Hearing God's Voice - A Commitment to Keep-On Hearing (Video)

For a change this time I decided to upload a video file of my devotional. It's actually a sermon, which I preached at the 'Mercy Vineyard' Church in Bangalore on the eve of the Advent season.

There is a key principle in HEARING & OBEYING the Voice of God.
I have split the message into 7 equal parts, and hopefully it will minister to you.

Blessings & love this season.

May Christ be the real reason for our celebration!

I am quoting something I found on the net:

THE REAL CHRISTMAS???

It was the week before Christmas. Parking spaces were hard to come by.
There were long lines, crowded stores, rude people, and grossly inflated prices.
In one long checkout line, one man was heard to say, "They should kill the guy who started Christmas."
One wise and godly woman in the line said, "They did - they hung Him on a cross".
Therein lies the REAL Christmas story.


Part 1 of 7


Part 2 of 7


Part 3 of 7


PLEASE NOTE: There is an error on Part 3 of 7 video at the 3:30 - 3:32 minute:
I said, "There's no point in going to the astrologers to see what my day will look like" - actually, it should have been: "There's no harm in going (or) it's worth going to the astrologers for guidance, to see what my day will look like".


Part 4 of the series had a technical glitch, which I just spotted a few moments ago. I had been trying to upload that file over few days, but it was getting nowhere. I was under the impression that the internet was slow in uploading.
Finally, it got sorted out now - it's 2:15 am and I am glad I spotted it :-)
Sorry for the inconvenience caused to any of you, if any one was out there waiting to listen to it.
Now it stands complete.


Part 4 of 7



Part 5 of 7


Part 6 of 7


Part 7 of 7



Hope you were blessed listening to the sermon and have made a commitment to keep listening to Him - which is the ultimate goal of this message.

To Minister or To Be Ministered Unto? (Part 2of2)

"For the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many" - Mark 10:45

This is an excerpt taken from Winkie Pratney's "a handbook for FOLLOWERS OF JESUS".

Part 2 of 2

Not praised?
You have been kind to someone. You did him a service. It cost you something to do it. Naturally you thought he would appreciate your good deed. But he didn't at least not the way you thought he should have. You expected warm thanks, a little fuss made over it, but your friend took it quite cooly. And now you are disgusted. You feel in your heart that you will never help anyone else again. Why?
You have ministered to another. You helped someone in need. But you have not been ministered to by his thanks and praise, and perhaps by a little flattery, too!

Not consulted?
You have great taste, sound judgement. Your head is together. You really have what it takes to give advice. But no one asked you. Or when they did ask, they ignored what you said even though you really felt you knew what you were talking about.
You can't understand it. You feel rubbed the wrong way. Your spirit is ruffled.
What is the trouble?

Is it that you came wanting to minister to your friend, and by not taking your advice he is now in a real mess? Not at all.
As a matter of fact, he has done very well without your help. The trouble is this: you have not been recognized. Your reputation as an authority has not been ministered unto.
You came not to minister, but to be ministered unto!

You may speak in public. A good crowd comes out to one of your rap times. You see with satisfaction that Mr. X, a famous and important Christian, is there too. You have a great subject and you wax eloquent. At the end you feel very pleased with yourself.
You naturally expect Mr. X to come up at once, grab your hand and thank you warmly.
But he walks out of the hall quietly without a word. How disappointed you feel!
And why is this?
You ministered to a lot of people. But this was not quite what you wanted. In your heart you wanted that sermon to minister to you.

Perhaps you are bothered about your job.
You are doing fairly well. Your needs are met. But you want great things, and circumstances just haven't lived up to what you expected. You feel down constantly over it.
What is really at the bottom of all this?
You want to make a bigger show, to be thought more of. You want to be rich, and you covet things God doesn't want you to have. And when your desires are not granted, when your love for success is not ministered to, you are discouraged or angry.


Think it through. Whatever we do in life, you will be surprised to find how much of your unrest and how many of your troubles arise from this same cause: coming to be ministered to instead of coming to minister, even in the little things.

• You want a wet day, but it turns out fine
• You want it to be sunny, and it rains
• A visitor calls, when you want to go out
• You are asked to sing, but your voice is husky and fails you in the middle of the song
• The answer to the letter doesn't come
• The phone rings
• The phone doesn't ring
• The pen won't write
• The dress won't fit
• The power is off
• The roads are bad
• The traffic is chaotic, and it's the other person's fault
• Something is wrong with the meal
• There is no meal

There is nothing big, nothing we can really put our finger on, but we are always coming into the world with our likes and dislikes, wishes and wants; and if we are not ministered to in these little things, we get bothered and uptight and hassled with ourselves and with everyone else.

There is a better way to live!
Instead of having the spirit of being to, we can have the spirit of ministering to others.
We can remember that Jesus said, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (cf. Matt.20:27)

To Minister or To Be Ministered Unto? (Part 1of2)

"For the Son of Man came not to be ministered to but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many" - Mark 10:45

This is an excerpt taken from Winkie Pratney's "a handbook for FOLLOWERS OF JESUS".

Part 1 of 2

This coming 'to be ministered to' is the spirit of the world. It is at the bottom of fights in the nursery, arguments at school, quarrels between people and wars among nations.
Isn't it true that we are too often cross, angry, hassled?
Sometimes we show it by blowing our cool. Sometimes we keep our cool outwardly but the rotten feelings are still there. And why? Most probably because we have come to be ministered to and have been disappointed.

The fact is, we are always wanting to be ministered to by people, by fortune, by circumstances, even by the weather. It is so natural, so needed, so "right".
If we are frustrated (as we often are), we are apt to get uptight and sulky, and we usually wind up making ourselves and others miserable.

You are slighted, ignored, brushed aside.
Your boss doesn't show you the proper consideration. Your brother doesn't treat you with the respect due to your awareness, your wisdom, your talents - and you feel it very much.
In fact, you are really very hassled by it. It is because your feelings, your rights, your gifts, your position, your dignity, your importance were not recognized.

You were not ministered to!

Perhaps, you are jealous; another is praised and put before you.
He does better than you.
She is luckier than you.
The honour, the success, the popularity, the reward went to the others.
They got what you thought you ought to have.
You wanted it for yourself.
You came to be ministered to. And because they have been ministered to in your place, you are jealous.


Think about it:
Have you been hassled lately because someone slighted you or put someone else before you? Can you see now that your feelings were hurt because you were expecting to be ministered to?

Have you ever been treated like dirt?
There is no excuse for people who have rotten attitudes and who deliberately put you down. But you are a follower of Jesus.
I ask you, if you had come, like your Master, "not to be ministered to, but to minister", would you be feeling so sore and angry?

Think about that for a minute.
How would your attitude be different if your main purpose were to minister rather than be ministered to?

Well, the list is endless -- I think I will stop here for us to pause and to meditate on some of these thought-provoking statements.

Part 2 of 2 from this thought will continue in my next post .. so, please keep a watch for it in a few week's time :-)

My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?

The 4th word / phrase from the cross is one of the difficult passages, as that creates more doubt in my mind about God's presence with me at all times.

I was asked to speak in the church today on this word and my first reaction to this was: "My God, My God - why this passage out of the 7?"
But I am so glad, I was asked to preach on this, as I learnt something new and very important for my Christian faith.

The common understanding of this passage is: Because Jesus was carrying the sins of the world; the Father couldn’t bear to see it, because He is a Holy God – which is why He turned His face away!
While it’s a good concept, I always found it very hard to believe … because God came in search of men, who were sinful - in fact, it started off like that in the Garden of Eden, when Adam & Eve sinned.

Also, when Jesus was on this earth physically, He made a very bold declaration in John 8:29 – “The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him”

Now on the Cross, was Jesus doing what God wanted Him to do? Absolutely!!
- Then why did God leave Him?

It doesn’t make sense that God would leave Jesus alone, on a Mission which was His initiative?

And if that's true, I have a problem with that because I am committed to the Great Commission - and as per Matt.28:18-20 He promises He will be with me always, even to the very end of the age.

But if God deserted Jesus while He was on the cross, there is no assurance, that He will be with me, while I endlessly pursue the Great Commission!
If God can forsake Christ, He can certainly do that to me, because I am not perfect!

I would like to explain 2 things here:

1) Did God really forsake Jesus – at that point?

