those sins, poured upon Him all the sins of the world, poured upon the one who knew no sin all the sins of all times. This is when Christ bore our sins, when he made this statement, “My God, My God!” Psalm 22:3 tells us why God could not have fellowship with Him. (Read Psalm 22:3.) What does holy mean? To be separated from sin! So when Jesus bore the sins of the world, when God laid upon Him the iniquity of all, then the Holy Father could not fellowship with His Son, but rather turned from Him. There was alienation, so that the crushing weight of sin was borne alone by Jesus Christ without the presence of the Father. Alone! Alone! He bore all our sins alone! Though He was forsaken only temporarily, He knew first hand the pain of separation from God experienced by every human being.

Sanctification is a done deal

INTRODUCTION
The word “sanctification” comes from the verb “sanctify” which derives from the Greek word hagiazo, which means to be "separate" or to be "set apart." In the Bible, sanctification generally relates to a sovereign act of God whereby He "sets apart" a person, place, or thing in order that His purposes may be accomplished. When a person is sanctified he or she is being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in Christ we are also immediately sanctified and the process begins to conform us to the image of Christ. As God's children we are "set apart" from that moment to carry out His divine purposes unto eternity

• 1 Peter 1:2 [you] have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.

Holiness and sanctification are inseparable; you cannot have one without the other. Putting it simply sanctification is how God makes you holy and holiness is the result of God’s work of sanctification in your life. Sanctification is a gradual process that involves both our part and God.

Stanley Grenz, a well known theologian views sanctification as a process of transformation of the one who is saved into Christ likeness which extends through out life time. It is the process whereby we are renewed according to the image of God, conformed to the image of Christ, and enabled to die to ourselves and live to God.

Wayne Grudem, another theologian defines sanctification as a work of God and man in cooperation – a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in actual life.

1. HOLINESS IS A COMPLETE REALITY
God has made you holy. Through faith in Christ and His blood shed for you on the cross, YOU HAVE BEEN SACTIFIED, SET APART UNTO GOD and MADE HOLY. At the moment you were saved it was a done deal, a complete reality. As Jesus said “It is finished” from the cross, God’s work to make you holy is finished and complete in you when you put your faith in Christ.

• 1 Corinthians 1:30 [Christ Jesus] is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.

Jesus does not leave his work incomplete and unfinished. He has completed the work to make us holy before God at the cross. Regardless of how good or bad a sinner you may have been before you came to Christ and put your faith in Him, HIS DEATH MAKES YOU HOLY. JESUS’ DEATH PAID THE PRICE FOR ALL SINNERS TO BE MADE HOLY.
When we ponder about the scene in the garden Gethsemane, Jesus was preparing for His death. He was struggling as a mere human to face this terrible death. Luke tells us that His sweat was like blood (Luke 22:44). That was the intensity of mental and emotional suffering that Jesus had to go through prior to His crucifixion. Do you know why? Because He wants to make us holy. Through Jesus we are made holy; it is a complete reality! Jesus need do nothing more to make you holy. You have been sanctified, consecrated and set apart unto God. It is a done deal!So, what is next?

2. SANCTIFICATION IS A CONTINUAL PROCESS.
Holiness is a complete reality, but it is also a continual process of growth and maturity in our daily lives.Holiness is a completed work in that God sees us POSITIONALLY as made holy through Christ Jesus. We were dead in our sins, but when we put our faith in Christ Jesus to rescue us from our sin, then immediately GOD SEES US POSITIONALLY IN CHRIST AS HOLY.However, holiness is also PROGRESSIVE; it is a PROCESS of growth and development. We all start at the same place; we are sinners saved by God’s grace. As we turn from our sin to follow Christ we must walk with Him step by step by step. Holiness is a continual lifelong process of growth and maturity to become more like Jesus moving from where we started to the positional place where God sees us as holy.
• 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are not to come to Jesus and then remain just as we were; WE ARE TO GROW! We should be more like Jesus today than we were yesterday. To walk in holiness should be our desire and our goal. I don’t want to live the old life of sin; I want to live for Jesus!

• Colossians 3:1-3 [1] So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. [2] Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. [3] Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.

Paul says, “LIVE DIFFERENTLY!” Don’t focus on the things of this world; it only leads to sin and death! Instead focus on the things of Christ! Someone has rightly said,

3. HOLINESS IS A CHOICE
• 1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

We are not to live as disobedient children, but as obedient children of God. We are no longer ignorant of what God wants; God has set us free from sin and we know how He wants us to live. But we must daily choose to do what our Heavenly Father wants us to do. We must choose to cooperate with God! God is at work within us, but we must make the choice to work with God.

• Philippians 2:12-13 [12] . . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Notice it is a combined work. God is working in us to accomplish His will for His good pleasure, and WE WORK OUT OUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING! We must cooperate with God through the daily choices we make.God is not going to force His will and purpose on our lives. He shows us the path to walk, but we must still make the right choice!

• Romans 6:1-2 [1] What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? [2] By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Paul encourages us to not make the wrong choice. We have been made alive to Christ and have died to sin, so DON’T LIVE FOR THE DEVIL; LIVE FOR GOD!Here is the good news, God is right there to help us with every choice. We don’t have to live our lives chained to sin and death; we have been set free to live for Christ.

4. HOLINESS IS CONTROL OVER SIN
Holiness is not PERFECTION! Yes we may sin, but because we are alive in Christ, we feel the pain of sin and turn back to God for forgiveness.
• Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I particularly like the picture Paul uses here; we are no longer slaves to sin, but SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Slaves do not live for themselves; slaves live to please their master. And when a slave disobeys the master they will experience the master’s discipline; the master won’t just ignore their disobedience, but will rebuke and correct the slave’s disobedience.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 [3] It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; [4] that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, [5] not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; [6] and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. [7] FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO BE IMPURE, BUT TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE. [8] Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

If you think it is impossible to live a holy life then you have missed the whole point! Yes, alone and by yourself you are doomed to failure, but Jesus has not left us to live our lives alone an in our own strength. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us to empower us to overcome sin.

CONCLUSION
The work of sanctification will ultimately be completed in every believer's life when Jesus Christ returns. However, until Christ returns we are to work our sanctification. Work here does not mean work our ways to be saved but instead work our ways to maintain and grow in the sanctification that comes upon the regeneration. They are the fruits of a regenerate heart – total obedience to God and a sense to Glorify God in the mortal body. They are not only in external conformity with the law of God, but are also done in the conscious obedience o the Will of God – as required by God.

What Matters The Most

Text: Matthew 15: 1-20

In reading the above text, we notice that the Pharisees pin pointing the disciples’ mistake for not washing their hands before their meal. The Pharisees were legalistic group of people who were all out to catch Jesus and His disciples for breaking the Jewish tradition. Here in this context they see the disciples as defiled because of eating with an unwashed hand.

In verse 18 and 19 Jesus qualifies what can actually defile a person. What actually matters the most for God is the attitude of our hearts (Joel 2:12-13). Not how we look like or even what ministries that we are involved in. All that matters for Him is the attitude of our hearts.
To know Jesus deeper, we need to have change of heart. It is not merely refraining from certain activities but retuning the heart in such a way that we have no desire for what is evil. If you want to maintain your spirituality and walk an upright life before God, then you need to have a change of heart. Remember even Jesus said to the Pharisees, “What comes out a person defiles him rather than what go into him”. The attitude and the state of our hearts matter the most. Our God is a God who searches our hearts.

God expect a repented heart and untainted by evil desires. We who are His children should at all times tune our heart towards God. We should learn to pray to Jesus to purify our heart daily. What matters the most to God is the attitude of our hearts.

Growing Deeper

Text: Luke 5:1-11

Peter and his friends appeared somewhat indifferent to Jesus. They went about washing their nets while the crowd pushed their way up to Jesus to listen to what He had to say. Jesus could have chosen to ignore these disciples. But what did Jesus do? Vs 3 tell us that Jesus initiates the conversation with Peter. Jesus was concern for Peter, thus, He wanted Peter to know Him more deeply and experience Him more fully. Jesus singling out Peter showed that Jesus wanted to minister not only to the masses but to each of us individually also.

Jesus’ personal ministry to Peter continued further when He commanded Peter on vs. 4. Note here that a carpenter-teacher (Jesus) was telling a professional fisherman how to fish. But Peter obeyed. Obedience is the key for us to know Jesus more deeply and experience Him more fully. The fruit of their obedience motivated Jesus to call them for His ministry. Because they obeyed the first command, Jesus gave them the call in vs. 10. Vs. 11 tells us that they (Peter, James and John) left everything behind and followed Jesus.

Friends, unless Peter obeyed the first command, there would have been no second command or request for him. Then Peter and his friend would have missed out on God’s direct intervention in their lives. Likewise, we need to take the first small step of obedience before God will work mightily in our lives.

Many of us have been Christians for a long time. Most of us are born to Christian parents. The length of time or period we have become Christian does not actual matters. What matters the most is how deeply do we know Christ? And how can we know Him better and serve Him more? Obedience is the first step to know Christ better and to grow deeper into a personal relationship with Him.

Power of Praise

In Acts 16:16-30 we read an incredible account of the mighty power of God demonstrated through Paul and Silas. They were slapped in jail for setting a demon-possessed lady free. She brought in a great deal of revenue to her owners by fortune telling. With the demon gone, her owner’s means of income is affected. So, Paul & Silas being the cause of this disruption received terrible beating for their act of kindness and were slammed into the prison. The two servant of God were slammed into prison and got terrible beating for doing good and glorifying God’s name. What will be our response if we are encountered by such kind of circumstances? Probably we will get frustrated. But these guys did something remarkable. They held a worship service in the middle of their suffering. That was when the miracle happened.
# Read vs 25-26.
When the people of God raises praise to Him, God’s hands are moved. What more when we go through difficult circumstances. We must note here that Paul and Silas did not pray for their release, neither they prayed a prayer of vindication but all that they did was to praise God – miracle happened. THEY WERE MADE FREE BY THEIR PRAISES TO GOD! People of God let us be assured that when we praise God, He liberates us from our circumstances and sets us free. No matter how great our circumstances are our praises will move the hands of the Lord. What happened to Paul and Silas was a miracle. Something that is beyond human comprehension. The prison cells that are locked were opened and every bound prisoner was freed. This is the power of praise. Today, my friend let me encourage you from the word of the Lord. If you are bound by any form of bondages or circumstances – stop struggling and complaining but instead start giving praise to God – you will find victory and your salvation will come.

Thanksgiving unto God is a vital part of our Christian faith (1Thess 5:18). THANKFULNESS IS A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES OR TRIALS. When we obey this command, we will surely be blessed – God’s liberation comes to us; not only to us but also to others who are associated to us. So, people of God let us take a great joy in giving thanks and praises unto God.

Waiting is worth the Wait.

“The Prodigal Son” is a very famous parable that Jesus used to express the love of the Father for sinners like us. This parable is the third of its series found in Luke 15. The first parable talks about the lost sheep; second about the lost coin and the third is about the lost son. All three of them talks about the lost of something precious to someone. As for a father, no loss can be greater than losing of his son or daughter.

This parable tells us that a man had 2 sons. One of them decided to betray the father’s trust and to leave home with his share of his father’s estate. What the son demanded for was totally out of norm (vs 12). In the context of the 1st Century Galilee, the demand that the younger son did was totally unacceptable by the society. It is seen as a greatest betrayal and the community will reject the son entirely. In normal circumstances, an estate is only divided among the rightful heirs upon the death of the father. Not only demanding the estate to be divided but vs. 13 tell us that the sons chose to leave his father’s home. He left his security and comfort zone with the great wealth that he has inherited from the father. It was a choice to leave the Father and to indulge into sinful activities.

Today in our own lives, we too make a lot of choices. Sometimes, our choice seems to be against God’s perfect will. We think we know everything. We think what we know what is the best for us. We think we can survive and be independent with what we have – We too make wrong choices just as the prodigal son did. At times we are so impatient that we don’t wait for God’s timing. The son’s time to divide the estate and to leave home was not up yet. But his impatient and greed led him to betray his father’s trust and demand for a split in inheritance and left the home. We too at times, are very impatient. We bulldoze our ways through to get what we want. We don’t want to wait for God’s timing and often gets our self into trouble just as the prodigal son got himself into.

Let us be reminded, as children of God if we don’t wait upon the Lord and seek to choose our own ways in life we will surely end up in misery. Our security and blessings are only when our lives are centered in God’s perfect Will. When we sway away from God’s plans and ways, we may enjoy a temporary form of materialistic blessing which will not last. The prodigal son did not die or became paralyzed when he betrayed his father. In fact, he left home happily with his great estate. He enjoyed all his wealth. But because he was not in the center of God’s will, he sinned against God eventually he lost all that he had. He became a desperate man who was even without basic necessities (food). Let us be cautioned, that prosperity and wealth that is accumulated outside of God’s will, will eventually lead us to ruin and disaster.

Giving Our Best

Text: John 12: 1-11

Here we see the story of a woman who honors Christ. She honored Him with her precious possession – with nard. Anointing a guest with perfume was a common Jewish custom at feast. Nard was a perfume from India. It was a very expensive perfume worth three hundred denarii’s which was equivalent to a year’s wages (vs. 5). Mary’s gesture of honoring Jesus leaves us behind with 2 important thoughts:-

1. She gave of her best to Jesus.
Vs 3: Mary could have done what she did with many other ordinary perfumes that would have caused much cheaper. Well, the Middle East is also known for manufacturing perfumes. So Mary could have just used an ordinary local made perfume to anoint Christ. But, she used the best perfume for Christ. She gave her very best – the best that she could afford unto the Lord. Jesus was so blessed and taken back by her gift not because it was an imported perfume but because of the attitude of her heart. Jesus deserves the best from us. Are we giving Him the best off all things? Or are we giving for the sake of giving. Giving is not only money but it also involves other areas of life (time, dedication & service unto God). Some give out of compulsion, but Mary gave out of love for the Lord. The attitude of her heart pleased God.

2. She gave in all humility to God
Vs. 3: Normally the host will not anoint the feet of the guest. It is the duty of the most menial servant to wash the feet of the guest. Instead, the host will always anoint the head of the guest with perfumed oil to ease the heat in the guest body (excessive heat during the day in the deserts). Instead of anointing Jesus’ head, she anointed His feet. She did not find herself worthy to anoint His head so she went down to His feet. To touch and anoint others feet, we need to have a great measure of humility. She totally deprived herself of her self esteem and humbled herself before the Lord. Moreover, the Bible tells us that she did not only anoint His feet, but she also wiped His feet with her hair. The hair of a woman is considered her glory and dignity. Mary used her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. This signified her total humility and devotion. She not only gave her most precious possession, but she also gave herself without reservation.

Being a Vessel of Blessing

Text: Mattews 14: 13-21

This story, the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle Jesus preformed that is recorded in all four Gospels. Therefore we can conclude this to be a very important occurrence. It occurred during the Passover season about one year before Christ’s death (John 6:4). Wherever Jesus went large crowds gathered. Now at this time several things had happened. Remember, Jesus was just rejected by the people in His hometown, as a matter of fact; He departed the area as they were attempting to push Him off a cliff. His disciple’s had just returned from the mission field, a trip He had sent them on (Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10). Word had just come to Him that Herod had beheaded His forerunner, John the Baptist (Matt 14: 1-13). Not only was John His friend and partner in the ministry but also he was Jesus’ cousin, His own flesh and blood.

Having going through all this, Jesus and His disciples got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee to a deserted place to be alone. But when the people heard that Jesus had departed they followed on foot. When Jesus saw that the crowds had followed them, how did He react? Did He get back into the boat and go further away? Did He get upset that He wouldn’t get any rest or time alone with the disciples? No, far from being irritated by this intrusion, He had compassion for them (vs.14) and began to cure them from any and all afflictions they had. Likewise, He’ll have compassion for each of us. All we have to do is to turn to Him and put our trust in Him. He’ll take care of all our needs.

The second lesson that we can draw from this story is, John in his gospel records that the 5 loaves and 2 fish were owned by a little boy (John 6:9). God could have performed the miracle even without the boy offering what he has. But, our God is a God who creates opportunity for us to partake in His plan and purpose for mankind. He invites us to be in partnership in His ministry. He uses what we have. He never demanded the boy or the disciples to go to the nearest shop and get some more bread. But all that He did was, He used what the boy had. It is even true today, that the Lord expect us to participate in His ministry to bless others. It is not that God can not do without us, but it’s an honor for us be part of His mission. Here, the boy availed what he has. Are we likewise availing what we have for His glory or are we withdrawing ourselves from being used by Him. Only when the boy availed what he had the Lord made it enough for the great multitude. The boy was the agent of blessing for the crowd simply because he was willing to share what he has.

I am personnally challenged when i meditate upon this passage. Many a times we ourselves being children of God fail to avail ourselves to be used by Him for His glory and for the edification of others. So, after a long time of silence, i have once again decided to start blogging and be a blessing for others. I hope i can keep this fire and go on blogging rather than once again going into silent mode after a while.

My Prayer: God give me your strenght and keep this conviction afresh everyday that i will serve you and your people faithfully. Amen.

A New Start

I think it is high time for to start blogging again after a long break. As usual busy schedule at work has kept me away from blogging. Anyway, i want to be back in action since many find this blog to be a blessing. Moreover, i have all the time under the sun now (i am on a medical leave for the next 6 weeks). Just underwent a throat surgery and i am required to rest my voice.

See you all soon with more interesting stuff. Stay connected. God Bless.

The Sorrow of Sin

Lent period is a special season for my people (TMC, Tamil Settlement). The church strictly observes lent and we have Worship Services for the 40 days. The lay people (lay preachers) together with the Pastor will take their turns preaching in the services. Yesterday (4th Feb), it came to me by suprise to preach in the service. I was actually scheduled to preach this Friday (6th), but then the scheduled preacher was taken ill. So, my boss asked me for a favor a day before. By God's grace with the very limited time i had to prepare and preach on Psalms 51 (set text). I really felt a very strong presence of the Holy Spirit when i preached this time around. I believe God extended a special grace to me in the midst of all the limitations. Many were blessed by the word. So, as usual, i want to share it with all of you. God bless.

Psalms 51: 1-11.
This psalm was written by king David as a lament of repentance for the sin he committed in 2 Samuel 11. The sin of David was brought to his own attention by the prophet Nathan who was the kings prophet (2 Sam 12). This psalm was written by David in a broken situation, a situation full of guilt and when he had lost the peace of his mind. The psalm also explains to us the sorrows that sin can bring to a person.

I. Sin defiles us – hinders worship.
When we sin against God, we defile ourselves. In the Old Testament understanding, whoever is defiled can not enter the tabernacle of God where God resides. Thus, the ceremonial cleansing is essential for the defiled person in order for him to enter into God’s presence and worship Him. Those who came into God's presence to worship and serve Him had to be clean. David correctly viewed his sin (falling short of what God requires) as making the worship and service of a holy God impossible. Thus in (vs. 2) and (vs. 7), David pleads God cleanse him thoroughly so that he can continue worshipping and staying in relation with YHWH.

