Showing God’s love through giving

In Deut 15:7-12 God speaks to us clearly of a definite blessing in giving freely to the poor and needy, and especially to those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. By giving freely, the Lord promises that anything and everything which we put our hands and minds to will prosper. God blesses us so that we can also be a blessing to others. In Genesis 1:28, we read about one of God’s mandates to Man, as He commands us to be a good manager of the resources over which He has given us dominion – namely the Earth. God demands action from each of His children, especially towards our own – the body of Christ.

Even in the New Testament, in James 2:14-17 – we see how faith and works should go hand-in-hand. This passage gives a clear example where MERE words of encouragement and wishes of peace spoken to a brother or sister in need are actually worthy of rebuke. 1 John 3:17-18 questions how we can claim that the love of God dwells in us if we see the needs of others and yet do nothing to help.

As we fast during this Lent season and in seasons to come, let us also remember the fast that God accepts, as shared in Isaiah 58:6-7. Accordingly, the oppressed are to be set free, we are to feed the hungry, welcome the poor into our homes and clothe the naked. Let us remind ourselves of the light and blessings that we are meant to be unto others through our actions. Finally, as 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, each one of us should yearn to be a cheerful giver.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not being good manager of the blessings that you have bestowed upon me. Open my eyes, ears and hearts and lead me by your Holy Spirit towards the needs of my fellow believers, the poor, the needy, the widows and the orphans so that I can bless them with all that you have blessed me with. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Persistent in Prayer

It was also revealed in Luke 22:44 – “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground”. Jesus was distraught, and He prayed with much intensity. This was no casual two-minute prayer, the prayer was mixed with intense emotion. The Lord persisted because He understood what was at stake. What He was praying about was beyond Himself; He was about to endure a separation from His Father. It was about the salvation of generations: past, present, and future. He was looking at eternity, for all those who had gone by, and those who were living at the time, and those who would ever come. So, He prayed and persisted in prayer. He also rebuked His disciples when he came back and found them sleeping, Matthew 26:40 – “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”

This is what is required of us today; the stakes are much higher than ever. There is a fight for the souls of men, and we must agonize in prayer for their salvation. We must keep praying and interceding until the last soul that must be won is reached and brought into the Kingdom. We must also pray for ourselves that we keep standing in the faith and to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil as written in Eph 6:11 – 18.

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5:16

Lord, give us the strength to pray always and not to faint. May the Spirit of Him who raised up Christ from the dead will dwell in us and give life to our mortal bodies. Amen.

The Gospel for every creature

Paul writes in his letter to the church at Colossae about the gospel which has been proclaimed to every creature. It’s not only for humans who once were alienated from God, but also concerns the rest of the creation. Through our evil behaviour – our sin- our relationship with God was broken, and at the same time more relationships were broken too.

1. Relationship with God
2. Relationship with self
3. Relationship with others
4. Relationship with all creation

If four relationships were broken, then there are four relationships that also need to be restored. And this is exactly what Jesus did through His precious blood, shed on the cross: He brought salvation (achieving reconciliation with God), sanctification (leading to reconciliation with self), koinonia (enabling reconciliation with others) and reconciliation with creation.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV). Jesus did not only come for us humans but for the whole world, for all creation. So let’s join along with the sun and moon who praise His name! (see Psalm 148)

So with regard to this, what does Paul mean with “continue in your faith, established and firm, and not move from the hope held out in the gospel”?

If Jesus reconciled all things to Himself by making peace through His blood, are we not also called to follow in his footsteps and live in peace – peace with God, ourselves, others and creation? How could you live out this peace today with God, with yourself, with others and with creation?

What practical steps can you take?

Heavenly Father, creator of all the universe, thank you for making us holy and blameless in your sight through Jesus’ blood and thank you for bringing your peace in this world. Help us to glorify you by living in peace with you, with ourselves, with others and your wonderful creation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus Answers about Suffering

Sometimes when we share the gospel on the street, the most common reasons why people reject the gospel is because of the subject of suffering. Having experienced suffering, loss and pains is one of the biggest barriers to believe in God. A question like “How could an all-powerful and all-loving God allow so much suffering?”. Some world views and religions do not offer a consoling answer to this difficult question. Consult a Monk, he will answer you that your suffering is not real and it’s just an illusion. Consult a Hindu Guru when you’re experiencing suffering, pain or loss and he will tell you it’s your Karma and you deserved it because of your past life. Consult a Muslim and he will tell you it’s a punishment. Ask an Atheist and he will just tell you that it is but natural without meaning and reasons, it’s just cosmic luck. But only Jesus offers a meaningful coherent answer on this subject.

My mother has passed away recently. At the beginning I couldn’t process the mixed emotions of pains and sorrows that I experienced. When I asked my Lord Jesus, He validated my feelings about suffering and loss as He himself experienced it in John 11:33-35.

He is always all the way alongside me to show the depth of His love. He also brings meaning through it by shaping my character, He reassures me of my eternal hope in Him (Romans 5:3-5). I have peace in my heart that my mother is in the presence of the Lord blissfully. She is now experiencing a higher dimension of peace, joy and Agape love because she is now in the presence of God who Himself is love.

¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

Have you ever considered Jesus’ answers about suffering through the lens of His eternal promise of endless blessedness?

Thank you Father for your lavish love, comfort and peace. Thank you Lord Jesus for being alongside us, when we experience sufferings and giving us assurance of eternal hope, joy and endless blessedness of your beautiful glorious presence. Amen.

The Acceptable Fast

A long time ago, as a young believer I had sought God for admission into a certain school. Before this time, I had failed on a previous attempt to secure an offer into another school despite having met the basic requirement. Desirous not to fail this second time, I took the matter to God in prayer and for the first time in my life I joined my parents in their routine monthly fast. They must have been surprised to see me join in the fast because before this time none of us children ever cared to join in. We never understood why they chose to put aside some days in the month to abstain from food and seek God.

A few months later the list of successful applicants into the school was published in a national daily. Hurriedly I approached a nearby newspaper vendor. As I left the vendor and return home, I felt somewhat disappointed – my name was not on the list; I thought I had fasted in vain. However, thanks be to God, the list in the daily was incomplete! My name appeared in another publication afterwards.

The bible text today shows us a template for godly fast. The prophet Isaiah points rebellious Israel to the basic requirement for requests to be heard on high which is true repentance. For us today, this basic requirement is needful if we are to be effective in our walk with God. In one account in the New Testament, there was the need for effectiveness in the ministry of Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 17:17-21). Before this time, they had been given authority over sicknesses and demons but yet they couldn’t prevail over this particular case. These verses reveal some fundamental truths to us. One, unbelief hinders requests. Two, the smallest amount of faith is sufficient to move mountains. But if there is a lack of power in prayer, then there is the need to develop this authority through fasting.

For the Israelites of Isaiah days, they fasted for restoration; for my parents the purpose was for clarity and guidance in decision making as they were involved in many leadership roles; for me it was the need for a breakthrough. Beloved, no matter what your case is, the acceptable fast is to do away with sin before food or any other distraction, meditate on the word of God and ask in faith. Victory is assured as we fast and pray in faith.

Lord Jesus, increase my faith as I dwell on your words daily. Amen.

Signed by God

I consider myself to be one of the privileged few who gets to look through a microscope on a daily basis. It is astonishing to think there is a world around us that we actually cannot see with our naked eye. As I look at the cells I work with, it seems as though there is an unmistakable signature on them as if to say “created by God”. Everything in the cellular world has been laid out with such intricacy and every entity has a purpose. One cell in your body, for example, has many proteins, each with its own function. Believe it or not, there are proteins that are rotary motors, using energy to spin at around 100,000 rpm, and even proteins that walk on two “feet” to carry cargo from one end of the cell to the other. The DNA in your body encodes all these proteins, and if all your DNA was stretched out, it would equal 150,000 round trips to the moon!

Isaiah says, “He … brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” I believe just as God has named each star, he knows each cell and each molecule in your body and every organism on this planet. He holds it all together and breathes life into every molecule. If He can hold the universe, knows everything, and governs every reaction, why is it so hard to think He holds you? Does it not also mean that He hears every cry, every prayer and leads you into what is best for you? Let us choose today to not lean on our own understanding. Instead, let us remember that we are never abandoned but ever held in His everlasting arms.

God, your ways are higher than my ways. Remind me that You created all things and You hold all things together and my life is always in the palm of Your hand. Help me put my trust in You and know that Your plans for me are good. Amen.

Our attitude towards healing (Part 2)

Yesterday’s passage left us desiring an attitude of praise regarding our own healing. In contrast, today, as we read this second part that immediately follows the healing of the woman, our attention is turned quickly towards the very polar opposite reaction from the synagogue ruler: the healed woman praised, the synagogue ruler was indignant. How can someone be so upset at the sight of someone healed? Who is the synagogue ruler mad at? Is it so outrageous that Jesus had seemingly violated the Sabbath, doing work contrary to the fourth commandment? Yet when I hear of a miracle in a friend’s life, which of the two reactions do I naturally have: praise or indignation? Perhaps the latter is too strong and it would be more in the form of disbelief or finding alternative explanations for the healing.

Jesus used some strong words, calling him a hypocrite. After all the man was the synagogue leader and the woman was in his presence, and would have been for many years. Maybe he was jealous that after so many years, as a religious leader, he was not able to intercede sufficiently for her healing. I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of the sort, almost opposing the good that was done because it is not done in my own way or does not sit well with my own views of how Jesus performs miracles.

For those who have come to know Christ, this situation also calls me to reflect whether I have made it too difficult for them or even too legalistic about following him. Jesus’ mission wasn’t only about the physically impaired, but also religious shortcomings. And as a Christ follower, I simply cannot look in indignation at these religious leaders without considering my own potential pitfalls.

Jesus came to heal and to bring us fullness of life that is eternal. Despite knowing this, I feel that in the face of challenges I belittle the power of God to transform, to heal, to restore and to bring revival.

So what should our attitudes be towards someone else’s healing?

Jesus thank you for your numerous encounters with the religious leaders of the time. You came to save them too and their reactions are counterexamples for me as a Christ follower that I am to trust you and surrender everything to you, especially my doubts. We can call upon you every day of the week, every hour of the day, and we can be assured that our proclamation of your victory over death can be carried out at all times. Amen.

Our attitude towards healing (Part 1)

Who of us doesn’t want to be healthy? While some illnesses take time to heal with some good eating, sleeping, and exercising habits, others require more attention through dedicated medical treatment. In these times, our attention turns to prayer asking the Lord to comfort us, to help us, possibly to perform a miracle, but yes ultimately to heal us.

As we read this story of Jesus healing the crippled woman who had been suffering for eighteen years, I can’t help but ponder the following: Did the woman ask Jesus for healing? Did she know who he was? What had she been thinking for the last eighteen years in her predicament? Did she pray for healing?

We all know people who have suffered with illnesses for a long time, and we have been praying for them. Perhaps we have ourselves been physically ill for a long time and have yet to see a full breakthrough despite our persistent prayers. Is God hearing me? What we know for sure is that he sees us, just like he saw this woman. But his watchful care is one of those mysteries that through my illnesses in life have shown that the act of “long suffering” is not indicative of God’s unwillingness, powerlessness, unresponsiveness to our prayers, or even uncaring attitude towards us.

If anything, his watchful care has been in motion from Creation, throughout Scripture with the ultimate climax at the cross. What kind of suffering did Christ endure for the greatest ailment of my life – that is my own separation from him? How greater the suffering if I were to be eternally separated from God! Yet Jesus took it all, some 2000 years ago at the cross so that ultimately, whatever physical suffering I may have now, would be fully restored when I am with him one day in Heaven.

So while we continue to pray for physical healing in this lifetime, we can be fully assured that we will have complete restoration when seated with him. In the meantime, the reaction of the healed woman in this short passage leaves me once again pondering as she “immediately straightens up and praises God”: How often do I praise God for his healing or continue to praise him in the midst of my circumstances?

Father we want to thank you for healing this crippled woman. We thank you for all those you have healed since then in history. I also want to learn to be a patient sufferer for you Lord. And so strengthen me Jesus as you carry me through this difficult time. Thank you for taking my pain at the cross. May my heart be turned daily to praise whatever the circumstances. My current suffering shows me how much you love me to have suffered the ultimate pain. Because of this, I now have eternal life. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Comfort in grief

There is an illusion in the minds of many believers that being a Christian exempts us from affliction, suffering and even loss. However God doesn’t promise us a pain-free life when we come to Him, but rather a life of hope in the midst of pain.

Being a Christian doesn’t change what we go through, but it should change how we go through the situation in life. It changes our attitude and mindset such that our question isn’t “Lord, why all this affliction?” but “Lord, what is the purpose of this affliction?”

After the loss of my dad, God taught me a few lessons which I believe could be helpful for us when facing grief and sorrow:

1. Nothing happens to God’s children without His permission. He is never taken unawares by what is happening in our lives because He absolutely controls the universe. Therefore, this understanding in times of grief can bring us to a state of unconditional surrender to God’s sovereignty where we’re challenged to say along with Job, “ The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21) and… “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).

2. God truly fills every void in us. He takes care of us practically and guides us lovingly when we fully trust in Him. Sometimes we may not truly experience the fatherly nature of God simply because we depend too much on our earthly father, but when we go through such loss we are able to experience a deeper dimension of God as our loving Father.

3. God redefines our priorities in life. He makes us realise that the true value of life isn’t in longevity but in fruitfulness; not in the wealth and property procured but in fulfilling His purpose on the earth. We learn to be more focused on eternal things and to invest more in the wellbeing of our soul and the souls of others.

In conclusion, seasons of grief may last a long time, the pain can be excruciating, but when we allow God to carry us through these seasons in His loving arms, then they could turn out to be landmarks in our journey with God.

Lord, in times of grief, help me to find comfort in your sovereignty and to be strengthened by your unfailing love. Amen.

Resurrection Power in Christ

Certain events in our lives happens in order to fulfil God’s purpose and plan for our lives. It’s no doubt that He chooses the weak to display His strength. Even in our brokenness, God uses it for His glory to draw us closer to Him.

We’ve read about many miracles which Jesus performed in different places alongside His disciples. An extraordinary example in the Bible was the encounter with Lazarus and Jesus’s disciples. We all know the story of Lazarus and the great loss experienced by Mary and Martha when their brother passed away. The family was in great despair; for them it seemed too late for a miracle as Jesus came to meet them four days after Lazarus’s burial.

Another loss but glorious victory in the end was also seen when Jesus was crucified. His disciples were all in great fear and brokenness with the news that their master was no longer with them. Nevertheless, these two remarkable events contained a similar promise – a promise and hope of resurrection. This promise turned their great misery into an extraordinary testimony to display the glory of God.

It is never too late for God to change your situation. God’s message for us is clear that He alone has promised the hope of resurrection. This hope is not a worldly hope but a living Hope. A Hope that brings restoration to life. A Hope that raises the dead to life. There is indeed nothing too hard for God to do, including raising the dead back to life. The power of resurrection has not only defeated death forever but has also taken off the veil of blindness from our lives. This same resurrection power changed the spiritual life of Jesus’s Disciples, the Pharisees, the Roman soldier. That same power is at work in us and is still changing and transforming millions of lives around the world. There is nothing too hard for God; it’s never too late to let in the power of resurrection to transform your life. Christ’s resurrection power can break the yoke of bondage, anxiety, depression, fear and impossibility in your life. Irrespective of your past mistakes, unrepented sins, pride, unbelief, dishonesty, I am here to tell you that there is HOPE – a living HOPE that can give restoration to all the dead situations in your life – and His name is JESUS.

38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

Luke 11:38-44

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell ^zmy brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Matthew 28:5-10

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”

John 11:25

God open my eyes as you start to work in restoring my life, my relationship, my weakness, my faith, my household, my past, my business, my health, my blindness, my finances, and every impossibility I am facing. Amen.