Month: June 2014

God is more interested in your future and your relationships than you are’.
– Billy Graham

Walls that have to come down

Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.”
But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.
2 Kings 2:4

Elijah the prophet was on his way to Jericho when he discourages Elisha from accompanying him there. However, Elisha perseveres to go with Elijah.

Jericho is a place of importance in the Bible. The army of Israel walked around the walls of Jericho for six days and they were asked to walk in silence. This was no easy task but they obeyed. The seventh day they were asked to walk around it seven times, and on this day the trumpets were to be sounded. When the army went around it the seventh time, the walls came down and the Lord gave them victory.

This place was of significance to both Elijah and Elisha, and it should also be significant in our lives when we are preparing for battles in our spiritual walks. We need to remember that walls are not built overnight, but over a period of time. These walls make layers around our heart and may consist of unforgiveness, hatred, anger and bitterness. Some of these walls can be hereditary and could have been passed on from the generations before us.

If you are frequently subject to this weakness, have you considered asking yourself this question; how did I acquire this attitude?

Today is a good time to check our hearts and go before the Lord. We need to truly repent for these walls to be broken so that we can proceed on our journey like the two prophets.

Dear Lord,
I commit all my walls to You. These may have been built over a long period of time and are hidden in my heart. I find it a challenge and they are a hindrance to walking more closely with You. I repent of these layers which are like tar around my heart and ask You to help me overcome them in the name of Jesus. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5

Altar of God

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:10-17

When Jacob was running away from his brother, he reached a certain place where God gave him an amazing revelation of His presence through a dream. In this dream, Jacob saw the angels of God ascending and descending on a stairway that reached up to heaven. God also assured Jacob in this dream that He would give Jacob and his descendants the land on which he lay.

Hearing God speak to him in this way was an amazing experience for Jacob and he decided to build an altar there to commemorate his encounter with God; he called this place Bethel which means the ‘House of God’.

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 2 Kings 2:2

Bethel also had a great significance in the lives of both Elijah and Elisha and was also renowned for being where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. Passing through this land was a landmark for Elijah as he was completing the earthly mission God had placed on him.

On the other hand, it was a blessed landmark for Elisha as he persistently followed his master, knowing that his earthly ministry as Elijah’s successor was just beginning.

Bethel speaks volumes to us about the essence of the Lord’s presence that was experienced by Jacob. Like Jacob, we also must have the desire to build an altar to God and pursue Him as Elisha pursued the things of God.

Dear Lord,

I come to You in Jesus’ name. I thank You for this day and for the sacrifice that You have given us. Today, may we seek to have our own personal ‘Bethel’ encounter with You so that our hearts are changed to pursue after You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

“I don’t need a successor, only willing hands to accept the torch for a new generation.” Billy Graham

Gilgal

And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Kings 2:1

In our devotion today, we will be talking about preparation. Preparation before ministry is vital. Jesus, Himself, did not begin to minister until He had spent nearly thirty years in preparation beforehand.

We may ask why Elijah chose to begin his journey at Gilgal, which means ‘rolling’, and also why it was from there that Elisha followed his master. Let us look at what the word says to us.
For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. Joshua 5:5

The people of Israel had been in the wilderness for forty years but they had now crossed over to the Promised Land with the help of the Lord, who had miraculously dried up the waters of the flooded Jordan River. Many of the males who had been born in the wilderness were not circumcised and the Lord wanted them to be circumcised before they entered the land. Joshua obeyed the Lord in performing the circumcision on the day of the first Passover after crossing the Jordan River. Soon after this significant event, the Lord responded to the obedience of Joshua saying, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. Joshua 5:9

Gilgal was a significant place for Elijah’s journey as he wanted to fulfill his call of ministry there and for Elisha, it was the right place to start his ministry. For Joshua, Gilgal was where he heard and obeyed God when he circumcised all the male Israelites. If we are to serve God in any way, the first step is total obedience. If we live in disobedience, we can move where we are not supposed to move in our ministry or go where God did not send us, which will cost us dearly. The second is circumcision of our hearts that makes it tender and receptive towards God to know His will, purposes and leading for our lives..
Dear Lord,
Thank You for this morning. Help me to hear and obey Your call so that I may be able to fulfill Your desire in my life. Circumcise my heart so that I may love You more each day and walk in steadfastness and obedience. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

‘Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do.’