Sin also defiles our heart (vs. 10) – we cannot see God with an unclean heart (Matt 5:8)

II. Sin causes sorrow and lost of joy
(vs. 8) In this verse, David request God to renew the lost joy. Truly, David has fractured his relationship with God and thus, he has lost the joy and peace in life. David illustrates this lost of joy as if it pained him as much as a broken bone. A person who has a broken bone the intensity of the pain. Likewise a broken bone also hinders a person to naturally perform his daily chores. Likewise, David’s sin has cause him some forms of handicap in his daily living. He knew something was not right. He was a God ordained king, yet his sin made him to live a guilt filled life until then.

David also experienced lost of joy and peace in his own family.
a. Ammon raped Tamar (Ammon raped his half sister - both were David's children)

b. Absalom murdered Ammon (As vengence - Tamar's brother killed his half brother, Ammon)

c. Absalom turned the people against David

d. Absalom attempted to take the throne.

e. Absalom lost his own life

Sin leads us into a sorrowful path of life that is filled with sadness, unhappiness and guilt that will eventual cripples a person.

III. Sin Causes God’ Judgment and rejection
Verse 11. David pleads to God not to reject him. Casting away from God's presence implies a rejection as God's servant. Saul had suffered such a fate for his continuing rebellion against Yahweh. In Old Testament times God gave His Holy Spirit selectively (to empower only some believers) and temporarily (primarily to empower them for special acts of service).
However, in the New Testament context, since the day of Pentecost all believers enjoy the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Rom. 8:9). Consequently the possibility of God's withdrawing His Spirit from David was a real one for him, but it is not for us. It is possible that a Christian may lose his or her opportunities to serve the Lord, however (1 Cor. 9:27). For example, a Christian who gets involved in gross sin will not lose his or her salvation (John 10:28-29), but he or she may lose the opportunity to serve God in a leadership capacity.
But as for David, his sin will cause him to lose his salvation. A total abandonment by God. So he pleads for God’s mercy.

Conclusion:There were more regrets then joy for David in his kingship because of his sin. The story of David should alert us the damaging power of sin. Sin is able to strip us of peace and joy and above all slowly but surely separate us from God’s presence. The sorrowful paths on which sin can drive us eventually lead us to eternal destruction and misery both in this life and the life to come.

Response In Times of Crisis

Introduction:-
Jehoshaphat was the 4th King of Judah (Northern Kingdom of Israel – He reigned for 25 years). Jehoshaphat was a wealthy and powerful King. He was also among the very few good and God fearing Kings that Judah had in its history. This is because, looking back to the history of Judah, we read that Judah and Israel was ruled by many wicked, ungodly Kings who dishonored YHWH. Among this entire wicked Kings, Jehoshaphat was one of the good ones.

Context:-
· 2 Chronicles 20:1 - 4; are set in the context of the worst crisis that Jehoshaphat faced in his 25 years of reign in Judah. It was when 3 of Judah’s enemies (the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir) came to destroy Judah. Verse 3: Tells us how troubled the king got when he came to know that Judah is about to be invaded by enemies – Jehoshaphat realized how helpless he and the whole of Judah were in facing the enemies. This was when he realized that only God could help them and without God’s help, surely the enemies will trample Judah.
· The crisis that he was facing was a great one, but his response in times of crisis that matters the most for us today.

Response:-
1. He declared a fast (Vs. 3).

What is the significance of fasting? Today we fast almost everyday during lent. Some of us fast for few days in a week. However, have we actually asked why do we fast? Friends, fasting are a sign of total dependability on God. Here, when Jehoshaphat declared a nation wide fast, his gesture signifies that he and whole of Judah comes under total dependence of YHWH to help them to win the battle over their enemies.

2. They Prayed.

Verse 5-13 tells us that Jehoshaphat and whole of Judah prayed. They cried out to the Lord for His intervention. They realized that their military strength and all their means of effort would fail in facing their enemies. Their enemies were much greater than they were and Judah is sure to die unless God intervenes and saves His people. Judah’s state of helplessness is seen in vs. 12.

