Your Choice?

We all know that gossip and swearing is bad. We don't need to be taught about it. These days there are news that state that bad habits such as these is good for you. We would have come across books like 7 Spiritual Laws for Success, or even 10 good ways to communicate to your children. Those are good books that help us better our lives, relationships and well being. However, if you were to be told that being bad is good because it releases feel good hormones that can reduce stress or anxiety, what would be your response? Would you take it just because these are research based studies which prove that these feel good hormones help in reducing stress or anxiety?

If you tell someone to cast their anxiety on the Lord because He cares for those who trust Him, people may find it difficult to accept and do the same, though it is something easy to do. But if you ask someone to be a little bad by being a gossiper or casual swearer it will be easy for them to follow. Because the general tendency of the carnal nature is to yield to temptation and sin and not to stand for doing the right. Because to do right and be right it requires some amount of bleeding (I mean in terms of crucifying the self and pleasing God) which is difficult. Hence many people choose the ways of the world rather than the ways of God...

Which way is yours?

Colossians 2:20 (Amplified Bible)

If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world's crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world?[Why do you submit to rules and regulations?--such as]

His Presence...

Whenever we are frustrated, disappointed and discouraged, the first thing we do is to run away from God. Because deep down inside us we feel that God could have saved us from this negative situations of hopelessness and despair if only He had intervened. However, we find that running away from His presence does no good to us. It only intensifies our hurts and disappointments.

For in His presence we find hope for tomorrow and strength for today. May we continue to be in His presence knowing that He is our heavenly Father who knows how to take care of His children's need.

1 Chronicles 16:27 (Amplified Version)
Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary.

His Assurance...

Sometimes we are exhausted waiting to see a breakthrough in our lives and it gets us to wonder if God is really working anything for us? If all we worship a God so powerful and great, how difficult is it for Him to send us a provision or meet a particular need? We get so disappointed not understanding His ways for us.

Rev. Selwyn Hughes often states that God's delays are not His denials. There may be lot of obstacles on the way. There may be missed opportunities. But God purposed them all. We are not all that wise to understand His ways. Yet to know deep down inside our hearts that He is working on our need and His delays are to steering us towards that provision or need which He has got for us  is the calm assurance we can have as of now. 

Isaiah 30:15 (TNIV)

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:

   “In repentance and rest is your salvation, 

   in quietness and trust is your strength",

May we take that calm assurance from His word...

He Watches...

Are you tired and weary? Do you wonder that being a Christian and by following the Lord, you have not gained anything financially? You have only seen that people have used your money and have not regarded your goodness or righteousness?

But remember, oh, child of God, that the Lord is seeing you and keeps tracks of your righteous deeds and goodness. Do not worry if people does not notice your values and attitude of being Christ-like. The Lord is watching and He will repay for all the good things you have done by being His child and follower. The Lord will bless you with all good things. As His word says,

Psalm 84:11 (NLT)
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.
He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing
from those who do what is right.

The Gracious Giver

When Abraham left the land of Ur not knowing where he was going, this would have sounded strange to his people as well as his neighbors. People would have asked him where he was going? Imagine Abraham telling them, 'I don't know where I am going. God asked me to go and so I am leaving'. This may sound strange and crazy to some. However, Abraham knew when God asked him to leave, there is a reason to it and the Lord will give Abraham a better place to live.

When we do things obeying what the Lord is asking us to do, though we may not know what our future holds or destiny will be, we can be 100% sure that God knows our future or destiny because He holds our future.

As the Bible says, the Lord is able to provide all our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.Whatever be the need, the Lord will meet it. His hand is not short that He cannot provide or take care of...

Philippians 4:19 (Message)
You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.

Abraham's Example

Hebrews 11:8 (New Life Version)
Because Abraham had faith, he obeyed God when God called him to leave his home. He was to go to another country that God promised to give him. He left his home without knowing where he was going.

What faith Abraham had? If it were to be a believer of our times, he would have asked God a thousand questions and finally concluded that it is not rational to think that God spoke to him. Manytimes God speaks us through His word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding what He wants us to do. It would be distinctively clear. Yet we would not want to believe it so easily. We would want to rationalize it, think it over critically and operate it surgically. We will do all that we can especially when the Spirit of the Lord is directing us to take the first step required for consecration.

Abraham faced a similar situation in his life. He was to leave his home country and go to another place. He did not ask questions to God. He believed in the incredible wisdom of God and acted in obedience. May we learn to trust and obey God like Abraham when He speaks to us through His word and conviction. Believe me obedience has a better reward than rationalization which can only lead to confusion.

Battle of the Soul -2

What do we do when heaven looks blank on us and we have a great battle in the soul. It is definitely difficult to sit idle especially when things don't work out the way we expect. Though hope and faith may seem difficult, we can repeat with this word of God in our minds.Instead of fighting our soulish battle with limited strength, it is worth replacing every thought with this word. The word of God says in,

Isaiah 64:4(NLT)
For since the world began,
no ear has heard,
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!

So let us wait believing that God will surely do something more than we can ask or think. May His Spirit give us strength. Amen.

Battle of the Soul

Faith and patience are two things that are quite challenging in a Christian life. Mind becomes the toughest battle ground when heavens seem to be closed for a soul. While faith commends us to hold on and patience says that its loosing its string, it is a great distress for the soul that has to wait on God alone. It is this time that the mind is  facing the battle between the flesh and the spirit. The Spirit of the Lord reminds us of the promise of God while the carnal mind insists that it goes on its way to find its own resources and strength. Indeed this battle is difficult especially when the soul knows very well that nothing spectacular is going to happen immediately and that the Lord will intervene in His own way and time. So the need to wait with patience and in faith is a great call for the soul...

What do we do in such situations. There are many ways to respond to this situation. One way that the Psalmist chose can be found in Psalm 31:7-

I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,

To know that God sees and understands the troubles of the soul brings relief that we are not alone in this soulish battle. Secondly, God not only understands he also empathizes with our mental struggle and instability. He is not indifferent to our emotional struggles. This brings a calm assurance to our hearts. No matter how silent the heavens may seem, there is a reason to it and the Lord will meet us soon with glad tidings.

Being in His Will

Sometime during the course of life, we may face a dilemma as what to do to be in line with God's will. For most instances of life, the Word of God is clear on God's will and in some cases such as a job or city/country we may desire to relocate, there may not be a clear direction. However, as long as we desire to do His will and be in the center of His will, God will clearly show what to do or indicate the course of direction we need to take. That is why the Psalmist cried out...

Psalm 86:11 (NLT)
Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.

The peace that we get by being in the center of God's will cannot be bought at any cost. The pleasures of this world cannot give that peace. It is only God who can give us that peace and that we can afford to have that only when we remain in His will or do His will...Amen.

Avoiding Disappointments

If we look at our frustrations and disappointments, why we often fall prey to these... we can understand that it because of unmet expectations or plans that has failed. It is no way wrong to plan or to expect something good and positive. However, after having prayed and submitted to the Lord, if what we expect or plan does not happen, we get discouraged, disappointed and even frustrated.

Apostle Paul offers a solution to escape unnecessary disappointments and frustrations...

1 Corinthians 7:31-32 (Amplified Bible)
31.And those who deal with this world [overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away. 32.My desire is to have you free from all anxiety and distressing care.

If we don't attach ourselves much to our expectations and plans and place it in the hands of God knowing that none of His good will towards us can be thwarted, then we can always learn to hold our peace...

My Rock, My strength

I like the statement of the Welsh preacher who says "There are many occasions when I tremble as I stand upon the Rock, but there are never any occasions when the Rock trembles under me" (EDWJ). What an encouragement this is to each of us. When we stand on our Rock Jesus, we may go through life situations which makes us tremble or overwhelm us. But to know that the Rock on which we stand is firm and will never tremble (though we may) is a blessed assurance to our souls.

May we find courage in the midst of our trembling and say like the Psalmist did in 

Psalm 28:8 (KJV)

The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, to know that I stand on you, my Rock and that I will not fall is a great strength to my soul. May you uphold me as I trust in You. Amen.

His Perfect Peace

'Most of our life's perplexities arise when we are not able to understand the way God works or the things God allows in life' states Rev. Selwyn Hughes. How true this is when we each one of us reflect and see the reasons behind our tensions or anxiety.

How can we avoid unnecessary perplexities from rising in our hearts or bothering our minds? The Word of God offers a simple solution which however is difficult for many of us to implement it in our lives.

Isa 26:3 (NLT)

You will keep in perfect peace,

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Perfect peace comes when we learn to trust that God knows what He is doing and He is working things for our good, though we may not be able to appreciate or understand the current events or happenings. As long as our thoughts are fixed on Him and we learn to acknowledge ourselves saying, "I know that my God is working all things for my good and I have left my worries into His hands", we cannot have that peace...

Suffering Lack

There is no human being in this world who may not suffer a lack. Lack can be in different forms. Finances, health, work, relationships, peace of mind, anything. And each of us present our requests to God in the form of prayer and many times as complaints. God is aware of our lack. He is aware of the lack that we want to be filled, as well the lack which we may not recognize and desire to be fulfilled.

Many times we may be pressing towards filling the lack which we want and be desperate about it. However, we forget that God has a better plan to fill that lack along with the lack which we have not recognized. For instance, we may be pressing towards a greater career while God may be planning to restore our lost years or even mature us along with the career growth.

The Word of God says,

James 1:2-4 (MSG)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient (lack) in any way...

May we be patient until God works His plan for us knowing that He will fulfill the lack we suffer both that which we recognize and that which we do not...

What are we pursuing?

Most of our heartaches or emotional downs are because we do not get or see to happen what we expect. When what we are longing deeply or expecting earnestly does not come through it is natural for us to feel down.

Reverend Selwyn Hughes says that whether we realize it or not, we deeply crave for something in life. And it is for different things at different stages of life. 99% of us long to be happy by getting something or by doing something and when our deep cravings and expectations are not met we feel sad. Sadly, whatever we pursue runs away from us including happiness. The only easy way to get what we crave for or expect is not to pursue it...Sounds strange isn't it? But it is true. It is not wrong to desire something or expect something to happen but when we tend to pursue it strenuously we only find that we never get it or come to see it happen.

The Word of God emphasizes this truth beautifully in the Message translation

Matthew 6:32-33 (The Message)

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met".

What more do we need than this encouragement from His word? So do we decide to change our pursuing from things to God?...

No need for Remorse

Most of us when we look back into our lives, there are instances which we feel remorse about or regret for the decisions made. We sometimes think how foolish we had been trusting somebody so plainly. We come to realize that if we had been careful we wouldn't have been fooled by others. Deep inside whether we realize it or not, we tell God that He shouldn't have allowed us to be fooled. We feel that He should have stopped us from being fooled. We may also regret that God did not intervene during those times.

Rev. Selwyn Hughes says that we need to understand that "God loves us the same all the time and will not allow anything to happen to us unless it accords with a wise and a loving purpose". It may be difficult to accept it. However, there is a a truth in this statement. We cannot understand why sometimes God allows certain instances in our life that may be painful. Yet the God allows it for a redemptive purpose which we cannot comprehend fully. But as life goes and when we look back we will be able to connect the dots and be able to see it...

Romans 8:28 (The Message)

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

His Purpose for Waiting

Rev. Selwyn Hughes state that God answers our prayers in four different ways. 'Yes', 'No', 'I will give you something better' and 'Wait and see what I will do'... The reverend says that among these answers, the fourth one is the most difficult as admitted by many of God's children because of waiting. And waiting simply by trusting that God will do something with regard to our prayer is difficult for many of us. One may wonder why God wants us to wait. It is because we will never mature unless we learn it the Lord's way.

If God were to answer all our prayers immediately, we will grow to become spiritual cry babies (when we do not get what we want) comments Rev. Selwyn Hughes. So God wants us to wait, trust His decisions and choices for us and receive answers that is good for us...

Isaiah 30:18 (New American Standard Bible)

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you,

And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you

For the LORD is a God of justice;

How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Dealing it Right

Disappointments and discouragements are part of Christian life. Once we feel that we are all heading up the road, sometimes there may be halts, some sliding that make us wonder what has happened. We may be thinking that all is set and things are moving fine, only to meet up with a halt or slide.

However, we need to understand that God does not guarantee us a path of success throughout. Whatever be our life circumstance God wants us to look at life through His eyes for there is something to learn which cannot be learnt otherwise. Unless we learn this lesson we will be tossed and hurled like waves of the sea.

That is what exactly the Psalmist learnt from his life lesson, because of which he said:

Psalm 27:13 (New American Standard Bible)

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

If the Psalmist had let loose his feelings, then he would have allowed his disappointments be turned to despair. But he did not do so. His feelings were dealt rightly with right kind of thinking and perspective because of which he saved himself from despair...

Restoration Specialist

Once a man shared with his fellow Christians how for years he had struggled to build his business but failed to get it going and earn steadily from it. He was encouraged by his Church mate who told him, that the Lord would bestow upon him doubly. He would get back the years that the locusts ate in double portion. The man was encouraged by this word and he started claiming this word for himself.

Joel 2:25 (New International Version)

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten...

I personally am a witness for this promise. I have seen the goodness of the Lord with regard to this promise both in my life and in the life of whom I prayed for...

Years of waiting can be painful especially when every step is met by failure after failure. Yet God is good to us and He is faithful to His promise. I have personally experienced how the years of failures and continuous disappointments has been replaced by the Lord in double measure. I can say with assurance that though our current troubles may appear big and years of waiting gruel-some, the Lord is watching and He is sure to replace the years the locusts has eaten in full measure. Amen.

Knowing Him - 9

Like Isaiah when we have a vision of God, our heart will comprehend the holiness of God. Sometimes we focus so much on other attributes of God such as His goodness, faithfulness, mercy and compassion, we fail to really see that "He is a God who is Holy"...

Isaiah's vision (in Isaiah 6:1-5) gave him a true picture God, himself and his people. If we get a revelation of God like Isaiah did, we are sure to cry out like Isaiah which will change every part of our life- our character, our service and our worship.

What we lack in today's Christian world is that we are not gripped like the way Isaiah was about God's holiness. Sanctification and consecration is followed by a fresh vision of God. And this will enable us to worship God by giving glory due His name and live truly as His saints...

1 Chronicles 16:29 (New American Standard Bible)

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him;

Worship the LORD in holy array.

2 Corinthians 5:9 (New American Standard Bible)

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to have a fresh vision of you. Let the scales of my eyes fall. Let my heart be open and let your spirit cleanse so that I may worship you right and live my life with reverential fear.

Knowing Him - 8

Rev. Selwyn Hughes state that the greatest need for the Church of the present time is to have a 'fresh vision of God' rather than any other spiritual need. It is not about evangelism, not about Church growth, not about effective prayer, etc...but simply a fresh revelation of the Lord Himself. And he emphasizes that is about knowing Him rather than knowing about Him.

When Isaiah had a vision of God, he saw the Lord sitting on the throne, lofty and exalted, signifying the Lord's holiness, sovereignty, power and majesty.

Isaiah 6:1 (New American Standard Bible)

In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

This vision of God gave Isaiah a new perspective about himself.

Isaiah 6:5 (New American Standard Bible)

Then I said,

"Woe is me, for I am ruined!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

A true vision of God will enable us to see as we really are and humble us before the almighty God, who we sometimes as believers take very lightly.

May the Lord open our eyes and heart as we seek Him and help us to know Him as He is which will enable us to live right before Him. Amen.