– Charles Stanley

A Double Portion

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you? “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.  “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

2 Kings 2:9-10

Receiving a ‘Double Portion’ is very significant in the Bible. The first born of the children of Israel received a double portion of their father’s inheritance. According to the Word, it is part of the rights of the first born (Deuteronomy 21:17). In the unique case of Hannah, she was given a double portion because her husband Elkanah loved her greatly even though she could not bear a child for him, as the Lord had closed her womb.

Revelation 18:1-6 speaks about another kind of double portion; the wrath and judgment that God will pay back to Babylon according to her deeds (Babylon is symbolic of worldliness).
Elisha wanted to inherit a double portion as well. However it was not a double portion of wealth or fame that he wanted, but a double measure of God’s spiritual anointing. Elisha’s desire did not rise out of selfishness. but out of knowing his master Elijah was leaving; he wanted to continue to serve the Lord and carry on Elijah’s important ministry. Elisha knew he needed this anointing in order to uphold the mantel of Elijah’s work. The most important lesson that we can learn from this passage is the process of preparation before we take on the responsibility of any ministry.

Elijah takes him through Gilead, Bethel, Jericho and finally the river Jordan, where he is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. All these places were very significant in the life of Elijah and we will study them in our devotions. As for today let us learn to prepare ourselves before we take on any responsibility, asking the Lord to give us the strength and His knowledge to carry out His work wisely.

Dear Lord,

I want to be a vessel unto You. Teach me Your paths and prepare me so that I can be used for Your glory. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ. Billy Graham

Open Our Spiritual Eyes

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

John 9:6-7

As Jesus walked through the crowds, He saw a man who was born blind. The disciples ask Him whose sin had caused the man’s blindness. The Lord answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:3

In the beginning, God formed man from the dust of the ground and gave him life by blowing His own breath into the man’s nostrils. Similarly, in the above passage, we see that the Lord Jesus used His own saliva to make a clay with which He anointed the eyes of the blind man. The Lord could have simply placed His hands on the blind man and he would have instantly received sight. So why did Jesus go through the process that was similar to what God did in the garden of Eden when He created Adam?

The Word says that the man was born blind so that God’s works could be revealed. There were many Pharisees who questioned Jesus and did not accept that He was God. This miracle happened so that the stubborn Pharisees’ eyes might be opened, giving them the chance to believe that Jesus, having the power to make blind eyes see, was the Son of God.

Jesus loves everyone and desires to give everyone the opportunity to know Him. He often spoke in parables, using every day life situations to teach His disciples simple, yet deep spiritual truths. His disciples needed wisdom and spiritual insight to understand the parables. Today, let us ask the Lord to open our spiritual eyes so that we may see His truth, so that we can be enlightened and empowered by His Spirit as we read His Word. May our stubbornness and pride be stripped away as we stand before Him with new eyes that see only the glory of the Lord as we seek to follow Him.
Dear Lord,

Open my spiritual eyes so that I may see You, my Creator and Lord. Help me to walk closer to You each day as You show me Your truths, renewing me by Your Word and cleansing me through the precious blood of Jesus. Amen.
God bless you,
Theo and Manju

‘Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him’.
– Augustine Hippo

Entering Into His Rest

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest’”. And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works”.

Hebrews 4:1-4

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He saw that all He had created was good, and on the seventh day He rested. God created us to also set aside time to rest.
As soon as we wake up in the morning we start looking at the time, whether it is on our watch, our phones, or the clock on the wall. We rise to accomplish our duties that we set ourselves as time marches on. When we finish the day, are we able to say that we have rest in Him? Even our leisure activities like sports and gardening are tiring, and we need to rest and refresh ourselves afterwards.

The work that we perform on a daily basis meets our daily needs. Our accomplishments in our work and personal lives tire out our bodies and do not give rest to our inner man. Today, the Lord is calling us into spiritual rest where we get to spend time with Him. The spiritual rest that we have in Him is productive and the fruits of it will not fade away; whereas the accomplishments of the world that we toil for and spend time in will wither away like grass.

Let us therefore ask the Lord to help us set apart that time and day to rest in Him.

Dear Lord,
Thy Word says that those who wait upon the Lord will be renewed in strength and soar on wings like the eagle. Help me to wait upon You so that I can be renewed by Your strength. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion – it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ.’

– Billy Graham

Holding on to the Presence of God

Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.  When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Genesis 32:24-26

When Jacob was born, he was holding onto his brother’s heel and did not want to let go. As Jacob grew older, he continued to have the same mentality of taking hold of what belonged to his brother. He plotted with his mother to steal the  birth right of his brother Esau, which was a highly valued aspect and a great blessing that belonged to Esau as a first born. Jacob tried to fulfil the promise of God in his own dishonest way. What he did not understand and trust at that point was that; “ The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:9‘The).
At the beginning of the passage Jacob struggled with man for possession, but through the process of maturing we see that he comes to wrestle with God and prevails with His blessing. He did not want to let go of God even when his hip was touched and was out of joint. He must have been in acute pain, did not want to leave God without His blessing.

The Lord has taken our sin on the cross; He does not look back at our past failures but wants us to change each day more like His Son Jesus. When we do not give up struggling with God in prayer, in faith and steadfastness through the desert situations of our lives, He will come through and the blessings He has for us cannot compare with anything what the world can give.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and I seek You this morning to change me on the inside so that I will be like Your Son Jesus, in all my ways. I trust You in all my struggles and will hold on to You knowing You will bring a great breakthrough in my life. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

“I was a Christian for several years before I understood that true inner satisfaction is the most important thing in life and that it is the result of enjoying life through the abiding presence of God.” Joyce Meyer – ‘Knowing God Intimately’

Dwell In His Presence

The Lord would speak to Moses personally, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would come back to the camp, but his assistant, Joshua, son of Nun, stayed inside the tent.
Exodus 33:11

Moses met with God in the tabernacle which was placed outside the Israelites’ camp. When Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud came down and remained in front of the entrance of the tent. What an awesome sight this would have been and to also witness the Lord speaking with his servant.

Joshua, Moses’ assistant, would not leave the tent because he felt the holy presence of God and the glory of the Lord upon the tabernacle. As he waited on Him in the tabernacle, his every fibre was touched by the divine presence of God.

Joshua’s love for the Lord was unstinted because he had seen the hand of God guide Moses out of Egypt. By watching Moses, this young man learnt the great lesson that all things are possible to those who continually dwell in God’s presence. This experience caused him to long for and remain in a place where God’s presence was evident.

As Joshua spent long hours in the presence of God, his character and trust in God grew stronger, moulding him to become a great leader who eventually succeeded Moses in leading God’s chosen people into the Promised Land.

May we encourage you this morning to spend time in the presence of God to know and experience Him the way Joshua did, so that you may receive strength to sustain you throughout the day.

Dear Lord,
As I come to You this morning, I am reminded of Joshua being in Your presence and never wanting to leave. Help me to experience  Your  presence the same wasy, never wanting to leave Your love that draws me ever closer to You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

“We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” Charles Stanley

Seek His Presence

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

Since their leader, Moses, had gone to meet with the Lord and had not returned, Aaron and the people of Israel melted all the gold from their jewellery to make a moulded calf and worshipped it saying, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4) This grieved the heart of the Lord as the Israelites repeatedly failed to show their trust and faithfulness to Him, in spite of all the wonders that God had done in their lives.

Then God told Moses to leave Sinai and enter the land of Canaan but He would not go with them any more in case He consumed them because of their ‘stiff necked’ attitude; however, He would send His Angel before them to protect them from their enemies.

If Moses’ intentions were solely to possess the land flowing with milk and honey, or to be assured of God’s protection, he would have gladly received this offer of the Angel of God leading them. However, Moses had such a close intimacy with God that he communicated with Him face to face and it was not possession or protection that he valued, but the holy presence of God. Moses knew that God’s presence was his life-line causing him to say, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15)

May this also be our prayer for us today. Like the Israelites, have we been impatient and stiff-necked and made for ourselves golden calves that have removed us from the presence of God? The choice is ours; like Moses, let us realise the essence of the “Presence of God” in our lives and in our homes so that we may live a life that is set apart for Him.
Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. May I find grace in Your sight so that Your Presence will never leave me – a pillar of cloud through the day and a pillar of fire through the night, guiding me always. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju