Sly sneaky attack | Sis. Bala Solomon | Bro. Suresh

Sly sneaky attack!

Joshua 9:4”….on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended.”

You may be aware of a frontal attack but not so when it is sly, sneaky, surreptitious and snake-like attack!  Are you listening to me?  There are men who would upfront approach you for a date and tell you on the face ‘this is not for long term, though; however, there are those slimy, creepy, smiling gentlemen who would make umpteen promises for marriage and then ditch you royally.  There are still some who would spin sob stories about the atrocities and wickedness of his wife, buy you coffee, drive you home; yet, he eventually looks for a relationship outside marriage!  These gentlemen are snakes! Are you listening? Beware!   Don’t be naïve, just because he carries a big fat Bible, don’t give your heart to him, think!  Friend, don’t be carried away just because she said that she teaches in Sunday school, think!  Most important, do not be impulsive, pray, pause and ponder!  Do you hear me? ! Circulate this message far and wide! This is the season of deception, let us warn people of the creepy snakes!

The clandestine approach of the Gibeonites to the great commander Joshua is a very important  subject for all of us to think and learn.  Joshua was no ordinary man, he was the second-in-command who rubbed shoulders with the iconic leader Moses.  Joshua was witness to awesome miracles like the dividing of Red sea and also he routed the army of many great kings like Og and Sihon along with Moses.  Did Satan know of the power of Joshua and his God? Oh, yes! Look what the Gibeonites said: “ we know about the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of Him, and all that he did in Egypt..” (Joshua 9:9) Did you hear that? The devil’s strategy of attack is always sly and he would attack you when you are vulnerable and least expect! Caution!

Well, satan discovered a ‘softer side’ of Joshua and he planned to take advantage of that.  While all the other kings  who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country came to attack Joshua as one, the Gibeonites used old sacks, old wineskins, old and patched sandals, dry and moldy bread instead of weapons.  Are you listening to me?  Beyond their deceptive appearance, the Gibeonites simply lied.  They said, “We have come from a far country” when of course they had not. They coaxed Joshua to make a covenant of peace with them, while Israel was forbidden to make peace with any of the tribes of Canaan (Exodus 23:23-24).Alas! Joshua fell to the trick!  When the Leaders err, it is not a personal loss, the whole gamut of followers suffer! Are you listening? When the fathers err the family suffers, when the pastors err the whole congregation and their family suffer, when  Youth leaders err many young people suffer.  Here comes a caveat to be careful, wise, with mental acumen and discernment.

Devotion for Today - December 18, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Nebuchadnezzar: Power and Pride Humbled

Read Daniel 4

I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. Daniel 4:34

The Moody Bible Commentary describes Babylon as “the most glorious city of the ancient world . . . Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder and expanded the city . . . He also beautified it with magnificent buildings, temples, and palaces . . . On the northwest corner of the king’s primary palace sat one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon. . . Perhaps it was on the roof of the Hanging Gardens with a view of his glorious city that Nebuchadnezzar became filled with pride.”

God had warned Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that his pride would be humbled. He even specifically warned him that he would have the “mind of an animal” (v. 16). Through God’s judgment, the prideful king, pictured as an enormous tree, would be chopped down and learn the hard way about God’s greatness (vv. 17, 25). Daniel interpreted the dream and advised Nebuchadnezzar to “renounce your sins” and seek God’s mercy (v. 27). The king may have responded in the short term, but a year later he arrogantly asserted his own glory and brought judgment upon himself (vv. 29–32). For seven years, he suffered mental illness, apparently “boanthropy,” before he learned his lesson and was restored to the throne. 

Today’s reading is a letter from Nebuchadnezzar narrating these events, and he intended it to be read throughout his empire. It’s essentially a public confession, no doubt influenced by Daniel. Praise for God opens and closes the letter, emphasizing His impressive attributes of eternality, sovereignty, and omnipotence (vv. 2–3, 34–35). The Old Testament repeatedly emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all nations, as we’ve seen throughout our study this month. As Nebuchadnezzar’s case shows, not even the ruler of an empire can oppose the King of kings (vv. 37–38)!

Moses Manifested the Spirit of Christ | Zac Poonen | Sis. Asha

God tested Moses when he made the tabernacle to see whether he would make it exactly according to the pattern that he had received on the mount. The glory of the Lord coming on that tabernacle was the visible indication of God's satisfaction with Moses' work.  How is it with us in what we do and build for the Lord? Is it exactly according to the pattern found in the Scriptures? Or have we modified it with some of the wisdom of this world? If so, then that must certainly be one reason why the glory of the Lord is not found in our lives.

