Month: March 2015

Dear All,

“Now, Lord my God, You have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3:7-9
Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

When Solomon was made king of Israel, he offered up a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon which was well accepted by the Lord.
The Lord then appeared to Solomon in a dream, asking him what he wanted from the Lord. With great humility and sincerity, Solomon asked for an understanding heart so that he would be able to govern the Lord’s people with whom he was entrusted. The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request because he had not asked for the death of his enemies, long life or great riches but desired wisdom to accomplish his role as king over the people. God, therefore, granted his request and gave him wisdom and understanding but He also blessed Solomon with riches and honour as well.

If we are asked by the Lord today as to what we desire, what would our response be? Would we ask for wealth and material possessions, or perhaps recognition and honour for our good deeds? Maybe we desire a long, prosperous life on this earth; or would our hearts be like that of Solomon’s, desiring wisdom and understanding to serve the Lord’s people, relying on the Lord’s guidance and strength to fulfil our God-given tasks.

 

James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”  God’s wisdom cannot be compared to the wisdom of man and it is only when we seek the supernatural wisdom from above that lives will be changed and we will bear fruit that is worthy of His calling.

Dear Lord,

I want to trust You and not lean on my own understanding. Please help me to listen and respond to correction so that I may grow in wisdom. Amen.

 

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the opening of the gates in the city, she speaks her words.

The Call of Wisdom

Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’” 2 Samuel: 20:16

In the above verse we see a situation where the whole city in Israel was besieged by the men of Judah who were faithful to king David. These were mighty men, led by Joab, who were in pursuit of Sheba, an enemy who had risen against King David.

Although these men surrounded the city with the intention of capturing and destroying their enemy, it would have also brought destruction to the innocent people who lived within the city that was harboring the enemy.

However, a wise woman averted the disaster that was to come upon her city because of her boldness to stand for her people and to appeal to Joab, pointing out that the city was holding people who were peaceable, faithful and are called as ‘the inheritance of the Lord’.

This wise woman acted like a mother to the whole city and eventually avoided the great danger that was surrounding them, by eliminating the enemy who was hiding within the city.

We too must have the wisdom to take a stand, identify the hidden enemy within our own lives and our homes and eliminate them with Godly wisdom and the blessings of God will be restored within our boundaries.

Prayer

Dear Lord, give me Your heavenly wisdom and insight to identify the hidden enemy and to eliminate it with Your power. Thank You for You amazing guidance and leading that is upon me. Amen

Amen

Theo & Manju

But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up                             Acts 9:41

Moving in His Power

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12

Before His death, the Lord spoke many times about the Holy Spirit and we see that the disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

When we look at the life of Peter prior to being baptized by the Holy Spirit, we see a different man; a man of impulsiveness, fear, betrayal and one who always spoke out of turn.

His life has a dramatic change when he is filled with the Holy Sprit and the fear of man disappears and faith in God empowers him.

When we look at the story of the believer who was dead, Peter walks in faith and in boldness as he is led the Holy Spirit. As a result, after he puts out all those who did not believe, he kneels down to pray. He followed the principles of his teacher Jesus, and was guided by the Holy Spirit.

Today you may live in fear, intimidation and depression, and may not have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Seek Him with all your heart and cry out to be baptized by the Spirit of God. Invite Him to be your leader and all things will change around you.

 Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you that you said that you will not leave me as a orphan but give me a comforter the Holy Sprit. Please be my guide in all my life Amen

Theo & Manju

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms Galatians 6:12

Flesh and Blood

 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.   Galatians 5:17

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but it is against principalities and powers of the unseen world. However most often we take offence against flesh and blood and to those who are very close to us. If we may say this would be the world that we can see.

When Judas leads a mob to betray Jesus, He did not show anger but Peter took out his sword and attacked ‘flesh and blood’ there by cutting the ear of the servant of the high priest. The Lord instructs Peter to put his sword back.

If we give into defeat to the people whom we see by carrying offences how much more would it be with the unseen world. Our first learning would be to live in peace and harmony with our own family and then extend it to the outside world of; to all whom we see. This then will help us to live in victory,  defeating the principalities of  the unseen world.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for your word which is active and alive; sharper than any double edged sword. Let me use this sword to live a life of victory and power.

Amen

Theo & Manju

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                                           1 Thessalonians 5:18

Grateful heart

^{When He saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. Luke 17: 10}

They had sickness which isolated them, cast them out of society and left them alone to fade away. Jesus gives them a new hope and as the lepers left, they saw the supernatural power of the Lord making them clean.

The experience must have been unimaginable and was instantaneous.  Have we had this experience? We were no different to the lepers until our sinful selves have been washed and cleaned by His precious blood. The same supernatural power of Jesus is working in us today too.

Even though Jesus healed ten lepers, only one of them came back to see Jesus. The leper returned with three simple acts, to praise Him with a loud voice, to worship Him by falling down at iHis feet and to thank Him for the wonderful work that Jesus had done in his life.

To us who were ‘lepers of sin’, God has given, through His Son Jesus, forgiveness, healing and His garment of righteousness. Like the one leper who came back with a heart full of gratitude and a mouth filled with praise, we too can express our love on a daily basis to Him who has saved us. In doing this we will surely walk in His presence and live a life of great victory and power.

Prayer

Dear Lord I thank you for making me clean. Help me to be vessel of honour unto you and live a life that is filled with gratitude and praises to You. Amen

Amen

Theo & Manju

So Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there. ⁶ Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

2 Chronicles 1: 6-7

The Right Focus

⁹ Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

In the above passage we see the amazing dedication and love that Solomon had for God. Here we see a king who was extremely strong and was prospering in whatever he did. Yet, his main devotion was set upon God.

Solomon’s extravagant sacrifice to God pleased Him so greatly that He appearing to him in his dream that very night. As God assured Solomon that he may ask of anything and it  will be granted to him, Solomon’s  interest were unselfish and had originated out of the concern he had for God’s people over whom God had appointed him as king.

We too can learn much from this passage this morning. Firstly we must understand that it pleases God when we in total devotion to God, offer our lives as an extravagant sacrifice to Him. Secondly God knows all our motives as He is able to see our hearts and the attitudes of our hearts. Therefore when we do not make the worldly matters the objective of our prayer and our sacrifices; but have our objectives set upon the kingdom of God and serving Him; God will equip us with all that is needed for it. To those who have a heart, like that of Solomon, God is also able to bless exceedingly abundantly even more than we can ever imagine.

Prayer

Dear Lord, we come before Your presence in awe and worship. Give me a heart that is pre and true to serve You so that my life will be a sacrifice to please You.

Amen

Theo & Manju

Dear All,

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.   John10:27

Tune your ear

 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  1 Samuel 3:8-10

 

In today’s modern world we have many lines of communications that connects us to one another enabling us to maintain good relationship with our family and friend. One effective way of communication is through telephones that help us hear our loved one’s voices.

When we are in constant touch with people, we are able to recognize them no sooner we hear their voices on the other end of the phone and we address them by name. The other day, I called a friend after a lapse of time and he could not recognize my voice. This is how it is with the Lord. If we are not in constant touch with Him we will not be able to recognize God’s voice.

 

In the case of Samuel, he had never heard the voice of God and He mistook the voice of the Lord to the voice of Eli, whom he was familiar with. We too could make the same mistake if we are not familiar in hearing His voice.

There are at any given time three voices that we can hear; our own voice, the voice of the evil one and the voice of God. When we spent time with His word we become accustomed to hear God’s voice and clearly distinguish it from the other two voices.

Prayer

Dear Lord let thy word teach me to hear your voice and may my ear be inclined to listen to you. Amen

 

Theo & Manju

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s   2 Chronicles 20:15

God is our Victory

 But Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

We may have looked at this passage several times before. However, the Lord wants to teach us His truth through this word today.

 

The King Jehoshaphat was alarmed when he was informed that a vast army had drawn close to Judah to attack and destroy them. His only weapon was to unite the country with fasting and prayer and depend on the Lord as his source of a miracle.

The Lord said to the king; “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,”   2 Chronicles 20:17

 

We also see God’s deliverance when He granted freedom to the people of Israel from the enemy’s hand in the pagan land of Egypt. At this time Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. Exodus 14:13

 

The Greek meaning for salvation is to deliver; Salvation came to us from Jesus.  He defeated the enemy to give us victory. Like Jehoshaphat all those who helplessly turn to Christ and call upon His name will surely be saved and delivered from the clutches of the enemy.

 

The lesson for us today is this. God loved each one of us to the extent of sending His Son to deliver us while we were sinners. If so, when we trust in the Lord with all our hearts, acknowledging Him in all our ways, how much more could we be assured that He will fight our battles, defeat our enemies and direct our paths?  Let us  not be afraid but stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for us today.

Prayer

My Lord and God, my trust is in you and when I pass through the waters or go through the fire I will fear no evil for You oh Lord are with me.   Amen

Theo & Manju

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” ¹⁶ With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.  Judges 16:15-16

Secret of His power

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.           Acts 1-8

Jesus said to the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until you receive power from above and the disciples waited for this power and were witnesses unto Him doing many signs and wonders through His power.

Samson was chosen even before he was born and he was clothed in the power of God. As a result whenever the enemy attacked him he was able to defeat them through God’s power that came upon him.

However, falling into the trap of Delilah, Samson was tricked and he gave away the secret of his strength that was in his hair. When this information was given away, the enemy knowing the area they should target, cut his locks, captured him and led to him destruction.

The Delilah in our lives is the world and its temptations. If we do not cautiously guard our hearts and our ways we can easily be deceived by the ‘worldly Delilah’. When we blend with the things of the world, the deception is so subtle that, like Samson who did know that the power of God had left him we too can  drift from godliness and not  know when His spirit leaves us.

The Lesson for us this morning is to guard our lives from the attack of the enemy so that we will always move in and be guided by  God’s power.

Prayer

Precious Holy Spirit, I thank you that you are my strength and my hope. Let me not take you for granted but give you the first place, so that you will lead me today. Amen

Theo & Manju

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Blessings

 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.  Proverb: 10:22

Blessing of the Lord not only makes one wealthy but also makes him rich in the Lord so that he can enjoy peace and joy which comes from the Lord.

THE WORD SAYS THAT IF WE SEEK THE LORD FIRST, ALL OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED FOR OUR LIVES WILL ALSO  BE ADDED UNTO US.  JESUS TALKS ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL; A MAN WHO THOUGHT HE COULD HAVE PEACE AND JOY BY BUILDING BIGGER BARNS BECAUSE HE HAD A BUMPER HARVEST AND HE WANTED TO ACCUMULATE AS MUCH  SURPLUS GRAIN AS HE COULD. HE WAS PLANNING HIS FUTURE THINKING THAT IF  HE COULD HAVE PLENTY OF GRAIN LAID UP FOR MANY YEARS HE COULD TAKE LIFE EASY; EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY.

But Jesus called him a fool. And said; “ This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”  Luke 12:20

Lesson for us this morning is that we do not have to toil for our riches or place our trust in it. Our provision comes to us from God as a blessing to enjoy. The greatest wealth that we have is to know Him and have his peace to enjoy what He gives us, Therefore let us not have our hearts set upon the treasures of this earth that will be gone in the twinkling of an eyelid but build our heavenly riches on Christ the solid rock.

Prayer

Dear Lord I thank you that I can come to you morning by morning and call you Abba Father and to know that I have your peace and Joy and which are the riches of your favour. May I serve you and use my talents to build Your kingdom. Amen

Theo & Manju