I would say ‘NO’ – not really!

Naturally, the next question then is: Was Jesus lying? - well, an EMPHATIC 'NO' to that as well!

So, how do we get around it?

A good Hermeneutics (~ the art of interpreting the Scriptures) when dealing with difficult passages is always allow the Scriptures to interpret Scriptures - because the Scriptures don't contradict itself!

So I look at where else this phrase is repeated?
Psalm 22:1,2 - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent"

What Jesus is doing here is adapting a common rabbinic teaching technique known as REMEZ (a Hebrew word ~ hint).

By the way, the English word 'reminiscence' comes from this root!

- This particular technique alludes to / hints at something which would have been known on that day, by the majority of Jewish people – given the fact, that they knew the entire Hebrew Scriptures by memory (the Torah & the Psalms).

Similar, to how people respond now-a-days with 'ALL THE TIME" when we say, “God is good …”

Jesus used this technique on quite a few occasions during His ministry and here at the Cross, it's no different - because He is telling people (without actually telling them, but making them think), that this is NOT THE END!

Take a look at Psalm 22:

Vs.4,5 – “In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.

They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed”.

The Jewish people, though slow in picking things up (including the disciples), would have certainly understood what Jesus meant at that time and would have reflected on the Psalm.

The Roman soldiers and others were unaware of the Scriptures, so they kept taunting Him.

Vs.7,8 – is what they have been doing to Him – mocking Him, taunting Him, hurling insults …

The whole Psalm is a reflection of what God can do, when things are looking bleak.

2) Secondly, have you ever noticed that when we go through struggles, it always seems to be the biggest struggle ever, in the face of the earth? Be it a cold or a headache?

And it feels like God has left us alone to battle it out.

I am not saying that Jesus is doing that here – but as I had mentioned earlier, He’s getting them to think that this is not the end.

- The call is to see the problems in God’s perspective & not be bogged down by it.

For eg: if you place a small coin against a big table – the table looks considerably big. But when the small coin is kept against the eye, the table (which is much bigger) is covered – and we can’t see it!

Our problems are like that compared to a God who is big – but we don’t see Him, because we put the problems so much in front of us.

The famous story – FOOT PRINTS ON THE SAND (Mary Stevenson)

“One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

So, though it seems like God is far off – realistically He is there.

Jesus knew His Scriptures and He quoted Scriptures right throughout His life-time - from the beginning, when He was 12 yrs. old, when He interacted with the Religious leaders; and in the wilderness when satan tempted Him; and during His ministry ...

And on the Cross, it was no different – He was quoting Scriptures …

Jesus said these words only once … but it’s echoing all over the world every time, as people say it all the time - and usually quoting it out of context.

And in times of trouble for us – rather than, just quoting half the Scriptures and sulking in our problems .. it’s time, we realize the fullness of His Word and see the Lord’s presence carry us through that struggle – as we see Jesus come through victoriously from the Cross.

God did not abandon Him and He wouldn't do that to us as well!

'Real' Fear or 'Realistic' Faith

I haven't posted anything here in a while, as things have been busy ... but I came across this article, which I had written for a magazine, where I was working earlier and I thought, it's a good one to put up here:

There’s never a place where ‘fear’ & ‘faith’ can co-exist in its totality. There are umpteen scriptures which talk about an ‘either-or’ situation, both explicitly & implicitly.

Fear is natural & so real; whereas faith is unnatural & optimistic – yet, it can be realistic!

Everyone has a certain measure of fear – to fear is human.

But when that fear start to dictate terms, we dwell on that reality and DOUBTS creep in – that’s why it’s so important for us to develop a habit of focusing on that which help us nurture our faith – so, we can look beyond the natural, which causes us to drown at times.

Faith can be as real as fear is!

The study for this issue is taken from: Matt.14:22-34 – ‘JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER’

BACKGROUND INFO:

The incident prior to this event was Jesus feeding the 5,000+ crowd.

In vs.15, the disciples seemed very concerned for the people, who were with them this long. However, Jesus didn’t panic.

In fact, in vs.18 – Jesus directs the people to sit down for a meal.

Note that Jesus did this job? Why didn’t the disciples do it? Well, this is a faith project and the disciples showed that they didn’t have much of it – they were perhaps ‘grumpy’.

