Month: November 2014

Basically, there are two paths you can walk: faith or fear. It’s impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God. Charles Stanley

Faith Does Not Give Up

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
1 Samuel 17:32-33

When David was taken before King Saul, he was full of confidence and faith that the Lord would give him the victory over Goliath. Saul, however, could only see in the natural and was not convinced that a young lad with no experience in battle could defeat a giant who was a seasoned warrior.

The faith within David was activated when he saw how Goliath defied the armies of the living God; David wanted to show the Philistines how the Lord would fight for His people and give them the victory. He also knew that the Israelites needed to see the hand of God move on their behalf in order for them to deal with the lack of faith in their hearts.

As David testified of how the Lord had protected him from wild lions and bears when he was looking after his father’s sheep, Saul’s faith was also built up. David’s perseverance and determination to see God’s name honoured and glorified resulted in victory for the Israelites.

Therefore, when we are confronted by attacks from the enemy, let us not lose heart and cower like the soldiers in the army. Rather, let us stand firm and persevere by putting our faith in the living God who is able to defeat the giants in our lives.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for Your word which says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Help me, Lord, to apply this to my life so that I may live in victory. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. James 3:16

Be Not Jealous Of One Another

When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”  He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
1 Samuel 17:28-31

When Samuel anointed David in front of all his older brothers, he was singled out as the one whom God had chosen to bless; this would have been very humiliating for the brothers because David was the youngest in the family. Therefore, when Eliab, the oldest brother, heard him asking the soldiers about Goliath, his heart burned with anger. His jealousy did not want his little brother to receive any recognition or glory, and made him blind to David’s faith in God which gave him the courage to stand before the enemy.

 

Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4

Eliab’s ridicule and spite towards David shows how jealousy can poison our words if we allow it to fester in our hearts. David’s shield of faith, however, helped him to fend off the fiery darts from his brother and he was brought before Saul.

Even though our own brothers and sisters may ridicule us and bring us down, we will not go unnoticed before the Lord if we remain focused on Him. Just as Saul called for David, the Lord will call and anoint you for the task He has set.

 

The Lord hates jealousy so let us not be jealous of others who are doing well but let us bless them so that the Lord will bless us in return.

Dear Lord,
I thank You, Lord, for this day and ask You to fill my heart with Your love so that I may show Your grace to all whom You choose to bless. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

The time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord. Charles Stanley

Be Yourself

 So Saul clothed David with his armour, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armour and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.
1 Samuel 17:38-39

 

When David offered to fight Goliath, Saul clothed him in his own armour and gave him his own sword to slay the giant. Needless to say, the king’s armour did not fit the young shepherd boy and fortunately, David was wise enough to refuse it. He didn’t need the armour to pretend he was a great soldier because he did not want to be what he was not.
When we come to Jesus, He does not want us to hide behind masks, pretending to be something that we are not. Rather, He desires us to be transparent before Him, coming to Him with honesty and sincerity because He is able to see and discern the deepest thought and intent of our hearts. The Pharisees looked good on the outside but the Lord was able to see beyond their religious acts, knowing that their heart motives were not pure.

Not only should we be transparent before God, but we should also be open and honest before our brothers and sisters in Christ. The body of Christ cannot move in love and unity if we build walls around our hearts, hiding our true thoughts and feelings behind a superficial mask. Only as we learn to trust and confide in one another, will the Holy Spirit start to move freely amongst His people.

 

So let us follow the example of David and have the courage to take off the armour that we think will protect us when in fact, we need only be ourselves, placing our faith in God who clothes us with His righteousness, who gives us the victory as we walk with Him, led by His Spirit.

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. Thank You that I can come to You just as I am for You desire truth and sincerity. Help me to live a life that serves You, so Your Name may be glorified. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

George Duffield, Jr.

Taking A Stand For God

David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26

David was willing to take a stand for God because his faith rested in the living God of Israel, the Lord Almighty. He did not see Goliath as a giant of great strength but rather, he saw him as an uncircumcised Philistine who dared to humiliate the children of the Lord God Almighty.

 

Sometimes we may compromise our faith because we do not want to hurt our friends or offend other people. Our fear of man is greater than our fear of God but by not taking a stand for the Lord, we grieve both Him and His Holy Spirit.
Taking a stand for God comes from having a close relationship with Him; may we desire to spend more time with Him, making Him our priority in the busyness of the world that we live in. As we acknowledge and proclaim His goodness in our lives, we can be confident that He will give us the victory over the Goliaths because our faith is grounded in the living God.

 

Therefore, let us not be ashamed or fearful of taking a stand for Him who took a stand for us when He bled and died for us on the cross, washing away our sins and giving us the gift of eternal life.

 

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. Help me to be bold so that I will be able to stand up for You and not be a coward. The world is passing away but Your kingdom will not pass away. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance. Joel Osteen

 

Faithful In The Little Things

 

David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 17:14-15

 

David’s appointment to serve King Saul when he was still a shepherd boy would have been considered a great honour; yet he remained humble and travelled back and forth to look after his father’s sheep in Bethlehem. Even though he had been elevated to serve in the king’s presence, he did not consider himself too good for the work his father had entrusted to him. By continuing to shepherd his family’s sheep, he honoured his father and was faithful to him.

 

Are we as faithful in the little things that God has called us to do? Whether it is in our home, our church, the community or at our work place, we need to be mindful of doing what He has called us to do, to the very best of our ability. Do not let pride be a stumbling block, preventing God from fulfilling His purposes in your life, because you think a task is too menial.

 

The Lord does not expect us to do everything, quantity does not always equal quality. We need to hear and obey His call upon our lives – in this He expects us to be faithful.

