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Spiritual Bankruptcy in the Churches

yellowmint — Thu, 13 May 2010 07:21:30 +0000

Many churches are being blessed with riches. They are purchasing plots of land to build mega churches, symbolizing prestige, power and recognition. Many of such churches are beautifully built, using the best building materials, sophisticated equipment, top of the range sound system and superior quality instruments, yet beind the walls of such beauty and sophistication, some churches are struggling and suffering from SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY!

Spiritual bankruptcy is the result of us being self-centered, man-centered and not Christ-centered. We are no longer depending God on bended knees to bring revival but on beautiful structure nad sophisticated programs to lure people into our building. There are many wonderful skills displayed but no working power of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the inward change of the heart. On the outside we may appear to the world and fellow brethern as spiritual because we sing song full of joy. We clap our hands and dance. We shout hallelujah, glory to God and raise our hands. But inside of us God is not working because we have not totally surrendered ourselvess to God.We need to search our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through and in us by much prayer and God’s word. Our prayer wil remind us that it is the Holy Spirit that gives anointing. Jeremiah 17:10 clearly states that the Lord searches the heart and examines the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. As in Paul’s life and ministry he acknowledged this: ‘The word of God was given with power and demonstration was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power.’ (1 Corinthians 2:4)

General Concept of Sin

yellowmint — Thu, 13 May 2010 07:19:56 +0000

Generally we define sin as a wrong act. This wrong act can be committed in thoughts, in words or action. Therefore people like thieves, murderers, cheats would commonly be considered as sinners.

Sikh Concept of Sin

The concept of Sin in the Granth.

It is rather difficult to find a clear-cut definition of Sin in the Granth, though the Gurus prayed for the forgiveness of their sins and admitted that sin separates man from God.

Haumai is the most commonly used word which can be translated as sin. Haumai is associated with ego (self-centeredness), the natural condition that is inherent in manmukh (self-willed peson who disobeys God), and contrasted with Gurmukh (one who hears, and obey the Guru’s word).

It is Haumai which, through its willful attachment to Maya (or mohini), produces five evil passions called the demon; kam (lust), krodh (wrath), lobh (greed), moh (attachment to worldly things) and hanker (pride). SSGS pg 1219

These passions in turn result in violence, falsehood and doubt, producing evil deeds (karma) that bind manmukh (self-willed person) to the never ending cycle of transmigration of the soul, with its suffering and pain through repeated births and deaths. (Sri Guru Granth discovered, pg 77)

The Gurus and Sin

“My sins are as innumerable as the water when the seas and ocean are filled. Show mercy and extend a little pity and float me, a sinking stone.” (Guru Nanak, pg 156/2/523)

“I am a sinner without merit, O my master, shows goodness unto me.’ (Guru Nanak, pg 228/2/754)

“I am not soiled by one sin, that I may be washed clean with virtue alone.’ (Guru Nanak, pg 356/3/1189)

“I commit many sins O Lord, of which there is no limit. O God mercifully pardon me; I am a sinner and a greart offender.’ (Guru Amar Das, third guru, pg 1416/8/4680)

“O God, bless me with the dust of the feet of the perfect Guru that I, the sinner, may be emancipated.” (Guru Amar Das, third guru, pg 772/5/2516)

“My Lord, show such mercy unto me that my sins may be burnt away in an instant.’ ( Guru Ram Das, fourth guru, pg 1325/8/4374)

“Hearken to my supplications, O my Lord and master. I am full of millions of sins, nevertheless, I am thy slave.‘ (Guru Arjan Dev, fifth guru, pg 547/4/1798)

The above statements spoken by the Sikh Gurus are cries of despair, the lost searching for the Truth to cleanse them of their sins. These cries of the gurus echo the cries of mankind in the strugge with sin. They identified with the hunger which is inherited in all mankind that is to get rid of sin.

