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 I have personally experienced how the years of failures and continuous disappointments has been replaced by the Lord in double measure.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.

Worship - an act of intimacy

I have always pondered about the deep meaning of worship. We all know that we are created to worship the Lord. Yet deep down inside my heart there have been questions about worship. Why does God require His creation to worship Him?

We know that God alone is worthy of all worship, glory, honor and praise. We also know that God is delighted when His children worship Him. And the angels and heavenly hosts worship the Lord continually day and night.

I have realized that when we worship God we get the privilege of entering His holy presence. In other words, the God of all glory comes down to meet His children when we worship Him. Worship creates an atmosphere where we get to know God more deeply, more intimately and enjoy His divine presence. We often forget that God who is so passionate about us gives Himself to us when we worship Him and draws us close to Him...

Psalm 48:9 (New Living Translation)

O God, we meditate on your unfailing love

as we worship in your Temple.

Recognizing God's Children

"To live the best for Him and bring glory to His name is what I am called and chosen for..."- is the motto of every child of God who walks close to Him. These are some of traits which we can see in a true child of God...

Every action, deed, speech, behavior, ambition and goals are backed by this motto. Anything contrary to this motto is abandoned willfully without regret.

Self-centered gratifications and selfishness are something that are crucified at the cross on a daily basis. Not limiting to that... anything that is contrary to the nature of Christ is quickly identified by the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, quickly repented and rectified.

Walking in transparency and inward cleansing is most sorted after with the Spirit of God. Knowing that without the Spirit of God's indwelling and His help it is highly impossible to live a life pleasing God ...which is something not just a known fact but a deep living realization.

A child of God is not perfect in everything yet sincere and honest enough to see his/her inner self as is. A humble and a contrite spirit. A willing and yielding spirit. A soul which is teachable and correctable.

Recognizing as a clay in the potter's hand yet walking with power of the Spirit to live blamelessly in this highly corruptible generation - an essential trait.

Being like the Master when it comes to facing criticism, accuse and blame.

And above all to live is Christ and die is gain (dying everyday to build one's own kingdom and glory) as the crux of life...

Colossians 1:10 (Amplified Bible)

That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].

Holiness not an option - 2

The other day we said that people who are close to God thought more about His holiness than any other attribute of God. One may wonder why? Rev. Selwyn Hughes state that the very nature of God is holiness and light of God reflects so much in a person's heart that he/she becomes consciously aware of his/her sin or inward depravity. Perhaps, it could be because of this insight a person has because of which the holiness of God illuminates one's mind enormously.

No man or woman of God can say that they are holy like God. But they make every conscious effort to live blamelessly before Him. They hunger more to be like Him, run away from sin and temptations and hold on to His grace to live right in His sight. To please God and to bring glory to His name is the top most priority of people who cling close to God. They yearn for the Holy Spirit's sanctification and inward dwelling more than His power or gifts. This is the first essential step to live holy before God as what the Word of God exhorts us to do...

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

...dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

The Mark of Believers

Renowned theologian Stephen Charnock says that sincerity is the mark of a Christian. Unless we are sincere with God, ourselves, family and others we cannot help ourselves but are headed down the hill...

The opposite of sincerity is hypocrisy. When we lack sincerity to look deep into our hearts, we are deemed to reflect hypocrisy in everything. In relationships, at work, our speech, actions, attitude and service. All our Christian outwardness will be masked by a 'big hypocritical self' which God knows. And as the Word of God says that we are accountable to Him for what we are...

Hebrews 4:13 (New Living Translation)

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

May we be people who are sincere to God, ourselves and others. Otherwise we cannot consider ourselves as a human being with perfect consciousness.

Holiness not an option

Rev. Selwyn Hughes states that 'people who were close to God thought more about His holiness than about any other nature of God.' "Holiness is the distinctive nature of God" says theologian J.Mulienburg.

And people of God cannot approach the throne of grace by forgetting/being casual about this nature of God. Our God is holy and He has called us to holiness.

1 Peter 1:15 (New American Standard Bible)

but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

Holiness is not an option for Christians (born-again believers). Without holiness we cannot relate to God. We cannot become holy ourselves. We will be made holy only when we live with integrity and seek God to make us holy and more like Him.

Hebrews 12:14 (New American Standard Bible)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

May we never take holiness casually or consider it optional assuming that we can go on in our relationship with the Lord without it...

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.