(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on February 21, 2010 at NLF Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)
Let me read for you from Luke 6:48,49: “He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well-built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
This is a story by Jesus to his disciples; about two builders – one wise and the other foolish. Both of them set out to build, the wise laying a foundation while the foolish without a foundation. Now imagine that I build a house on the empty plot here; without a foundation - it may look quite good from outside; it may even stand there quite stably. But the point is, during the torrential rains, or during a storm that house is bound to collapse.
Remember, this is Jesus speaking to believers! That includes you and me. We cannot afford to just get on, and get by in life, without having a rock solid foundation to Christian living! We cannot afford to be carried away by the compliments of people who see our ‘outside’ living! And this is the message I want to share with you today. What are the foundations to a Christian life?
There are four vital foundations to Christian living…and if these foundations are found in our life, it will bring about an unshakable testimony with eternal consequences. As I share, and if you find any of these lacking in your life, it is, even now, not too late to build on these foundations…
1. Jesus Christ, the firm foundation
1 Corinthians 3: 10, 11: By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul, by profession is a tent maker – a builder in today’s sense. And he writes to the Church at Corinth about how he laid a foundation as an expert builder…as a wise master builder, on the Rock-Jesus Christ. In those times, the Corinthian church was going into troubled times; there were divisions among them; some believers said they followed Apollos and others said they followed Paul. But Paul writes to them and contends, there is really only One to follow and that is Jesus Christ.
We thank God for all the great preachers in this world. We thank God for their teaching. But the point is we are not followers of any person-any man other than Jesus Christ. If there is any person in this world who himself is exalted and magnified because of ‘his’ powers or his prowess, then there is every possibility of the movement degenerating into a religious cult. And it is NOT the Christian way!
In every moment of our life, in any situation, this truth must be deeply ingrained in our hearts-in the core of our being, that we are ‘fixing’ our eyes only on Jesus Christ – the rock solid and firm foundation. Haven’t we heard of the failings of ‘cult’ leaders? Or the backslidden leader who hangs on to his own history as his hope? Would you be fooled into building your house-your life on these people? Because, if it is any other person that you depend on, in your crisis situations, you will find your house will surely fall.
1 Timothy 2:5 says this: For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…In the Old Testament, the people begged Moses that they rather hear Moses hear from God and speak to them than to hear from God directly. But in the New Testament, the veil is torn and every individual who believes can have access to God, through one Mediator – the man Christ Jesus. There is no Mother Mary or the past Saints hearing our prayers; there is no other ‘holy’ men-dead or alive, who will save us. There are no dead saints praying for us...
In the book of Hebrews we read, “…they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest…” (Heb. 8:11). Yes, it is our privilege in the New Covenant for each one of us to have a personal relationship with God. If you base your foundation on Jesus Christ plus some other person, this too is a delusion that in times of flood and torrent, your house would still stand! But if your house is built on Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone, I assure you, your house will stand the test of time-come what may!
2. Holy Scriptures, the foundational truth
Ephesians 2:20: …built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief Cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and rises…
In a civil structure, the most important stone is the cornerstone! If this verse from Ephesians sounds like a contradiction from our earlier conclusions, you will find it is really not as we look into a verse from 2 Peter 3:2 that says, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles”
The foundation here is the foundational truths – the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, the command of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teachings of the apostles – all these found in the pages between Genesis and Revelation! The Law and the prophets of the Old Testament; the gospel and letters written by the Apostles in the New Testament-the Holy Bible!
God’s word is supreme. There is no other book that comes even close to the Bible! In fact, all other books are so less in comparison. It is the Bible to read and meditate if you want to have the foundational truths revealed as God’s will and God’s ways; about God’s love and God’s plan for our lives! Beloved, this is THE BOOK!
There are many Christian authors writing so many other books about knowing God’s will, about their experiences in miraculous living, about visions of heaven or hell, and so on…but the point is we cannot base our foundation on others’ experiences…Colossians 2:18 says, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions”
As a child of God, we can lay our foundation in the word of God and hold on to God’s every word spoken to us; we can claim every wonderful promise God has revealed to us in His word. We can genuinely yearn for experiences that are found in the word of God about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and of the gifts of the Spirit. We can learn and know of the hope of eternal life, the resurrection of the dead and the life to come!
3. Doers of the word
In the story of the wise and the foolish builder, the illustration of the ‘foolish’ is this: that these are hearers of the word only and not doers. (Luke 6:49). But the wise are those that hear and OBEY. Obedience to God’s word is fundamental to the Christian living. If we are only hearers of God’s word, we are ‘foolish’. We will find that someday our house will fall, because the foundation of obedience has not been laid.
Hebrews 6:1 talks about the ‘foundation of repentance from dead works’; Repentance is our response to God’s conviction of our sins. It is a foundation that each believer must lay – it is an elementary principle that we no longer walk to do the ‘dead works’. It is an about-turn in the way of the walk of self; a turn to walk towards God.
Water-baptism is a fundamental expression of obedience to God’s word after our repentance from sins. Keeping a good conscience too is a foundation of Christian living; those who rejected this ‘suffered shipwreck’. (1 Tim 1:19)
4. Faith
Our Christian living is a walk of faith. 2 Timothy 2:19 says this: Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
You see, we started the Christian walk by faith in God and His word…this is the saving faith that happens once in a believer’s life. Now we must go on with a living faith day-after, that the Lord knows us…each one of us, individually. We must be fully assured of God’s love towards us as that of our heavenly Father; and assured of Christ’s great and vast love for us.
Eph. 3:17, 18 says this: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge…In our everyday walk, as we exhibit a living faith that pleases God, we are building a solid foundation that cannot be shaken. We are fully convinced that no one can snatch us away from the Father’s hand…and that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ…
Even in the midst of situations that seem contrary to our belief, our anchor of faith will still hold if we know that God will not allow us to be tested beyond our capacity, that His grace is always all-sufficient for us; that God cares for us and we can cast our burdens on to Him…to know that His rod and His staff will comfort us even in the dark deep valleys… Yes, it is faith in God and His word that carries us through. And if faith is found in our foundation, our house is bound to stand the test of time and trials.
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ (2 Thes. 3:5). In your patience possess your souls; be patient until the Lord’s coming. Faithfully endure till the end. If we have these foundations of Christian Living in our own lives, then ours is a firm foundation that cannot be shaken.
O God, build a foundation in our lives as we walk and obey so that not one of us be lost at Your coming, and that every one be found with a firm foundation in this life. May Your word bear fruit in its season. Amen.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Principles for Success
Labels:
principles,
success
(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on February 14, 2010 at NLF Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)
Soon, it will be time for some of our children to face their board exams (10th and 12th). And they prepare and face one of their defining moments in life. So it’s my burden today to share with you this message: How to be successful? It is a simple message that even young children can understand. As you hold on to these principles that I’m about to share, you will find success.
You see, God wants YOU-each one of you, to be successful. Some of you may be facing their exams, some in your new jobs; a few in their newly wedded life…whatever maybe your position, God is interested in your success in all your endeavors. In fact, He has given us a manual – the Holy Bible, that teaches us how to be successful in every area of our life.
