Daily devotions 29th Oct 2017

Deut 1: 21See. The Lord your God has given you the land….Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged.

This is Moses speaking and he is demonstrating his confidence and assurance o the people. As Moses led the people through the wilderness, there must have been great fear among them as the people did not know where there were going and along the way there were great dangers from wild beasts as well as from unknown vicious enemies.

It is understandable for the people as they marched each day through strange and hostile territories, they had been in their comfort zone in Egypt for generations and this was reflected when they murmured against Moses.

Even when God had provided supernaturally for them daily their fear still gripped them. Now Moses had to encourage them by saying ‘Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.’ Moses was different from every other person, he had enjoyed such an intimate relationship with God that he could talk person to person with God even in an audible conversation.

In fact God loved Moses so much that God called Moses His friend. This is an example for all leaders as they lead the people in their own churches. There will be uncertainties over the years and there will be challenges and obstacles as the Church journey on.

The leader must be there to be able to hear from God and in turn be able to speak a word of encouragement to the congregation even in times of difficulties. As we can see, many of the members have needs in their family lives. The leader must be a good shepherd to feed the sheep, tend their wounds and bind up their wounds.

There are times when the leader must pray for healing and deliverance and even share words of edification to those who are low in spirit and are broken in the confidence.

This is normal Christian ministry and we learn from what has been recorded in the scriptures. Therefore let us be as Moses, always ready to intercede for the people and is always there to give encouragement and counsel when needed.

Jer 17: 8They will be like a tree planted by the water … its leaves are always green.

Jeremiah speaks of the believers as compared to trees that are planted by the water. By this he meant that the trees would have their roots deep in the ground and being able to take in the water that seeps through the ground to the roots. When the trees are well watered, then their leaves will be green and lush.

By this comparison the scripture tell us that spiritually speaking we too must have oir spiritual roots grounded in the word of Scriptures and as we study and meditate upon the scriptures, they would in turn bring nourishment to the believers.

Paul wrote in Col 2: 6-7 ‘therefore  as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so wlk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing in gratitude.’

When Paul wrote about being rooted, he meant that we must be stable and unmovable as a huge tree is strong and unmovable because of the roots that the tree has developed. Every believer must be strong and unmovable just like the tree that can withstand the ravage of flood and storms. We can see how a sturdy tree can survive even after some heavy natural disasters that would otherwise cause severe damage.

This is what the scriptures tell us, every believer must be rooted and grounded in the word of God and their relationship with God so that they would be strong and secure even when the challenges around them are severe. They must be able to weather the storms and hold firm to their faith and come through all the difficulties that batter their lives.

Daily Devotions: Daily Devotions 27.10.2017

Daily Devotions: Daily Devotions 27.10.2017: Provs 12: 11 Those who work their land will have abundant food. Work has been apportioned to man so that they will have food and also ...

Daily Devotions 27.10.2017

Provs 12: 11Those who work their land will have abundant food.

Work has been apportioned to man so that they will have food and also that they may prosper. In the present day there is different vocation unlike ancient times when most people were farmers, fishermen or hunters.

Every work that they are engaged in requires the manual input as their needs are met on a daily or seasonal basis. The farmers go through a planting season followed by the reaping season. The same goes for the fishermen and hunters. There are season when they can work and save up some surplus for bad times. Times and seasons will also dictate the working period.

When winter comes, all the people would not be able to do any work. The conditions will be unfavourable. The farmer cannot farm, the fishermen cannot go out fishing and the hunters also cannot go out hunting. There is a time and season when they must work hard in order to store up and supply their needs during bad times.

This is what King Solomon wrote, the workman must work hard so that he can fill his store house and then he would have plenty of food when bad times come.

God also taught on storing as in the life of Joseph where God prepared him for the important task of preparing for a severe famine upon the region. As we journey in life, there will also be seasons where we can have plenty and there will also be seasons when we will experience famine.

Therefore God reminds us here, let us work hard so that we will have plenty and be able to store up and prepare for both good and bad times.

This also applies to our spiritual lives. When we are free and able to worship God, we must build our faith and mature in spirituality for the time will come when there will be spiritual famines and we have to stand upon our faith and relationship with God to see us through the trials and tribulations.

This also means that we must toil towards building our spiritual life so that we can stand against the storms of life and the challenges that will come our way. 

Daily Devotions 26th Oct 2017

1 Chron 17: 12He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.

In this case, God is speaking to King David that He will use one of David’s descendants to build the temple and in the second part of the verse; God promised that the throne of the descendant would be forever.

The first part was a prophecy for King Solomon who build the magnificent temple in Jerusalem which was eventually destroyed and the second part of the scripture actually refers to the prophecy of Jesus Christ who was also a descendant of King David.

Of course we know now that the throne of Jesus Christ is forever, His throne is not of this world but it is in heaven and is more glorious than any earthy throne.

Heaven is the final destiny for us and heaven is where God is. He is infinite from eternity to eternity. Heaven will not disappear but it will be forever. Therefore God is revealing to us that the throne and kingdom of Jesus Christ is eternal.

That is what we are promised that when we remain faithful to Jesus Christ, we wills hare eternity with Him in His heavenly kingdom.

Daily Devotions 25th Oct 2017

Heb 4: 2The message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

Walking with God is a life long journey, the longer we journey with him, the more intimate we become with God until we become His friend. People without God are spiritually dry and their lives are lack of love, joy and peace. They lack the fruit of the Spirit and they move around aimlessly.

Whereas those who know the Lord are purposeful in their lives. In this text the writer is reminding us that if we have received salvation and the blessings of God, these are not meant for us to lock it up and keep it to ourselves, rather we are to share this message of salvation with others.

 God says that unless we do this then our lives would be just like the desert. We may know the Saviour and have received the word but if we do not utilize this and share it with those who have never heard the gospel and never had the chance of salvation, then our salvation is valueless.

Our salvation is like a talent which we must invest and multiple. If we do not do that, then it will have very little value.

In the parable of the talents, the unfaithful servant who did not invest in the talents had his talent taken away from him and he was thrown into the fire with those who are unsaved. This parable tells us that when we are unfaithful and not bearing fruit, then we are in danger of losing our very salvation.

We need to invest in the gifts that God has given to us, let us rise and use the talents that God has put into our lives.

Daily Devotions 24th Oct 2017

Matt 25: 40Whatever you did for one of the least of these ….you did for me.

Jesus is referring to all believers who are big or small, poor or rich. Jesus does not look at people like men look at one another. He does not esteem the rich nor does He look down on the poor. In the eyes of Jesus, all men are equal. The rich and the poor are equal, Jesus looks at the condition of the heart of the believers.

From the lesson that Jesus taught about Lazarus and the rich man, we see here that Jesus was referring to real people. Lazarus was a real person, a beggar sitting at the gate of the rich man who is also a real person and Lazarus was humble and poor but he was rich in heart. Though Lazarus had no money, he had faith in God. His heart was full of love for God and that is what God is looking for.

God did not look at the rags and filthiness of the body as we would look from the outside. God looks at the heart to see if it is clean and white. He does not discriminate from outward appearance.

That is why when Jesus said that whatever good that we do for any of the poor brethren, Jesus considers it as we having done it for Him. The poor are humble, they know that they cannot boast of material possessions and therefore in the eyes of the public, they are very meek.

These are the ones that Jesus looks out for, the lowly in heart and the poor in the spirit. They are the pure in heart never considering themselves to be equal or above others.

Jesus said that He is among them and whatever we do for any of the poor; we are doing it for Him. This reminds us that we too must be humble and lowly in heart and we are so, then surely Jesus is with us and is waiting to bless us.

Daily Devotions 23rd Oct 2017

John 13: 34A new command I give you: Love one another.

Throughout history we read about the treachery of betrayals among brothers. Even in the bible we read of treachery between siblings and these have transcended down to the present day Middle East conflicts among the nations.

Historically the nations in the Middle East can trace their ancestry back to the same families which are mentioned in the bible. The same can be said about other nations as well. We note that in all the nations, there has also been much rivalry in the royal houses where royal family members have been treacherous towards each other and have killed whole families in their rivalry for power and wealth.

This treachery is innate in man as all men have the evil streak of greed. Men would do all kinds of evil just to achieve what they lust after. Even among common families, there are fights and quarrels over the dividing and sharing of inheritance.

Therefore the world without love is a sad and hurtful world. It is only in Christianity that Jesus has taught fervently that all the children of God must love each other. In fact Jesus revealed that this is the very foundation of Christianity. It is the love of God for all men that He sends His Son, Jesus to die for the sins of the world.

Jesus demonstrated this love and He taught and commanded that we in turn must also possess this love for one another. This is His New Commandment to all believers so that we can build the kingdom on earth and also qualify to inherit the heavenly Kingdom.

Therefore, just as Jesus has commanded, let us love one another as Jesus loves us.

Daily Devotions 22nd )vt 2017

John 15: 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

A strong church is a loving church; it does not depend on the financial standing of the church or the number of members in the Church. At present I am in fellowship with a couple of churches that are relatively small in numbers but the good thing about them is that they are filled with love.

The members are working class and they are such humble and simple people but their relationship and love for each other is genuine. There is so much warmth and bond among the members.

This is exactly what Jesus taught that we must love each other so that we can be a family and support each other. This is more so in the present time when we are facing persecution against the Church in many parts of the world. This is worldwide from Asia to America.

I just read of a pastor who was bound and then burned to death by anti-Christ followers.  Nearer to home, we have also four cases of Christian pastors and workers who have been abducted and there are no traces of their where about. In the Islamic countries as well as Hindu countries, the same thing is happening. Persecution is on the increase and will continue until the tribulation comes full strength.

The church must stand strong in their faith and because of persecution they must be united and to be united they must first have a strong bond of love among all members. This is the key factor for all persecuted Churches as they members love each other and stand with each other to go through the persecutions.

From the times of the early church when there was great persecution the Christians supported each other in love and unity. Today in the war torn region of the Middle East where Churches are being destroyed and Christians martyred, we also see this same unity and bond because all the Christians love Jesus Christ and they love each other.

It is only this love that keeps us strong and able to withstand all challenges that fall upon the Church and the Christians.

Daily Devotions 21sy Oct 2017

Provs 18: 10The name of the Lord is a fortified tower: the righteous run to it and are safe.

In warring times there are dangers everywhere and the safest place is inside a fortified city. Throughout the world in ancient times, every nation have towns and cities that are built inside tall fortified walls and there are also some towers along the wall where the soldiers or the people could go to when the enemies attack.

It is with such a context in mind that the writer now relates his safety and assurance in God. He declares that when the people of God takes refuge in Him in times of danger and needs, God always protects and provide. The writer must be a man familiar with dangers and he draws a clear parallel to the dangers that he had experienced frequently and his many experiences of finding shelter and protection from God.

His writing confirms that not only does he understand the privilege of God’s protection but he must have personally been protected by God on many occasions. That’s why he could boldly declare that God is His fortress and safety. He proclaimed in complete trust and assurance from past experiences and he wrote to encourage all that what he had experienced and enjoyed, we too the children of God could also experience in our times of need.

Our God is mighty and can do all things and He will hear and delive us from all dangers.

Daily Devotions 20th Oct 2017

Psalm 63:3Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

When David wrote the psalms, he was mostly on the run from his father in law King Saul who was all out to kill him because of jealously and rage. David was hiding in the caves around the hill sides of the Dead Sea. There are numerous caves around the region and there are also isolated Oasis with fresh springs and plenty of wild life.

In a sense David was safe from King Saul because it was not easy to search all the caves and scripture did record that even when King Saul and the soldiers entered into the same cave where David hid, they could not see him because it was dark and David was hidden way deep intot he back of the cave.