God tested Moses later in another area. Twice God tested him to see whether he would seek his own honour at the expense of the Israelites. In both cases, Moses passed the test with flying colours.

The first occasion was when the children of Israel had rebelled against God through making the golden calf. God then told Moses, "Now let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation." (Exod. 32:10)

The second occasion was when the Israelites refused to enter Canaan. God then told Moses, "I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they." (Num. 14:12)

On both occasions, God told Moses that He would destroy the Israelites and make Moses and his descendants into a great nation. Moses had the opportunity then to become the inheritor of the promises made to Abraham and to the twelve tribes of Israel.  Lesser men might have failed in that test, but not Moses. On both occasions, he pleaded with God to spare the Israelites. On one occasion, he even went so far as to be willing to die and to spend eternity in hell if only Israel could be saved.   "Moses returned to the Lord, and said, `Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin - and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou has written!'" (Exod. 32:31,32). Truly, Moses had the spirit of Christ Himself - Who was willing to be forsaken by the Father on the cross in order that we might be saved. God was so delighted with Moses' unselfishness that thereafter He began to speak with Moses very intimately. "The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend…" (Exod. 33:11).

God even gave Moses the unspeakable privilege of seeing His glory. When Moses prayed saying, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!", the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen" (Exod. 33:18-23).

The most important qualification for a servant of God is that he does not seek his own.  Seeking our own gain or honour is so deeply rooted in all of us that God has a difficult task to free us from it. He arranges our circumstances so that we can see our self-seeking spirit, so that we might judge ourselves and cleanse ourselves from it. He speaks to us through His Word and is constantly speaking to us through His Spirit (if we have ears to hear) urging us to cleanse ourselves from this self-seeking spirit.

And yet, in spite of all this, very few make the grade and qualify for God's certificate of approval. Moses was one such. Paul and Timothy were two others.  There are not many, but there are a few.

The great lack of a spirit of intercession for others, such as even Moses had under the old covenant, is mainly due to this one fact that almost everyone, at the bottom of his heart, seeks his own in some way or the other. We gain no honour when we pray for others secretly. That's why few believers ever do it. Here is where we are tested by God - for He cannot commit Himself to those who seek their own.

Everybody is doing it | Sis. Bala Solmon | Bro. Suresh

Everybody is doing it!

Exodus 23:2”Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd”

Wrong does not become right just because everybody is doing it! Are you listening? Friend, I often hear this slogan:  “I am doing it because everybody is doing it.”  This message comes with a caveat, not to tread the dangerous path that others dare to tread!  I met a call-center employee, who said: “there are many who take loans from the company and leave the organization without repaying the loan; though a court case is filed against them; yet the procedure takes a long time.  Some pay back in installments but many do not repay the loan.” When I questioned her about their callous behavior, she retorted back at me saying, ‘so what?’ How many feel guilty and thoroughly bad, when I write about pirated soft wares and illegal music sharing? Very, very few! Illegal copying of soft wares continues to flourish.  Who would want to shell out thousands of rupees to buy soft wares, when they can just get it free in a jiffy? ! Tell me?  Someone tells me, “when politicians are minting millions of rupees, why do you harp on us for this petty theft?”  Nevertheless, it is a theft, even if everybody is doing it! Are you listening?  We have forgotten to even spell the word INTEGRITY!

There are celebrities, movies stars and many others, who dodge the tax officials and refrain from paying the honest amount.  They say: everybody is doing it!  When it comes to bribe, can businessmen say, “ I am absolutely honest in my dealings? They excuse themselves saying, ”everybody is doing it!”  Today if a married man is seen with a woman who is not his wife in some odd place, there are no raised eyebrows; because everybody is doing it.  If someone is riding his bike in a one-way route, nobody rebukes him for it, because everybody is doing it. Friend, hear me out today, dare not to go where everybody is going!  Young people!  I write this with tears! Discipline your life!

Living in sin will blind you to true reality, and cause you to start believing a lie.  Fear of lifestyle change has blinded people into believing a false reality? They feel, “since everybody is doing it, I am not wrong or wicked.”

Jesus categorically tells us: I am the way!  Isaiah 55: 8: “Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. The ways of the world are not our ways.  We need to live differently and we need to be unique.  When the devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he whispered to Jesus, “worship me, I will give you all this.” Guess what Jesus did? He said ” Away with you, Satan!” Do we have the grit and power like Jesus to look at the devil when he comes to tempt and allure us with the choicest and best goodies and say, ‘away with you, Satan?’

Devotion for Today - December 17, 2014 | Sis. Asha

Devotion for Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014

Naaman: Simple Obedience

Read 2 Kings 5:1–19

If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? 2 Kings 5:13

Big goals and ambitious dreams can be exhilarating and inspiring. It’s easy to get passionate about “changing the world” or “reaching this generation for Christ.” But what about faithfulness in small things and everyday responsibilities? Can we get excited about those?

The story of Naaman teaches us that simple obedience is important to God. Naaman was the military commander of the Syrian army. Though acknowledged as a valiant warrior, he won his victories because God had empowered him (v. 1). Tragically, he had leprosy (Hansen’s disease) or another skin disease. At that time, there was no cure.

Naaman took two important steps of faith in today’s reading. First, he listened to a Jewish slave girl, believed her, and did as she advised. This young girl, who had been captured in a border skirmish, generously and boldly told her mistress, Naaman’s wife, about the power of God to heal through His prophet (vv. 2–3). Though Naaman’s attempt to go through normal diplomatic channels led to a rather comic misunderstanding, he acted in good faith and God honoured that (v. 8).

Second, Naaman listened to his servants, accepted their correction, and went to dip himself in the Jordan River (vv. 13–14). Perhaps flustered by what had transpired with the king of Israel, Naaman felt offended and angered by Elisha’s unexpected instructions (vv. 9–12). But when his servants argued, in essence, “What have you got to lose?” he set aside his pride, did as Elisha said, and was healed. Naaman then gave glory to God and indicated that he would worship the Lord from now on. Taking soil from Israel on which to build an altar signified that he intended to worship Israel’s God, despite the fact that as part of his official duties he might be obligated to attend other religious ceremonies back home (vv. 15–19).

Has God called you to a “small thing” that you’re resisting? Perhaps it’s being a faithful employee at work, or being a tender parent, or being a faithful prayer warrior. Whatever God has given you to do, resolve to do it in obedience to God. Who knows what miracles God may work through your obedience in the small things?

UV 1272/10,000 ABLE TO HELP | Prateep V Philip | Bro. Suresh

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Hebrews 2 v 18

                Jesus was made in every way like all of us who are of flesh and blood.  He therefore understands and empathises with our troubles and temptations, our weaknesses and failings, our feelings and fears.  He is now a merciful and faithful high priest before God Almighty on our behalf, to plead for our help and to intercede for our souls.  He is not only atoner for our sins in His death but He is now our chief interceder.   Since He himself suffered temptations of flesh and blood, He is able to help all of us who are being tempted or troubled.  HE IS ABLE TO HELP US IN ALL OUR UNIQUE OR DIFFICULT OR PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES.    He is our enabler.  He is our  Ebenezer or Helper.  We can expect, claim and receive divine help in every aspect of our lives.

                Though Jesus took on our lowly bodies, He is now raised on high, higher than heaven. He is holy, blameless, harmless, separated from sinners  and undefiled.  He will ensure that nobody will be able to pluck us from the Father’s hand.   He will give us laser-sharp focus and crystal-clear clarity in all the complicated situations or complex issues of our lives.  He will help us fend ourselves from tempations to be obsessed with the seen and material world,  the temptation to test and doubt God, the temptation to be lured away from God by the attractions and rewards that the world has to offer.   He will remind us of the appropriate Word to strengthen us from within.   If we fall, He will help us rise and walk again.

              IF He does not deliver us from a temptation or trouble, He will give us grace to help overcome or grace to bear the suffering.   He is able to present us faultless before the glory of God with exceeding  joy of victory.     He will provide a way of escape in our troubles.  He sends the Holy Spirit to give us word of wisdom or counsel on what we need to do and to comfort us.  He sends His angels who could be messengers in flesh and blood as well as spiritual beings to our assistance.    The key words to remember always  in this uni-verse   is : He is able to help us. His hand  is not too short. He is not wanting in strength or power or resources or the willingness and desire to help us.     He is always ready to help us.  He is only one prayer away.  He is at arm’s length.  He helps us overcome temptations from within and troubles from without.

Christmas & New Wishes - 2014 | Bro. Baron

As this year draws to a close and a New year to dawn in couple of days, I would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year 2015!!!  God bless.