If we look at the meaning of success, the dictionary says, it is an accomplishment of an aim; or a favorable outcome. Everyone who knows Christ must identify himself with these meanings of success; whether it is exams, interviews or any other work.
The Bible is full of examples of men and women of God who were successful in their lives. And it teaches us the principles by which we may attain success. Today, let me share with you five principles for success:
(1) Know God’s word and obey God’s word
1 Kings 2:3: “And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn”
The incident described here is David giving charge to his son Solomon of the kingdom of Israel just before his death. At this time, Solomon was a young lad. David instructs him to walk in God’s ways, written in the Law of Moses, and find success in ALL THAT he does and WHEREVER he TURNS.
You must first know His ways, before you can walk in His ways. You must first know the word before you can walk in obedience to it. Take an interest to know God’s word, make an effort to understand what God is speaking, and align your self in the direction of God’s prodding and walk in obedience to His word.
The Bible records that Solomon found success in everything as long as he kept God’s word. And it was the same with Joshua; when Moses gave charge to lead Israel. It was a formidable task – leading a whole nation into the Promised Land in accordance with God’s word. The Promised Land was not empty; it was occupied by ‘giants’ and protected by armies. Joshua was a mighty warrior too! Yet God’s instruction to Joshua is clear in Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go”
Study the word, walk in obedience and prosper! That was the recipe given by God to Joshua. If we look at Psalm 1, the same recipe is mentioned there! “…his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Find success wherever you go and in whatever you do, when you study God’s word and walk in obedience. On the other hand, how can anyone succeed if he wants to walk in his own way? In Numbers 14:41, Moses warns those who wanted to go ahead and possess the Promised Land, presuming God to be with them. And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed”. Disobedience to God’s word will lead to failure.
(2) Trust God’s word
2 Chronicles 20:20 …Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
The people of Judah were in a battle; and those against them were far too many-three armies against an insignificantly ‘small’ army of Judah. But king Jehoshaphat exhorts the people of Judah to trust in the Lord; and to trust the word of the Lord that had come through the prophecy of Jahaziel, to find success. We know the incidents following the trust and obedience of the people of Judah; the three armies that had come against them, ended up fighting with one another and were destroyed.
So, it does not matter how many are against us; it does not matter if we are outnumbered…we can still learn to trust God and His word. We will surely succeed. These incidents recorded in the Bible are not fables; they were real life situations faced by real people who chose to put their confidence in God. Sometimes our faith is tested; we do not find success immediately; there may be a time of waiting – But in all these situations, we trust God and hope in His word. Psalm 75: 6, 7 says that one generation must teach the next generation this: that they set their hope in God. Look what the Lord has done in the past, trust Him for the present, Hope in Him for the future – that is the secret to success!
In Isaiah 30:15, God says, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength”. To wait and be confident in God is our strength. We can see with eyes of faith on that which is unseen yet…look on with full confidence and know God will make a way, even where there seems to be no way! Jesus is our miracle-worker! They who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame. And Jesus never fails.
(3) Pray to God
In Genesis 24:12, Abraham’s servant went out to look for a bride for his master’s son – Isaac. He had come a long way, the place was a strange place; he had no idea where to turn. Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham”
We can learn the secret of success from this servant of Abraham. We can learn to pray specifically, and confidently. If you are in search of a life partner in marriage, you can place your trust in God and pray specifically. We know God hears our prayers. Yes God answers our prayers in a special way. It will be the way of success just as for Abraham’s servant when he found Rebecca to be the wife of Isaac. While he was still praying, the answer was on its way; when he finished praying, the answer was manifest!
Prayer is our dependence on God; we cannot do it all. We are not self-made individuals. Whatever be our societal standing, and our sphere of influence over men, we can all learn to pray like Nehemiah (Neh. 1:11), who was, you can say, one of the top government officials. He too found success and answer to his prayers.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, do not worry about anything! Pray with a spirit of thanksgiving; pray with full confidence and hope; pray a specific prayer and you will succeed.
(4) Work with diligence
You see, God is not someone who will close His eyes and bless somebody. He is not interested in blessing those who are lazy. In Nehemiah chapter 2, we find Nehemiah diligently planning to execute the work God had put in his heart. He encourages others saying, God will give us success. And in verse 18, the people say, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to do this good work.
The walls of Jerusalem were damaged; the gates were burned down. But in 52 days, they rebuilt the walls all around Jerusalem; even amidst the fear surrounding them, even with opposition; even with a weapon in one hand to fight and an implement in the other hand to build! What diligence!
God has promised that He will bless the work of our hands; therefore we need to show due diligence to our work. Let us try our best; let us do our best, leaving the rest to God. In the book of Proverbs, there are many verses that teach about diligence and hard-work. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward…”
(5) Take counsel
Without consultation, plans go awry. We must learn to seek counsel for success; in a multitude of counselors there is security and safety. Proverbs 12:15, says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise”. There are people who can guide us and correct us. We must learn and always be willing to take wise counsel from them.
We can surely find success in every area of our life; it does not matter from which strata of society you start from. Like Joseph, you may start from a slave and find success; or like Daniel you may be next to the king and still find success. Joseph learnt to trust God and walk in obedience to God’s word even in Potiphar’s house. Daniel chose to walk in obedience to God’s will fully aware of the consequences. Yes, Daniel was put in a lion’s den, not for any wrong he committed, but because he prayed to God as was his custom each day. We know how God bound the mouth of lions to save Daniel; and how Joseph was transferred from prison to the palace in a matter of days!
May God grant you success in whatever you do and wherever you turn as you follow these five principles for success. Amen!
Soon, it will be time for some of our children to face their board exams (10th and 12th). And they prepare and face one of their defining moments in life. So it’s my burden today to share with you this message: How to be successful? It is a simple message that even young children can understand. As you hold on to these principles that I’m about to share, you will find success.
You see, God wants YOU-each one of you, to be successful. Some of you may be facing their exams, some in your new jobs; a few in their newly wedded life…whatever maybe your position, God is interested in your success in all your endeavors. In fact, He has given us a manual – the Holy Bible, that teaches us how to be successful in every area of our life.
If we look at the meaning of success, the dictionary says, it is an accomplishment of an aim; or a favorable outcome. Everyone who knows Christ must identify himself with these meanings of success; whether it is exams, interviews or any other work.
The Bible is full of examples of men and women of God who were successful in their lives. And it teaches us the principles by which we may attain success. Today, let me share with you five principles for success:
(1) Know God’s word and obey God’s word
1 Kings 2:3: “And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn”
The incident described here is David giving charge to his son Solomon of the kingdom of Israel just before his death. At this time, Solomon was a young lad. David instructs him to walk in God’s ways, written in the Law of Moses, and find success in ALL THAT he does and WHEREVER he TURNS.
You must first know His ways, before you can walk in His ways. You must first know the word before you can walk in obedience to it. Take an interest to know God’s word, make an effort to understand what God is speaking, and align your self in the direction of God’s prodding and walk in obedience to His word.
The Bible records that Solomon found success in everything as long as he kept God’s word. And it was the same with Joshua; when Moses gave charge to lead Israel. It was a formidable task – leading a whole nation into the Promised Land in accordance with God’s word. The Promised Land was not empty; it was occupied by ‘giants’ and protected by armies. Joshua was a mighty warrior too! Yet God’s instruction to Joshua is clear in Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go”
Study the word, walk in obedience and prosper! That was the recipe given by God to Joshua. If we look at Psalm 1, the same recipe is mentioned there! “…his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Find success wherever you go and in whatever you do, when you study God’s word and walk in obedience. On the other hand, how can anyone succeed if he wants to walk in his own way? In Numbers 14:41, Moses warns those who wanted to go ahead and possess the Promised Land, presuming God to be with them. And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed”. Disobedience to God’s word will lead to failure.
(2) Trust God’s word
2 Chronicles 20:20 …Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
The people of Judah were in a battle; and those against them were far too many-three armies against an insignificantly ‘small’ army of Judah. But king Jehoshaphat exhorts the people of Judah to trust in the Lord; and to trust the word of the Lord that had come through the prophecy of Jahaziel, to find success. We know the incidents following the trust and obedience of the people of Judah; the three armies that had come against them, ended up fighting with one another and were destroyed.
So, it does not matter how many are against us; it does not matter if we are outnumbered…we can still learn to trust God and His word. We will surely succeed. These incidents recorded in the Bible are not fables; they were real life situations faced by real people who chose to put their confidence in God. Sometimes our faith is tested; we do not find success immediately; there may be a time of waiting – But in all these situations, we trust God and hope in His word. Psalm 75: 6, 7 says that one generation must teach the next generation this: that they set their hope in God. Look what the Lord has done in the past, trust Him for the present, Hope in Him for the future – that is the secret to success!
In Isaiah 30:15, God says, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength”. To wait and be confident in God is our strength. We can see with eyes of faith on that which is unseen yet…look on with full confidence and know God will make a way, even where there seems to be no way! Jesus is our miracle-worker! They who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame. And Jesus never fails.
(3) Pray to God
In Genesis 24:12, Abraham’s servant went out to look for a bride for his master’s son – Isaac. He had come a long way, the place was a strange place; he had no idea where to turn. Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham”
We can learn the secret of success from this servant of Abraham. We can learn to pray specifically, and confidently. If you are in search of a life partner in marriage, you can place your trust in God and pray specifically. We know God hears our prayers. Yes God answers our prayers in a special way. It will be the way of success just as for Abraham’s servant when he found Rebecca to be the wife of Isaac. While he was still praying, the answer was on its way; when he finished praying, the answer was manifest!
Prayer is our dependence on God; we cannot do it all. We are not self-made individuals. Whatever be our societal standing, and our sphere of influence over men, we can all learn to pray like Nehemiah (Neh. 1:11), who was, you can say, one of the top government officials. He too found success and answer to his prayers.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, do not worry about anything! Pray with a spirit of thanksgiving; pray with full confidence and hope; pray a specific prayer and you will succeed.
(4) Work with diligence
You see, God is not someone who will close His eyes and bless somebody. He is not interested in blessing those who are lazy. In Nehemiah chapter 2, we find Nehemiah diligently planning to execute the work God had put in his heart. He encourages others saying, God will give us success. And in verse 18, the people say, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to do this good work.
The walls of Jerusalem were damaged; the gates were burned down. But in 52 days, they rebuilt the walls all around Jerusalem; even amidst the fear surrounding them, even with opposition; even with a weapon in one hand to fight and an implement in the other hand to build! What diligence!
God has promised that He will bless the work of our hands; therefore we need to show due diligence to our work. Let us try our best; let us do our best, leaving the rest to God. In the book of Proverbs, there are many verses that teach about diligence and hard-work. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward…”
(5) Take counsel
Without consultation, plans go awry. We must learn to seek counsel for success; in a multitude of counselors there is security and safety. Proverbs 12:15, says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise”. There are people who can guide us and correct us. We must learn and always be willing to take wise counsel from them.
We can surely find success in every area of our life; it does not matter from which strata of society you start from. Like Joseph, you may start from a slave and find success; or like Daniel you may be next to the king and still find success. Joseph learnt to trust God and walk in obedience to God’s word even in Potiphar’s house. Daniel chose to walk in obedience to God’s will fully aware of the consequences. Yes, Daniel was put in a lion’s den, not for any wrong he committed, but because he prayed to God as was his custom each day. We know how God bound the mouth of lions to save Daniel; and how Joseph was transferred from prison to the palace in a matter of days!
May God grant you success in whatever you do and wherever you turn as you follow these five principles for success. Amen!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Signs of Revival
(Message by Pastor Joseph, Founder and Charirman, NLF on February 7, 2010 at NLF Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)
Here I am meeting you again …batting at 78 not out. Glory to God! We can all start to have a joyful life by knowing our identity. You see, there are going to be some questions for you to answer, while you are here on planet earth. Consider these 4 questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Where have I come from?
3. What am I doing here?
4. Where am I going?
If you really want to know the answers to these questions, look here (in the Bible) – you will find the answers in God’s word. The word of God says, ‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation’ (2 Cor. 5:17); ‘and as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God’ (John 1:12). You must know– this is my identity in Christ! A son or daughter of God - that’s who I am!
We did not come here by accident; we were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). And everyone who believes that Jesus is Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1). We have come from God.
What are you doing here? (or what have you done?) Now that’s a question that we must answer Him someday. We are here, not to just get by in life, or perfecting ourselves in the art of survival-having roti, kapda and makaan (bread, clothes and shelter)! These are the minor issues; the word of God says, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matt. 6:33). We are here for a purpose. Look at the gospel of John, chapter 17. You are here to know the eternal life; to know His word; to be cleansed by the word and sent to proclaim His name.
Finally, where are you going? Whether you like it or not, you have to leave this world someday. Yes, we are all on the waiting-list. Well, are you thinking-‘Pehle Aap!’ (First you!). Ah…There is no necessity that the older one must go first! I know I’m here, anointed by Him, appointed by Him, assigned by Him. I’m here for a purpose. And when my assignment is complete, angels will carry me to be with the Lord. Yes. Absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Do you have that hope, that assurance too?
In the past two years (i.e., 2008, 2009), in Mumbai, more than 75,000 people have been added to the New Life Fellowship. A significant number of those are from the migrant community; first UP, then Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; and then the locals from our own Maharashtra. Imagine such a large number longing for Jesus Christ. Imagine such a change sweeping across the city! Now, tell me, what are you doing amidst this REVIVAL?
You can know what you should do from Isaiah 6th chapter. Now Isaiah was a pitiable man because he was blinded by king Uzziah. He was a prophet of God, dwelling among people of unclean lips and among people living an unclean life. But glory be to God; for when Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord. And Isaiah heard the voice of God: Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?
And Isaiah answered God’s call: Here am I! Send me. You see, God is not going to push you to do something that you don’t want to do! You have a choice. You can either live for Him or live for your self. And this is the message from God, Isaiah was given to tell the people: keep on hearing but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive, make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes…lest they be healed”
You see, Jesus did not come to make a religion! When I look in the Bible, I see wonderful truths. In Ephesians 1, we see that we are pre-destined, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; and that all things are under our feet. And that we live by revelation and understanding. Yes, we can know the hope of His calling, know the riches of the glory of His inheritance…But when I was young, what I saw around me was quite different; men in robes and seminary degrees – and the thinking was that, more the degrees, more the understanding! And the trained one goes to his denominational group and preaches the word! And there they were, standing flamboyantly in the sacred pulpit and you could see them die by degrees! And here I was thinking, how and why, what I read in the Bible does not work in the church? And does not work in life?
And when I started ministering, you could say, I had a ‘moving’ ministry; when I moved in, people moved out. I cried out to God-“Lord, give me direction”. I began fasting and praying and telling God that I’ll not go forward unless He ministered to me first. And I did have a revelation; yes, I saw a vision of Jesus…
This is the gospel. The Lord of heaven came down, went to the cross, finished the work of salvation, and we are called as sons and daughters of God. Now, there is hope of eternal life with Him. If you are in death, you are a ‘sinner’; if you are in life, you are a ‘saint’. There is no in-between state-it’s either sinner or saint; neither is there vacillating between one and the other – one day ‘saint’ and next day ‘sinner’. If you are willing, God is going to take care of all other ‘minor’ issues of kaana and peena (food and drink).
There is also the second part – the radical part. Do you know that everyone born-again is a minister of God? Ephesians 4:11, 12 talks of the various ministries in the church. There is the prophetic ministry – for the guiding; and evangelists – for the gathering ministry; and Pastors (or shepherds) – for the guarding ministry; and then the teachers – for the grounding ministry. We are all equipped to edify one another-everyone will someday be like Him. There are about a hundred of you here in this church; and every one of you is a minister for Christ. Our ministry must be (i) saturated by prayer (ii) supplemented by a vision and plan and (iii) succeeded by implementation of the plan
Any revival does not happen just like that! You must know what is happening around you. For example, from 2007 to 2009, what are the changes that you see here in Vashi, Navi Mumbai? Do you have any idea about the number of people living here, their economic background, their linguistic or cultural orientation, their job profiles, and their age-groups? God is saying to us – ‘Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations…’ Now, is it not worth knowing what to ask from God?
We have in the New Life Fellowship, networking leaders whom I meet. One of them, just two years back, had about a few thousand people in the church and now it has become 30000; another leader found increase in numbers up to 17000 and the increase is from people who were non-Christians. There are in this city young people who are hungry for God. They are fed up of what religion offers. They want a relationship with God. And we have a few others helping us – notably Gary Kirsten, the coach of Indian cricket team, when we recently organized a cricket tournament, the man of the match was selected for sponsorship in cricket coaching; yes there were many slum children in the cricket tournament, many of them from Muslim background. But what a joy, to see them coming and help them find life in Jesus Christ. See, you cannot change anybody’s heart, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit; but preaching the good news is your responsibility! And that’s exactly what I do!
Even today, when we stop at traffic signals, we give hand-outs of written gospel in various languages to others nearby. I personally have experienced the power of sharing the gospel this way, when a booklet of John’s gospel was given to me some 50 years back. I do not know who it was who gave it, but I am pretty much sure he would never have imagined what a person I would be, today, with that life-changing gospel!
We are not here by accident. So forget about all your worries. Let me go through, with you, the seven signs of revival. I can tell you, in all my 50 years of ministry, I have never seen such an increase at any time. We had a prophecy about the revival happening in Mumbai, and a warning of not to take it lightly. So, we organized meetings and paid evangelists who will gather the people. For the revival does not wait for long! It has its seasons!
Let us turn to Acts 4 and read from v23 onwards to find the signs of revival:
1. UNITY
It all started with the miraculous healing of a lame man, over 40 years old. There were people who then perceived the power of the gospel. The people found the disciples, radical in their thinking; bold in their preaching. But what the disciples found was opposition from the ‘religious leaders’. The leaders suddenly found themselves wanting in comparison with the disciples; they were afraid, they may lose their ‘jobs’. The leaders tried to dissuade them by arguing and threatening that they no more call on the name of Jesus. And that’s when the disciples decided to come out of the religion-Judaism. Verse 23 says, ‘…they went to their own companions…’; that is the unity of the Spirit. They all were of one mind!
2. PRAYER
Acts 4: 24, 25 tells us the next sequence in the sign of revival. It says that they raised their voice to God with one accord and said, “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…”
Prayer is described as the human dependence on divine intervention. It is a tool too for knowing God’s will and meeting God’s will. That is why we pray, Our father,…Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is interesting to note the disciples referred to one of the psalms of David in their prayer. “Why did the nations rage and the people plot vain things?...” (from Psalm 2): It is interesting because, the other part of the same Psalm says, “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations…”; and this is what I believe, that the disciples knew this and prayed a prayer of faith, knowing that God has given them the nations.
3. WORD OF GOD
Look here; the disciples faced severe threats of punishment. Their lives were in peril. But they did not pray, ‘Lord, grant us protection’; for verse 29 says, that the disciples prayed this way: “…Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word”. All they wanted was to speak the word of God; for the disciples were convinced that it is the power to transform people from death to eternity. Therefore take time to read and study the word of God; meditate and memorise the written ‘logos’ word; that it may become ‘rhema’ the living word in you. It is the key to success in times of revival, of change. That is what we see in Psalm 1 and Joshua 1.
4. NAME OF JESUS
Verse 30: “…that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus”. It is the name of Jesus for times of revival. “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Study the noble name (James 2:7) of Jesus, which is invoked upon you in baptism after you are born-again.
5. HOLY SPIRIT
Verse 31: “…and the place …was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. I do not know about you, but I have experienced some shaking places myself. And this is my desire too, that every meeting of ours-every assembling together, in any place, will be a ‘shaking’ experience. Whatever God gives is through Holy Spirit; whatever God does is by Holy Spirit.
6. GENEROSITY
Verse 32: “… they had all things in common”. Generosity and giving is an expression of love. It sometimes may look too good to be true; how people could give up everything they owned and share it with others freely. But the answer is found in 2 Cor. 8:5, “…but they first gave themselves to the Lord”. Acts 4:34 continues: “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds…” There may have been borrowers and there may have been lenders; and borrowers are slaves to lenders. But, whoever the Son sets free is free indeed! You see, generosity focuses on the issues that are important and not possessions. And God is responsible to pay the bill for what He says we should do! There is no place for fear! Or global meltdown or financial crisis or whatever name they call it! We can put our trust in the infallible word of God.
7. WITNESS
There is power in witness. Verse 33: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all”
‘Living He loved me; dying He saved me
Buried He carried, my sins far away
Rising He justified me freed me forever
One day He is coming back, O glorious day!'
These are the days! This is the season! There is no room for discouragement; no place for depression. Give no heed to any distraction! For a seed sown will become a forest. Do you know how many multitudes of angels rejoice over every repentant sinner?
I remember the time I started ministering to less than 100 people. There were years in which there was not even a single baptism. Now there are more than 1000 NLF churches all over India, and abroad. God has a plan for you – a plan to prosper, to give you a future and a hope. Thank God for the name of Jesus. May God grant you the grace to be a witness. Amen!