In the psalms David remembered the goodness of God and he wrote in Psalm 27:4 ‘One thing I asked from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.’

To David, there was no greater thing than to be able to spend time in the presence of God and to interact with him in worship and prayer. This is the best way to draw near to God and also invite His presence into our midst.

Again we can learn from the example of David who showed that in order to be assured of the favour of God upon our lives, we must be in constant and continued communication with God. It is only through such an intimate relationship that we can experience the presence and the grace of God upon us.

Today, with the challenges of life around us, we indeed need to have the grace and mercy of God upon our lives otherwise the living conditions will be very difficult for the believers. Every day we are reading of persecutions of Churches, pastors and believers of Jesus. Many have been massacred and made martyrs for the Lord.

This challenge will continue until the return of Jesus Christ. The reality is that we must strengthen and equip ourselves with the word of scriptures and our faith in Him strengthened and secured so that when the trials and tribulations come our way, we will not waver but stand firm in the Lord.

Not only must we be strong, we must also teach our people to be strong as well so that they too will be able to withstand and endure all tribulations.

Daily Devotions 18th Oct 2017

Isaiah 53: 5He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities.

This is the prophecy by Isaiah about the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. In this particular chapter we see the detailed prophecy of the Lord.

The scripture today described the whole mission of Jesus when He came and bore the punishment of the sins of the world upon His body. He went through such a horrible punishment and endured such pain just so that all our sins can be washed and made clean by the washing of His blood.

He bore the stripes on His back which took away all our sicknesses. Today because Jesus had accepted the punishment on our behalf, we are now not only set free from eternal judgement but we are also able to receive healing for our sicknesses and diseases.

Isaiah prophesied that the Son of God would come as a lowly servant the first time he came so that He can complete His mission that the Father God had sent Him to complete.

Today we are the chosen of God, we are also His children because Jesus bought and paid the price for our redemption. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

We must be grateful and give thanks to God for our salvation and the inheritance that is waiting for us in heaven. One day we will rejoice when we are united with Christ in His heavenly kingdom.

Daily Devotion 17th Oct 2017

1 Thess 5: 19Do not quench the Spirit.

As Paul went around in his missionary journey to various parts of the known world, he travelled to different regions where he planted new Churches. However wherever he went the pharisaic Jews followed him to disrupt his ministry. They were zealous in preventing the spread of the Gospel which was converting Jews from everywhere to turn to Jesus.

These trouble makers would prevent the gospel to be preached and they would also prevent the ministry that the apostles did in their healing and deliverance of the sick and demon possessed.

In my own ministry I had also encountered the same kind of interference during my early years. There was an occasion when we were doing a public healing and evangelical service and some leaders from the mainline churches were going among the crowd speaking lies that the healing miracles were false. They were blaspheming against the Holy Spirit and were quenching the Spirit.

In the early charismatic days, there were many churches leaders who were overzealous about quenching the Spirit and stopping the baptism of the Holy Spirit to be ministered. In recent times, I have also encountered the same when I was speaking and teaching on the Holy Spirit and by the time I finshed the message and was about to move into ministry, the pastor came up and stopped the ministry. This was another exercise of quenching the Spirit.

Unfortunately even through the thousands of years of Church history and the transformation of the Church that has taken place, there is still error in the Church where the Holy Spirit is concerned. The leaders in these Churches reject the Holy Spirit and quench its move and ministry. This si what Paul is saying, such leaders have cut off revival and the blessing of God upon the Church.

Daily Devotions 16th Oct 2017

Gen 50: 20You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done.

As we consider the life of Joseph, he was called by God at a tender age but it took him thirteen years before he rose to the position that God had called and prepared for him. He had to endure 10 years as a slave to Potiphar and when his wife wrongly accused Joseph, he was thrown into jail for another two years.

Before he rose to the powerful position that God had prepared for him, he had to endure hardship and humility. After the long years of humility and preparation during which he remained faith to God, Joseph inherited the position that God had prepared for him.

In the same manner, we too have our calling and preparation. Sometime we wonder why after we have received our call, nothing seem to happen for a long time. This is one way that God can test us of our faithfulness and obedience.

I have known of many great man of God who are most successful today and they have testified that they had indeed received their calling from a young age but it is only now when they are grown and matured that God is using then to their fullest potential.

In this week, I have just seen a video of one of my personal friends whom God is using powerfully. He is already into his eighties and God is still taking him globally to many countries in the world. Recently in the video, I witness a prophecy that God would supply him a plane to travel around the world, it would not be his plane but one provided by another person and all cost will be borne by the person.

That is one example that I have seen and witnessed of the blessings of God because of obedience on the part of the servant of God. We too can be blessed if we humble ourselves and submit to God completely.

Daily Devotions 15th Oct 2017

Psalm 115: 16The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind.

This very scripture confirms that God is the creator of the whole Universe, everything that was created belongs to God but in His love He has set aside for mankind to live in and enjoy. In fact He has created earth as a shadow of what we can expect in heaven.

Because God first created man and woman to be companions for Him, He wanted to give a similar them the beauty of His creation and also all the provision in it. Man and woman were originally to inherit the earth and have dominion over it and to enjoy everything that is in it.

Unfortunately the man and woman fell into sin and this privilege was removed and now man has to toil the earth for his food. That is the reason that man has to work hard in order to gather and provide for his family.

The scripture also specifically confirms that only the earth has been given to mankind. Therefore it is only on earth that there is life form and not in anywhere else in the universe. All those stories of alien lifeforms are false and originated from the devil.

We know that the devil and his fallen angels have been caste down to the earth and they have dominion in the air. That is why Satan is called the Prince of the air. He has dominion in the second heaven and on earth. This is also why the fallen angels that followed Satan are now the principalities that are being worshipped in false religions and in pagan worship. These fallen angels have got what they wanted, which is to be worshiped just like God is being worshiped.

Today, we are called to be children of God and we have this honour to be joint heirs with Jesus to the heavenly kingdom, this was the original plan of God, let us not lose sight of this, let us hold firmly to our inheritance and salvation.

Daily Devotions 14th Oct 2017

Psalm 131: 2I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

The psalm of David is one among the series that are called songs of ascent and they are sung by the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual feasts.

In this psalm David acknowledged the love of God which he compared to the tender loving care of a mother for her little baby. Just as the love of the mother envelopes and protects her child who is contended and trusting in her arms. The child would have no fear nor worries of the environment around him knowing that the mother will give her best to protect him.

This is the same way that David said he felt calm and secure in the arms of God. He is in complete surrender to God and not having any fear or concern of the threats and dangers around him. In essence David was humble as a little child is humble with his mother; David is totally surrendered and trusting God.

Thiss is what David is teaching us that we must come with childlike faith before God. In fact this is the same manner that Jesus said we must come before God in this humble manner.

As we trust in God in every situation that we are in, then only can He take over and lead us. If we do not surrender, He cannot take control. Therefore as John the Baptist said God must increase in us and we must decrease in our self.

It is all about Jesus, it is not about us for without Him we can do nothing and we are nothing.

Daily Devotions 13th Oct 2017

John 1:42Jesus looked at him and said….’You will be called Cephas’ which when translated is Peter.

The scriptures tell us that we look at the outward appearance of men but God would look into the deep recesses of our heart. God will see the real us which is our spirit man. In the case of Simon when his brother Andrew has met Jesus and was convinced that Jesus is truly the Messiah, Andrew went and got Simon to come and meet up with Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He immediately said that his name will be changed to Peter which meant a rock.

Jesus saw the rough qualities in Peter who was like a raw diamond that has not been shaped and polish. However Jesus saw the strength that Peter possessed and He called him and changed his name. Of course we learn later on that Peter became the leader of the Apostles after Jesus had left them and ascended back to heaven.

It is also the same with us; God will see each of us as a raw and unpolished precious stone. God looks into our lives, He cans ee the qualities that are hidden in us, He wil pick us up and He will do the work f cutting and shaping and polishing as He prepares our lives for His use.

It is Jesus who calls each of us. He gives us the calling and He chooses us and then He prepares us just as He prepared the apostles. Jesus sees the flaws and the strength that is in all of us. He will train an detach us to be the vessel that He wants us to be.

We are different and when Jesus calls, He will justify and He will equip us according to what He sees in us just as when He saw Simon and saw what was in him. Today Jesus is still seeking and calling for more and more disciples and workers. He needs many disciples in these last days. He has planned for Global revival and He is looking for obedient and committed believers. Let us be like Isaiah and say to Jesus, “ Here am I Lord, use me.” 

Daily Devotions 12th Oct 2017

Isaiah 40: 11He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.

Isaiah is teaching on the loving and protective nature of God our Father. He makes a simple analogy to that of a loving shepherd who loves the sheep and the lambs. Little lambs are very cute and it’s a natural response for the shepherd to pick up one of these and to lovingly cuddle them.

Like little babies that are cute and cuddly, every parent or adult would want to carry the baby to love and cuddle. The adult will feel happy upon carrying the baby who in turn feels loved and safe in the arms of the adult or parent.

God is giving the assurance to His people through the prophet Isaiah that He would personally be their shepherd, tending to their safety and needs. He would be speaking to them in gentleness and love just as a good shepherd would do the same for His flock, He would also hold and cuddle the yang lamb close to His heart to comfort it.

At times, we the people of God would have to go through challenges in life; there may be testing and storms that would buffet us. I have seen many of the people in church that are going through challenges of sicknesses, poverty, and emotional stress and so on. Many have to go to hospitals to receive treatment for their sickness and others have also to take medication and consultation fro the stress and depression that they are going through.

It was the same in the days of Isaiah but God had heard their cries and have seen their needs and He now declared through Isaiah that He would not neglect them or desert them. Instead, God reminded them that He is their Good Shepherd and would tend to their emotional wounds and their health. He would look into their welfare and their needs.

Daily Devotions 11th Oct 2017

Isaiah 38: 5The Lord says I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.

This was the word that God had given to King Hezekiah when he wholeheartedly responded to the warning from God. God saw the heart of Hezekiah who repented immediately when he heard that God had judged him. He put on sack cloth and turned his face to God seeking for forgiveness from God. He cried out in travail, he opened his heart to God who then heard his prayers.

This was then God responding to his prayers. We read that God had heard the cries of King Hezekiah and had even set the sun backwards as a sign of His commitment to Hezekiah.

Of course we do not expect that God will act the same way again but we can be assured that just as God had not forsaken Hezekiah, today God has also not forsaken us. He still hears our cries and He sees our hearts whenever we repent in sincerity.

God is looking for a people who are righteous and holy before him. He is looking for people who are humble and quick to repent and return back to Him. Repentance is the key to God’s forgiveness and also the key to release revival that would come upon us, His people.

Daily devotions 10th Oct 2017

Rev 3: 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

This was the word that God gave to the Church at Sardis through John the apostle. The Church at Sardis was a powerful spirit filled Church that had been doing great works for the Lord, in fact God said to them that they had indeed had a reputation of being alive, but now they have gone cold spiritually and are dead in the works of God. In fact they have lost their first love for God and the Holy Spirit is no longer in their midst.

There was a lot of spiritual fatigue and lethargy has crept into the Church. They have fallen into the routine and playing Church. They had no longer the zeal to do outreach and to to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit.

They have fallen into programs that are routine and mundane and they have lost the cutting edge of the Spirit. They have lost the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  The people are now spiritually dry and no longer spiritually alert or awake. Their spiritual senses are dull and they cannot sense the presence of the Holy Spirit and have lost their fellowship with them.

The call here is for the people of God to once again seek the empowering of the Holy Spirit and to watch and pray so that they would not fall into temptation.