If the disciples would have been told to do so, they would have gone into the crowd and said something like this: “Look, we told him, but He insists we sit down for a meal. There’s only 5 loaves and 2 fish – so, if you want a piece of that food, you better be the first in line otherwise it wouldn’t last for too long”

That would have surely dampened the spirit in the crowd & probably a stampede would have occured. The Disciples didn’t even expect Jesus to meet this need.

It’s in this context we read the passage before us (please read the scripture, before you proceed further):

From this passage there are 2 things which are evident: FEAR & FAITH

1) FEAR

There are 2 expressions of fear. One involved all the disciples, and the other involved Peter. Both circumstances were so real and it justified their fear.

How is it that the disciples didn’t recognize someone who was so close to them? Whom did they cry out to anyway?

THEIR RESPONSE IN FEAR:

On both occasions, they pray out instantly – it was neither fabricated nor fancy, but straight to the point. And note that the answer was immediate too!

Peter, being a fisherman must have known some swimming. Why wasn’t he ready to swim back to the boat, or even towards Jesus, when he began to drown? What does that show about his faith in Jesus? When Peter was drowning did reality matter or the words of Jesus? What are its implications?

2) FAITH

Jesus demonstrated faith; Peter demonstrated it; and so did the people at Gennesaret, when they brought the sick to Jesus to be prayed for, believing in His ability to cure.

WHAT MADE THEM TICK?

*** Jesus developed a life-style of balancing His time with:

· the Disciples – in Private with the 12 and the inner circle – Peter, James & John

· the People – in Public

· the Father – in Prayer (this discipline being the key)

The prayer aspect enabled Him to keep His focus right at all times. He was never too busy to spend time with the Father, in spite of being extremely busy with the people. Here we see Jesus sending the disciples & the crowd away to go up on a mountain to pray. He was there from evening until the fourth watch – a long time since he started praying.

Info: An evening time is before the commencement of the ‘watch’. There are 4 watches during the night as per the ancient custom. First watch is from 6-9 pm; second watch from 9-12 midnight; third watch between 12-3 am; & fourth watch from 3-6 am.

Jesus went up the mountain in the evening and returned only during the 4th watch of the night. As per the above time-frame, even if we calculate the end of 'evening' and the beginning of the 4th watch .. Jesus spent time alone with the Father for about 9 hrs.

*** Peter’s faith must have been spurred to action, by him confirming his call at this juncture.

Vs.28,29 – Seems like Peter is asking a dumb question. At least, it seems like it. A ghost (as they feared it was!), could have easily said COME too! So, what is Peter trying to do?

Perhaps trying to associate this word ‘COME’ with his call (cf. Matt. 4:18-20).

Faith is not being blind to the situation around us nor is it being presumptuous – it’s a trust in a God, who is Almighty & Sovereign (cf. Heb.11:1).

HOW DO WE CULTIVATE THIS FAITH IN THE MIDST OF FEAR?

1) Meditate on His Word

Rom.10:17 – “…faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ…”

- Let’s make a commitment to read His Word (Bible) on a regular basis & meditate on it.

2) Meditate on His Works

Faith is built as we reflect on His goodness in the past

- Let’s analyze our life to see how He has proved Himself in the past – this will give us the confidence in taking the step of faith NOW and in the future.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

From the Passage:

** Vs.22,23 – There was a huge crowd – 5000 men + women and children. Jesus sends the disciples on their way first and then dismisses the crowd? Why didn’t Jesus let the disciples disperse the crowd, or why didn’t they volunteer to do that, before they left that place?

** Vs.31 – Peter chastised for doubting. Actually, he’s the one who took the step of faith. The 11 disciples didn’t even venture, but they were spared. Why is this directed at a man who once took that bold step of faith? What does it say about the life of faith?

** Vs.32,33 – It could have been so tempting for Peter to raise his collar and grab all the attention once they stepped back into the boat. The disciples could have praised Peter for his effort – but, they show exemplary model in worshipping Jesus. What does this say about the attitude of the disciples and Peter?

** Vs.35,36 – The people at Gennesaret passed the message about Jesus immediately and brought many who were sick. This is in sharp contrast to the disciples, who had been with Jesus all along and saw all that He did and still failed to comprehend His true nature – here were some simple folks, who believed & passed the word around so quickly and saw many healed. What does this say about our responsibilities in fulfilling the Great Commission in South & Central Asia and beyond?

From other Scriptures:

Mark 4:35-41 (*40) – Can fear exist, when there is faith? What is Jesus saying to the disciples regarding believing in His ability, after experiencing His goodness?

Mark 5:21-43 (*36) – Is it possible to believe the words of God in faith, when the reality is totally different? What makes it possible or impossible?

Mark 10:46-52 – Blind Bartimaeus receives his sight. Jesus declares that his faith has made him well – he did have reasons to fear, when the disciples and the others rebuked him in vs.48, when he cried out to the Lord? What made him persist?

Get the basics right

"Leaders are those who do the basics right" - this was a statement that came out of my mouth last week at the Leader's Training in Ahmad Nagar, when I was speaking to a group of 70 lay-leaders in that city, while teaching on "SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES" and the importance for such a thing in our day-to-day life.

It wasn't prepared or planned, but it just came out .. and while I was still saying it, the reality and its profound meaning hit me, and I decided to dwell on it a little bit more upon return.

And sure enough, I didn't have to wait for too long.

I Thess. 4:1-12
There are 2 things which Paul is encouraging the church in Thessalonica to do, in spite of them doing those anyway.
a) vs.1,2 - living in order to please God
b) vs.9,10 - loving one another


The question is why would Paul urge the Thessalonians to do something which they have already been doing?

The book of Thessalonians has got to do with the lack of 'hope' in the church, concerning their understanding of 'The Coming of the Lord'.
Out of the 3 cardinal virtues of Christianity: love, faith & hope - they seemed to be slightly short on 'hope'.

And Paul is urging them to keep on doing the 2 in which they are good at while focusing on the 3rd one.
Why was that important?
Wasn't it good enough to concentrate on the one which they were low at, so that can be brought to par?


I think the words of Jesus throws light into such a thought.
The 2 greatest commandments which Jesus highlighted in Matt.22:37-40 / Mark 12:30,31, supports the idea that those were vital and it has to be continued and not neglected for the sake of the other.


I like sports and love to watch the game on TV.
And often, what I noticed is the thing that makes a winner in any game, be it: Lawn Tennis / Cricket / Badminton / Table Tennis / Football / etc. - the winner is always, the person who has committed very few errors on the basics.
And it boils down to that in our Christian life as well.

Seriously, if we do the basics right, then the other mountain like challenges which face us, will not pose a threat.
It's simple, yet vital!

Are we getting the basics right in our walk with the Lord?
If not, it's time to get back to it.

Everyday Frustrations

Yesterday we had some friends over and we decided to meditate and pray for a while in the morning. Nothing in particular, we decided to meditate on Psalm 64:1-10 (full chapter).
I thought i will put down some of the thoughts we reflected upon from these verses.

As usual, the Psalmist (David on this occasion), begins with him raising his voice in complaint regarding the conspiracy of the wicked, which he had to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Though the first 2 verses summarizes his view of wickedness, we see that it takes him further into details of what they do.

One of the things I notice about the Psalms we read in the Scriptures, is the fact that it is very relevant to what we go through today.
It captures our emotional struggles, it accentuates our miseries, it exposes our vulnerabilities, sees our mental tortures and more importantly, connects with our day-to-day frustrations.

However, the good news is that the Psalm doesn't finish there.
Though most of the Psalms, starts off with some sort of a negativity and looking at ourselves and how weak we are in the face of oppositions .. there is always a brighter side to it, when the Psalm concludes. And this Psalm (64) is no exception.

vs.3-6 focus in detail the things which the evildoers are inclined to doing.

And out of the blue, in vs.7 - there is a ray of hope, as it starts off with a huge contrast - B..U..T
It's huge in the context, because from dwelling in a place of 'no hope', there suddenly seems to be a greater sense of purpose to life.
And it's not because he experienced something out of nothing, but he chose to put his focus on the right things / the right place / the right person.

Look at the change in perspective in vs.7-9 in response to the negative thought displayed in vs.3-6 - there is a counter for every negative thing spoken.
(the negative thoughts in RED COLOUR; and
the positive thoughts in GREEN COLOUR)

vs.4a - "They shoot from ambush" (in other words, they wait in ambush to attack the innocent)
vs.7 - "God will shoot them with arrows suddenly ..." (God will suddenly strike them)

vs.3a - "They sharpen their tongues like swords" (to cut & injure others)
vs.8a - "God will turn their own tongues against them & bring them to ruin" (but they are destroyed by themselves)

vs.5b - "They say, 'Who will see them?'" (they want to do in hiding, so no one watches what they do to the innocent)
vs.8b - "All who see them will scorn" (but God does it in the open for all to see)

vs.4b - They go about without fear of anyone
vs.9a - When God acts, all mankind will fear His Name - the Lord God Almighty

vs.6 - They devise their own plans and call it perfect
vs.9b - God's people will ponder on the works of God and proclaim His works

The more we dwell on things which are threatening to us; or looming large in front of us, the more we tend to give in-to such troublesome thoughts & are weighed down.

Let's focus on the positive things .. that God is with us and all the schemes of the evil ones will not prosper.
Whatever they planned will befall them - "... the evil scheme they had devised ... should come back onto their own head" (cf. Esther 9:25)

Let's rise up to the occasion and rather than looking at the evil around us and talking about it, let's praise the Lord as the Psalmist ends his Psalm in vs.10 - "Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him!"

Is the Lord among us or not?

Does this question sound familiar?
Does this phrase (Do these words) exist in our vocabulary?

Well, I am just quoting a part of the Scripture verse here. These are the exact words used by the Israelites in their journey towards the Promised Land.

Exodus 17:7 – “And Moses called the place Massah (~ testing) and Meribah (~ quarreling) because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

- It was not soon after the Israelites were delivered from a raging Pharaoh …
- It was a few days after God stunningly made way in the Red Sea …
- It was right after God provided them with water at Marah …
- And right after the divine provision of Manna & Quail …

How easy it was for these people to forget all that they had seen and experienced in the last few weeks and to grumble against God?
The question in their mind was not whether God would provide for them or not, but doubting His very presence.

When these people left Egypt, God’s presence guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and by a pillar of fire at night.
Exodus 13:21,22 – “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people”.

In the very presence of God, they were able to grumble about God’s existence amidst them.
I don’t think the pillar of cloud or the fire had departed at this stage, quoting from Nehemiah 9:19 – “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take”.

Surely, God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (cf. Deut.31:6)

There are 3 things which we can do, to ensure that His presence is there with us, and that we see Him at all times:

a) Focus on what is there, rather than what is not there – The children of Israel forgot to see what was there, but were focusing on something which they didn’t have.
b) Focus on the big picture rather than the present crisis – The immediate crisis should in no way hinder our overall perspective about our life
c) Let God be in control and don’t take over – With the Lord’s presence guiding them, it should have been easier. Just a few days ago, the presence of God led them to Elim (cf. Ex.15:27), where there were 12 springs & 70 palm trees. And this time the presence of the Lord led them to Rephidim (cf. Ex.17:1). Clearly the Lord knew what He was doing … perhaps it was a test (cf. Ex.16:4b – “… in this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions”).


The fact that these people were thirsty (17:3), shows that the struggles in this world will be there, even when we are lead by the Lord.
But the key is always in how we respond.

Let’s keep His presence our focus and let Him be in-charge .. and He will surely navigate us through the storms of life

Recognizing His Presence

A sequel to: "GOD IS THERE / GOD IS HERE"

In my earlier devotional, I presented a thought that we could be oblivious to the fact that God's presence is with us, when we are in a time of crisis.

And this thought stems right out of that concept, to emphasize that it is indeed very much possible to recognize His presence, during such times - though often times we fail to see Him then.

Here's a couple of thoughts on how we can break that trend, and see Him when we need Him the most.


We pick up on Jacob's story again after he rued the fact that he hadn't recognized God's presence earlier - cf. Genesis 28:16b - "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it"


4 chapters later ... Jacob is now returning back to his hometown, the land of Canaan (Genesis 31:17,18), after spending a few years working for his Uncle, Laban - who now becomes his father-in-law.


Genesis 32:1,2 - "Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, 'This is the camp of God!'".

It's an interesting passage, because here's a man who didn't recognize God .. but in this particular instance, without any introduction from the angels, he recognized them as God's hosts.

And a few hours later that night in vs.22-31 (*26) - we see that Jacob recognized God, who appeared in the form of a man and wrestled with him.

So, herein lies the assurance that it is very much possible to move from a place of NOT recognizing God, to a place of seeing Him no matter how He appears or reveals Himself.

The disciples reveal an attitude in that they found it hard to believe in Jesus, when He appeared in a form that was not familiar to them (cf. Mark 4:41; 6:49).


How was that possible, with Jacob?
Things hadn't changed much with him on the outside.
The departure scene had nothing much to ride home about, as Jacob fled without bidding proper farewell (31:20,21) - in fact, he was running away from his father-in-law, when he had gone to shear his sheep (31:19).
And his wife Rachel, stole her father's household gods (vs.19), which Jacob didn't even know about (vs.32).
So, overall it was NOT a very pleasant atmosphere in that household - height of deception, cheating, lying, etc.

And the trend with Jacob seems to continue on, in that he is selfish and looks for his own personal gain.

But, what went right for Jacob this time around - which enabled him to see the presence of God with him?

I think the key is in a restored relationship, which should be pursued in God's spirit.
Let me explain.

In chp.28:16 - Jacob didn't realize God's presence, as he just comes from a strained relationship with his brother, after having deceived him in at least a couple of occasions - once when he made him sell his birthright to him and secondly, when he received the blessing from his father Isaac, pretending to be Esau.


But over the years of staying with Laban, he had proved faithful to his Uncle, and served all those years for his wives .. and now eventually, at God's Word (cf. 31:3), he's headed back to the land of his father.
Jacob headed back to his hometown, on the basis that God told him to do that.
So, the first principle in recognizing God is doing what God wants us to do.

- Are we doing what He is asking us to do? If so, the chances of recognizing Him are very high.


The second principle is setting relationships right.

Jacob had a couple of relationships, which he needed to work on:
a) with Laban, his father-in-law (31:45-55).
- Though this relationship mend came about Laban taking the initiative and his submission to God's dream in vs.24 - nevertheless, it was set right now.

b) with Esau, his brother (32:1-21)
- with Esau he had just made up his mind to set things right, by paying a price (32:13-21).


Not surprisingly, on both occasions when the relationship was restored or when it was on the verge of being restored, he was able to recognize the presence of God.


The question is obviously, are we running away from a strained relationship as Jacob did in the first place, when he failed to see His presence; or
Are we in the process of setting things right .. and as a result seeing the very presence of God in our day-to-day routine and/or circumstances?

God is There / God is Here

As we enter into the Advent season, we all will get very familiar with the word "Immanuel" ~ God with us!
Is this notion, just during this season or is God always with us?
Though we emphatically proclaim that "He is with us", do we realistically live that during the rest of the time?

Scores of references in the Scripture would suggest that people found it difficult to realize that God was with them.

Mark 6:45-56 (*49) - when Jesus walked on the water and came towards them at the 4th watch of the night - the disciples didn't recognize the Saviour!

Luke 24:13-31 (*16) - the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with Him and talked with Him, but didn't realize that it was the Messiah, that they were talking with!

Luke 24:36-49 (*37,41) - the 11 disciples saw Jesus appear in their midst in the upper room and thought He was a ghost!

Matthew 11:1-15 (*2,3) / Luke 7:17-28 (*19,20) - John the Baptist, who so authoritatively proclaimed or introduced the Messiah into the world (cf. John 3:22-36), also had his share of doubts!


From times immemorial such questions lingered in the hearts of people, which is why God revealed Himself through His Name - JEHOVAH SHAMMAH ~ The Lord is there!
(cf. Ezekiel 48:35).


In response to this doubt, the Psalmist and many other OT prophets uttered the very Words of God to assure us of His presence with us.

Psalm 46:5-7 - "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her ... The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Refuge"
Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with singing"
Zechariah 2:5 - The Lord Himself declares, "I will be under her a wall of fire round about, and will the glory in the midst of her"


And the classic example of all these is found in Genesis 28:16, right at the beginning of life after the covenant promise - "When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it".

