Month: October 2014

Since God knows our future, our personalities, and our capacity to listen, He isn’t ever going to say more to us than we can deal with at the moment. Charles Stanley

But Suppose

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
Exodus 4:1

Often, when a business plan is made, a contingency plan is also put in place in case things go wrong and the original plan fails. God’s plans, however, do not need any backups because He is the great ‘I AM’ whose will and commands are sure and absolute.

When Abraham was told to leave his country, he simply obeyed the word of God; he believed and acted immediately.

When we look at Moses, however, we may wonder why he hesitated. He had met the Lord at the burning bush, been given His full assurance and yet, he still doubted his ability to fulfil God’s plan.

Perhaps he had gotten too comfortable, living a life of a shepherd for forty years; or perhaps he remembered how he had failed in reconciling the two Israelites who were fighting. Whatever his thoughts may have been, he needed to focus on what the Lord was calling him to do, and trust that God would empower him to carry out His plan.

When the Lord calls us to do something new in our lives, we should not look at the former things and be plagued by doubt, but we should prepare ourselves to walk in faith. Today, if the Lord has called you to a new opportunity, trust Him with all your heart and move forward in obedience to His call.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. May I not dwell on my past failures and miss the opportunities that You open up for me, but help me to trust in You, so that by Your strength and grace, I will fulfil Your purposes for me. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & 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

I Am Who I Am

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Exodus 3:13-14

We are all given names when we are born and in the Bible, names often reflect the person’s character. Barnabus means ‘son of encouragement’ and true to his name, he was a great encourager to Paul. Today, Biblical names are chosen by parents because they want their children to have the qualities and attributes of that character.

Many names are given to God in the Bible: He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48); the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). So when we are hungry, He will feed us; when we go astray, He will find us; when we are lost, He will show us the way.

However, when the Lord gave Moses His personal, divine name of “I AM”, He was emphasizing His authority as the eternal and unchangeable God, the Creator who existed before time began. Moses could approach both the Israelites and the Pharaoh, with confidence that the everlasting God of the universe was with Him.

So let us proclaim this promise over our lives this morning, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5

Dear Lord,
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. Thank You that I have the assurance that You will help me when I call upon You in the day of trouble. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

“Live in the faith that there is a Presence and Power greater than I am, that nurtures and supports me in ways I could not even imagine. I know that this Presence is all knowing and all Power and is always right where I am.” Ernest Holmes

His Presence Will Go With You

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:12

Moses was very fearful of the task that God had set before him and having lived in the king’s palace for forty years, he knew how Pharaoh would react. It was not going to be easy and the Lord was the only one who could pave the way for the children of Israel to be released.

God reassured Moses by promising to be with him; His presence that was seen in the burning bush would continue to be with Moses. Furthermore, the Lord gave Moses a sign that would be a reminder that God was the One who was sending him to Pharaoh; Moses would lead the Israelites back to Mount Sinai where they would worship the Lord.

His presence will always lead us in the right direction; if we follow His presence, we will be led to worship Him. As His presence with the Israelites appeared as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so should we seek to be continually led by Him.

Life is not without its challenges and at times, when we are discouraged with our spiritual journey, that is when we have to hold on with an even greater faith and determination, seeking His presence, because He has called us and will accomplish what He has begun in each of us.

Dear Lord,
Into Your presence I come, not by the works I have done; but by Your grace and Your grace alone, into Your presence I come. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

 

Dear All,

The Bible tells us that God will meet all our needs. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass with the splendour of lilies. How much more, then, will He care for us, who are made in His image? Our only concern is to obey the heavenly Father and leave the consequences to Him. Charles Stanley

Who Am I?

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
Exodus 3:11

When the Lord told Moses to bring His people out of Egypt, Moses considered the task set before him and thought he was inadequate for the job. Knowing that he would be responsible for over a million Israelites, questions such as “Do we have the resources?” and  “How will we feed them?” would have been foremost in his mind. Furthermore, the thought of going into the palace to negotiate with Pharaoh was a major concern.

Moses knew that the Lord had called him but questioned the Lord’s choice. Often, our unbelieving minds would rather have the Lord choose somebody else for the task but the Word says that He chooses the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

When God called Gideon to defeat the Midianites, he replied in a similar manner, saying“How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Judges 6:15

Another example is found when the Lord called David; he was not even considered significant enough to be called in from tending the sheep, to stand in line before the prophet, Samuel. The Lord, however, had His plans and chose David above his brothers, to lead His people.

When the Lord calls us to doing something for Him, we need to look to the Lord and not ourselves. We will not be able to accomplish anything in our own strength but all things are possible through Him.

Dear Lord,
Sometimes I feel very weak and tired and the task seems too burdensome for me but at times like that, teach me to look to You, my source of help and strength. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away. Henry Ward Beecher

He Is Watching Over Me

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
Exodus 3:7

The Lord is close to the broken hearted and those who are crushed in spirit. The pain of the Father watching His children suffer can be even greater than the pain that the children have to endure.

God’s ear was not to dull to the cry of His people but He was making the perfect plan to deliver them from their bondage. It is the same for us when we go through challenging times; His eye is on us and He sees all our struggles and pain. Be confident that He will deliver us.

I know of a family who met with a serious accident in the middle of the night and there was nobody around to help them. The husband was seriously injured and losing blood; the children were also suffering from injuries but the Lord gave strength to the semi-conscious wife to do what was needed at the most critical time because He was with them and was watching over them.

Therefore, let us commit the day to Him, trusting that He will watch over us because He loves us.

Dear Lord,
I believe in Your word which says the Lord of Israel does not slumber nor sleep; I know that Your eyes are always on me. Therefore, I shall not fear but commit my days to You. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have. Dwight L Moody

The Call

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
Exodus 3:4

One day, when Moses had led his father-in-law’s flock to the back of the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There, he saw a flame of fire coming out from a bush but the bush was not burnt. As he drew closer to see this amazing sight, he heard God calling his name, not once but twice.

Just like Moses, all of us are called to salvation; that is our first call. As the Lord takes us through His refining process, He will call again; the second call is to His service.

In the case of Moses, when God called him to His service, He revealed Himself from the burning bush and told Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Moses not only removed his sandals, but also covered his face because he was afraid to look upon God.

His divine presence, which is brighter than the sun, is able to reveal and expose all our hidden thoughts and motives. As we surrender our lives in response to His second call, we need to come before Him in honesty and sincerity, without any masks or pretense.

Only as we are covered by the blood of Jesus and guided by His Holy Spirit, can we walk boldly into the presence of the Father in the Holy of Holies.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this morning. I want nothing but Your presence. Let Your presence be my guide today. Amen.

 

God bless you,
Theo & Manju