They are encouraged to be alert and sober in their mind and be aware of the snares of the enemy who wants to trick and destroy us. In fact Jesus once said that the enemy is like a prowling lion going to and fro seeking for someone to devour. These are the luke warm and back slide Christians. They have lost their dedication and commitment to God and they have been ensnared by the lure of the world and are entrapped in the things that the enemy can offer them.

These are the things that appeal to the flesh like positons and power. Pleasures that cater to both the mind and the flesh. When the believers are overtaken by all the distractions that the world can give, they will soon be drifted and drawn away from God.

Judges 6: 23The Lord said to Gideon, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

In the present global scene, there is fear everywhere. People are unsure of what is happening around them. The world is buffeted by natural disasters which are unpredictable. There are earthquakes that bring large swatch of destruction to lives and properties. Then there are hurricanes and wild storms that can actually destroy whole countries like Puerto Rico and many of the Caribbean islands.

Again there are political disruptions that can also take away the peace and security in a nation. Then there are social and financial unrest that can also destroy businesses and employments. Then there are wars and political disruptions that would also cause the whole region to be disrupted and insecurity disrupting the people.

We see all these fears and worries in the world today. But in the days of Gideon, the nation of Israel had been subdued and the people have been living in fear of the oppressors and in this particular time, it was the Midianites who oppressed Israel. We read that Gideon was threshing his grain in secret because there were frequently raided by the enemies and their harvest and grain have always been robbed by the enemies.

Gideon like many of the Israelite was a timid man always in fear of the enemies. So when he saw the Angel of the Lord, he was afraid that it was another enemy who had come to raid them. However, the Angel told him that he had come to help him and Israel to defeat the enemy. In this state, Gideon was so insecure that he asked the Angel to prove to him that it was truly the will of God to bless them.

This is where we learn of the famous Gideon test of asking God for a sign to prove the will of God.  We are just like Gideon as well, when we are surrounded with all kinds of dangers and threats, even when God speaks to us, we will be uncertain.

Just like Gideon, we too need to learn to trust in God and put our fears aside because the promises of God are always true. He will surely keep us safe and His blessings will be with us and see us through the most difficult situations. Only that we need to trust Him and to look to Him at all times.

2 Kings 4: 44They ate and have some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

This is an account when God also fed a group of people with a limited amount of food. In this case, Elisha fed a hundred men with just 20 loaves and there was some left over.

God had blessed His people in the past and He has also blessed them in the present day. God is indeed the living God who is omnipotent, He is able to do all things and is able to provide. He is Jehovah Jireh our provider.

Jesus also repeated the same blessings that He did for Elisha when he taught beside the Sea of Galilee when He fed the five thousand men besides women and children. We do not know the exact number but it could have been four to five times more.

God is showing us that He can multiply the little that we can offer Him, He does not look at our abundance or our abilities, He is above all that we need and is able to supply us abundantly over and above all our needs. Our needs are never too big for God to bless us. He is the Creator of all things, He is also the provider for all things come from Him and are made by Him.

Jesus said all that we need to do is to ask God our Heavenly Father according to His will and He will hear our cries and will answer our prayers. He will surely bless us and meet our needs.

Habakkuk 1: 2How long, Lord must I call for help?

The people of Israel had suffered throughout their history, there were many good years when the Lord blessed them when they were faithful but gradually when they turned from God, then judgement came to the people and they were taken captivity by their enemies and went through long years of suffering.

It was also during such a time that Habakkuk was the anointed prophet for the people of Israel, he had the responsibility to stand and lead the people and also to pray for the people. Here we see Habakkuk crying out to the Lord,  “How long, Lord, must I call for help but you do not listen?”

We can imagine the anguish of Habakkuk when he had put all his faith and prayers in God and after many long years, nothing seem to happen and God still seem to have forgotten. This was his cry of desperation.

We too may have gone through dry days in our lives when God seemed to be far away and He does not seem to have heard us or answer us. But God has His timely and planning. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not ours.

The scripture tells us that as high as the heaven is above the earth so are God thoughts higher than ours. His timing is perfect and His ways are also perfect, in His time, God will surely make all things beautiful for us. We need only to trust in Him.

1 Peter 1: 3In his great mercy God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

This scripture assures us that we are no longer under condemnation but we have received great mercy from God when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour and now that Jesus had defeated spiritual death we too now no longer have to go through this judgement of eternal death.

We the children of God saved by the blood of Jesus have the eternal hope of living with Jesus and God the Father in heaven in all eternity. God has forgiven us of all our sins when Jesus paid that ultimate price on the Cross for us all. Our sins are no longer counted as Christ had redeemed us through His crucifixion on the cross.

All believers are taught that we must live our lives constantly close to Jesus. We need to develop and possess the characteristic of Jesus; we need to demonstrate His love and His character in our lives. He has removed all or burdens of our past sins and guilt. Now we live a new life and have a new hope in Him and are assured of eternal life.

This is what we live for, the eternal hope of living and inheriting the kingdom of heaven when our time is over on this earth.

We have seen many of our friends and loved ones passing on before us, some of them are old and some are young but our hope is that we will meet them again when we cross over when our time comes.

Daily Devotions 5th Oct 2017

Deut 32: 10-11He shielded him and cared for him   …like an eagle that  …hovers over its young.

Moses wrote Deuteronomy and recalled the grace and mercies of God as He led the Israelites through the wilderness. The accounts described how God had been loving and merciful to His people even when they had rejected Him and turned away from His commandments over and over.

Throughout the exodus, God never left them; He was with them day and night like a loving Father. In the day He was with them in the pillar of cloud that shaded them from the scorching sun. I have been to the Negev desert in Israel and the temperature and heat is very high and unbearable. But in these conditions, God gave them the cool breeze and the shade of the pillar of cloud.

Imagine a long caravan of 2 million people journeying through the desert; the cloud must have been very big to be able to cover all of them. None of them died of heat stroke, none of their shoes or clothes wore out even after 40 years of wandering around the desert.

In the night God was with them as a pillar of fire that gave them light and heat to keep them safe and warm. Again the desert is very harsh and the nights can be very cold but God gave them the heat. This was supernatural air conditioning and it came on without fail each night. It was just as sure as the sun rises each morning, the protection and blessings of God was with the people without fail.

God’s love is exactly the display of a loving Father who wanted to give the best to His children. Moses here reminded the people how their Father God had protected and cared for them just like the majestic eagle cared for her young. The eagle is the king of the birds and is the most majestic and feared among all the birds. In fact it is so strong that it can even carry off a full grown mountain goat or a big size calf.

Indeed God is still the same loving Father today, His eyes are still upon us His children and He is continuing to protect and save us whenever we are in danger.

This is the loving God whom we worship and who is our loving Father. Let us continue to draw close to Him.

Daily Devotions 4th Oct 2017

Luke 18: 40-41Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus was making His final entry into Jerusalem before He would be persecuted and crucified. He knew exactly what would happen when He goes into Jerusalem and this was a mission that He had to complete. In fact it was the whole reason for Him to come to the earth which was to suffer and die for the sins of the world.

On this fateful journey, he was abruptly interrupted by a blind man shouting out to Him for help. Perhaps His mind was already thinking about the events that would be taking place in the next two days. Jesus fully knew the mission that He was to accomplish, in fact he prayed in deep agony at the Garden of Gethsemane to ask for God to give Him strength to go through with His mission.

Jesus was fully aware of the pains and sufferings that He had to go through but He was obedient being the Son of God. As a human he felt the discouragement and the dread but he was totally obedient so that the divine plan of Salvation for all men can be fulfilled and put into effect.

From the compassion that Jesus had for the blind man, we can also learn that no matter how urgent our program and activities are, there are always time for us to pause and do some good deeds which can be a blessing to those who are in great needs.

Sometimes we may be full engrossed with some Church programs and feel that we do not have time to help others, the truth is Church work can never finish and if there is something very urgent, we can easily pause and attend to such needs first.

Priorities can change depending on the weight of need and urgencies. The important thing is to know the will of God in what we do.