Month: July 2016

Dear All,

“If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don’t begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.” Kay Arthur

Daniel Was Committed

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

Daniel who was taken as a captive by King Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. had a close relationship with the Lord and an uncompromising commitment to his faith.

The first test that Daniel faced was with regards to food and drink. Even though Daniel was of a very young age and would have had the natural desires to enjoy the best food, he refused to compromise the standards that God had set. This was because the food brought to the king’s table had been consecrated to idols before it was served and this kind of food was forbidden under the Mosaic Law.

Daniel was not alone in his commitment to follow God and to keep His commandments. Together with his three friends, Daniel made a sacrificial act of faith as he asked to only eat vegetables and drink water. The young men chose to sacrifice the benefits of living in the king’s palace than to comply with what they knew was to enjoy the pleasures of sin.

After three years of intense education at the Babylonian palace, they faced their final test. They had to go before the king and demonstrate how much they knew. And to the king’s surprise, for every question he asked, these four men were found to have ten times more wisdom than all the others.

Where do you think that kind of wisdom came from? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Daniel and his young friends were blessed with such wisdom because they had committed to serve God in total obedience.

Can we also show such commitment to God? Are we influencing the world or are we being influenced by the world?

Dear Lord,
I come to You in Jesus’ name. I pray that my heart will be fully committed to You so that I will be able to overcome the world just as Daniel did. May I be a positive influence to others and enjoy the great blessings that You have in store for me. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Dear All,

Joel Osteen says, “You can be committed to church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church.”

Fully Committed

And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.

1 Kings 8:61

When King Solomon called for the ark of the Lord to be brought into the temple from Zion, the City of David, there was great celebration in Jerusalem. The great priests and Levites carried the ark and the entire assembly of Israel gathered before the ark. King Solomon expressed his great love and commitment to God by an extravagant sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats while dedicating the temple. Such a heartfelt sacrifice brought the mighty presence of God as a cloud and filled the temple.

Then King Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, acknowledging God’s power before all the people. He thanked God for keeping His covenant of love with him just as He kept His promise to his father, David. Above all, this faithful king taught his people to wholeheartedly submit to God in all their ways, to be perfect in obeying the command of God and to live a life of commitment to Him.

God’s love and His faithfulness is revealed in His priceless and extravagant gift of His Son, Jesus, who was given to us as a sacrificial lamb. Jesus Christ gave His ultimate commitment to each one of us by coming down from heaven to live among us, teach us, and give up His life for us so that we can live forever.

Like King Solomon, do we have a heart that is totally committed to a God who has given us His priceless gift? When we live a life that is of extravagant sacrifices to God, we, too, will experience the mighty presence of God that will fill our temple.

Dear Lord, 

I come to You in Jesus’ name. I pray that my heart will be fully committed to You for the rest my life. Thank You for Your promise that Your eyes are always on those who serve You and You will never forget the sacrifices that are done for the sake of Your kingdom. Amen.

 

God bless you,

Theo and Manju