** As they were praying – we see the words of assurance coming from the Lord. In their powerless and hopeless state, as they earnestly fasted and prayed to God, God’s assurance comes to them. Verse 15 tells that God gives a “Fear not” oracle – for the battle no longer belong to Judah but it is Gods’.

3. They Sang and Praised (vs. 21).

All that Judah did on the day of the battle was to sing God’s praises. They did not take their spear or armor. All that they did was praising God. Verse 22 tell us that as they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against their enemies. The 3 enemies who came united to trample and destroy Judah started killing each other. Friend in times of crisis, if God intervenes, He gives us a complete victory. Verse 24 tells us that not even one of Judah enemies were spared in the battle – God utterly destroyed all of them and gave Judah the total victory in the battle.

Conclusion:-
·What is our response today in times of crisis? Whatever our crisis may be, no matter how great our crises are, how do we response in times of crisis?
· Are you facing crisis at work? Are you facing crisis in your family – is your marriage shaken up? Are your children straying away from the Lord? Are you in a serious financial debt? What is your crisis? – Turn to God, he is able to set you free from your crisis, he is able to liberate you from your crisis and give you a total victory over it. The God who saved Judah is also our God and no circumstances are too great for Him. He is El-Shaddai @ Almighty God.
· What is our response in times of crisis? Are we turning to God in total dependability as Jehoshaphat and Judah did or do we look first into all the other resources and depend on others for remedy?
· Friend, let us turn to God in times of crisis. The Psalmist says in Ps. 121:1 that he lifts up his eyes to the hills from where his help come from. Our God who is the creator of heaven and earth is able to deliver us from our crisis. Let us indeed earnestly seek him and be saved.

"The Regrets of Sin"

2 Samuel 12: 1-7 tells us that Nathan the prophet came to David to admonish David for sin. Though David was declared by God as a man after His own heart. Though David was the greatest king ever ruled over Israel, there was also the negative side of this King. He committed a terrible sin in the eyes of the Lord. As a consequence of his sin, David had to experience many regrets in his life. Friends, let us be informed that our God is an ever forgiving God who in His great mercy forgives and accepts us. However, the power of sin always leaves behind stain and regret that is beyond repair. That was what exactly happened to David.

I. Sin Causes us not to Experience the Fullness of God’s Blessings(vs. 8)

I would have given you many more things. God in His great plan for David had in stored many more blessings for David – but David’s sin hindered that plans from being fulfilled. God is liberal in His gifts. When He has given much, He stands ready to give more. However, we miss the fullness of His blessings because of the nature of sin - James 1:14-15. Our covetous hearts display ungratefulness to God for His blessings.
* David was never able to build the temple of God – his son, Solomon did. The temple’s significance in Israel – David did not get the glory because of his sin. God’s fullness of blessing was hindered by his sin.

II. Sin Causes You to Experience the Loss of BlessingGod would take the blessings already given (Vs. 11)God would take the blessings already given (Vs. 11) - He would take David’s wives. It is untold the number of blessings that are lost because God’s people desire to show discontent by sin. It just doesn’t just mean a loss of potential blessings, but it can mean a loss of existing blessings.

* It can mean losing God’s presence in our lives – Psalm 51: 11

* It can mean a loss of the blessing of joy - Psalm 51:12

III. Sin Causes You to Experience Judgment in light of God’s Blessings.

David was still king in spite of his sins. He still had the promise of dynamic succession, but his family would never know peace (Vs. 10); his family would experience trouble within (Vs. 11)

a. Ammon raped Tamar

b. Absalom murdered Ammon

c. Absalom turned the people against David

d. Absalom attempted to take the throne.

e. Absalom lost his own life

Conclusion:

David would never experience the fullness of God’s blessings. It was because of sin. There were more regrets then joy for David in his kingship because of his sin. The story of David should alert us the damaging power of sin. Sin is able to strip us of peace and joy and above all slowly but surely separate us from God’s presence.