Altar Multiplication

(Message by Pastor Joseph, Founder and Chairman, NLF Mumbai)

It is my privilege to meet you once again, to talk to you. He who has ears let him hear the word. May our spiritual eyes and spiritual ears be open, to hear what the Spirit says… no matter who preaches the word! Because His word is Spirit and they are life.

If you are a person of faith, it speaks about you in Hebrews 11:16 that God has prepared a place, a city for you – a heavenly country. “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11, as you know, is the roll call of the faithful – a chapter on the heroes of faith in the Old Testament. ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (v1). From those listed here, we find

• Abel worshipped… by faith
• Enoch walked… by faith
• Noah worked… by faith
• Abraham went… by faith

Faith is listening to God’s voice and doing it… Listen and Obey. It is written ‘..of things hoped for, … of things not seen’. It is written these heroes, they obeyed, but did not receive the promise. ‘And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.’ (v39). But there is an exception made in the case of Abraham…

Of all the heroes of faith, Abraham was one who had seen and accomplished what God had spoken. It is written about Abraham thus: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,…” (v17, 18). Isn’t that interesting?

Now what made Abraham different from all the rest… he was tested again and again, and proved faithful! What we learn is that, to go to a higher level you require faith-testing… Unless you change and are willing to change you cannot go to the next higher level. This is our experience in the natural world; and so in the spiritual world. We require growth - a change; in our thinking, in our attitude, and in our perception; through testing.

Now a change is by our own choice. For example, if a hard-working professional applies for a better job elsewhere, he will need to think of the consequences – he may be married, maybe with children and also having dependent parents; the job maybe in a distant place or involving lot of travel. So he would think twice before he makes his choice for the change. So the choice for the change is a real challenge! It may involve risks and mostly it brings about a crisis… someone told me that in the Chinese language, the word ‘crisis’ also means ‘opportunity’. Isn’t that interesting? Opportunity, initially, would seem like a cross to bear; but, if cross is your choice, it will lead you to the crown – of success, promotion and the desires of your heart.

So let me talk to you about Abraham; how did he inherit and receive God's promises?

By the grace of God, I am what I am now, with 53y of ministry. Merciful God gave me a personal revelation of Himself when I started out in the ministry…desperately seeking God. Not only did He reveal Himself, but I also heard God’s voice… speaking to me. Now, I am not going to ask you to wait for your revelation… for there is His word with us; His will is revealed in His word and by grace we will hear His voice…

Genesis 22:1: Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” It starts here saying ‘…after these things..’; now the question comes to mind: what are those things? It is recorded in the previous chapters of how God called Abraham to come out of his household, gave him the 7-fold blessing, when he was 75 yrs, there was testing now and then … of faithfulness in his material things (Abraham meeting Melchizedek Gen. 14), of his obedience, of his motive, of his love, of his patience… Abraham undertook the long journey; saw his possessions increase; the choice of Lot, his nephew; the separation; fighting battles for his brethren; negotiating with God for Sodom; of continued barrenness of Sarah; and Hagar and Ishmael; and then the promised son Isaac. With each testing, God took Abraham higher and higher… even the kings around him recognized the blessings of God in Abraham.

Now in the land of the Philistines, Abraham was well-settled…He planted the tamarisk tree - which takes a long time to grow (Gen. 21:33), and stayed in the land many days (v34). It looked as if Abraham’s testing was all over and that he was comforted on all sides. But you know what? God comforts the afflicted; but I am also tempted to think God afflicts the comforted!

Isaac must have been a young lad 17 or 18 years old. God spoke to Abraham… after these things! ‘Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:2). Putting oneself in Abraham’s position, one would be inclined to think ‘What kind of God is He? He fulfilled His promises and now He wants to take them away! Surely He did say ‘In Isaac your seed will be called’? Did I hear Him right, this time around?’

(Job confessed ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away! Blessed be the name of the Lord’. But we sing, You give and take away…I believe it must be You give and give away… Personally I believe, that the Lord will take only if you are willing to give away)

Anyway… in 1972, when we were in a crusade in Goa, my wife, Florence, became paralyzed on one side… I had to make some choices for change; Philip here was just 9y at that time (Yesterday, he completed 47). God spoke to me thus: ‘Joseph, you came to the cross on My terms, and not yours!’ And I’m saying this to you Christians- to you all who are called, sanctified, baptized and born-again Christians … we came to Him on His terms, and not ours! He said, ‘I have every right over you!’ Then came the realization to me; He is the Potter, I am just the clay; He will tell, I will do. I had neither right on any material things that I possess, nor any right on what I hold on to – even the ministry, successful though it be! You see, when we were baptized, we died to our self, identified ourselves with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. Now we walk in the newness of life.

Do you understand why some people are buried with problems and more problems of the same kind over many years? Why do people struggle to ‘find’ God’s will and direction? Simply put: They do not pass the test. Or sometimes listening to His voice and at other times doing their own will… Take one step forward and two steps backward.

Or is it that we just sit tight with what we have, what we possess and are unwilling to budge or to give away! Don’t we all know that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice’ or that ‘disobedience or rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft’ (Now do you really want to hear His voice?)

In John Maxwell’s Bible, he lists the traits of tests common to all men.

1. We get tested at each step of growth
2. The leader’s goal is to pass the test
3. Testing always precedes promotion (as in the natural, so the spiritual)
4. Self-promotion or other’s promotion will never supersede divine promotion (not minority right and not majority right; but with God we are always in the majority)
5. Promotion requires sacrifice.

And in 1975, leaders from the NLF church separated and formed their own ministries – living word, NFI… there were talks of segregating chairs and money and other possessions. I decided I will have none of it – I told them to take it all. This was my attitude: ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away'. I told Him, I am not my own, Lord, but Yours…: I know of spiritual boundaries within which God has kept us… we have freedom within the boundaries of the spiritual platform. But our attitude must be to handle it all God’s way. We may take a stand to allow others to make choices… and say like Joshua, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’. But if we step out of the spiritual platform, it will lead to carnality, and legality and … so on.

Abraham was to go to a mountain in the land of Moriah, to offer his only begotten son, Isaac. It was a three day’s journey… Someone told me that the mount where Abraham took Isaac is the same mount of Calvary, where Jesus laid down his life, and was buried 3 days and then rose again… Isn’t that interesting?

Imagine what anguish, Abraham would have experienced as a father to his only son-Isaac, during his 3 days journey; ‘Is He God who is asking for a human sacrifice? Is it not against His laws? Will He take back His promises?’ I personally believe, Abraham would not have shared about God’s voice to his wife Sarah, or to his close servants or to his son, Isaac…departing early, determined to fulfill God’s voice… for I can well imagine if Abraham had shared with someone about his intentions for the journey to Moriah, he would have been the subject of mocking: 'And you DO believe you have heard this from God Himself, huh?’

But, Abraham knew for certain, it was the unmistakable voice of God, prompting him to do as he did…and during those 3 days’ journey he would have struggled with the choice between love for his son and love for God and His word. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus would ask the same question to Peter after His resurrection, ‘Do you love Me more than these?’

If you have chosen the high road, counting the cost, and laying everything precious on the altar, I am telling you, nothing can stop you; the whole heaven will back you up. In 1980, I had a vision of the NLF church in Mumbai… after I let go and let God in the 1975 incident; now there are more than 1000 NLF churches, in Mumbai, Maharashtra and in all of India. I have a vision now of seeing a million souls saved by 2020, if the Lord tarries… I have a plan in place, a desire to consolidate, an avenue for the revival that is certain… and go out to preach to different people… and I am willing to lay everything precious on the altar even now…

Abraham put his son, Isaac, on the altar… In Genesis 12, we see of God’s call to Abraham and the beginning of the promised blessings…and in chapter 22 God’s promises of addition turns to multiplication. God said ‘…because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son- “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendents as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” (Gen. 22:17).

I am for the Lord, and the Lord is for me. I am for the increase and I am for the multiplication… If you are for it too, give to God what He asks of you; it may be one of the hardest things for you to do. There are 3 things we can learn from Abraham

1. Abraham loved God more than anything

2. Abraham feared God (Gen. 22:12: And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God…”

3. Abraham obeyed God (Gen. 22:18: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”)

We as God’s children have a choice between the potential life – of what could be in God’s plan; a possessive life – of stunted growth when we fail to respond; or the progressive life – of learning to love; loving to fear; trusting to obey God’s voice. Trust and obey – for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus…

May God grant to open our spiritual eyes that we may see, and open our ears that we may hear, to walk in His ways and obey His voice! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Benediction

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph)

The first letter of Paul to the Corinthian church was well-received, read and followed. We saw earlier , how Paul responded to the queries of the church, as well as expressed his own concerns regarding divisions within the church in this first letter to Corinth. By and large, the letter had a great impact in the lives of the believers in the church; however, there were also ‘elements’ within the church who ‘floated’ the idea that Paul was not a true Apostle; but was fickle-minded because he changed his plans of coming to Corinth and that he was collecting money for his own gain.

Now imagine, Paul himself, was undergoing personal struggles – pleading to God about the ‘thorn in his flesh’ (2 Cor. 12: 7-9); was in Ephesus, preaching the gospel to a hostile multitude… and finding the whole city is in turmoil because of him and the gospel; he had a burden for the believers in Jerusalem who were under a severe famine and had sent out intentions of collecting money from different churches… in the mean time, there is news from the church at Corinth; not only does he hear about the repentance of the immoral man, after his first letter to the church, but he also hears about certain people talking against him…

It is against this backdrop, about 6 months after the first letter, Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthians. He starts off by saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4).

Comfort, comfort and comfort; that was his state according to Paul  … Paul patiently explains to the church at Corinth, that in fact, he had intended to come, but couldn’t make it (2 Cor. 1: 17 onwards); he explains that he will indeed come sometime with Titus; Paul clarifies that he was not collecting money by himself or for himself and that accounting is by other witnesses, not only before God but also men… further, Paul challenges the minority ‘group’ making the allegations of him being a ‘false’ Apostle; asking them to test themselves, whether their faith is true… Paul clarifies that he, indeed, is a true apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:1).

If you look at all the letters of Paul in the New Testament, you will find deep truths of Christ and the Scripture and doctrinal statements-sometimes ‘hard to understand’. But the second letter to Corinthians is unique in being devoid of any lofty theological thoughts and doctrinal statements… in fact, it is a very personal letter of Paul, clarifying his stand and confirming his mission. Paul opens his heart and emotions and expresses his thoughts and feelings in this letter… and he ends the letter in a ‘telling’ fashion with a verse we are all familiar with: “The GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” – 2 Cor. 13: 14

Yes, Paul pronounces this BENEDICTION to the church at Corinth… and it had a telling effect: the commotion within the church ceased, there was unity again in the Church at Corinth because of God’s mighty working; and within 3 months, the Corinthian church was restored to normalcy.

Are you in the midst of struggles, filled with questions and doubts? Receive the Benediction…the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the LOVE of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit be with you…

1. GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ

Grace is not only the unmerited favor of our Lord; but, it is also the empowering strength of our Lord Jesus… the all-sufficient GRACE… through which we endure and overcome…

Adequate grace: Oh yes! Paul knew it so well in his struggles of the flesh… 3 times he pleaded with God to remove the ‘thorn in the flesh’… God’s answer: “My GRACE is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12: 9).

Amazing grace: Paul’s life was in danger… he was a man under trial, to be convicted; but during his defense, he took the opportunity to preach the gospel in Ephesus… the result: the whole city was in turmoil (Acts 19). But God made a provision for Paul to depart… (Acts 20:1)

Available grace: God’s throne is a throne of grace (Heb. 4:16)… it is available for US! “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that, we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” It is for everyone who is humble in heart… for God gives grace to the humble. Our God is a God of grace: “…may the God of ALL GRACE, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

2. LOVE of God the Father

Do you think that you are misunderstood? Paul was misunderstood by a ‘minority’ within the church… Paul was labeled as a ‘false’ apostle, a money-launderer… but you can rest secure in God’s LOVE…

Assured Love: Be fully assured that God knows and God understands… God has promised "…I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters…” (2 Cor. 6:18). Receive God’s comforting love…that we may in reason comfort others. That is how Paul starts the letter to the Corinthians…

Abundant love: Paul, being accused a money-grabber, patiently explains, that in fact there are others too who are involved in the collection of gifts, from other churches as well…’providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.’ (2 Cor. 8:21). In the midst of misunderstandings, we can be secure in God’s abundant love for us. The Lord knows us…He cares for us.

Agape Love: It is the love of our Father…God SO loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16)… will He not give to us of what we ask Him? We can always live with hope. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:5).

The giving and sacrificial love is working in us…and fills us with hope and assurance. God knows and God cares…for we are more precious than many sparrows; God has His eyes on the sparrow and He has His eye on you! The very hairs on your head are all numbered… God knows things that you don’t know about yourself (now, do you know the number of hairs on your head, huh?).

If you are a student, you may not know what career to choose. If you are looking for a career-counselor, you can go first to the best counselor – God, the Father who loves you and knows everything about you… and much more than you yourself know! I did the same… some 25 years back, there were no personal computers in India, there was no IT course; yet, God made it that I choose that field and that early…

If you are looking for a spouse in marriage, go to the best marriage-counselor… no matching horoscopes, no blind-dating… Father loves and Father cares; hear Him. I did the same… and my spouse, this wonderful lady here, lived 500 km away…

Father loves, Father Cares, Father Gives! Every need of your life, you can submit to God the Father… believing, trusting Him to give the best. He sees the end from the beginning and arranges and ordains events that you may take steps of faith in love…to fulfill His purposes here on earth. Jesus said: “for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father and have come into the world” (John 16:27).

3. FELLOWSHIP / COMMUNION of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit is not merely an influence…He is a person. He communes with us…talks intimately with us; we can have fellowship with Him. He is variously called the Helper, the Advocate, the Comforter, One who brings the words of Jesus to our remembrance, One who convicts us when we sin…; One who guides us into all truth; One who helps us to pray, for we do not know how or what to pray for…Holy Spirit helps us to pray according to God’s will

Abiding Fellowship: He will be with us always…Be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit… for He is with us and will be in us. We shall receive power to be witnesses when He comes upon us…

We must experience the power of the triune God - we must experience the 'benediction' in our lives - the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

If God be for us, who can be against us? We read that the mountains melt like wax before Him: the power of God was very much evident in the church at Corinth. God solved the problems in the church within a few months; God solved the turmoil in the city of Ephesus... Paul confesses that his mission is complete: He says in Romans 15: 18 onwards that he has 'fully preached the gospel of Christ' in very many new areas. He continues "For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. But now no longer having a place in these parts, ... whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you..."

The God we serve, ministers to us personally; He takes us to a place where He wants us to go. The God we serve is mighty; Is there anything too hard for the Lord? He causes streams to flow in the desert and wilderness to bloom...

O Lord we thank you, for Your grace; for Your love and Your fellowship. We receive it into our hearts and our lives. Work a work in our lives Lord by Your mighty power and take us to the place where You want us to be! Amen.

Love

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on June 13, 2010. Happy reading!)

For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” or “I am of Cephas”, or “I am of Christ .” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Cor. 1: 11, 12, 13)

Here was Paul eager to talk to the church at Corinth, while he hears some news about them. He is also in receipt of a letter from church with queries regarding eating of things sacrificed to idols, about marriage, about spiritual gifts… And Paul answers their queries through this letter to the Corinthians. But, before he addresses their queries, he expresses concern regarding one particular trait in the church – i.e. division.

The church in Corinth was blessed with a growing congregation- a powerful witness in such a geographically important place. This brought many great men of God to share the wonderful works and knowledge of our great God. But then the unthinkable happenend… the people became people followers; some said they were of Paul, some of Apollos, some of Peter… there were beginnings of a great turmoil by factions and groups of segregated believers; yes, they were divided.

Paul questions ‘Is Christ divided?’ and ARGUES that there is really ONE true foundation and that is Jesus Christ! “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11).

We must in our times, too, be concerned of this trait of division in the church. We respect ministers – great men of God; we hear them speak but we will FOLLOW only Jesus Christ. Yes, ‘who then is Paul or who is Apollos but ministers through whom you believed… ‘(1 Cor. 3:5). Finally, who matters for our faith is the Rock of all ages! It does not matter who spoke to us about Him; we put our trust in Him. It does not matter who baptized us…we were baptized in His name. Yes, only Jesus Christ.

Paul, or Apollos or for that matter Peter had no inkling of thought to create divisions…in fact they shared a great relationship with one another and with Jesus Christ. Yet, it was the ‘carnal’ natured members of the church who started divisions in their name. Paul was clear of what he considered himself and wanted others to consider him the same. He says, Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Cor. 4:1)

Are you reeling under a spate of divisions within the church? Are you relying on your mind to decide on some faction to follow yourself? Beware, the carnal mind! Strive for UNITY in Christ Jesus…

Colossians 3:14 says, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection {unity}” What about in marriage? If we show true love, it is bound to bond us in unity… It is the same in church; walk in love and we will see how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

All right! Today this is the theme of what I wish to speak to you – LOVE. Turn with me to the chapter on love - 1 Corinthians 13. Paul, the learned, sandwiches this love chapter between chapter 12 and chapter 14 that talks of spiritual gifts and usage of spiritual gifts. In between, he talks of the FRUIT of TRUE LOVE. What I understand is this: that whatever may be your spiritual gifting, it will not WORK unless founded in LOVE.

That is why, Paul starts chapter 13 with these words: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am NOTHING” (v1, 2).

If we look at the world, the word ‘love’ has different meanings and connotations… people define it according to their intellect, advantage and convenience, nothing more. But here in the Bible the true definition of LOVE is written… there are 7 things written of what LOVE IS and 8 things written of what LOVE IS NOT… By reading through we get a grasp of what love is and what Jesus has done for us in pouring out this love into our hearts, for us to work on and walk in love with our fellow brethren…

LOVE IS…

• Patient

V4 ‘Love suffers long and is kind’: A quality remarkably absent in the 21^st century…We want it and want it NOW. But God calls us to be different… As we put on the attitude of Paul in calling ourselves God’s servant… we are encouraged particularly to have this quality of patience (2 Tim. 2:24)

• Kind

Prov. 19:22 says, ‘what is desired in a man is kindness…’  Prov. 3:3 says, ‘Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck.’

LOVE IS NOT…

• Jealous

If you have love, the one of the proofs that you show is that you are not jealous of another’s gift, wealth or possessions. Many think that being envious is not so bad… after all it is no harm done. But James 3:16 warns us: For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

LOVE DOES NOT…

• Brag

 Love does not parade itself; Boast about oneself! Yes, it may be the truth about your ‘experiences’ and ‘encounters’; but love considers ‘Is it really called for to talk about it?’. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”

LOVE IS NOT…

• Arrogant / Rude

Knowledge puffs up; but love edifies (1 Cor. 8:1). Arrogance in the church and arrogance of the anointed have been subject matters in recent weeks past. Paul was writing to Corinthians about eating of things sacrificed to idols; in those days, even the meat available in the market were first offered to idols… Paul offers this explanation that an idol is nothing for those with the knowledge of one God… but food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse (v8).