 

Many times we desire to please man and not God, involving ourselves in many activities. We end up becoming tired and run down, often overlooking the one small thing that the Lord wanted us to be faithful in. May we search our hearts diligently to see whether, like David, we can prove ourselves to be faithful in the small things because only then, will the Lord entrust us with greater and mightier works.

 

Dear Lord,
Great is Thy faithfulness oh Lord, morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hands have provided, great is Thy faithfulness oh Lord, my Saviour. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,

Theo and Manju

“Keep doing the right. God is building character in you, and you are passing that test. Remember, the greater the struggle, the greater the reward. Joel Osteen

Favour of God

 

So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armour bearer. Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favour in my sight.”
1 Samuel 16:22-23

The word says that David was loved by Saul, became his armour bearer and found favour in the eyes of the king. The first step to finding favour amongst our own people and our superiors is to find favour with God.

Favour received from man is based on the relationships that we cultivate with others. Similarly, we will find favour with God when we spend time with Him. When the favour of God is upon us, His abiding presence will always be with us through the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. We will enjoy tangible benefits and be spiritually refreshed, filled to overflowing so that we may be a blessing to others.

As David developed his relationship with the Lord even while tending his father’s sheep, he found favour with God who blessed him and opened the doors for him to become the future king of Israel.

 

So let us encourage one another to seek a closer and more personal relationship with the Lord that we may enjoy the favour of both God and man.

 

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day; may the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us and establish the work of our hands. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

Those outside the church expect followers of Christ to live differently, yet today many in church are chasing after the world – not to win them, but to be like them. Billy Graham

His Favour

 

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
1 Samuel 16:18

David, the shepherd boy, who was once overlooked by his family, had now grown to be recognised by others as a brave warrior who was handsome and well spoken. His musical abilities were also acknowledged and because of this, he was called to the king’s service. It is interesting to note that all this talent was only recognised after the prophet had anointed him.

 

The most important characteristic, however, that the servant used to describe David was that the Lord was with him. Can people look at us and say the same of us? When the Lord is with us, His favour cannot be hidden and it will be recognised by others.

 

By giving the Lord first priority in our lives, we should also prepare ourselves to go where He calls us, just as David was called from the flocks of sheep to live in the king’s palace. We may think that we are the least important and not have the right education or qualifications but when we place Him above all things, He will give us the ability and strength to carry out His purpose in our lives. His favour will surround us and shield us from the enemy, making us the head and not the tail.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your grace and favour over my life. Help me to prioritise my time so that I may give You the best of all that I am. Amen.

 

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

The time you spend alone with God will transform your character and increase your devotion. Then your integrity and godly behavior in an unbelieving world will make others long to know the Lord. Charles Stanley

I Am Anointed

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16:13

 

When David was finally presented before Samuel, the prophet took a horn of oil and anointed him in front of his seven older brothers. This would have been quite humiliating for the other brothers; the youngest was chosen ahead of them to be blessed by the Lord. This same experience can happen to any one of us; it may be at a church service, through a prophetic word or a special visitation. When we have such an encounter, we will experience the mighty power of God in our lives and may give expression to our feelings through crying, laughing or simply being quiet and enjoying His presence.
The important thing, however, is that we need to be filled on a daily basis so that we can move in His power. This can only happen when we truly abide in Him so that it will not be just a one-off experience but a daily occurrence. The initial encounter will be just the beginning to living continuously in His presence.

As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in Him.1 John 2:24

The word says that if we remain in Him, He will teach us all that we need to know. Let me encourage you to abide in His word so that you may be blessed and anointed by the Lord to stand tall before your fellow men.

 

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day; my desire is to abide in You so that You will teach me all things and I will be able to live as an overcomer. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

 

Least Important
So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
1 Samuel 16:11
In school, when we wanted to play a game, teams were selected to play against each other. The best players would be chosen as captains who would pick the people they wanted to be on their team. Usually, the better players got picked first, leaving the weaker players to be chosen last. If you have ever experienced being selected last, you will know that it is quite an embarrassing position to be in!

 

Being the youngest son, David was given the task of looking after his father’s sheep and when the prophet Samuel arrived unexpectedly, the family did not even consider calling him in. All the other brothers were brought before Samuel but David was left out. Young as he was, however, he was developing a deep relationship with God while tending the sheep and was therefore, later able to say in Psalm 27:10 “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”

 

Have you ever felt the same way as David? The Lord wants to encourage you today. The world may see you as not capable of anything but the Lord has the best for you. He takes the weak things of the world to put to shame the strong so that His power may be revealed and the glory is given to Him.

 

Dear Lord,
I want to thank You for this day. When I am weak and insignificant, You are my portion and my strength. Thank You for lifting me up and setting my feet on higher ground. Amen.

 

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

Faith makes all things possible… love makes all things easy. Dwight L Moody

Keep My Commandments

Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Exodus 19:3-6

When the children of Israel arrived at Mt Sinai, the Lord called Moses up the mountain because He wanted to establish a covenant with His people. He reminded Israel of how He had delivered them from the yoke of slavery in Egypt, setting them free from bondage.

 

Now, He wanted to make the nation of Israel His own special people; if they obeyed His commands, they would be set apart from all other nations because by entering into a covenant relationship with God, they would be made holy.

 

Today, when we enter into the New Covenant that was initiated by Jesus at the Last Supper, we enter into a special union with Him. He has delivered us from the law of sin and death and wants us to be set apart for Him. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

 

As we experience His grace and mercy, let us be faithful to keep our covenant with the One who loved us so much that He gave His life for us. As we receive His Holy Spirit, may our lives be transformed and renewed to be a living testimony of His great love.
Dear Lord,

May Your love overflow in my heart so that I can draw closer to You. Help me to keep Your covenant, living by Your Word so that I may walk in union with You and with the Body of Christ. Amen.

God bless you.
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju