Month: September 2014

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Psalm 32:8

 

Guided By The Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 2:14 says “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” On the other hand, a person who is born again and becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus, receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and is able to be directed and empowered by Him.

Every day can be filled with assurance and strength for the Christian who knows Christ and is led by the Holy Spirit. If we can wake up each day, asking the Spirit of God to lead and direct us constantly, moment by moment, He will become our Guide.

However, the leading and guidance of God’s Spirit can only be completely experienced by those who place their total trust upon God. As we trust God with every detail of our life, our faith and maturity in Christ will grow.

God desires that we be totally dependent upon Him, seeking His help and guidance in all areas of our life. As we increase our trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will come to a place of understanding when, like David, we can say, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”  Psalm 118:8
The Bible says the Holy Spirit is our Guide and our Teacher while we live on this earth. John 14:26 says “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” This applies to every Christian who deeply desires, to not only be led by God’s Spirit, but is also willing to be taught, take correction and to live a life that fully displays the fruit of His Spirit.

Today, God is calling us to trust Him with all our heart, without leaning on our own understanding. As we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will teach, discipline and make our paths straight.

Dear Lord,

I come to You in Jesus’ precious name. Thank You for Your leading in my life. I seek the guidance of Your Holy Spirit; may my ears hear Your word when You direct me in the way that I should go. Amen.

 

God bless you,

Theo and 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

The U Turn

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Galatians 5:17

Many of us use a GPS as our guide when we drive. If we are on unfamiliar roads, we have to totally depend on it and at times, the GPS will say that we are going in the wrong direction and we need to make a U turn. At this point, the driver can choose to follow the GPS’ directions and make a U turn or he can ignore the GPS and end up in the wrong place.

Similarly, it is important to examine ourselves to see who we are being guided by and in what direction our lives are headed towards. Are we following the desire of the flesh and our carnal man or are we obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit?

 

The word says that what the flesh desires is contrary to the Spirit. Our flesh may even want to do things for God but if it’s not led by the Holy Spirit, then our strivings will be stubble and hay before the Lord. We may want to impress people with our good works but if the direction we are following is not the way of the Lord, then we need to be prepared to make a U turn.

 

Like the prodigal son who came to know the error of his ways and returned to his father, we need to seek the Lord for His direction. We cannot have one foot turned towards the world and the other turned towards God. We need His grace and discernment to reveal to us the path that leads to the Father.

 

As the Word of God is a lamp that lights our path, let us diligently study the Scriptures, praying for supernatural revelation that rises above our carnal minds, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

 

Dear Lord,
We thank You for this day. May we be guided by the promptings of Your Holy Spirit, walking in submission to Your directions. As Your Word divides between our soul and spirit, may our flesh be crucified so that we can make a U turn back to You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

When trouble comes, focus on God’s ability to care for you. Charles Stanley

The Lord is Strong and Mighty

Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him. 
2 Chronicles 20:2-4
When Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, heard that a great army was coming to battle against his people, his first response was to seek the Lord, proclaiming a fast for the entire nation. He publicly confessed that they were powerless against the enemies but if they looked to God, he was confident that the Lord would win the battle for them.

 

Jehoshaphat did not consult his army commander but he inquired of the Lord because his trust was not in man, but in God.

 

Perhaps we may also sometimes feel like this. Everything seems to be going smoothly but suddenly, we find ourselves facing an attack from the enemy. It is natural to react with fear and discouragement because the enemy will always disguise himself as being big and fearful. Goliath was such an example and yet it took only one small stone to defeat him because that stone was guided by the hand of the Lord.

 

If we turn to the Lord in faith, He will fight our battles and give us the victory because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in power for pulling down strongholds. Our natural minds cannot begin to comprehend the power and might of the Lord, so let us humble ourselves by submitting to Him as the Commander because trying to fight in our own strength will only lead to defeat.

 

This morning, may we hand our battles over to the Lord and He will give us the victory, as he did for Jehoshaphat.

Dear Lord,
We thank You for this day and cast all our anxiety on You because You care for us and will fight all our battles for us. 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

Visions, Goals and Strategies

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

Our morning devotion today is based on two important scriptures concerning eternal life. Even though our life on earth is here today and gone tomorrow, we still like to make plans for the future. We may have visions and goals concerning our careers and family and so we implement strategies to achieve our objectives.

 

However, when it comes to planning out our eternal life, there is only one strategy and that is to build our foundation on the Rock of Jesus Christ. The houses that we build on this earth will, one day, be destroyed, but the house that we build on Jesus is a life that will remain through to eternity.

Earthly goals aim for success and once achieved, an earthly reward is given. As followers of Christ, our goal is to dwell with our Lord in heaven, to worship Him, to love Him, to be in close fellowship with Him. To achieve this, we need to know the Father’s will and to obediently walk in it.

 

As we pass through our time here on earth, let us be mindful to set right our priorities. As we build our house with God’s wisdom on the solid foundation of the Word of God, we will withstand life’s storms and trials and by His grace, will enter into our new home in heaven.

 

Dear Lord,
Thank you, Jesus, for this day. Help me to live by Your word, to not be merely a listener but to walk obediently in Your will, so that I please You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and 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

 

Remove The Plank From Your Eye

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”   Matthew 7:3-4

When a foreign object enters our eyes, our vision becomes obscured and we are unable to see clearly; if the object is very large, our sight becomes more impaired. In the above verse, Jesus was warning against being critical of a brother’s faults when we, ourselves, are blinded by a much bigger fault in our own lives. Pride and self-righteousness are two common ‘planks’ which cause spiritual blindness, affecting our walk and causing us to stumble.

 

In 1 John 1:5-7, the apostle writes, “that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

 

It is God’s light alone that can take away our blindness, exposing the nature of our sin so that we may repent and seek cleansing from the precious blood of Jesus. As our sin is washed away and we are embraced by His love, we are set free from the darkness to walk in the light of Jesus, serving Him and our brothers and sisters with love and humility.

 

When I was young, my brother told me that when I point a finger at another person, there are three fingers pointing back at me. Therefore, we should not be swift in finding fault and making wrong judgments, but be mindful that the finger of God is our eternal Judge and we will, one day, all stand accountable before Him.

 

Let us be mindful of His grace in our lives and humble ourselves before one another, because before God, there is none righteous except for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let us follow His example, doing unto others as we would have them do to us, forgiving one another, as Christ forgave us.
Dear Lord,
Thank You, Jesus, that You are the light of the world. May Your light shine on me, so that I may see clearly to take the plank out of my own eye. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and 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

 

Remove The Plank From Your Eye

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”   Matthew 7:3-4

When a foreign object enters our eyes, our vision becomes obscured and we are unable to see clearly; if the object is very large, our sight becomes more impaired. In the above verse, Jesus was warning against being critical of a brother’s faults when we, ourselves, are blinded by a much bigger fault in our own lives. Pride and self-righteousness are two common ‘planks’ which cause spiritual blindness, affecting our walk and causing us to stumble.

 

In 1 John 1:5-7, the apostle writes, “that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

 

It is God’s light alone that can take away our blindness, exposing the nature of our sin so that we may repent and seek cleansing from the precious blood of Jesus. As our sin is washed away and we are embraced by His love, we are set free from the darkness to walk in the light of Jesus, serving Him and our brothers and sisters with love and humility.

 

When I was young, my brother told me that when I point a finger at another person, there are three fingers pointing back at me. Therefore, we should not be swift in finding fault and making wrong judgments, but be mindful that the finger of God is our eternal Judge and we will, one day, all stand accountable before Him.

 

Let us be mindful of His grace in our lives and humble ourselves before one another, because before God, there is none righteous except for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let us follow His example, doing unto others as we would have them do to us, forgiving one another, as Christ forgave us.
Dear Lord,
Thank You, Jesus, that You are the light of the world. May Your light shine on me, so that I may see clearly to take the plank out of my own eye. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2

Honour’s Reward

Eli answered “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

Samuel 1:17

Hannah was grieved and suffered much agony due to the disappointment of barrenness in her life. One day she was pouring out her bitterness to God, weeping in anguish and pleading with Him to hear her cry for a child. As she continued to pray, Eli, the high priest, watched her from afar and thought she was drunk. So Eli said harshly to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you.’’ 1 Samuel 1:14

The attitude of Hannah towards an insensitive priest was one of great humility and reverence. Even though the priest had misjudged her, Hannah was not provoked to anger in being mistreated or misjudged, but answered the man of God with lowliness of heart and meekness, saying, “Not so, my lord, I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 1 Samuel 15-16

As Hannah honoured Eli through her soft and gentle answer, the man of God blessed her, saying “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

The story goes on to say how Hannah’s prayer was answered and God blessed her with a baby boy the following year.

One of the many lessons we can learn from this story is the attitude of Hannah towards a man who was a priest and was much older than her in age. She received God’s blessing as she honoured Eli.

Today, we live in times where honour and respect is seldom given where it is due. As we celebrated Father’s Day yesterday, it might be a good time to check if we have honoured our parents, elders, and other individuals whom God has placed in positions of authority. When we honour all those whom God has commanded us to honour, we honour God and He will command a blessing.

Dear Lord,

I come to You in Jesus’ name. Help me to know the way I should go and give me insight so that I will honour every one whom You have placed in authority over me. Amen.

 

God bless you,

Theo and Manju

Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex. Norman Vincent Peale
Complaining Spirit

When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
Matthew 20:11

As we continue to look at the parable of the workers in the vineyard, we see that although the landowner gave the workers their agreed wages, they were not happy and complained against him. They lacked a heart of gratitude when they failed to give thanks for what the landowner gave them. Little children are often taught to thank a person who gives them a gift, showing that they are grateful for what they received. As adults, we need to continue to have a grateful heart, giving thanks to the Lord for His grace and favour in our lives.
Today’s scripture talks about a generous landowner, giving out of His abundance and wanting to bless all the workers equally. Unfortunately, the reaction he got was not one of gratitude but attack. The true nature of God is to give but the nature of man is to complain and find fault.

When the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, the Lord, out of His goodness, gave them manna to eat. They did not have to work for it but the food was provided from heaven, fresh every morning, ready for their taking. Even so, they were not satisfied and found reason to complain against the Lord.

 

There is a close association between grace and thanksgiving. As we thank the Lord for our families, our jobs, our health, our friends, we will continue to experience the grace of God in our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Regardless of what circumstances we may find ourselves in, the will of God is for us to thank Him.

 

When we give thanks to God, we acknowledge His goodness and as we express and proclaim our appreciation, our spirits are released to serve Him. So let us make an effort to cease our grumbling and complaining and ask the Lord to give us thankful hearts so that His glory may be proclaimed in our lives.

Dear Lord,
I thank You Lord for this day, for providing for all my needs. Your blessings are new every morning and my heart is filled with joy and thanksgiving. May Your will be done as I proclaim Your goodness in my life. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don’t be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do. Billy Graham

Point to Jesus

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5

If we look to man and build our faith on other people, we will be disappointed because we all have human weaknesses and it is only by the grace of God that we are transformed to the likeness of Jesus.

The church cannot be built on anyone other than Jesus Christ, the Rock. He alone provides the foundation that is strong enough to support the faith of His church.
In our passage today, we see that Paul makes it clear to the Corinthian church that he did not rely on human wisdom or eloquence but only desired to proclaim Jesus and Him crucified. Paul knew that it was grace alone that saved him on the road to Damascus and his natural learning and authority were useless before the might and power of God. By depending on the power of the Holy Spirit, he wanted to show the people of Corinth that they should not glory in their human strength and gifts but rather, rely on God’s strength which was seen in the death and humility of Jesus.

Likewise, it is important for us to direct people to Jesus and not to man, so that our faith is not reliant on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. Help me to look to You, the author and the perfector of my life. I place myself as clay in Your hands; mould me and make me according to Your will. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practising patience and being persistent. Billy Graham

Walk The Talk

 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.
James 1:22-25

We all spend varying amounts of time in front of the mirror, some spending more time than others. Careful attention is taken to cover up spots and blemishes in an effort to make ourselves presentable, but when we turn away from our reflection, how many of us actually remember each and every detail? It is usually all forgotten in a moment.

Hopefully, this is not our attitude when it comes to the Word of God. We can read and meditate on the Word but applying it to our lives becomes a challenge if we try to do it with our own strength and ability. If God’s Word is to have a lasting and eternal effect on our daily walk, we need the help and guidance of His Holy Spirit.

 

The natural mirror reflects our external image, showing us physical flaws and defects which can be corrected or covered up by purchasing the right beauty products.

 

The spiritual mirror, however, reveals the faults and weaknesses in our hearts and the only One who can correct these defects is the Holy Spirit. He cannot be purchased but if we invite Him into our lives, He will enable us to live as God ordained His children to live, walking in obedience to His Word. Then we will be able to walk the talk because the love of Christ sets us free to love others.

This does not happen overnight and we can fail many times but His grace will sustain us. As we seek to be, not only hearers, but also doers of the Word, we will begin to see the hand of God work in our hearts, transforming our lives to become more like Him.

 

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day and ask Your Holy Spirit to lead me in Your ways so that I may walk according to the perfect law of liberty, serving others with the love of Christ. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju