Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.(Acts 4:8-10)
God had performed an astounding miracle at the hands of Peter and John (a >40 year old man, crippled from birth was healed) and now they were being questioned by the rulers, elders and teachers of the Jews regarding it. They asked Peter and John, ""By what power or what name did you do this?"
Peter did not hesitate to proclaim the name of Jesus and told them that it was by the name of Jesus that the man was healed. Peter also proclaimed, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The rulers were not very pleased with Peter's bold reply, but here was evidence of the power of God and no one could deny it, however hard they tried.
Our prime duty as children of God, is to make them who have not yet known Jesus and the power of his name, become aware of this glorious fact. We must not forget or ignore our precious calling to be effective witnesses for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Peter writes, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Let us remind ourselves of this fact this day and declare the praises of the Triune God as long as we live.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-76
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19)
For you and me, as believers, there is no one else who can do this, i.e.daily bearing of our burdens. And so praise to him is justified.
When Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness to the promised land of Canaan, he often felt that the burdens that he was carrying was too much. He cried out to God and said, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now - if I have found favor in your eyes - and do not let me face my own ruin." (Numbers 11:11-15)
That may sound like how some/many of us cry out to God when we become frustrated with problems in life.
But we must remember that God is all too willing to take our burdens on him and solve our problems and that is exactly what he did for Moses. God allowed Moses to choose 70 elders among the Israelites to share his burdens and also arranged for a miraculous supply of meat for a whole month for the Israelites.
Remember to......Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)
Monday, December 24, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-75
Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.(Psalm 119:35)
Every now and then we must check our lives to see what things prioritize our lives. Does our prayer contain matters like the Psalmist prays here or is it always focused on the things of this world?
No doubt, we must pray for our daily needs, but do spiritual matters have priority is what we must ask ourselves. Day by day, month by month, year by year, is our prayer life, our worship, our meditation of the Word and our working for the Kingdom of God improving and increasing?
Sadly, many do not grow spiritually, because there are many thorns that impede their growth. Jesus spoke specifically of this in the parable of the Sower......
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (Luke 8:14)
Jesus had a piece of advice for his disciples who were worried about how their needs would be met. After all, they had left everything and set out to follow the Lord.
He said, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear." For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
We can learn much from this.
Every now and then we must check our lives to see what things prioritize our lives. Does our prayer contain matters like the Psalmist prays here or is it always focused on the things of this world?
No doubt, we must pray for our daily needs, but do spiritual matters have priority is what we must ask ourselves. Day by day, month by month, year by year, is our prayer life, our worship, our meditation of the Word and our working for the Kingdom of God improving and increasing?
Sadly, many do not grow spiritually, because there are many thorns that impede their growth. Jesus spoke specifically of this in the parable of the Sower......
The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (Luke 8:14)
Jesus had a piece of advice for his disciples who were worried about how their needs would be met. After all, they had left everything and set out to follow the Lord.
He said, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear." For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
We can learn much from this.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-74
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. (Isaiah 49:13)
If you have been troubled over the happenings of the past few days or if life in general seems pointless nowadays, this promise is for you. Though uttered more than 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, this promise still holds good for God's children. Our God is compassionate and comforts his people even today.
The Gospel writer Mathew writes this about Jesus, our Lord: When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)
The Psalms are replete with verses where the Psalmists sing about God's compassionate nature.....
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (Psalm 103:8)
He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. (Psalm 111:4)
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. (Psalm 145:8)
.....and there are many more.
If you are suffering this day, be it from any cause, remember that....
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.... (Psalm 103:13)
God will comfort you.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-73
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, (Nehemiah 4:1)
Sanballat, by any other name, is a hindrance from God's work taking root and progressing, but he can be overcome by prayer and by trusting in God's faithfulness.
Nehemiah set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with a few faithful fellow Israelites, but found opposition all along. Yet he was able to complete the task in 52 days.
Sanballat ridiculed Nehemiah and his work saying, "...."What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble - burned as they are?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" (Nehemiah 4:3)
Nehemiah did not stop because of the taunts. He prayed continually to the Lord and the people worked with all their heart.
If we stop the work that we are doing for the Lord, just because others taunt us, we become failures and that is not what God wants us to be. He expects us to be "overcomers" and he is there to fight our battles against the enemy. Nehemiah's work is a good example for us. We can overcome opposition to the work that we are doing for the Lord by prayer and determination. God will surely help us to complete the task that he has assigned us if we pray continually and trust in his strength. Praise God.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 72
DBB-72
Isaac trembled violently and said, "Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him - and indeed he will be blessed!" (Genesis 27:33)
Isaac and Esau had become recipients of a deadly deception from their own family members. But Isaac had already blessed Jacob, his other son who had cheated him and sadly told Esau that Jacob would definitely be blessed.
Isaac's wife Rebecca and Jacob his son had chosen deception as a way to get blessings and thus this family suffered greatly. Esau planned to kill Jacob. Jacob had to go away from home and did not return for 20 years. What a disaster!
Deception is common among families the world over and the results are broken families.
Jacob was indeed blessed as his father said, but not before suffering for his deception. He had this to say to his father-in-law Laban, regarding his life for 20 years since going away from home after deceiving his father and brother......."I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.(Genesis 31:38-41)
We then must give heed to this good advice from the book of Proverbs-
"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception." (Proverbs 14:8)
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-71
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? (Luke 18:7)
In Luke Ch.18, we read of Jesus telling his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He spoke of a widow who approached a hard-hearted judge pleading for justice against her adversary, but who kept ignoring her. Since she persisted with her pleas, the judge said to himself, " Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!".
Jesus emphasized the fact that God was not like this unjust judge, but merciful, caring and always willing to answer the prayers of his chosen ones.
Are you praying for justice regarding some matter concerning your life? It's only a matter of time before God intervenes. "The righteous judge" will definitely answer you. You will be set free from your agony. You serve a just Saviour who knows every aspect of your life. His love for you is so great that he keeps interceding continually in the presence of the Father for you. Meanwhile continue in prayer, worship and meditation of the Word. Your deliverance is near, so praise God.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-70
Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. (Mark 16:2-4)
Their intention was simple- they just wanted to anoint Jesus' dead body with spices. But they faced a problem- the stone placed at the entrance of the tomb. The Lord had a surprise for them though- the huge stone had been rolled away. And now more surprises....things that made them flee from the tomb. Mark, the gospel writer portrays the scene very vividly.....As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.(Mark 16:5-8)
The Lord can surprise you and me with his ways. Nothing to harm us, just to remind us that he is Almighty God and that he is indeed the resurrection and the life.
Also let us remind ourselves of this promise of his, in case we have not thought about it for sometime now- He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25, 26)
Their intention was simple- they just wanted to anoint Jesus' dead body with spices. But they faced a problem- the stone placed at the entrance of the tomb. The Lord had a surprise for them though- the huge stone had been rolled away. And now more surprises....things that made them flee from the tomb. Mark, the gospel writer portrays the scene very vividly.....As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.(Mark 16:5-8)
The Lord can surprise you and me with his ways. Nothing to harm us, just to remind us that he is Almighty God and that he is indeed the resurrection and the life.
Also let us remind ourselves of this promise of his, in case we have not thought about it for sometime now- He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25, 26)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-69
Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. (Mark 14:4, 5)
While Jesus was in Bethany, in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. That's when there arose a discussion and a condemnation regarding her actions.
But Jesus defended her saying, ""Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."(Mark 14:6-9)
There are many things that we may do because of our love for our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which others may think is a waste or they consider trivial, but that shouldn't deter us from what we are doing. The Savior will approve even when people condemn, so we should not lose heart but show our love to him in ways that are pleasing to him.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-68
The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! (Joshua 6:16)
Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. God spoke to Joshua and said, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
The people of God, the Israelites were promised by God that he would be leading them to the promised land and Jericho was a hindrance on the way. But God had a plan in place for overcoming the obstacle and Joshua and the Israelites were to go according to that.
They did as God told them and there was deliverance.
It's the same for you and me. God has a plan in place for each of us at several points on our journey to our eternal home "heaven" and we need to obey it to see hindrances overcome. He has called us to be "over-comers" and we can achieve that only by following his plan and leading.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-67
About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders." (Deuteronomy 33:12)
"O Lord, my God, let me and my family and loved ones rest secure in you; shield us all day and let us rest between your shoulders" is a simple but effective prayer that each of us can pray everyday. At a time when states and countries are upgrading security so very frequently, every believer can have assurance and peace of mind by praying to the Lord for security and safety. For the believer, it's not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. That doesn't mean that we must not be careful, but our trust is in the Lord for protection and deliverance.
Who can shield us better than the Lord?
Long back, God spoke to his servant Abraham to reassure him amidst uncertainities. He said: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. "(Genesis 15:1)
Yes, God is our shield. The Psalmist affirms that by singing, "He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30)
Isaiah, the prophet wrote, "Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5)
Same with you and me, child of God. He will shield and protect us as we cry out to him each day of our lives.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-66
Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(Daniel 9:18)
That, I would say, is a fine attitude when we approach God for anything. Daniel here, is making it clear that it's not of his or God's nation Israel's righteousness that he is interceding, but because God is merciful and willing to heal, restore and bless.
We should harbor no doubts about God being merciful. He has been so from the beginning and will remain so always.
Regarding God's mercy towards his chosen people, Isaiah the prophet wrote:
In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)
It is because of this same mercy of God that mankind has found salvation through Jesus Christ.
Writing to Titus, the Apostle Paul speaks highly of the mercy of God.....But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy........(Titus 3:4, 5)
The Apostle Peter confirms this by writing......Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.... (1 Peter 1:3)
So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence every day, because we serve a merciful God who is willing to heal, restore and bless us.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-65
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:39)
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And that is when he was harshly rebuked. But he shouted all the more.
This man had nothing to lose. He sensed he had a chance to be freed from what had bound him to the life of roadside begging....his blindness!
He had not seen any miracles that Jesus had done, but he had heard and he had believed. Thus he shouted all the more despite the rebukes. And Jesus honored his faith. Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
No harm brother, no harm sister........just cry out to the Lord in faith. If there is one thing that God honors in a believer, it is faith. There will always be someone around to rebuke, but you should not miss your miracle because of not shouting out to God.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-64
Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay. (Psalm 70:5)
A desperate cry for deliverance from a man in suffering and many of us can relate to him at several junctures of our lives. A quick deliverance was what he sought and he starts off his pleading by saying, "Hasten, O God, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me." (Psalm 70:1)
Pursued relentlessly by the enemy, this was his heart cry. Many a time, this man David, pleaded for deliverance and the Lord was compassionate and saved him. In fact, God saved him from every enemy that he faced. That's what we read in the titles of one of his Psalms, namely Psalm 18- [For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord . He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul]
God is good and we can rest assured that he will hear our heart cries and deliver us speedily from the enemy.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-63
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Anyone desiring to see God, must take this to heart. A very simple statement, but the ultimate desire of God, regarding each one of us. Jesus, once saw a man approaching him and said this regarding him: "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." (John 1:47) The man (Nathaniel) was pleasantly surprised when he heard that and asked Jesus, "How do you know me?" and Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."(John 1:48)
Everything about our lives is known minutely by the Lord. Nothing is hid from him. He knows exactly how pure we are in our hearts. We must all strive for purity in heart, trusting in the Lord's strength, rather than ours to remain pure.
David, the great king of Israel, understood this and prayed to the Lord, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)
It's a prayer that each of us can pray to the Lord everyday.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2, 3)
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-62
Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. (Jeremiah 21:9)
King Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah, a couple of his officials who told him this: "Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us."(Jeremiah 21:2)
But the counsel of the Lord that Jeremiah gave them was of destruction and impending catastrophe. Yet there remained a way to remain alive and that was by surrendering to the enemy.
The king and the people of Judah were being punished for their sins. Time and again, God had warned them through Jeremiah the prophet of punishment but they chose to persist with their sinful ways and now death and destruction were at their door step. God gives people enough chances to repent of their sins, but when they ignore those warnings, disaster finally hits them.
The Apostle Paul writes of how the Israelites suffered God's wrath for their unfaithfulness and then writes, " These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Corinthians 10:11, 12)"
Monday, December 10, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-61
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.(Isaiah 54:10)
What a great promise to a nation and people who often backslid and faced the wrath of the Almighty. God's compassion is what each of us can rely upon at all times. The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, " He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?(Romans 8:32)"
There comes times in the lives of believers when faith is not up to the mark, yet in those circumstances one can rely on the compassion of God.
King David, passing through fiery trials with Saul and his armies always seeking to kill him once said that he would one day die at the hands of Saul. Yet, we read of God's compassion and faithfulness in David's life in the 1st book of Samuel.
David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. (1 Samuel 23:14)
We too can trust in God's compassion and faithfulness in our lives. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-60
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." (Matthew 8:16, 17)
Jesus, was and is still the healer and deliverer. He has not changed. When sick, we can still pray and seek a healing from him. Of course, there are many who do not believe in this simple fact anymore, but we must trust in God's Word rather than in men's opinion. There are others who opine that the following verses from Isaiah 53 speaks only about spiritual sickness and healing and not bodily healing.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4, 5)
The gospel writer Matthew allays all such doubts by writing that the bodily healings and deliverances that Jesus effected was the fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied long back, even though redemption from sins and eternal death was the main aspect.
We can still believe and see the glory of God as Jesus heals our sicknesses and delivers us from satanic attacks which manifest as bodily ailments or mental troubles.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 59
Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; (2 Timothy 2:11)
Dying to sin is not an easy mission. Yet, for believers in Jesus Christ this is a must. As Paul the Apostle writes to the believers in Rome, "We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:2-8)
It's a challenge that every believer has to take up and win with the help of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)"
Are you a new creation?
Dying to sin is not an easy mission. Yet, for believers in Jesus Christ this is a must. As Paul the Apostle writes to the believers in Rome, "We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:2-8)
It's a challenge that every believer has to take up and win with the help of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)"
Are you a new creation?
Friday, December 7, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 58
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:6)
Always remember that your Saviour can bless you abundantly whatever your condition be at present. Commit your way to him and trust in him, is what the Psalmist advices us. Only each of us know how much we have committed ourselves to the Lord. Perhaps there may be total commitment is certain areas of our life, but only partial commitment in others. But a total commitment is what God asks for. This is what King Solomon advised his people after becoming king: But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."(1 Kings 8:61) Sadly, he himself did not live as he preached and finally fell in disfavour with the Lord. We can all learn from this truth that Hanani the seer told Asa, king of Judah: For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him............(2 Chronicles 16:9).The blessing for committing our way to the Lord is that he will make our righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of our cause like the noonday sun.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 57
Then Leah said, "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. (Genesis 30:20)
Six sons she bore for Jacob, but still she yearned for love and honour from him. She named this son "Zebulun" meaning "dwelling" hoping and expecting that Jacob would finally dwell with her and give her the love that she desired from him. That she was not loved is made clear from what Moses writes: When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb..................... (Genesis 29:31)
Also we read of certain statements made by Leah herself: "Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon. (Genesis 29:33)....later she gave vent to her frustration while confronting Rachel: "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband?
Obviously she desired better treatment from Jacob.
Are you craving for love from anyone close to you? The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)" Thank and praise God for all that he has done for you and he will bless you even more.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-56
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (Psalm 91:15)
The "I will" statements in this verse and a few others in the same Psalm are very comforting. As believers, we all need assurance at several junctures in our lives and we can readily receive it by meditating on God's Word. God will answer us, he will be with us in trouble, he will deliver us and he will honor us. If we have any doubts regarding who is in charge of all matters in our life, this verse says it all. When we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. God will be our refuge and our fortress. God is good and he cares for you and me. He sent his son to the cross for our sake and since we have put our trust in him, he will answer us in our times of need. Let us glorify his holy name this day.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-55
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. (Psalm 71:20)
The Psalmist here conveys the one feeling that keeps believers going even when they face bitter troubles in their earthly sojourn-HOPE. A couple of times, he makes this feeling known to his God in this song of his....For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. (Psalm 71:5)......But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. (Psalm 71:14) The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth....He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us....(2 Corinthians 1:10)
We as believers in Jesus Christ can continually hope that God who has called us into fellowship with him through his son will surely deliver us, though we see troubles, many and bitter in our lives too.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-54
When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. (Job 2:11)
This is one example of how people set out with good intentions but finally end up doing more harm than good. These friends of Job brought misery rather than comfort for him. Finally we read that God was angry with them for speaking things that were not right and asked them to go to Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for themselves. Job prayed for them and God accepted his prayer and did not deal with them according to their folly. The best part of it all was that God blessed Job after he prayed for his friends who had brought him misery......"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.(Job 42:10)" Two things we can learn here: one that, we must be compassionate in our dealings with others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ, more so when they pass through trials and tribulations; and the second that God will bless us when we intercede for them who deal unjustly with us.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-53
DBB-53
The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands.(Psalm 138:8)
Are you sure that the Lord will fulfill his purpose for you? The KJV version reads like this, "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. (Psalm 138:8)" Fulfilling his purpose for us is perfecting us and the work is in progress in each of our lives. None of us can say that we are perfect, because what we are, however exalted, is only because of his mercy and grace. What would be our condition if the Lord withdrew his grace for a while? That would have disastrous consequences. But the Lord does not do that because of his perfection in faithfulness. As the Psalmist says here: his love endures forever. We too, can like the Psalmist pray to God that he may not abandon us, the work of his hands. Yes, he will perfect us and glorify himself. Praise the Lord.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-52
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Paul the Apostle, had fears that some of the believers in the Church at Corinth would go astray; and the example that he gave them was that of Eve. The enemy is cunning and traps believers in different ways, making them walk away from the path of sincere and pure devotion to Christ. The Apostle Peter exhorts us in this manner, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8,9)"The best thing we as believers can do when the enemy tries to lead us astray from our sincere and pure devotion to Christ is follow the advice that we read in the book of James i.e. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
May God strengthen each one of us to do that.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-51
"If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you." (Genesis 31:42)
Jacob had some harsh words to say to Laban, his father-in-law and uncle, who pursued and caught up with him as he fled,......................"I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.(Genesis 31:38-41). But we also see his trust in God coming to the fore as he confronted Laban and that is what we read in the title verse above. He said that it was only God who had blessed him even though he was cheated by his uncle. We must remember that God is always "for us" even though people may forsake us....Let us trust in his love continually.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-50
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. (Deuteronomy 28:7)
This was one of the several promises that God gave his people while they traveled through the wilderness. They were not going to win wars by their own strength, but God would be fighting their battles. This promise came true as long as they obeyed God, but when they chose to disobey and rebel against him, a curse which God had told them while he uttered the blessings also came true....The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. (Deuteronomy 28:25). The Israelites experienced the curse many a time because of their disobedience and wayward ways. God is faithful in keeping his end of the promises that he gives each one of us. Let us also stay true to him till our last breath or till Rapture, which ever comes first.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 49
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (Luke 8:14)
Many believers fail to mature in their Christian walk because, as Jesus says, "they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures". The Apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians tells them of Ephaphras, who was wrestling for them in prayer, that they may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Spiritual maturity does not come in a day; it requires constant knowing and walking in the will of God. Perhaps we can all learn from the Apostle Paul regarding gaining spiritual maturity. He writes, "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)" Let us pray this day that our spiritual lives may not be choked by thorns like worries, riches and pleasures and that we may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 48
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (Philippians 2:12)" There must be a conscious effort on our part to restrain ourselves from sinning. This is not easy, because, often the temptations are such. Yet one must cry out for God's strength and he will surely help. The Apostle John mentions the same matter in 1 John Ch.5, with a slight difference. He writes, "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. (1 John 5:18)"
Jesus is always willing to help if we cry out to him. He is an ever present help, even when temptations assails us.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-47
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
Who can give peace but God alone! Countries of the world are striving for peace through so many means, but discord and strife are on the rise all the more. They seemed to have missed the point or are not aware of or are ignoring, the only source of true peace-God himself. In the verse above, Jesus wanted his disciples to have what all of us greatly desire-peace. Amidst the turbulent situations in life, we can always depend on him who is called The Prince Of Peace-Jesus Christ. Even today, he wants to give his peace to all who will accept it with child like faith; not temporary or false peace, but lasting, truly comforting peace. Be a recipient today, if you have not already done so.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-46
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:8)
Pouring out our hearts to God is the best way to rid ourselves of negative emotions. Bitterness, anger, jealousy and many other negative qualities can plague our spiritual lives and can spoil our fellowship with God. Many believers try to overcome these but often fail, though they know it is wrong to harbor such feelings. It's not that they do not want to be rid of these, but there's an intense battle between flesh and spirit and the spirit loses out to the flesh. Pouring out ones heart to God and crying out to him for mercy to overcome these emotions with the power of the Holy Spirit bring success and there is deliverance. Yes, we can trust in God at all times, as the Psalmist sings here, for he is our refuge and our deliverer.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-45
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19)
It's easy to praise and thank God for the great things he has done and is doing for us, but can we praise and thank him for the unanswered prayers? the negatives in our lives? the problems that wont go away? Well, who in his/her right mind would want to do that? But we are called to give thanks for all things, so no harm in doing it. And it may have some glorious effects on our spiritual lives. Bitterness and dejection can be washed away with this kind of unusual praise. Not many may venture to do it, for it does not make sense to thank God for the negatives, but those who have tried it, know that it makes a difference and often miracles happen. Unanswered prayers may suddenly be answered and closed doors can open, so why not try it today. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-44
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (Job 23:12)
Do we really treasure the words that we read in the Bible? It is God himself who is speaking to us, making known his love and requirements among other things. At the end of any given day, it's easy to know whether we have treasured his words by remembering what we had pondered upon in the Word, in the morning. Alas, many fail to remember because their reading of the Word was just another daily chore to escape guilt. In the verse above, we read of Job's attitude, though, in his times, probably there was not much to meditate upon as written Word. Yet, what he heard from the Almighty was a treasure to him. He treasured it more than his daily bread. We can learn from this great man, who lived very close to the Lord; suffering much, yet hoping and trusting in his Redeemer, who rewarded him bountifully in the end.
Do we really treasure the words that we read in the Bible? It is God himself who is speaking to us, making known his love and requirements among other things. At the end of any given day, it's easy to know whether we have treasured his words by remembering what we had pondered upon in the Word, in the morning. Alas, many fail to remember because their reading of the Word was just another daily chore to escape guilt. In the verse above, we read of Job's attitude, though, in his times, probably there was not much to meditate upon as written Word. Yet, what he heard from the Almighty was a treasure to him. He treasured it more than his daily bread. We can learn from this great man, who lived very close to the Lord; suffering much, yet hoping and trusting in his Redeemer, who rewarded him bountifully in the end.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-43
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:3)
Jesus will come back; that's for sure, whether anyone believes it or not. He wants us to be with him continually, so he will come back and take us. The following promise has not yet been fulfilled, but will be in God's good time. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17)"Are you looking forward to that day? If yes, then, you must be ready at all times, because the trumpet call can sound any moment.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-42
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)
If you believe that you have received, that which you have asked for in prayer, then praying ends and praising begins before you actually receive it. Thanking and praising God that he has given that which you asked for, is a sign of faith and it will be rewarded. Jesus rewarded simple acts of faith with mighty miracles. For instance, there was this woman with a 12 year bleeding issue and she planned to touch and did touch the hem of Jesus' garment without disturbing anyone. Jesus honored her faith and she received a wonderful healing. So it is with you and me. Let's thank him with faith for what we have asked for and he will surely honor our faith.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-41
For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you. (Deuteronomy 23:14)
What a glorious promise; but one with a condition-holiness. Not many believers and preachers give emphasis for this, these days, though this is of utmost importance in God's sight. God moves in our midst too, to protect and deliver us, so he asks and demands holiness, for he is a holy God. "Be holy for I am holy", was what he repeatedly told the Israelites. Holiness requires humbling of oneself, a daily cleansing, an utter dependence on God's mercy and willful co-operation with the Holy Spirit. God in his great love for you and me, wants to protect and deliver us from the hands of the evil one and so let us have no two thoughts about God's requirement of holiness.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-40
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea......... (Psalm 55:1)
What if the Lord ignored our pleas? or ignored us totally? That would definitely be disastrous. One Psalmist exclaimed, "Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. (Psalm 143:7)"But the Lord is merciful and has compassion on his children, so we have hope. Especially, when we are in dire straits, he is the one who stays closest to us, hearing even our groans. Thus, we can surely sing along with the Psalmist, " God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) A merciful and compassionate God is he, so let us trust in him all the more, as we see our redemption drawing near.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-39
So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. (Deuteronomy 26:8)
God is able to save and deliver like no one can. After being under Egyptian bondage for around 430 years, the Israelites could hardly believe that God was going to deliver them from Pharaoh and his armies, though they had been crying out for deliverance for a long long time. But the unbelievable happened, just as God had promised them. With great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders, God made the impossible possible. As the Lord delivered the Israelites, he is able to do, in your lives too. His mighty hand and outstretched arm still works wonders. So call out to him. Your deliverance is near.
God is able to save and deliver like no one can. After being under Egyptian bondage for around 430 years, the Israelites could hardly believe that God was going to deliver them from Pharaoh and his armies, though they had been crying out for deliverance for a long long time. But the unbelievable happened, just as God had promised them. With great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders, God made the impossible possible. As the Lord delivered the Israelites, he is able to do, in your lives too. His mighty hand and outstretched arm still works wonders. So call out to him. Your deliverance is near.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-38
Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. (Psalm 17:7)
Why does the Psalmist use the term "wonder" regarding God's love? Only because, he could not really measure the greatness of it. Paul, the apostle writes, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
God's love surpasses knowledge and is wondrous. His love for you is amazing and no one else can love you more than he does. So be strengthened this day, child of God.
Why does the Psalmist use the term "wonder" regarding God's love? Only because, he could not really measure the greatness of it. Paul, the apostle writes, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
God's love surpasses knowledge and is wondrous. His love for you is amazing and no one else can love you more than he does. So be strengthened this day, child of God.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 37
You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. (Psalm 71:21)
One of the wonderful things that we have when we are "in Christ" is "hope". The Psalmist expresses his hope and confidence here by saying, "You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." Dishonor and discomfort may trouble us for a while, but the Lord is compassionate and is able to change our adverse circumstances around. The Apostle Peter writes, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)"
The Lord will maintain his faithfulness and of this we can be sure.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-36
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. (Psalm 52:9)
Praising God is an integral part of every believers spiritual life and the reason is simple as the Psalmist states here....for what he has done....and with regard to all believers, the chief thing being.....he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.... (Colossians 1:13)
What a privilege it is to be called the "children of God."
We can hope in God's name like the psalmist says, because his name stands for all good, to them who put their trust in him and commit themselves to live for him. They have, like God spoke of Caleb, the Old Testament warrior, "a different spirit".
And such are the ones who will see God's promises fulfilled in their lives. Praise God.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-35
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)
Jesus' ardent desire was that his disciples be sanctified by truth. The Bible speaks in great detail about sanctification for those who choose to follow God's call. God desires that each of us be sanctified by his Word. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians says, "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)" If we submit ourselves totally into God's hands, he will do a wonderful work in us and keep us sanctified and blameless, so that we will be ready to enter his rest when the time comes.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-34
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat........(Isaiah 25:4)
Shelter, refuge, shade.........for you and me in our distresses, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Sometimes it's difficult to believe that, especially when the storms are bearing down upon us. So was the state of the disciples when the storm hit them. They cried out, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" (Matthew 8:25)
But he just got up and and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26)
Jesus is able to bring complete calm to the turbulent circumstance that you are facing this day. Cry out to him and he will save you.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-33
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)
Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples had doubts about what the others said regarding meeting Jesus after his resurrection. He said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." (John 20:25)" Jesus, though he was not bodily present at that time with them heard it and after a week, when he met his disciples once again he had this to say to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27) I guess he says that to many of us when we seek proof that he is doing the miracle that we have prayed for........."Stop doubting and believe"....Truly, "Blessed are they who have not yet seen and yet have believed.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing-32
Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? (Jeremiah 20:18)
Sometimes circumstances in our lives make us think and speak like Jeremiah the prophet. Called at a young age to the prophetic ministry, all he did was obey the Lord and tirelessly proclaim God's counsel to the Israelites. He was often depressed that people did not care about the judgemental warnings that he gave. They hurt him with their words and also harmed him physically. He cried out to God when dejected, but remained faithful to him. God was with him and comforted him in his distresses. We must remember that "God who has called us into fellowship with him through his son Jesus Christ, is faithful and will never leave us nor forsake us. Blessed be his glorious name.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 31
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. (1 John 1:6)
Do you say you are in fellowship with the Creator? If yes, you must check how much you indulge in the pleasures of this world to know whether that fellowship is intact. Temptations come in different ways to all believers; no one is exempt. But the thing that we must remember is that there is a way out of every temptation that assails us. Jesus said, "I am the way." He is not only the way to heaven and eternal life, but also the way out of every temptation and sin we fall prey to. Crying out to him will surely bring deliverance sooner or later. Let us walk in the light of the Word of God then and live lives pleasing to God at all times.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 30
At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.(2 Timothy 4:16,17)
The lion here was probably Emperor Nero. Even when Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers, his disciples left him and ran away. Sometimes even people nearest us fail to help us when we are in dire straits, but we must remember that God is always there by our side and he will strengthen us in whichever way we need support at that time. Paul, here, also prays that God may not hold anything against those who deserted him when he was in danger. Bitterness in us towards such people can only worsen the problem, so we must let go off such feelings and be free in our spirit and soul. May the Holy Spirit help us in this.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Daily Bible Blessing- 29
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. (Psalm 144:2)
The phrase "God is love" is not an exaggeration, for that, in fact, is his nature. King David, a man after God's own heart experienced the rich love of God in several trying situations in his life and many of the psalms that he sang were an account of what the Lord did in his life. Here he elaborates on what all God is to him...fortress, stronghold, deliverer, shield and refuge. Though many of us may not acknowledge poetically what God is to us, like the Psalmist does, we too know that he is the One who makes all the difference in our lives. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
The phrase "God is love" is not an exaggeration, for that, in fact, is his nature. King David, a man after God's own heart experienced the rich love of God in several trying situations in his life and many of the psalms that he sang were an account of what the Lord did in his life. Here he elaborates on what all God is to him...fortress, stronghold, deliverer, shield and refuge. Though many of us may not acknowledge poetically what God is to us, like the Psalmist does, we too know that he is the One who makes all the difference in our lives. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
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