Here I am meeting you again …batting at 78 not out. Glory to God! We can all start to have a joyful life by knowing our identity. You see, there are going to be some questions for you to answer, while you are here on planet earth. Consider these 4 questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Where have I come from?
3. What am I doing here?
4. Where am I going?
If you really want to know the answers to these questions, look here (in the Bible) – you will find the answers in God’s word. The word of God says, ‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation’ (2 Cor. 5:17); ‘and as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God’ (John 1:12). You must know– this is my identity in Christ! A son or daughter of God - that’s who I am!
We did not come here by accident; we were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). And everyone who believes that Jesus is Christ is born of God (1 John 5:1). We have come from God.
What are you doing here? (or what have you done?) Now that’s a question that we must answer Him someday. We are here, not to just get by in life, or perfecting ourselves in the art of survival-having roti, kapda and makaan (bread, clothes and shelter)! These are the minor issues; the word of God says, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matt. 6:33). We are here for a purpose. Look at the gospel of John, chapter 17. You are here to know the eternal life; to know His word; to be cleansed by the word and sent to proclaim His name.
Finally, where are you going? Whether you like it or not, you have to leave this world someday. Yes, we are all on the waiting-list. Well, are you thinking-‘Pehle Aap!’ (First you!). Ah…There is no necessity that the older one must go first! I know I’m here, anointed by Him, appointed by Him, assigned by Him. I’m here for a purpose. And when my assignment is complete, angels will carry me to be with the Lord. Yes. Absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Do you have that hope, that assurance too?
In the past two years (i.e., 2008, 2009), in Mumbai, more than 75,000 people have been added to the New Life Fellowship. A significant number of those are from the migrant community; first UP, then Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; and then the locals from our own Maharashtra. Imagine such a large number longing for Jesus Christ. Imagine such a change sweeping across the city! Now, tell me, what are you doing amidst this REVIVAL?
You can know what you should do from Isaiah 6th chapter. Now Isaiah was a pitiable man because he was blinded by king Uzziah. He was a prophet of God, dwelling among people of unclean lips and among people living an unclean life. But glory be to God; for when Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the vision of the Lord. And Isaiah heard the voice of God: Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?
And Isaiah answered God’s call: Here am I! Send me. You see, God is not going to push you to do something that you don’t want to do! You have a choice. You can either live for Him or live for your self. And this is the message from God, Isaiah was given to tell the people: keep on hearing but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive, make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes…lest they be healed”
You see, Jesus did not come to make a religion! When I look in the Bible, I see wonderful truths. In Ephesians 1, we see that we are pre-destined, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; and that all things are under our feet. And that we live by revelation and understanding. Yes, we can know the hope of His calling, know the riches of the glory of His inheritance…But when I was young, what I saw around me was quite different; men in robes and seminary degrees – and the thinking was that, more the degrees, more the understanding! And the trained one goes to his denominational group and preaches the word! And there they were, standing flamboyantly in the sacred pulpit and you could see them die by degrees! And here I was thinking, how and why, what I read in the Bible does not work in the church? And does not work in life?
And when I started ministering, you could say, I had a ‘moving’ ministry; when I moved in, people moved out. I cried out to God-“Lord, give me direction”. I began fasting and praying and telling God that I’ll not go forward unless He ministered to me first. And I did have a revelation; yes, I saw a vision of Jesus…
This is the gospel. The Lord of heaven came down, went to the cross, finished the work of salvation, and we are called as sons and daughters of God. Now, there is hope of eternal life with Him. If you are in death, you are a ‘sinner’; if you are in life, you are a ‘saint’. There is no in-between state-it’s either sinner or saint; neither is there vacillating between one and the other – one day ‘saint’ and next day ‘sinner’. If you are willing, God is going to take care of all other ‘minor’ issues of kaana and peena (food and drink).
There is also the second part – the radical part. Do you know that everyone born-again is a minister of God? Ephesians 4:11, 12 talks of the various ministries in the church. There is the prophetic ministry – for the guiding; and evangelists – for the gathering ministry; and Pastors (or shepherds) – for the guarding ministry; and then the teachers – for the grounding ministry. We are all equipped to edify one another-everyone will someday be like Him. There are about a hundred of you here in this church; and every one of you is a minister for Christ. Our ministry must be (i) saturated by prayer (ii) supplemented by a vision and plan and (iii) succeeded by implementation of the plan
Any revival does not happen just like that! You must know what is happening around you. For example, from 2007 to 2009, what are the changes that you see here in Vashi, Navi Mumbai? Do you have any idea about the number of people living here, their economic background, their linguistic or cultural orientation, their job profiles, and their age-groups? God is saying to us – ‘Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations…’ Now, is it not worth knowing what to ask from God?
We have in the New Life Fellowship, networking leaders whom I meet. One of them, just two years back, had about a few thousand people in the church and now it has become 30000; another leader found increase in numbers up to 17000 and the increase is from people who were non-Christians. There are in this city young people who are hungry for God. They are fed up of what religion offers. They want a relationship with God. And we have a few others helping us – notably Gary Kirsten, the coach of Indian cricket team, when we recently organized a cricket tournament, the man of the match was selected for sponsorship in cricket coaching; yes there were many slum children in the cricket tournament, many of them from Muslim background. But what a joy, to see them coming and help them find life in Jesus Christ. See, you cannot change anybody’s heart, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit; but preaching the good news is your responsibility! And that’s exactly what I do!
Even today, when we stop at traffic signals, we give hand-outs of written gospel in various languages to others nearby. I personally have experienced the power of sharing the gospel this way, when a booklet of John’s gospel was given to me some 50 years back. I do not know who it was who gave it, but I am pretty much sure he would never have imagined what a person I would be, today, with that life-changing gospel!
We are not here by accident. So forget about all your worries. Let me go through, with you, the seven signs of revival. I can tell you, in all my 50 years of ministry, I have never seen such an increase at any time. We had a prophecy about the revival happening in Mumbai, and a warning of not to take it lightly. So, we organized meetings and paid evangelists who will gather the people. For the revival does not wait for long! It has its seasons!
Let us turn to Acts 4 and read from v23 onwards to find the signs of revival:
1. UNITY
It all started with the miraculous healing of a lame man, over 40 years old. There were people who then perceived the power of the gospel. The people found the disciples, radical in their thinking; bold in their preaching. But what the disciples found was opposition from the ‘religious leaders’. The leaders suddenly found themselves wanting in comparison with the disciples; they were afraid, they may lose their ‘jobs’. The leaders tried to dissuade them by arguing and threatening that they no more call on the name of Jesus. And that’s when the disciples decided to come out of the religion-Judaism. Verse 23 says, ‘…they went to their own companions…’; that is the unity of the Spirit. They all were of one mind!
2. PRAYER
Acts 4: 24, 25 tells us the next sequence in the sign of revival. It says that they raised their voice to God with one accord and said, “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…”
Prayer is described as the human dependence on divine intervention. It is a tool too for knowing God’s will and meeting God’s will. That is why we pray, Our father,…Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is interesting to note the disciples referred to one of the psalms of David in their prayer. “Why did the nations rage and the people plot vain things?...” (from Psalm 2): It is interesting because, the other part of the same Psalm says, “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations…”; and this is what I believe, that the disciples knew this and prayed a prayer of faith, knowing that God has given them the nations.
3. WORD OF GOD
Look here; the disciples faced severe threats of punishment. Their lives were in peril. But they did not pray, ‘Lord, grant us protection’; for verse 29 says, that the disciples prayed this way: “…Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word”. All they wanted was to speak the word of God; for the disciples were convinced that it is the power to transform people from death to eternity. Therefore take time to read and study the word of God; meditate and memorise the written ‘logos’ word; that it may become ‘rhema’ the living word in you. It is the key to success in times of revival, of change. That is what we see in Psalm 1 and Joshua 1.
4. NAME OF JESUS
Verse 30: “…that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus”. It is the name of Jesus for times of revival. “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Study the noble name (James 2:7) of Jesus, which is invoked upon you in baptism after you are born-again.
5. HOLY SPIRIT
Verse 31: “…and the place …was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”. I do not know about you, but I have experienced some shaking places myself. And this is my desire too, that every meeting of ours-every assembling together, in any place, will be a ‘shaking’ experience. Whatever God gives is through Holy Spirit; whatever God does is by Holy Spirit.
6. GENEROSITY
Verse 32: “… they had all things in common”. Generosity and giving is an expression of love. It sometimes may look too good to be true; how people could give up everything they owned and share it with others freely. But the answer is found in 2 Cor. 8:5, “…but they first gave themselves to the Lord”. Acts 4:34 continues: “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds…” There may have been borrowers and there may have been lenders; and borrowers are slaves to lenders. But, whoever the Son sets free is free indeed! You see, generosity focuses on the issues that are important and not possessions. And God is responsible to pay the bill for what He says we should do! There is no place for fear! Or global meltdown or financial crisis or whatever name they call it! We can put our trust in the infallible word of God.
7. WITNESS
There is power in witness. Verse 33: “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all”
‘Living He loved me; dying He saved me
Buried He carried, my sins far away
Rising He justified me freed me forever
One day He is coming back, O glorious day!'
These are the days! This is the season! There is no room for discouragement; no place for depression. Give no heed to any distraction! For a seed sown will become a forest. Do you know how many multitudes of angels rejoice over every repentant sinner?
I remember the time I started ministering to less than 100 people. There were years in which there was not even a single baptism. Now there are more than 1000 NLF churches all over India, and abroad. God has a plan for you – a plan to prosper, to give you a future and a hope. Thank God for the name of Jesus. May God grant you the grace to be a witness. Amen!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Procedure in its Season
(Message by Bro. Amolik on January 31, 2010 at NLF Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven’t missed much. Happy reading!)
I’m so glad for this opportunity of sharing God’s word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” The word of God is two-edged… and applies equally to the Preacher as well as the preached. Let me share an interesting story about a Preacher.
There was a Preacher, who was giving a sermon on ‘repentance’. Towards the end of his sermon, he suddenly noticed that one of the elderly ladies sitting in the front was sobbing in her kerchief. The preacher finished his sermon, glad that at least one soul was turned away from the pathway to hell and found light. At the end of the service, he decided to talk to the lady. He found her sitting in the same place; with a quick nod he went up to her. As he bent down to ask if she would like to say or ask something, the lady started weeping again and wouldn’t stop. The preacher, finding no words to console her at that moment, whispered to her that maybe it would be best if he could meet her again in the evening and left her alone. Now the lady was about 85 years old and the preacher thought to himself, that the message of repentance has reached her just in time.
That evening, he had a quick meal and went to visit her. She opened the door, and on seeing him she started to cry again. The Preacher stayed some time for her to regain composure, and started, “I see you are touched by the call to repentance; I am here to help you”. She replied, “What? Repentance! I’m not sure I even heard what you were preaching, Sir”. The man, a little taken aback, asked her, “Then would you please tell me the reason for your grief. What ails you?”
The lady replied, “Oh! Your face so reminds me of the ‘old’ one. And especially when you nod your head like that”. The preacher, concerned, replied “Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t know your husband passed away”.
Indignant, the lady replied, “No sir! My husband is doing quite well. He is in the other room, resting”.
She continued, “The ‘old’ one I referred to was my pet goat; that had a beard just like yours. He died a year ago. And when I saw you nodding your head like that in the church, it so reminded me of my pet goat that I couldn’t stop crying”
I am sure, you can hear me now. Open your ear; open the eyes; be attentive. For the word of God is powerful. The word of God is also simple to understand. All we need to exercise is faith.
There was a Hindu priest, who wanted to know what the Christians say about the path to Salvation. When he was told, that all he had to do was to ‘repent of his sins, confess Jesus is Lord, be baptized in His name’; then he will be saved, he was surprised. He quipped, “Is this ALL? The Hindus go North and South over hills and rivers; the Muslims go to the Haj. And you say these few things that I need to do. It’s so SIMPLE that I cannot accept it”
Isn’t that a tragedy? To forsake the simplicity that is in Christ. If there are any portions of the Scripture, hard to understand, all we need to do is kneel and pray. God has promised us His Holy Spirit, who reveals to us of the things concerning Jesus (John 16:14). We can see with eyes of faith, and know the certainty of the things recorded in the Bible. For instance, you find Jesus in the midst of a storm one day; He did not call up the weather department to inquire when the storm would pass. Neither did He fret and worry. Jesus simply stood up among the disciples in the boat, turned towards the stormy gale and said “Peace! Be still”. And it became still. And once to the leper He would say, “Go and show yourself to the priest” and the leper was made well on the way. And then, He would stand before the grave and say, “Lazarus! Come forth!” and the dead man, bound up, would walk and come out!
We are in the time of the next dispensation! This is a season with a reason. We cannot look back and expect the same ‘old’ things from God; that we received a few years ago. Pastor Joseph, when he founded the New Life Fellowship, had a vision. When we look at the promises of God for us, in 2007-it was the year of God’s favor; 2008- the year of fulfillment; 2009 – of fruitfulness and 2010-of increase in numbers. It does not mean that we do not have God’s favor now in 2010! It just means that God is calling us into a new level of maturity in our walk with Him. God wants us to change our attitude, our thinking and behavior in line with His present plan for us.
Moses was a man who learnt the wisdom of Egypt and had physical training for 40 yrs. Then it was time for him to learn in the wilderness – a lesson of the heart. And at the end of another 40 yrs he would be the most humble person on earth; just the candidate to be chosen by God to lead. And for another 40 yrs, Moses would patiently lead the Israelites amidst great trials. Even when God confronted Moses and told him that he will die and not see the Promised Land, he would only rise up to bless the children of Israel (Deut. 34), choose another leader-Joshua, and go up the mountain to die. (I am not sure how I would respond, if God told me I would die today!).
With God, there is a plan and a procedure. You may have a desire to serve God, a plan to do His will; but there is also a procedure with God by which you should do what you do.
Moses had the rod with which he struck the Red Sea and divided it; he struck the rock with the rod and water gushed out! The Israelites were led by the cloud and by the pillar of fire in the wilderness. God Himself would go before them! The Israelites just had to follow. But now, imagine Joshua; no cloud, no fire, no rod but only the word of God. And Joshua must hear His word and obey by faith! The Ark of the Covenant signified the presence of God; now there was a change! A new procedure was given to Joshua; for Jordan must be crossed, and the walls of Jericho must fall.
A New Year has come! Another Joshua generation must rise! They must walk by faith, in the new procedure given by God. Let us turn to Matthew 21: 1-6. Read these verses as we ponder on its significance. (My name is written there somewhere; maybe yours too!)
“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them”
The portion is titled “The Triumphal Entry”; the incident described is Jesus entering Jerusalem. Was this the first time Jesus entered Jerusalem? NO. He had gone to Jerusalem when He was 12, when His mother thought He was lost. There were other times too when He was in the temple in Jerusalem and did miracles. But this time, it was different. Jesus knew his destination and His destiny. This season has a reason. And He simply could not enter Jerusalem apart from a set procedure. He stopped and did not proceed into Jerusalem by foot. There was a huge crowd behind Him, all waiting to enter Jerusalem for the Passover. But Jesus stopped! Maybe His disciples were surprised! But Jesus knew the procedure that had been written some 450 years earlier in Zechariah 9:9; “…Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey”: Yes, this is how it must be done. If the donkey had not been there, Jesus could not have entered Jerusalem.
There is a right procedure and a wrong procedure. You may know the plan of God; but it is essential to know the procedure of God too! Remember Abraham-God told him to see the stars and sand and promised him that his descendants will be such in number. His wife, Sarah heard it too! And they were without a child and quite ‘old’. Now Sarah thought she would help God by bringing in Hagar; and we see the result even today. But that was NOT the procedure of God. Remember David, bringing up the Ark of the Covenant from Balle Judah into Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6). Was his desire wrong? NO. But he simply missed God’s procedure! He thought a brand new cart will do! And it resulted in the death of Uzzah! Later, David found that the Ark of the Covenant had to be carried by Levites and followed the procedure with sacrifices and great rejoicing.
In the procedure, there is a time, our sanctification, our responsibility, our availability and our obedience. Joshua followed the procedure (Joshua 1: 2,3) of sanctification before responsibility. Jesus says “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Your availability too is important in the plan and procedure of God. Remember the time when there were 100 prophets who hid in caves, and 1 prophet to perform the will of God. And do not be surprised, when God says “No” to your plans in fulfilling God’s will. Remember Gideon, who prepared and started off with 3000 men to fight a battle; but in the ‘scanning procedure’ of God was left with only 300 men to proceed. Now if you were in Gideon’s place, would you proceed to fulfill God’s plan?
I can imagine Jesus saying, I will not proceed, until the donkey comes. So there they were waiting - for the donkey to come! I can see myself in that ‘donkey’! (Remember, I told you my name was written in the chapter). Therefore, I am not offended if anyone calls me a ‘donkey for Christ’. I can see Jesus waiting for me, and saying, I will go if you will go. I was like that donkey, left outside, and ‘tied’; before coming to God. I was bound in sin. I can see Jesus sending his ‘two disciples’ to set the ‘donkey’ free. Yes! Somebody told me about Jesus; they told me, He needs me - before I found out I needed Him! They set me free! There is also an illustration that the donkey was standing at the cross-roads. I too did not know which way to go, when someone brought me to Jesus!
The Bible says, no one had ridden on that donkey. It was an untamed, unpredictable donkey! I too was like that – rebellious and having my own way. But when the donkey came under Jesus, it behaved just as the tamed one. I too have come under Jesus. Now we-Jesus and I, are ready to move together, according to the procedure, into Jerusalem.
Donkeys, in those days, were also a symbol of wealth. I too am a treasure to Jesus. Kings in those days, rode on donkeys to signify peace with other kings; while horses signified war. Jesus, our King, too rode on the lowly donkey to signify our ‘peace’ and with God (Eph. 2:14).
I can imagine, if there was a media in Jesus’ times, and they conduct an interview with the donkey, the donkey would have said, “I am so glad I came here. You see, people spread their clothes before me to walk; people wave and dance all around me; I know I’m carrying a VIP for I can hear loud praises; and you know what, I am happy!”
Jesus was interested in the colt too! He brought the donkey and the colt. Jesus is interested in our children too! This is the season with a reason. And we can be joyful, too. Knowing all glory belongs to Jesus, when we hear our praises!
Jesus is coming soon! Jesus was called the King of the Jews then-He will come as the King of Kings! He wore a crown of thorns then-He will wear the glorious crown again! Jesus rode on a donkey then-He will ride on a white horse again! Jesus brought peace and salvation then-He will come again to judge and avenge!
Have you accepted the salvation offer of Jesus? Would you like to come to Him while He is still waiting for you? You see, He loves you and is in need of you. When you repent of your sins, and confess Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. Does it look too simple? You can come to Jesus, just as that untamed donkey. His yoke is easy and His burden light.
Look to Jesus! Speak to Him! God grant you to know this season and its reason. Amen
I’m so glad for this opportunity of sharing God’s word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” The word of God is two-edged… and applies equally to the Preacher as well as the preached. Let me share an interesting story about a Preacher.
There was a Preacher, who was giving a sermon on ‘repentance’. Towards the end of his sermon, he suddenly noticed that one of the elderly ladies sitting in the front was sobbing in her kerchief. The preacher finished his sermon, glad that at least one soul was turned away from the pathway to hell and found light. At the end of the service, he decided to talk to the lady. He found her sitting in the same place; with a quick nod he went up to her. As he bent down to ask if she would like to say or ask something, the lady started weeping again and wouldn’t stop. The preacher, finding no words to console her at that moment, whispered to her that maybe it would be best if he could meet her again in the evening and left her alone. Now the lady was about 85 years old and the preacher thought to himself, that the message of repentance has reached her just in time.
That evening, he had a quick meal and went to visit her. She opened the door, and on seeing him she started to cry again. The Preacher stayed some time for her to regain composure, and started, “I see you are touched by the call to repentance; I am here to help you”. She replied, “What? Repentance! I’m not sure I even heard what you were preaching, Sir”. The man, a little taken aback, asked her, “Then would you please tell me the reason for your grief. What ails you?”
The lady replied, “Oh! Your face so reminds me of the ‘old’ one. And especially when you nod your head like that”. The preacher, concerned, replied “Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t know your husband passed away”.
Indignant, the lady replied, “No sir! My husband is doing quite well. He is in the other room, resting”.
She continued, “The ‘old’ one I referred to was my pet goat; that had a beard just like yours. He died a year ago. And when I saw you nodding your head like that in the church, it so reminded me of my pet goat that I couldn’t stop crying”
I am sure, you can hear me now. Open your ear; open the eyes; be attentive. For the word of God is powerful. The word of God is also simple to understand. All we need to exercise is faith.
There was a Hindu priest, who wanted to know what the Christians say about the path to Salvation. When he was told, that all he had to do was to ‘repent of his sins, confess Jesus is Lord, be baptized in His name’; then he will be saved, he was surprised. He quipped, “Is this ALL? The Hindus go North and South over hills and rivers; the Muslims go to the Haj. And you say these few things that I need to do. It’s so SIMPLE that I cannot accept it”
Isn’t that a tragedy? To forsake the simplicity that is in Christ. If there are any portions of the Scripture, hard to understand, all we need to do is kneel and pray. God has promised us His Holy Spirit, who reveals to us of the things concerning Jesus (John 16:14). We can see with eyes of faith, and know the certainty of the things recorded in the Bible. For instance, you find Jesus in the midst of a storm one day; He did not call up the weather department to inquire when the storm would pass. Neither did He fret and worry. Jesus simply stood up among the disciples in the boat, turned towards the stormy gale and said “Peace! Be still”. And it became still. And once to the leper He would say, “Go and show yourself to the priest” and the leper was made well on the way. And then, He would stand before the grave and say, “Lazarus! Come forth!” and the dead man, bound up, would walk and come out!
We are in the time of the next dispensation! This is a season with a reason. We cannot look back and expect the same ‘old’ things from God; that we received a few years ago. Pastor Joseph, when he founded the New Life Fellowship, had a vision. When we look at the promises of God for us, in 2007-it was the year of God’s favor; 2008- the year of fulfillment; 2009 – of fruitfulness and 2010-of increase in numbers. It does not mean that we do not have God’s favor now in 2010! It just means that God is calling us into a new level of maturity in our walk with Him. God wants us to change our attitude, our thinking and behavior in line with His present plan for us.
Moses was a man who learnt the wisdom of Egypt and had physical training for 40 yrs. Then it was time for him to learn in the wilderness – a lesson of the heart. And at the end of another 40 yrs he would be the most humble person on earth; just the candidate to be chosen by God to lead. And for another 40 yrs, Moses would patiently lead the Israelites amidst great trials. Even when God confronted Moses and told him that he will die and not see the Promised Land, he would only rise up to bless the children of Israel (Deut. 34), choose another leader-Joshua, and go up the mountain to die. (I am not sure how I would respond, if God told me I would die today!).
With God, there is a plan and a procedure. You may have a desire to serve God, a plan to do His will; but there is also a procedure with God by which you should do what you do.
Moses had the rod with which he struck the Red Sea and divided it; he struck the rock with the rod and water gushed out! The Israelites were led by the cloud and by the pillar of fire in the wilderness. God Himself would go before them! The Israelites just had to follow. But now, imagine Joshua; no cloud, no fire, no rod but only the word of God. And Joshua must hear His word and obey by faith! The Ark of the Covenant signified the presence of God; now there was a change! A new procedure was given to Joshua; for Jordan must be crossed, and the walls of Jericho must fall.
A New Year has come! Another Joshua generation must rise! They must walk by faith, in the new procedure given by God. Let us turn to Matthew 21: 1-6. Read these verses as we ponder on its significance. (My name is written there somewhere; maybe yours too!)
“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them”
The portion is titled “The Triumphal Entry”; the incident described is Jesus entering Jerusalem. Was this the first time Jesus entered Jerusalem? NO. He had gone to Jerusalem when He was 12, when His mother thought He was lost. There were other times too when He was in the temple in Jerusalem and did miracles. But this time, it was different. Jesus knew his destination and His destiny. This season has a reason. And He simply could not enter Jerusalem apart from a set procedure. He stopped and did not proceed into Jerusalem by foot. There was a huge crowd behind Him, all waiting to enter Jerusalem for the Passover. But Jesus stopped! Maybe His disciples were surprised! But Jesus knew the procedure that had been written some 450 years earlier in Zechariah 9:9; “…Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey”: Yes, this is how it must be done. If the donkey had not been there, Jesus could not have entered Jerusalem.
There is a right procedure and a wrong procedure. You may know the plan of God; but it is essential to know the procedure of God too! Remember Abraham-God told him to see the stars and sand and promised him that his descendants will be such in number. His wife, Sarah heard it too! And they were without a child and quite ‘old’. Now Sarah thought she would help God by bringing in Hagar; and we see the result even today. But that was NOT the procedure of God. Remember David, bringing up the Ark of the Covenant from Balle Judah into Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6). Was his desire wrong? NO. But he simply missed God’s procedure! He thought a brand new cart will do! And it resulted in the death of Uzzah! Later, David found that the Ark of the Covenant had to be carried by Levites and followed the procedure with sacrifices and great rejoicing.
In the procedure, there is a time, our sanctification, our responsibility, our availability and our obedience. Joshua followed the procedure (Joshua 1: 2,3) of sanctification before responsibility. Jesus says “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Your availability too is important in the plan and procedure of God. Remember the time when there were 100 prophets who hid in caves, and 1 prophet to perform the will of God. And do not be surprised, when God says “No” to your plans in fulfilling God’s will. Remember Gideon, who prepared and started off with 3000 men to fight a battle; but in the ‘scanning procedure’ of God was left with only 300 men to proceed. Now if you were in Gideon’s place, would you proceed to fulfill God’s plan?
I can imagine Jesus saying, I will not proceed, until the donkey comes. So there they were waiting - for the donkey to come! I can see myself in that ‘donkey’! (Remember, I told you my name was written in the chapter). Therefore, I am not offended if anyone calls me a ‘donkey for Christ’. I can see Jesus waiting for me, and saying, I will go if you will go. I was like that donkey, left outside, and ‘tied’; before coming to God. I was bound in sin. I can see Jesus sending his ‘two disciples’ to set the ‘donkey’ free. Yes! Somebody told me about Jesus; they told me, He needs me - before I found out I needed Him! They set me free! There is also an illustration that the donkey was standing at the cross-roads. I too did not know which way to go, when someone brought me to Jesus!
The Bible says, no one had ridden on that donkey. It was an untamed, unpredictable donkey! I too was like that – rebellious and having my own way. But when the donkey came under Jesus, it behaved just as the tamed one. I too have come under Jesus. Now we-Jesus and I, are ready to move together, according to the procedure, into Jerusalem.
Donkeys, in those days, were also a symbol of wealth. I too am a treasure to Jesus. Kings in those days, rode on donkeys to signify peace with other kings; while horses signified war. Jesus, our King, too rode on the lowly donkey to signify our ‘peace’ and with God (Eph. 2:14).
I can imagine, if there was a media in Jesus’ times, and they conduct an interview with the donkey, the donkey would have said, “I am so glad I came here. You see, people spread their clothes before me to walk; people wave and dance all around me; I know I’m carrying a VIP for I can hear loud praises; and you know what, I am happy!”
Jesus was interested in the colt too! He brought the donkey and the colt. Jesus is interested in our children too! This is the season with a reason. And we can be joyful, too. Knowing all glory belongs to Jesus, when we hear our praises!
Jesus is coming soon! Jesus was called the King of the Jews then-He will come as the King of Kings! He wore a crown of thorns then-He will wear the glorious crown again! Jesus rode on a donkey then-He will ride on a white horse again! Jesus brought peace and salvation then-He will come again to judge and avenge!
Have you accepted the salvation offer of Jesus? Would you like to come to Him while He is still waiting for you? You see, He loves you and is in need of you. When you repent of your sins, and confess Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. Does it look too simple? You can come to Jesus, just as that untamed donkey. His yoke is easy and His burden light.
Look to Jesus! Speak to Him! God grant you to know this season and its reason. Amen
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