The Birth, Life and Ministry of Guru Nanak

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:43:16 +0000

Guru Nanak was born on the 15th of April 1469 into the Kshastriya caste in Talwandi, West Punjab. His father, Kalyan Chand kept revenue records for a prosperous landlord named Rai Buler, a Rajput convert to Islam. There was rejoicing and celebration at Nanak’s birth as the family’s Brahmin priest, Pandit Hardyal, and a midwife agreed that the child had an exceptional aura about him. The horoscope prepared by Hardyal predicted that Hindus and Muslims alike would acknowledge Nanak as a philosopher-teacher and that he, in turn, would make no distinction between them.
Not very surprisingly, one of Nanak’s earliest observations was:

There is no Hindu.

There is no Mussulman (pg 1136)

The founder of Sikhism was a Hindu by birth, In thecourse of time the practice of Hinduism disturbed him very much. Nanak was the only son to his parents. He also had a sister who was born a few years later. His given name in the tradition of the Hindus of the day was Nanak Rai.

At the age of 11, boys of the twice-born castes had to don the Janeu, or the sacred thread of the Hindus, consisting of strands of cotton woven into a thin cord which looped from the left shoulder around the right hip. Nanak refused to wear the thread, prompting the presiding Brhamin priest to remonstrate at him and explain the difference this could make.

Just like the thread to a Hindu could make a difference in the religious belief, so the Sikhs following the guru’s teaching of the 5-k. What is to a Hindu is what to a Sikh?

Later in his life, Nanak would take care of his father’s cattle. That allowed him many hours of listening to the mystics, saints, and spiritualists who had always been a part of India’s human mosaic and who led lives of self-denial and introspection, expounding the virtues of their faith. Although Nanak had been exposed to the many saints, mystics and to his own introspection of thier teachings with undivided attention, he drew his own conclusions. He questioned most of them:

Pilgrimages, penances, compassion and alms-giving Bring a little merit, the size of a sesame sed. But he who bears and believes and loves the Name Shall bathe and be made clean In a place of pilgrimage within him.

The author’s question:

Did Nanak find him?

Did he know the Name?

The phrase “in a place of pilgrimage within him” speaks of seekin God within oneself. Nanak crystallized his ideas and gave sharper definition to the contours of the faith he was developing and then travelled to propagate his doctrines

Today, Sikhism is the youngest established religion in the world. The Sikhs have had a total of ten Gurus over a period of 200 years from 1469 to 1708.

Faith in one God. Not a God with a physical form but an amalagam of truth, integrity, courage and enlightened thinking. An inner God present in every one. (Sikhs pg 23, pa 3)

Nanak, whenever he sang, went into a trance, and as it were tripped on his lips and composed hymns extemporaneously.(Sikh Guru, pg8, para 1) There was a time when Nanak was with the sacred thread according to a custom prevalent among his caste of Hindus. It was a sacrament similar in significance to baptism among Christians, signifying the spirtiual rebirth of a Hindu.

Young Nanak had no faith in the ritual. He would have nothing to do with a thread which must sooner or later wear out. They tried to reason with the child but none succeeded in persuading him. When the priest persisted, Nanak went into a trance and sang:

Let mercy be the cotton, contentment the thread, Continence the knot and truth the twist. O priest! If you have such a thread, Do give it to me. It’ll not wear out, nor get soiled, nor be burnt, nor lost: Says Nanak, blessed are those who go about wearing such a thread. (Rag Asa) (Pg 10, Sikh Gurus)

The statement by Nanak about the thread shows that he sought the truth and promoted the teachings by interpreting the symbols of the rituals. There were many incidents recorded by his followers that showed that Nanak went into a trance before he sang.

What puzzles me is why did Nanak go into a trance? What force came upon him?

The Mercy of God

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:38:04 +0000

The Bible narrated to us that Jesus went and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. As He was there, he encountered a woman from Canaan. This Canaanite woman heard where Jesus was and came to him with her need. The way she cried to the Lord so earnestly shows us how serious and important her need was. This woman cried to the Lord. Today, there are many cries. What kind of cries are you crying? Let us ponder at the different kinds of cries.

THE CRY OF PRIDE can be seen in the life of Nebuchnezzar in the Book of Daniel. Nebuchnezzar looked out of his balcony and saw the splendor of the kingdom he had built. In Daniel 4:30, he said, “is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling by my power and for the honor of my majesty.” In v31, “while the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven…’ In v33, immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled, and he began eating grass like cattle and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claw. What he said shows that PRIDE reigned in his heart. PRIDE is something we need to guard. The Bible says that PRIDE is SIN. Proverbs 21:4 also tells us that “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.” In addition, Proverbs 16:5 states that “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord…” The question we need to ask ourselves is “if someone points to us our mistakes, how do we react? Do we justify our actions or take heed to what was told to us?” Is there a CRY of PRIDE in your heart?

THE CRY OF SORROW is revealed to us in the life of Hannah. She was in the temple of the Lord asking the God of Israel to bless her with a child. Hannah yielded her heart to God and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Eli the high priest thought she was drunk. There are many believers crying in their hearts because of sorrow. As children of God, we are not exempted from sorrow. Her action is an example for us to follow – she persistently sought the Lord which opens the door for the blessing of the Lord to come. If there is sorrow in your heart, the Lord will open the way for the joy to flow into your soul just like He blessed Hannah. Is there a CRY of SORROW in your heart?

THE CRY OF REJECTION. Joseph would be able to identify with the feeling of being rejected. He spoke to his brothers that one day they would bow down to him. From that day forth, there was hatred in their hearts. One day, when the opportunity came, they threw him into the pit. Joseph must have thought to himself that his dream had come to an end. In the pit, there was a cry of rejection. In the world, there are many people who are rejected. They are rejected by society whereby they are being looked upon and judged by what they can offer. If they can meet the standard of society, they would be acceptable. Friends look at another man and see if he is up to his statutes while the community looks at the status and standing of a person before committing themselves. In the nations, there are people who are stateless. The identity of these people are debated by the nations of the world. These people are rejected. Joseph was rejected from one situation to another till the Lord took him from the pit and the prison and brought him to the throne of Egypt. Therefore, my fellow brothers an sisters in Christ, do not lose heart in the Lord for He is able to deliver you out of your situation and make you sit together with Christ in the heavenly places. Is there a CRY of REJECTION in your heart?

THE CRY OF INSECURITY Zebedee came to Jesus and asked, “Let my sons sit on the right and left in your kingdom”. Here, it depicts to us a mother’s feeling for her sons. Every mother has this feeling of their children, desiring the best for their children. It also shows us Zebedee’s feeling of insecurity with regards to her children. Are we insecure when someone is promoted and we are not? Is there a CRY of INSECURITY in your heart?

THE CRY OF JEALOUSY. In Numbers 12:2, Miriam and Aaron said, “Hast the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses. Has He not spoken through us also?” These words arose out of cry of jealousy. Are we having jealousy in our hearts? For example, one question why has the Lord spoken to the leadership and not to me? Are we jealous that the leadership has not called us to share our testimonies? Let us guard our hearts against jealousy . Is there a CRY of JEALOUSY in your hearts? The frist thing we need to know is not to fall into the same attitude of Aaron and Miriam. The woman who came to Jesus cried none of the above cries that I have mentioned. Her cry is the cry of Mercy because he daughter was demon-possessed. All she wanted was the deliverance of her daughter and because of that, she cried the cry of Mercy. The word Mercy in the Greek means ‘to be compassionate (by word or deed), to have compassion (pity on), to have mercy’. In distress, the psalmist cried out for mercy in Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you. O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress, be merciful to me and hear my prayer”.

In Matt 7:27, due to their blindness, the two blind men who followed Jesus cried out to Him in desperation “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” As a result of their desperate cry, the Lord Jesus was moved with compassion and healed them.

In Luke 17:13, the ten lepers met Jesus. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice to Jesus “Master, have pity on us”. The Lord was moved with compassion and ministered to them.

In Luke 18:13, the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to Heaven but smote his breats and said, “God have mercy on me sinners’. Psalmist David cried out in Psalm 41:4 “Lord be merciful unto me, Heal my soul for I have sinned against you.” Jesus spoke and brought out the truth and because of the tax collector’s cry, ‘he was justified’.

A revelation of God’s mercy was revealed as the psalmist was inspired to write in Psalm 136. As we take the time to read and meditate on the mercy of God in this particular psalm, I am sure we will be greatly blessed and encouraged by the heartfelt and sure mercies of God.

The psalmist says in Psalm 123:1-3 “To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. Be merciful to us, O LORD, be merciful to us.”

The psalmist’s cry was a CRY of mercy to the LORD. As I ponder on the word ‘mercy,’ I was thinking how it could be related to us. In this world, there are many poor nations where poverty is the way of life. If you have been to these countries, you would know that children would run to you lifting their hands and asking for money. Their gestures indicate their intense hunger and above all, their CRY for mercy.

The unspoken cry of their hearts is ‘be merciful to me. Can I have some food for I am hungry.’

Today, we do not see this in our churches. Instead, we glory in our riches, wealth, and success. There is nothing wrong in these things. Riches and wealth does not relate only to material possessions. The Apostle Paul relates true riches to the mercy of God. Ephesians 2:4 tells us that “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.”

We can all testify that without His mercy, we can forget about the riches and blessing. Let us examine our hearts. We come to churches with our needs almost met and even if there is a need, we ask the pastor to uphold us in prayer. However, there is never a CRY OF MERCY. When was the last time you cried out for the mercy of God?

Titus reminds us of the Mercy of God in Titus 3:5 “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”

Prophet Habakkuk intercedes for mercy of God upon the people in Habakkuk 3:3 “O Lord I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known: In wrath remember mercy.”

Lamentations 3:22 tells us that “it’s by His great mercy we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not.”

Today, whether in our family, career, children or ministry, we need to consistently remind ourselves that we where we are not because we have great ability, gifts or talents, knowledge or wealth, but it is His Mercy we are where we are.

Psalm 33:18 declared “Behold, the eye of the lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His Mercy.” Jude again reminds us in Jude 21 to ‘keep ourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

We can conclude that the woman’s total dependence in Matthew 15:22 is on the Mercy of God through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD!

Daniel Has A Purpose

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:58:15 +0000

Daniel and his friends Hanaiah, Mishael and Azariah were part of a large exodus of citizens from Judah who had been exiled in Babylon, which was a place of idol worship. At Babylon, they had to acclaimatise to the new environment: different food, culture, clothing etc. Yet they were able to maintain their personal intergrity and faith.

They purposed in their heart not to consume the food fit for the ‘king’ and contrary to expectation, they won the favor of the eunuchs because God had granted them favour.

What is your purpose in your heart? What would you do when you are in the shoes of Daniel? Would you give in to the demands of the king or would you seek the will of God and fulfill it in your life irrespective of the circumstances like Daniel did? If you would seek His will and glorify His Name (1 Chr 16:29) you would have no difficulties maintaining the faith and attaining good success. Ps 119:8-9 reminds us that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

Besides purposing in the heart, Daniel was a man of principle. If you were to refer to all mighty men of God in the Bible, they all had principles. Those without principles fell. Abraham too had principles. When he rescued Lot from the King of Sodom, the king requested that the prisoner be given in exchange for the goods. King Saul on the other hands lost his kingship because he had no principle. When Prophet Samuel was late in showing up, he violated the terms of the covenant and the words of the Prophet by offering sacrifices so as not to lose his reputation before the people. He choose to fear the people more than God. Eli lost his priesthood because he failed to discipline his sons. Samson had no principle and chose to be with Delilah which eventually cost him his life. Judas lost his apostleship because he had no principles and greed caused him to betray his Master. We need to be man of principle, without which we will perish.

{bible}Psalm 15:1-5{/bible}:

Lord who may abide in your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in your holy hill?

He who walks uprightly and works righteousness And speaks the

truth in his heart. He who does not backbite with his tongue.

Apostle Paul purposed in his heart to fulfill the plan and purpose of the Lord by preaching to the Gentiles. Jesus purposed in his heart to look towards Jerusalem and then chose to lay down his life to take away the sins of the world. Nehemiah purposed in his heart to finish rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem. He persevered despite the oppositions and discouragement from his enemies. He purposed in his heart not to defile himself.

What is the purpose in your heart for the Year 2005? May I propose that you purpose in your heart to go the extral mile for the Lord? Purpose in your heart to save souls, purpose in your heart to bless others and purpose in your heart to have a good testimony at home as well as in your work place.

Moses and THE BURNING BUSH

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:57:19 +0000

There are several obedience stories in the Bible, out of which I like to share with you one incident that happened in the desert which could be a blessing to you and applied in your life. The story began with Moses in Ex 3:1-2, 11-14. He spent forty years in the desert, taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep before he was mightily used by the Lord to part the Red Sea, perform the various miracles and receive the ten commandments, which made him the greatest man on earth and a friend of God.
Let us put ourselves in God’s plans. Imagine you are taking care of the sheep for 40 minutes rather than forty years. What do you think you will do within these forty minutes-laze yourself in the green pastures like the sheep or learn to wait upon the Lord for His direction in your life and your ministry irrespective of whether you are young or old? Would you be as sensitive as Moses to encounter the burning bush experience? You must remember that Moses was not a young man when he started taking on the task of tending to the sheep. In fact, he was forty years old when he fled to the desert to take on this task and it was only forty years later that he had an encounter with God. To undertake this kind of ministry would require a lot of faith and dedication.

Many people I know, tend to lean upon their own understanding, without hearing from the Lord. They did not wait for God’s timing to yield to the call. As soon as they received the word, they strived to have the prophecy fulfilled instead of waiting for God’s timing to fulfill the call. One thing about Moses, he never complained against God. He carried on his daily routine of sheep-caring till the Lord called him out of his occupation.

Moses was isolated in the lonely desert when he looked up and saw a bush on fire. The vision was a strange sight. It was burning yet the fire did not spread to other bushes. Burning bushes was a common phenomenon in the desert because of the intense heat and still is to this day. But this bush was different – it was burning, yet the bush was not burnt. It was an awesome sight. Moses had seen many bushes on the fire but this bush was different. It caught his attention.

Friends, all of us have a burning bush experience – either we go forward to see it or turn back. I believe you went forward the day the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sins. When you invited Jesus into your life, you would have a burning bush experience. But you must not stop at this burning bush experience.

You cannot depend on the last burning bush experience and be happy about it. This experience must be a catalyst for you to go forth into greater heights for the Lord. As Moses began to go and investigate this strange phenomenon, the voice of God came forth to the 80-year old shepherd from the burning bush. “And God’s word to Moses was that He had seen and heard the cries of his people in Egypt and He was calling Moses to bring them out of bondage”.

Moses struggled with God with regard to this calling. He responded by asking God for wisdom to answer when the people questioned him: ‘What is the name of this God who spoke to you and gave you this job? What do I tell tehm your name is?’

Friends, you need to understand that up to this point in human history, God had never revealed the depth of His nature to anyone. In the Bible, it revealed that God was the friend of Abraham. In fact, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew God in a special way that Moses was about to know Him.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHO GOD REALLY IS LIKE MOSES KNEW GOD. THAT LONELY PLACE IN THE DESERT PLACE WAS THE ABODE IN WHICH GOD REVELAED TO MOSES THAT HE WAS ‘I AM THAT I AM’,

Students of His Word, it may be very easy to tell our congregation to be in the place of experience God like Moses. We have to be honest and sincere. How about the Preacher? If the Lord speaks to us not to preach for one month, and let our associate spearhead the congregation, would we obey? Would we be obedient enough to be isolated in the lonely place and be alone with God for a fresh revelation and a burning inside us, so that we may get out f the desert and tell our congregration the depth, height, and length of Christ’s love?

If we never go into that place of solitude, we will never be able to bring our congregation into a greater burning bush experience. Many peopl ar already coming out of the desert place like Moses to the Lord with deep revelation ‘Are we willing to be obedient?’ I recalled 5 years ago the Lord spoke to me not to preach for a month and wait upon Him. To obey, friends, it’s very difficult. A struggle between my heart and the flesh ensued. It was diificult to heed this call. Finally I gave in and the Lord spoke and challenged me.

Let us examine our hearts Would you obey the Lord if He called you to withhold preaching? Many a time, Bible students felt led that they should continually be preaching. This should not necessarily be so. If the Lord has spoken, we need to be sensitive enough to obey.

If we need to be on fore then let the fire burn within our hearts – Let;s go into the desert. John the Baptist began his ministry in the desert. When the time came, he preached the message with full force with fire and anointing. But not many people repented of his message.

Build His Temple

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:55:02 +0000

In His Judgement against Israel, God caused Jerusalem to fall (2 Chronicles 36:15-20) into the hands of the Babylonians. The Babylonain king, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed God’s Temple in Jerusalem and brought the Jewish captives to exile in Babylon – {bible}2 Chronicles 36:20{/} “He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant who escaped from the sword, they became servants to him and his sons…” For seventy years, until Persia conquered Babylon, Jerusalem laid in desolation. This fulfilled the prophesy of the prophet Jeremiah.
At about 538 BC Cyrus, the emperor of Persia, issued an edict permitting the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s Temple ({bible}Ezra 1:2-4; 6:3-5{/bible}). The Jews was greeted this news enthusiasm. But the work to rebuild the temple came to a halt with the death of Cyrus. Upon the death of Cyrus, the enemies of the Jews, the Esarhaddon (later known as Samaritans) instigated the Cyrus’s successors to put an end to the rebuilding of the temple. They succeeded ({bible}Ezra 4:23{/bible}) and work came to a standstill for 15 years. The enthusiasm of the Jews to rebuild the temple, that we read in Ezra chapters 1-3, also fizzled out! In other words, in the face of opposition they gave up!

The Lord then spoke through the prophet Haggai to show his displeasure towards such attitude and to rekindle their souls to rebuild the temple. God was disappointed that his people gave up so easily. In {bible}Haggai 1:2{/bible} He referred to the Jews as ‘These people…’, instead of “My people”, indicating his displeasure. God lamented “Because ny house which remained in ruin while each of you is busy with his own.” ({bible}Haggai 1:9{/bible}). Are we all not guilty of this behaviour as well? We are busy with what the world may offer to us for our own confort? What about God’s work? Are we giving it priority in our lives?

Yes friends what happened during those times is happening to us now! The parallel is so clear. When the going gets touch we give up and slip back into our shells. We prefer to compromise so that we can get on with our lives. When we hear of in-fighting in church we withdraw and say lets not get invloved, rather than to pray and work against it. When our friends oppose or criticise our faith we compromise. When our ambitions distract us from God’s work we choose to pursue those ambitions. Are we not like these Jews who compromised God’s glory for their own comfort. Take heed! in this lesson God is saying to us “Look at the condition of my house, it lies in ruin while you compromise with the world!”

If we believe that our body is te temple of God and if we have neglected building it for the glory of God then let us consider before Him now! For God is warning us as he warned the Jew “Give careful thoughts to your ways!” ({bible}Haggai 1:5{/bible}) Jesus also said “What good will it be for a man if he gain the whole world yet forfeits his soul?” ({bible}Matt 16:26{/bible})

Lets ask of the Lord to rekindle our spirits that we may live for Him and not for ourselves so that we may build His temple in us.

Chasing the Wind

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:54:02 +0000

‘Israel is chasing the Wind, yes,- shepherding a whirlwind – a dangerrous game,’ The Prophet Hosea (Hosea 12:1) lamented. Hosea was referring to Israel’s compromising attitude towards it enemies Egypt and Assyria, and Hosea said that in return Israel only “gets their worthless promises.’ If we were to examine our lives we could be like Israel. We have a tendency to chase the things the world offers and prone to forget the things of God.

Many would claim that they have no choice. The cost of living increases year by year. Therefore they have to work harder and study harder just to cope with the changes in the world. Jesus was aware of the dilemma we would face. But he wants us to make a choice: “No one can serve two masters,.. You cannot serve God and money.” {bible}Matt 6:24{/bible}. In {bible}Acts 17:30{/bible}, Paul said, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands everyone to put away idols and worship Him.” (Living Bible) In Eugene Peterson’s translation God is calling for a radical life change.

I believe this radical change refers to our spiritual passio. The best description of spiritual passion is the incident is perhaps where Jacob wrestled with God and was not prepared to give up until God blessed him. When God conferred him the name Israel – it was yo mean “one who has power with God. Because you ahve been strong with God you shall prevail with man.” {bible}Gen 33:22-28{/bible}. If God is for us who can be against us? Yes this is the answer to our wordly cares. God has repeatedly gave us his promise – To seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you. {bible}Matt 6:33{/bible}.

Putting God first does not mean full time ministry. God does not call everyone to full time ministry. However he gives each one of us a vocation where he expects us to be faithful and contribute to society. I am sure God does not discourage hard work, nor does he discourage doing business and making money. But he expects us to always put Him first in all that we do. Our Spiritual passion is to love with all our heart, soul and might, {bible}Deut 6:5{/bible}. Like Jacob we must pursue relentlessly for his blessings. And the test of our spiritual passion is our obedience and trust in God. When we are confronted with a problem, how prepared are we to say as Christ did, ‘not as I will but as you will.’ ({bible}Matt 26:39{/bible}) Are we prepared to let God have his way? Anything less, we have compromised, we will loose our focus on God and his power. Like we will chase the wind only to find emptiness.

If you have lost your spiritual passion, renew it as Peter and Paul did. There is no place for compromise. In {bible}Revelation 3:16{bible}, Lord Jesus said to the Church in Loadicea, “because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” – a warning for all of us to take heed!

The Shield of Gold

yellowmint — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:52:36 +0000

1 Kings 14:25; ‘And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.v26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he evevn took away all; and he took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made. v27 And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house v28 And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.

The story of Rehoboam is reminiscence of Christianity today. We too are guilty of replacing gold with brass. Whenever we do not give our best to God we are guilty of replacing gold with brass. If going to church is just a status symbol then we are guilty of replacing gold brass. If we go to church but do not faithfully practice the faith, then we are also guilty of replacing gold with brass. So long as we are do not commit our lives fully to God we are guilty as Rehoboam!

Our relationship with God must be kept as pure as gold. Gold unlike brass does not lose it shine. Brass on the other hand oxidizes and loses its shine. Therefore it has to be polished to keep its shine. Regardless, the shine is not genuine. If our relationship with God is not kept pure as gold we risk to fall to our old ways, in other words backslide! No Christian can riak a backslide.

God treasures His relationship with us. For that reason He gave Jesus to die on the cross so that we can be reconciled with Him. When we become Christians we inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ. Through Christ we ahve direct access to God, our Father. Isn’t this inheritance precious enough for you to guard it jealously? It is worth more than anything things you an buy in a lifetime. Yet many are like Esau, who are willing to exchange their birthright for a bowl of pottage. ({bible}Gen 25:29-34{/bible}) Yes the things that this world can offfer seemed to be valued more than our inheritance in Christ. Many are therefore willing to forgo prayer, bible stidies, quiet time, worship and fasting, for shopping, leisure, travel, television, movies and whatever the world could offer ratehr than spend time with God. We forgo the inheritance that Christ has given to us. Our LIves will become empty because God is not a part of our lives – like Rehoboam we have exchanged gold for brass.

When Shishak king of Egypt ransacked the house of the Lord, Rehoboam did nothing to stop him. Rehoboam passiveness reflected his relationship with God. Like Rehoboam we too risk being passive when the enemy attacks us. You can only have the conviction to fight off the enemy if you value your relationship with God as precious and valuable gold. And you can only fight off the enemy if you are armed with God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore do you consider your relationship with God worth fighting for? Are you prepared to arm yourselves to defend your relationship with God? If you are not embedded in God’s Word and you have not received the power of the Holy Spirit then you are at risk. Like Rehoboam you may not be prepared to ward off the enemy. Like Rehoboam you are prepared to compromise with the world. If this is your condition remember God does not accept compromises. {bible}Exodus 34:14{/bible}; ‘for thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. God expects the best of each of us because He has given His best – His only begotten Son! and he always give you His best – {bible}Jer 29:11{/bible} ‘For i know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’

Therefore let us reexamine our relationship with God. Are we prepared to guard our walk with God jealousy or are we comprising with the world – exchanging gold for brass?

It is my prayer that God’s Holy Spirit will watch over each one of you and giveto you the strength to always put God first above all things.

Site Under Construction

yellowmint — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:47:30 +0000

Hi, we are in the process of re-constructing Re-Fire.org.

Apologies for the mess around here. We will be up and serving you shortly.