What do we do with other members? Constant try to put them down with criticism and discouragement?

LOVE DOES NOT…

• Seek its own

 Love is not selfish… If you are on the verge of taking the steps to holy matrimony, consider what you can GIVE into the relationship rather than what you can GET OUT OF the relationship. This is love to consider others’ interest even in the church… to promote others rather than your own interest.

LOVE IS NOT…

• Provoked

An irritable nature is not because of love! Even if people speak against us… there is love that keeps us from being provoked.

LOVE DOES NOT…

• Keep an account of wrongs

Do not keep a record of wrong doings…walking in true love is always having a clean slate when you meet up a person. Forgiveness is the key…the Lord taught us in the prayer ‘Forgive us, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us’

• Rejoice in unrighteousness

If there is unrighteousness / iniquity / sin, true love will not rejoice in it.

LOVE …

• Rejoices in the truth

Just because you like or dislike someone, does not mean you have to take sides in argument or dissensions. True love will always stand for truth and rejoice in it.

• Bears all things

1 Peter 4:8 says ‘Love covers a multitude of sins’… We too can learn to bear one another’s burden in love. Remember how Noah was uncovered one day, and two of his sons covered him while earlier the other son did not…

• Believes all things

The amplified Bible says that love believes the best of all things (about a person). This is how God saw us while we yet sinners… he saw our substance, our potential, our future and He came down for us… A sinner is turned into a saint because God chose to believe the best of all things about us…

• Hopes all things

He is our God of hope who fills us with hope in love. Romans 15:13 says, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

• Endures all things

True love never gives up on anybody! Hold on, persevere… because His love endures forever. By faith and endurance {patience}, we inherit God’s promises (Heb. 6:12).

LOVE DOES NOT…

• fail

Prophecy may fail, tongues may cease, but love does not fail but endures forever.

1 Corinthians 14:1 says, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts...”; You see true love is not automatically given to us. We have to pursue love…go after it. God is love and He has poured out His love into our hearts. We have a responsibility to do the works that we are called for…to fulfill each and every purpose of God and His will for our own lives. In unity and harmony is our strength… we do have a responsibility to pursue love and pursue peace with all men.

May God grant us to know the depths of His love for us… that we may know true love and pursue it. Amen.

God's Protection

(Message by Pastor Phillip Joseph. Exercise faith and experience God's Protection... Happy Reading!)

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91: 1, 2).

Psalm 91 is a Psalm of encouragement in living under God’s protection; under His shelter and shadow; under His mighty hand. Today I want to share of how God protects us completely, in our whole being of spirit, soul and body. Praise God if you are ‘fit as a fiddle’ in your body; but what about your spirit and your soul? Are you being destroyed in your spirit? Are you depressed in your soul?

1 Peter 1: 4, 5 says: ‘…you, who are kept by the power of God through faith…’

From this verse, we see, there are two parts to God’s protection:
1. He protects us by His power
2. God’s power operates through our faith.

In other words, exercise faith to experience God’s protection.

So, within God’s great family, there is a ‘spiritual’ hedge around us! Remember, the story of Job; how Satan argues with God: ‘Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?’ (Job 1:10). In a similar way, we too are hedged all around with God’s powerful protection as children of faith. Satan can’t touch us without His knowledge and God has promised not to test us beyond our ability.

We too can learn from Job, of how to exercise faith even in the midst of dire circumstances; calamity after calamity surrounded Job. He lost his possessions and his children in a single day. Yet he looked up in faith – ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord’ (Job 1:21). Then Job lost his health and had ‘miserable’ friends for company…yet he says: ‘Though He (God) slay me yet will I trust Him.’ (Job 13:15).

Or we can look to Jesus who declares: ‘…BUT, with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26). We too can learn that in any impossible situation there is always a ‘BUT’ exercise of faith. So we declare: ‘BUT with God all things are possible.’ I do not know how I am going to get out of debt…BUT with God all things are possible. I do not know how I am going to do this or that…BUT with God all things are possible.

1. Protection from the evil one (protection in the spirit)

Isaiah 35:8-10 says: ‘A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; it shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return…’

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says: But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

In Luke 10:19 Jesus says: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

We can take up our stand: Putting on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, and the shoes of the gospel of peace; take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God in our hearts and in our mouths…

The power of God protects us but is operational only through our own faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. So we can learn to be like Paul; take away our eyes from everything that distracts us and FIX our eyes on Jesus, the Author, Perfector / Finisher / Rewarder of our faith…

The faith that we are talking here is not positive thinking…no it is not just a feeling; No it is also not just ‘hoping for the best’… God’s power in protecting us is based on rock-ribbed knowledge of God and His goodness. We declare, ‘I know that I know, that with men this is impossible; BUT… with God all things are possible.’

‘Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water…’ (Isaiah 35: 6, 7)

2. Protection from the evil work (protection of the soul)

2 Timothy 4:18: ‘And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom…’

Paul writes these words as a prisoner in Rome, under trial, and fully aware that the end of trial may lead to his death. At that moment, looking for strength, he found close friends and aides – even those in the ministry, desert him. For in v16, he writes: At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

Paul must have been quite aware of how he was surrounded by believers and awe-struck followers of Jesus Christ, during his ministry. Yet, they all desert him during his trial. But, Paul continues in v17: 'BUT the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.’

Yes! The Lord protects and the Lord delivers…we can take our stand and the Lord stands with us. So we can boldly confess like Paul, even in difficult circumstances: ‘We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…’ (2 Timothy 4:18).

Or be like the Psalmist and encourage ourselves. Talk to our own soul. ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.’ (Psalm 42:5).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation… (2 Corinthians 1: 4, 5)

Are you facing a ‘trial’ in your life? Trust God. In our troubled soul, we shall know His peace; in our suffering we will know His comfort; and in our sorrow His joy. Therefore, you can begin to praise Him…for you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)

Or is it just a thorn in the flesh you are experiencing? Commit it to God. God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you”. And if you are having a difficulty with a troublesome neighbor, or a difficult person in the work-place, and you expect that God bring a change and remove these people… you may find God’s answer the same…”My grace is sufficient for you”.

The victorious Christian life is not just a ‘good feeling’ of having it all my way … it is based on the solid foundation of God’s word. So in prison cell Paul writes, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always and again (in case you didn’t get it the first time) I say, Rejoice!’

3. Protection from the wicked (protection in the body)

Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. (Proverbs 3:25, 26).

Take courage, for the Lord is our tower, our fortress, our refuge, our deliverer… Surely He shall delver you from the snare of the fowler…You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day… He will give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways…

Jesus was on a journey by boat… Suddenly a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He {Jesus} was on the stern, asleep on a pillow. (Mark 4:37). We too can find rest in God, in our physical being, even in the midst of upheaval all around! We can meditate on God’s word that says that not a bone shall be broken, that God is going guard ALL our ways; that He will guard our going out and our coming in; that His rod and staff, they comfort us; that a thosand may fall at our right hand and ten thousand at the left, but it shall not harm us.

Last Sunday, we did hear the testimony of how God protected a family from this church in the midst of one of the worst train disaster in India; they were travelling by the same train; more than 100 dead and several others injured. But God protected them by His power.
Everyday, we can live under His covering. What a privilege we have to experience God’s wonderful protection over our spirit, soul and body! Nobody is able to pluck us out of His hand. God is faithful… He will perform His word. Exercise your faith and experience God’s protecting power...

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5: 23, 24)

Yes, it’s not just for today and tomorrow, but our protection is till the time when Jesus comes. We must continue in faith in God and in His complete protection, according to His word everyday of our life. What a wonderful privilege! So, we glad exercise our faith to experience God’s protection for us and those around us. May the God of peace grant you His peace. Amen.