Awareness of His Goodness

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” (Matthew:16:5-7)

Jesus was talking about the Pharisees and Sadducees but the disciples misinterpreted His words and thought that He was talking about their failure to bring bread. The irony is that not long ago, did Jesus performed the miracle of multiplication (five loaves and two fish for 5000/ four loaves for 7000). In the following verses from 8-12 in Chapter 16, Jesus knowing their thoughts rebukes them for being men of little faith because inspite of witnessing such a miraculous provision they thought He was not happy since they forgot to bring the bread. Jesus expected them to have much bigger faith especially after they witnessed such miracles. But it wasn't to be found among the disciples. The reason being the disciples were more aware of better preparedness to provide for large crowds next time rather than trusting Jesus. They forgot to bring them, which means they had it ready. They went to the extent of having breads ready for the journey to avoid a repeat of the situation. 

The disciples were worried about displeasing Jesus about their shortcomings. There lies the problem with most of us too. We are always aware of our shortcomings which is common among humans instead of being aware of GOD's goodness. When we come to GOD with that mentality, we don't interpret His words as He intended. So many times we misunderstand the Word of GOD for this reason. It was not David's job to fight Goliath. He could have just walked away after meeting his brothers. But because David was aware of GOD's goodness in his life in the form of the victories he had against the lion and the bear, he just couldn't walk away. When we are aware of GOD's goodness and meditate on them often, we too would end up slaying giants and moving mountains in our lives.

Blessings!

Know His Move

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. (Matthew:16:1-3)

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for asking a sign because the Scriptures were full of signs that were pointing to Jesus as their Messiah, yet they refused to believe. Not only that, the signs and wonders performed by Jesus were keeping in line with what the prophets had foretold ages ago. No matter how many signs Jesus would have shown, they wouldn't have believed because their hearts were hardened.

In our walk with GOD, signs play an important role in knowing the direction that the Lord is leading us into. They are not needed to tell us that GOD is real but they are needed to point us in the right direction especially when we are faced with a dilemma. Jesus says that just as we know how to interpret seasons, we need to interpret the spiritual signs especially with regards to the "move of GOD". When the Lord moves, we ought to move. If we miss that, then we are losing something valuable. "Move of GOD" is the total manifestation of GOD's will and power on earth just as it was through Jesus when He walked on the earth.

He(Jesus) said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke:9:59&60) What Jesus meant here was that the move of GOD is happening through Him at that time and He wanted the man to jump in and be a part of it. Had the man realized the times he was living in, he wouldn't have given an excuse but would have followed Jesus immediately.

Let's earnestly seek GOD for the knowledge to realize when the move of GOD is happening around us. When the surroundings that we live in is ready for a move of GOD, we must be a part of it. For that we need to discern the sign of times that we live in and it comes naturally only by having a closer relationship with Him. Let's not miss it.

Blessings!

His Promises are YES!

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” (Genesis:21:17&18)

Hagar is being sent on her way out of her master/husband's house with her son who is just entering his teenage years. She ran out of water while travelling through the desert putting her son's life at risk. Genesis:21:15&16 says that she left the boy to die. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. At this point the Lord intervenes. It's interesting to note that the angel of GOD mentions to Hagar that the Lord heard the boy's cry and not hers. The simple reason being the boy is a promise that He made with Abraham. verse 13 in the same chapter tells us about the promise GOD makes with Abraham "I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

Often in our lives we have a promise from GOD and when the situation seems against it getting fulfilled, we leave the promise, get away from it crying. But the Lord is faithful to His promise. He never lets it to die. Whether He hears our cries or not, He hears the sound of His promise. II Corinthians:1:20 says "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." Hagar ran out of water needed for her son to survive. You may run out of the very thing that is essential for the promise of GOD to get fulfilled. Don't lose your hope. The Lord is faithful to His promise and He will bring it to pass. Just like He did in Hagar's case. "Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." (Genesis:21:19) The Lord will open your spiritual eyes and you will get the revelation (well of water) needed to feed your promise (boy) and see it get to completion.

Blessings!

Ask before you Act

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. (II Samuel:12:7&8)

At a season when David was supposed to be at the war, he stayed back and ended up committing an adulterous act with Bathsheba. David was a man after GOD's own heart, so it's a surprise that he would do such an evil thing. The Lord understandably was not only angry but disappointed that David broke the trust that He had on him. So, the Lord lists out a few blessings that He had bestowed upon David and ends it by saying that if he had wanted more He would have given that too.

Though what David did in the eyes of the Lord was evil, the thing that disturbed the Lord more was that his willingness to plan and scheme things behind His back, without even having a thought about taking the matter to GOD before executing. It was so unlike David. I am sure David would have gone into the presence of the Lord, after taking Bathsheba as his wife illegally, but behaved as though nothing happened. It was not the David that GOD knew. That's when the Lord decided to sent Nathan, the prophet to pinpoint the sin David had committed and let him know His feelings.

What GOD was really saying to David was that if you want something inquire with Me first! Don't device your own plans and end up getting hurt. If David had gone to the Lord at first like he did when his wife and children were caught and taken as captives, the Lord wouldn't have allowed Him to get into this evil scheme and he wouldn't had to go through the trauma of getting his child killed. Romans:8:32 says "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" GOD who didn't even spare His only Son is willing to give everything along with Him. The question is are we ready to inquire and ask directions from Him before we act on our own?

Blessings!

Answers to Outdated Prayers

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. (Luke:1:13)

The moment Zechariah would have been waiting for all these years had arrived. But still he had a tough time believing what the angel had to say to him. Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke:1:18) Some of us would have asked the same question. Zechariah has become a man deprived of hope and I believe he would have stopped praying for a child long time ago - the moment he realized that he and his wife had passed the child bearing stage. But here is the best part. The Lord didn't give up on him nor forget his prayers, though they were outdated!

There are times we feel that our prayers are not getting answered because of our unbelief. Though its true, there are certain cases like Zechariah, where the Lord answered prayers in spite of his unbelief. Does that mean that the Lord is partial? No, that's not the point here. The takeaway from this incident is that the Lord is so gracious and kind that He even answers faithless prayers. It's not about Zachariah's lack of faith but the heart of GOD that answers prayer even without faith. GOD answered his prayers as a means to increase his faith. Because of the answered prayer, Zechariah's faith was rekindled and he was drawn closer to GOD like never before. We see him getting filled in the Holy Spirit and prophesying in verses 67-79.  We read a similar incident in Acts:12:13-16. Prayers were being offered for the release of Peter, but they wouldn't believe when the servant Rhoda said that Peter was at the door. At the end of the day, the Lord's way of answering prayers are mysterious but one thing is certain - GOD hears and answers our prayers. That is His nature.

Every answered prayer is a stepping stone of faith. Our faith goes up a notch when one of our prayers get answered. So keep praying and don't lose hope.

Blessings!

A Life full of Life

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John:11:25&26)

As Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, Martha had second thoughts. To which Jesus replied “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John:11:40). If you read the whole of chapter 11, these weren't the exacts words of Jesus when He spoke to Martha about bringing Lazarus back from the dead. There wasn't a mention of glory of GOD to Martha anywhere in their earlier conversations. So what did Jesus mean when He said that if she believes she will see the glory of GOD? He was referring to the statement "The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." He had earlier asked Martha did she really believe in this. Jesus was saying that by making someone live, GOD's glory is revealed.

The point I am trying to make is that GOD's glory is revealed when we live - when we live a victorious life like Jesus, a life as an over comer in every area, conquering sickness and poverty, being a blessing for everyone. Living doesn't mean just breathing but it's much more than that. Jesus is the resurrection and the life and He showed us how a life should be lived. When Adam sinned, he brought death upon the whole of humanity. But with Jesus' resurrection He has brought back the life that was lost by Adam at the garden. An abundant life as promised in John:10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The more we know this truth and tune our minds to this fact, the more we will get to experience the abundant life that Jesus promised.

Blessings!

Preach! Just as Jesus did

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah:9:1&2)

We read in Matthew:4:14-17 about the above prophecy of Isaiah getting fulfilled. It's not like just because Jesus was born and the whole darkness in the region of Galilee was lifted. As we read in verse 17 "From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” it was after Jesus started preaching about the kingdom that the people walking in darkness saw light.

It is true even today. We live in an evil world that is getting worse day by day by the look of things. But that shouldn't deter us from presenting the gospel just like Jesus did. How did Jesus present it? He presented it out of love and compassion, accompanied with signs and wonders. Today, we don't see such a kind of gospel in churches or in the marketplace. The disciples did what Jesus did. Their preaching was followed by signs and wonders. We read about it in Mark:16:20 "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

The Lord has entrusted us with the gospel and has commissioned us to turn the world upside down and light up the dark places. He wouldn't have given us the responsibility if He thought we weren't up for it. And the best part is that we aren't alone. When the disciples went out and preached, the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by signs and wonder. He is ready to do it even today, are we?

Blessings!

An End is not an End

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John:11:3&4)

For every problem that we face in this world, at a certain point it reaches a "natural end" or a state of impossibility. In Lazarus' case, the sickness he got caught in reached its natural end when he died. But the good news is as real as the natural end is, there is a supernatural end for every problem. Hallelujah! Faith in GOD is required if we want to get to the supernatural end. In Lazarus' case, the supernatural end is resurrection. For that to happen, Jesus expected his sisters to show some faith. John:11:40 says Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Jesus was so convinced about the supernatural end to this problem as He didn't even mention Lazarus' death at first when He told His disciples to pack up. He went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” (John:11:11) Only after the disciples didn't get what He was saying, He plainly said that Lazarus is dead. We ought to have such supernatural level of faith in all our problems that we don't even think about the natural end but only think about the supernatural end.

Note that Lazarus, when he was brought back from the dead wasn't sick but was in good health. He died of sickness but Jesus didn't resurrect him to that state but to the state before He was afflicted with sickness! Are you facing a problem for a long time and you have given up (natural end)? Don't worry, there is an alternate ending and it is going to be supernatural. Talk to your dead situation and say "Lazarus, Come out!" If you're sick and doctors have given up hope say "Divine Health, Come out"! If you're having trouble in your marriage and it is broken say "Divine Relationship, Come out"!

Blessings!

Delay is not His way

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. (Exodus:13:17&18)

This is true in most of our lives. The Lord had to be patient with us and take us through the longer route instead of the shorter route because we aren't prepared to face the challenges that lay await in the shorter route. The irony is we always blame the Lord for the delay or the longer route we had to take when in reality it is because of us. Any breakthrough that is getting delayed or taking longer than expected is not because the Lord purposefully wants to but He is waiting for us to get prepared for the challenges that we had to face after the breakthrough.

Mostly, the preparation is not external but it is internal - in our minds. We don't see any breakthrough yet in areas of health, finances etc. even though the Lord had blessed us with these already according to Ephesians:1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ". We don't see it manifesting in our lives as it should because our mind isn't trained to accept this truth as a fact. Our mind is still attached to the fallen world of diseases, sickness, poverty etc. that we accept these things as though there is no other option.

Let's train our minds to the truth of the Scriptures and move to a position where we will see who we really are in Jesus Christ. When this truth dawns upon us, we will be walking through the doors of blessing and breakthroughs will come thick and fast because our minds are now prepared to face life after the breakthrough.

Blessings!

Marketplace Messiahs

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. (Matthew:15:29-31)

The people saw Jesus performing these mighty miracles and they praised/glorified the GOD of Israel. Note that Jesus didn't chose the shores of the Sea of Galilee to perform miracles. He went up on a mountain and sat down where all kinds of sick people were brought to Him and He healed them all. Why did Jesus had to go up to the mountain? He wanted to make sure that the miracles and wonders that He is doing is not just seen by a handful but by everyone around that region, even those who are on the ground. He made a public spectacle so that people will be drawn to GOD and His name will be glorified.

With that same intention (bringing glory to GOD), Jesus commanded us in Matthew:5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." The good deeds referred here are not just acts of love and kindness, but also signs and wonders. Unless the signs and wonders are seen by people, GOD's name won't be glorified as it should.

The mountain Jesus climbed symbolically refers to the marketplace and in our age - social media. Let's not confine the mighty acts of GOD just within the four walls of our church or home, but let's take it to the streets where everyone can see the Lord's power at work. Let's make sure that we use them to testify the wonders and miracles that the Lord has been doing in our lives, thereby drawing people to Christ and bringing glory to His name. Peter did it in Acts:3:9-11 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. People saw the miracle and they came running to Peter and John. That's the power of the gospel.

Blessings!

Solved before its Formed

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis:2:18)

This statement from the Lord is not a response to Adam's prayer. We see that Adam never petitioned GOD for a helper. But, the Lord realized the need for a helper before Adam could realize. What an amazing GOD we have! He has a solution for our problem before we even face a problem!! That's amazing. Just think about it. What an awesome GOD we have as our Father!

Let me tell you something even more astonishing. In Genesis:2:22 we read "Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." The Lord had solved the problem before the problem could even become a problem!! If the Lord had made Eve after Adam had felt lonely, then we can say that the problem faced by Adam was solved. But before Adam could even feel the need for a companion, the Lord knowing it beforehand, made him fell into a deep sleep and made Eve out his rib. Thus solving the problem that hadn't even become a problem!

The beauty of this truth is that the Lord has been so good to us. When we are faced with real problems in our life, take time to thank GOD for the unseen problems that He had solved in our lives that we never had to face it. He just nullified it or helped us dodge it without us even realizing it. If the Lord can be so good in solving unseen problems in our life, won't He do the same to the ones that we face right now. He deserves our trust and love in every aspect of our lives. Trust Him at all times.

Blessings!