How is it possible?
How come Jacob didn't recognize God's presence?

These are some of the questions we can ask when we read this story.
But there's more to it, than just this verse - Jacob was actually running away, after having deceived his brother, and was quite taken aback when He felt God's presence.

But don't we do the same thing with our life today?
Do we see Him there? Do we recognize His presence with us?
Or, are we running away too and are pleasantly surprised that He is still with us!


The Lord's presence is very much with us, not just during this advent season .. but at all times, as per His promise.

And I am reminded of the famous story of the "Footprints in the Sand" to reinforce the thought that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.



Click on the picture to the left to see an enlarged version of the same for clear visibility.

God looks beyond our crisis

My last devotional ended with a thought that "At times of crisis in life, it will become clearer as to who we are going with".

A crisis situation, is when we are NOT in total control, as we would like it to be.
We are caught in the muck and are struggling to get out, if there is a way out.
Usually that's when we doubt our faith, our vocation, our belief in God & the promises we hold on to, etc. etc. etc.

We are now in the book of Genesis, where God initiates the covenant promise with Abram.
All is not well with Abram as he sojourns with God.

After his nephew Lot had chosen the best lot (cf. 13:11) - God gave Abram the whole lot (13:13-17), as we saw in the earlier devotional thought.


In chp.15, we see Abram struggling to accept the promise which the Lord gives him.
vs.1 - "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward".

And that's because he is caught in the muddle here. He cannot look beyond his present situation.
Abram is well advanced in years .. perhaps 85 yrs. old (16:16 - Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born to Hagar).
It's a good 10 years from the time when the promise was first given to Abram in 12:1-4, that He will make him into a great nation.
At this stage, Abram is not even a father to ONE, let alone a nation!

Coming back to Chp.15 - Abram now thinks that this promise 'to be his heir', could be for his servant, Eliezer. But the Lord assures him otherwise in vs.4 - "This man will NOT be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir".

That's an encouraging factor .. but then he misinterprets that in Chp.16, when his beautiful wife Sarai, suggests that he takes his maid and has a son - who could be his heir.
Sounds a cheeky advice .. but the promise of the Lord was still a bit vague, as He had said it will be a son coming from his own body - note: no mention of Sarai here!


However, going back to chp.15:8 Abram still confused about this particular promise. And this is where God re-assures Abram of what He is going to do.
God puts Abram to sleep (vs.12 f.), and He allows a dreadful darkness to come over him and then He speaks what is to happen several centuries later - with the children of Israel going into captivity, followed by the redemption under Moses, which is 8-10 generations later.

Now, here is Abram struggling to get a hang of what is going on right now .. and God is assuring Him of something which is going to happen way beyond him.
Abram didn't find a direct answer, but in God's big picture, is the answer to Abram's immediate.
And it took another 14 years or so, before the promised son, Isaac - comes about.


Moses, in Deut. 9:4-6 highlights this very assurance to the 2nd generation of Israelites who are about to go in and possess the promised land. So, what God assured Abram is now being fulfilled and along the way, the promise to Abram is also fulfilled.

I tend to look for solutions immediately for my nagging problem or my current crisis. But when God gives me an answer into the distant future, I don't like it .. as I want something now.

When I went in for a corrective surgery on my leg a few years ago, I had 3 people confirm through dreams they had about me that I was walking around and playing with my kids at the end of it.
When I heard about those dreams, I didn't make much of it as it sounded a bit odd - as I didn't expect anything untoward to happen to me.
But little did I realize, that things would take a massive turn during the course of my hospitalization, and it ended up being a dreadful path.
But through that time, I was assured of the fact, that God is in control .. as I had an answer that I would be walking around again - though it's different - I am walking nevertheless!


How about you?
Are you in a crisis right now?
Are you hearing God talk to you something into the immediate or distant future, which you don't understand now?
Don't worry - the answer to your current situation is in that, as well as a hope for your future.

Let's not give up - there's light at the end of the tunnel, because God is there.

He certainly looks beyond our current situation which you and I can't see.
Let's go with Him / let's trust in His promises and see the fulfillment.