Month: July 2014

When we learn from experience, the scars of sin can lead us to restoration and a renewed intimacy with God. Charles Stanley

Vessels of Honour

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honour and some for dishonour. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:20-22

The Lord has called us to be vessels of honour so that we can be used for His glory. The first important role of the vessel is that it must be set apart, sanctified and ready to be used by the Master. If we invite a guest for dinner, would we serve him food in an unclean vessel? Certainly not, we would make sure that it is cleaned and wiped before we use it to serve our guest. Likewise, the Master does the same in our lives.

 

Secondly, we need to also be useful to our Master. The Master has the choice to choose which vessels to use but if we are faithful in the little things, He will know that we can be trusted and continue to use such vessels that are reliable and trustworthy.

Finally, our vessels must be prepared for every good work. This means that we should wait on the Lord with a willing heart, being available to obey when He calls.

The Lord is the potter and we are the clay and sometimes our vessels can be cracked or broken but the Master fills the cracks and makes us beautiful for His use. We are never too broken that He cannot repair and fill the broken areas of our lives, moulding us to be vessels of honour.

Dear Lord,
My vessel has been broken many times but whenever I was broken, You melted and moulded me and made me new again. Thank You for Your unending grace and mercy that never fails. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant and unforgiving, immoral or slothful or full of fear. We step into these things because we are insensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us. Charles Stanley

Temptations

 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
James 1:13-15

 

In the story of Joseph, his master, Potiphar, saw that the Lord was with Joseph and promoted him to be overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. Potiphar’s wife, however, tried to tempt Joseph into sin but Joseph remained steadfast in his commitment to God and refused to submit to her enticement.

 

Temptation is never from God because it is against His nature to deliberately entice a person to sin but when we are faced with circumstances and situations that tempt our fleshly desires, we have to make a conscious decision of our will to flee from that temptation. By His grace, God will always provide a way out of the situation.
It is good for us to study how Joseph reacted to temptation so that we can apply the same principles when we are tempted.

Firstly, we must deal with it immediately and nip it in the bud, without giving it time to take root and grow on us.

Secondly, we must get away from it at any cost to avoid possible situations where we can face temptations just as Joseph avoided Potiphar’s wife. We also need to be consistent in our resistance.
Finally, we need to resist it confidently because we know that in His mercy, our Father will show us the way to escape the temptation. We are accountable to our Father and should desire to honour Him in all that we do.

 

Today know that, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”. 1 Corinthians 10:13

God gave a way of escape to Joseph and was faithful to him. When we put our trust in the Lord and depend on Him, He will also provide a way out for us as well.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for Your Word that says that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world and therefore I will be able to overcome with Your strength which is within me. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

There is only one secure foundation: a genuine, deep relationship with Jesus Christ, which will carry you through any and all turmoil. No matter what storms are raging all around, you’ll stand firm if you stand on His love.
– Charles Stanley

Love One Another

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35

Love is a very common word and it is easy to say those three little words “I love you”. However, as God’s children we are called to live our lives as Jesus did, and to love one another. Are we able to do this? The love of God is unconditional and He loves us just as we are. He has picked each one of us up from the miry clay and is teaching us to be more like Him each day.

Therefore it will be good to remind ourselves that love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.

We may choose to spend long hours in prayer, quote scriptures and regularly attend church with the desire to grow close to Him, but are we able to overlook an offence without taking revenge?

We need to seek the divine power of God, which give us everything we need for life, through faith in Him. The power of God enables us to love with His love, when our own feelings and emotions hinder us from loving others fully. The Word says that we need to seek Him so that we have this power in increasing measure. By having the power of God in us, we will not be ineffective or unproductive, but have the knowledge of Him and acknowledge His ways and live a life, demonstrating Christ. May we remain and walk in His love.

Dear Lord,
I thank You Lord that You picked me up and have given me a new life. Help me to see others through Your eyes so that I may exercise Your love in every situation. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju10

Helping someone come to a saving knowledge of Christ is the greatest achievement possible.
Charles Stanley

Encourage one another

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29
Barnabus was a great encourager and when Paul, formerly called Saul, tried to reconcile with the Church of Jerusalem after having persecuted many of its members before he became a Christian, Barnabas was at his side. The Jews in Jerusalem feared Paul and would not believe  in his  conversion. However Barnabas supported Paul by explaining how he had preached in Damascus and persuaded the leaders in Jerusalem of his transformation.

 

Barnabus being the encourager, was able to bring the good out of Paul by recognizing the call in his life and supporting him through a crucial time of  Paul’s ministry.

 

Today there are many who need that encouragement and strength for someone to stand by them when the whole world is against them. When we see our own brothers or sisters fall short of the mark are we there to build them up rather than foul mouth them? Are we able to build them up with the  word of God that is able to restore and rebuild?

 

Our race on earth can be compared to an athlete running a marathon. The event is not completed until such time we cross the finish line. The runner can often gets very tired and sometimes even want to quit and give up on the race. During these moments what can get him back on  track is the cheers of encouragement from the audience. This will give the athlete a renewed strength to keep his focus on the goal and finish the race in victory.

 

There are many  people around us who feel devalued and worthless because they are not connected to Christ Jesus. Encouraging and edifying them will help them see their worth in Jesus. Let us build people up and add value to their lives. Let us be encouraged this morning to encourage others to finish their race.

 

Dear Lord,
I thank you for this day, help me to see people through your eyes so that I may live to be an encourager who can help  people to achieve their goals in You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’
– Billy Graham

The Crown of Thorns

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.

Genesis 3:18

Man walked away from God by disobeying Him in the Garden of Eden. The Lord sent them away from the garden because they did not heed His voice. They lost the blessings that they had enjoyed in god’s presence as God said, “cursed be the ground for your sake, in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life and thorns and thistles it will bring forth.”

From that day onwards, the ground that produced great abundance as a result of God’s blessings became a curse that only produced thorns and thistles. This curse that originated from the disobedience of the first man thousands of years ago in the garden of Eden was broken by Christ Jesus who redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.  Jesus bore the same thorns on His head for us so that we can enjoy the blessing that was promised for us.

Have you ever been hurt by a thorn? It is quite sharp and it can tear your skin and it is painful. If we continue to live in disobedience, we choose to live under the curse of thorns and thistles that will bring unproductiveness, hurt and pain. Jesus was willing to endure the pain, the shame and the weight of the curse, all on our account so that we can live a life of freedom in Him.

We see that man lost his relationship with the Father because he chose to disobey, but Christ the Saviour chose to bring us back to the Father through obeying Him to the point of sacrificing His life for us.

What would you choose this morning?
Dear Lord,
Thy Word says that if anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation and old things are passed away and all things have become new. Help me to walk in that newness of Your Spirit. Amen.

For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:10).

A Renewed Identity

21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
2 Corinthians 1:21- 22

Often our Christian life can become a struggle simply because we fail to recognise who we are. We forget our true identity and our inheritance. The main cause for this is not being connected to Jesus and not knowing the truth about who we are in Christ.

Our identity in Christ is emphasised in Scripture. When we allow His Word of truth to fill and saturate our minds we will truly understand and believe that we are God’s precious children, created by Him. This in turn will lead us to have the perfect understanding that we have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but Christ Jesus who lives in us. As our identity is transformed, this new life is different to the past because it is filled with faith in the Son of God, who loved us so much to the extent that He gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:17- 20).

As we root our identity in Christ, our faith will grow stronger in Him. As we identify with Christ, we also know and experience the power of the Holy Spirit that is within us according to God’s promises for us. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

If we have struggled with an ‘identity issue’, let us know who we are in Christ Jesus, as it is an important part of living a life filled with God’s goodness. Knowing that we are God’s precious children created for His good works will give us the confidence to move on in life with a renewed purpose. This will increase our faith in God to a new level and help us to face the demands of our lives and the ministry God has called us to do with a greater passion.

Father,

I come to You in Jesus’ name. Renew my mind so that I will not be conformed to this world, but be transformed to be in the likeness of Your Son Jesus. Today strengthen me and fill me with Your confidence to walk in the identity as Your precious child. Amen.
God bless you,

Theo & Manju

Our God listens to us. Our God is a living God. He’s not a block of wood you made up that’s not going to answer you. My God listens to me. He answers me.
– Francis Chan

Be Encouraged

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
1 Corinthians 1:27

The Lord’s ways are much higher than our ways, and that is why He is God. He chose to come to the earth in the most humble way and showed us the way to Him.

When God chose David, he was not in the picture at all. His father lined up all his sons except David as he was out caring for his dad’s sheep. Samuel had to send word for David to come so that he could anoint him as the next leader of Judah and Israel. The world looks at the outside, but God looks deep within.

There are many situations in the Bible where God chose and called unexpected people to be part of His plan. When God chose Gideon to save Israel, He selected from the weakest in Manasseh, and the least in his family. When we consider the women in the Bible, the Lord called the weakest, such as barren women who were a shame in society during those times because they could not have children. Samuel the prophet, was the son of Hannah, who was one such woman. The Lord heard her prayer and blessed her with a son who anointed the first king of Israel.
John was the son of Elizabeth. She gave birth in her old age through the divine message given to Zechariah, her husband. John later went on to baptise Jesus in the river Jordan. Noah’s ark was foolish in the sight of the world but eventually the whole world was destroyed, while his family survived.

There are many other stories in the Bible, but today, be encouraged to know that the Lord is with you. Maybe someone has taken your position, or cast you down. Take heart that the Lord is with you and will lift you up in His perfect time.

Dear Lord,
I thank You that when I am weak, You are strong in me. They that wait upon the Lord will be renewed like the eagle. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

‘The Gospel has never changed.’
– Billy Graham

Fellowship

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47

Fellowship amongst believers and brothers and sisters in Christ is vital in discipleship. The fellowship that we are used to in our churches may be a meal together, a sports day or an organised a fun day, but the scripture talks about a different kind of fellowship.

The Word says that they met daily in the temple, and those who believed were together. They were truly brothers and sisters in the Lord. When the Lord looks at us from above, we are all His children, made in His image.

Referring to the early Christians, the Word also says, ‘they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine’. They were keen to learn from the Word and also had fellowship by breaking bread together. This brought great unity within the church as each time they broke the bread they remembered the body of Jesus that was broken for them and His blood that cleanses from all sins.

When the followers of Jesus were able to love God and people; the Lord added more saved people to the church daily.

In the time of the disciples they did not meet once a week, but daily. Is it a challenge for us to meet in His temple once a week? Let us understand the value of fellowship as the early church did with motives of what we can give to others and increase in love and good deeds rather than what we can get.‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.’ Hebrews 10 : 24 – 25

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and seek You for Your strength to love the brethren and fellowship with them; to encourage and to grow in You on a regular basis. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju02

The Scriptures contain many stories of people who waited years or even decades before the Lord’s promises came to pass. What modern believers can learn from the patience of biblical saints like Abraham, Joseph, David, and Paul is that waiting upon the Lord has eternal rewards.
– Charles Stanley

Waiting

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
John 5:6-9

Waiting is not an easy game and it takes patience and endurance to be successful, however waiting can cause many to get frustrated  and give up on their goals.

When the lame man was first taken to the pool at Bethsaida, he would have been happy and excited that he was going to be healed. As he waited and waited for healing, the excitement could have faded away as  he  would have accepted his plight as something that he has to live with. As he got so used to the environment where there was so much of competition, in his helplessness  he could have lost his focus and motivation to be made whole.
When Jesus came to Bethsaida, did not go to any other person who was lying at the pool but came to this specific man and asked him whether he wanted to be healed. The man complained to Jesus saying that there was no one to help him.
Some of us may be at the same stage. You may have waited a long time for an answer, and have now lost your focus and are not motivated any more. Through this process of waiting, friends and those who supported you initially may have forgotten you, but the Lord will not forget you, He will come to you.

The lame man was discouraged and not motivated, but Jesus came to him and changed his situation in a moment. Today He is willing to change your situation too. Hence let your hope in Jesus not fade away.

Dear Lord,
My soul longs  for You. and in Your Word I hope; my soul waits  for You Lord more than watchmen for the morning, yes more than watchmen for the morning. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju