(Message by Pastor S. Joseph, Founder NLMI: Hoping I haven't missed much. Better be there than read here. Happy reading!)
Hallelujah! Each song that we sing conveys
a message. And if you believe Jesus died for you, it’s time you started living
for Him. Now why am I saying this? If you see the background story of some
songs like Abide with me and Amazing Grace, we are touched by God’s
wonderful works in His children’s lives. And some songs are meant for dancing;
and its no good if you fold your hands and stand. Look around and see how
people dance shamelessly before dumb idols. And 1 Thess. 1:9 talks about how we
were turned to God from idols and are to serve the living and true God, and to
wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus…
My friend, Christianity is not a religion
to follow; it is a relationship with Jesus that has to be practiced. If you are
looking at a religion, you will not progress; but if you are looking for a
revelation from Jesus, you will be blessed.
I also would like to give you the promise
verse for the year 2012; it will be the “year of change” according to 2 Cor.
3:18 that says: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Keep looking at the glory of the Lord, with
unveiled faces. More than heart-attacks, the killer disease for a believer is
the thought-attack; and for this disease, age is no bar-it affects the young
and the old, the rich and the poor alike. Yes, the spirit and the mind are in
conflict because of this thought-attack. And if you are not careful, now, about
renewed mind and soul-transformation (according to Romans 12:2, to find out and
to prove that good and acceptable and perfect will of God), you have to worry about
spiritual degradation later. For we become what we think! Redeeming of the
heart is God’s grace; but renewal of the mind is your response.
Therefore, let 2012 be the year of change, from one glory to a higher level of
glory. We all-you and I, need it.
I am so glad for the work of God in my own
life-from the time 55 years ago, when I came, trusting Him. I made a choice to
follow Him-come, what may! And Florence
and I, have been married for 49 years (we had our anniversary this week on Nov.
10); and we want to praise him for the high calling with which He has called
us; appointed us, and anointed us; and we do not want to let go of Jesus. And
this year will be a Jubilee year for us and our hearts rejoice in Him. And in
accordance to what Jesus told us in Luke (Luke 18:30), about hundreds of
brothers and sisters (and not just in India) and houses and lands, in
this present age-He has fulfilled it in our lives; and in the age to come, eternal life...
And today, I do not have any spiritual
formulas that will work for you in your life; but, I am only going to show how
His word has worked for me! You are in the master-plan of God, and if you don’t
develop according to what it says about you in the Bible, how will you live in
this wicked and perverse generation? Perverse-yes, we hear about it in news channels; about some African nation where 1/3rd of the people had had sex with animals!
Now how will you shine as lights among
them? We are in this world; but we are not of this world; we have been taken
out of this world of darkness, and brought into the kingdom of light (Read John
17); sanctified, we have been put back into this world to shine as lights. If
you follow me, as I follow Christ, and seek after His kingdom, all these other
things- the food, clothing and shelter (yes-and with no sweat, mind you) will
be added to you according to Matt. 6:33.
And no, I am not talking about a lottery
scheme-where you suddenly become a crorepati (as you see happening on some TV
shows)! But a step by step process; by patience and faith, you will inherit the
promises of God. Where, you will learn to love God, love your brothers and
sisters, love your friends and love your enemies!
God’s word is true; God’s word is pure.
Psalm 119:72 says that His word is better ...than thousands of coins of gold
and silver-that will be tons of gold! The degrees of faith progresses from 'no faith' to 'such great faith'. Let's see them one by one.
- No faith in face of danger
Mark 4:35-40
On the same day, when evening had come, He
said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the
multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats
were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the
boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a
pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we
are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and
said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great
calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no
faith?
‘No faith’ is that selfish nature that
cries out, Don’t you care for me? The
disciples did the same to Jesus, when they faced danger. ‘No faith’ living is a
fearful living, where faith has been replaced by fear!
- Little faith in time of doubt
Matt. 14:25-31
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus
went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the
sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not
be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if
it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come
down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw
that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried
out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His
hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you
doubt?”
On one word of Jesus “Come”, Peter took out
to do the impossible; that is faith for you. Faith will cause you to do the
impossible; but doubt will drown you!
The other disciples too had every opportunity
to exercise faith; but they did not, and trusted in the security of their boat-it
was their comfort zone. But Peter, probably, was the only other man to walk on
water in the entire human history! A crisis tests your faith, and reveals your
character; because it’s what you really are!
And this same Peter, in a deep dungeon, was
sleeping peacefully in-between two prison guards, fully aware he was due for death
penalty the next day. Because he remembered what Jesus told him, that when he
was old, he will be taken to places he does not like. And he was NOT old yet, during
that time in prison!
I believe Peter and Jesus would together
have walked back on water to the boat, hand in hand. And Peter’s faith-life
would have taken one giant leap forward.
- Great faith in spite of discouragement
Matt. 15:21-28
Then Jesus went out from there and departed
to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that
region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him,
saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I
was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord,
help me!”
But He answered and said, “It is not good
to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the
little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O
woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter
was healed from that very hour.
What a lesson of faith for us! Perhaps,
this foreign woman was a widow; perhaps she had that only daughter, and she was
desperate for her healing! Perhaps she heard about Jesus passing by, and came
out to meet Him; perhaps someone had taught her to address Him as the ‘Son of
David’. But as the Son of David, Jesus was only answerable to the house of
Israel. Then she quickly graduated to addressing Him as ‘Lord’! To my
understanding, she must have heard a reply from Jesus, that must have
discouraged her, calling her as ‘dog’. (I have heard much of the Arab world,
and maybe others too in the west, treat foreigners lowly even today!). But I am
amazed at the humility of that woman in accepting ‘Yes, Lord. I am a dog!’ and
the wisdom in responding ‘even the dog gets its due from the master’s
table-although it be crumbs that fall.’ Jesus said to her, “...great is your
faith!...”
By the grace of God, we have come into the
family of God, accepted as God’s own children. And the master’s table is spread
out before us. What great faith we must exercise, if only we knew what belongs
to us!
- Such great faith
Matt. 8: 5-13
Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a
centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at
home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
And Jesus said to him, “I will come and
heal him.”
The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I
am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my
servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority having soldiers
under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and
he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said
to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great
faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and
west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But
the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way;
and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was
healed that same hour.
This centurion well understood authority. Like
you see a traffic police on the road, though at times he appears weak and wobbly, when he puts out his hand and whistles, a big truck will stop before him!
That is authority.
In that great commission in Matt. 28:18,19 Jesus
has promised not just His power for us; He has also promised His presence with
us (Lo, I am with you always...). And all authority is given to Jesus-in heaven
and on earth. And the step we take in faith is really under His authority, who
commissioned us, saying ‘Go!’
Walk by faith; for faith is the only
currency accepted in the bank of heaven! Faith sees the invisible; feels the
intangible; and achieves the impossible. May God enable each one of you to be
men and women of great faith. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment