Jeremiah 18:6 (Voice)

O people of Israel, can I not do the same to you as this potter has done? You are like clay in My hands—I will mold you as I see fit.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (CEV)

We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 2:15 Amp

For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

Earthen Vessels

As stated in Jeremiah 18:6, the Lord is the potter and we are the clay. As clay in the potters hand we need to be pliable and be able to change as directed by the potter. The potter decides what he does with the clay and not the clay. When we are sensitive to God's Holy Spirit, we will allow ourselves to be fashioned according to the Lord's will for our lives. We may have ideas and ambitions which may not be wrong however it is up to us to be willing to be directed in the correct direction by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is more interested in fashioning our character in accordance with His word. He wants us to display the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. (Love,Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, meekness, gentleness and self control). In order to do that certain aspects of our characters need to be changed or molded as clay is molded. We need to let go of stubbornness, hardness of heart, an unteachable spirit and let ourselves be fashioned according to the desire of the potter of our souls. The Lord is less interested in our social status, our appearance, our wants and desires than He is in our character and our Christ likeness. In the final analysis, when all is said and done and when it is time for our to leave our earthly abode, what will remain on the balance is our resemblance to Christ and all we have wrought in His Kingdom. Although it is not sinful to have ambitions regarding our careers and our lives, it is infinitely more important to let the holy Spirit mold and fashion us in His likeness and in His image. As it says in Jeremiah " I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a future you hope for, plans for good and not for evil". God knows what will satisfy the longing of our souls. It may not be what we think will satisfy the longing of our souls. As long as we let ourselves be molded and fashioned into the likeness of Christ under the unction of the Holy Spirit, we will grow and mature spiritually. We are carriers of God's glory. We are the fragrance of Christ to this world. Not everyone will enjoy the fragrance as it says in 2 Corinthians 2:16:to the latter one an aroma from death to death [a fatal, offensive odor], but to the other an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. to some people Christ may be an offensive odor however to those who are saved Christ is a living sweet smelling odor. We are to spread the fragrance of Christ to the world whether they approve of it or not. We need to have this earthen vessel of clay to be broken in order to release the fragrance of Christ in our environment. In closing I exhort you to be as clay in the potters hand, supple and pliable to his leading and changing and release the fragrance of Christ to a world which is groaning for Christs return. Romans 8:19 The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! (TPT) Amen

Matthew 7:13-14 TPT

"Come to God through the narrow gate, because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! 14 The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”

1 Peter 5:8 TPT

Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy,[a] the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour.

Ephesians 6:12 (Amp)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

Flesh vs Spirit

Our life on earth is temporal in light of eternity and we are to use our time here to chart out our course to our final destination, our heavenly abode. On this journey we call our earthly life we are battling an enemy who is determined to redirect our paths into those that lead down to the pits of hell. As we survey the above mentioned verses from the bible, we see that it is not easy to stay on the course God has charted out for us by following his commandments and keeping his ordinances. We are constantly battling an enemy who is trying to trip us up, make us fall and then hit us when we have fallen with condemnation. We need to avert falling into the traps set up by the enemy of our souls by constantly strengthening our spirit with prayer and studying God's word. Galatians 5:18-25 in the Phillips translation Here is my advice. Live your whole life in the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of your lower nature. For the whole energy of the lower nature is set against the Spirit, while the whole power of the Spirit is contrary to the lower nature. Here is the conflict, and that is why you are not free to do what you want to do. But if you follow the leading of the Spirit, you stand clear of the Law.
19-21 The activities of the lower nature are obvious. Here is a list: sexual immorality, impurity of mind, sensuality, worship of false gods, witchcraft, hatred, quarreling, jealousy, bad temper, rivalry, factions, party-spirit, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like that. I solemnly assure you, as I did before, that those who indulge in such things will never inherit God’s kingdom.
22-25 The Spirit however, produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control—and no law exists against any of them. Those who belong to Christ have crucified their old nature with all that it loved and lusted for. If our lives are centred in the Spirit, let us be guided by the Spirit. For us to overcome the roadblocks to eternal life we need to live habitually guided and under the influence of God's Holy Spirit. We need to tune in and strengthen ourselves not only by praying and obeying what God has told us in His word, we need to hear His voice and take heed to His words of caution. To simplify the whole thing, God is a good God and wants whats best for us and so provides clear guidelines in His word. Satan, on the other hand, wants to thwart God's plan for our lives and twists God's word and brings temptations across our paths. To stay the course we need to heed God's instructions and draw spiritual strength from His indwelling Holy spirit. In the words of the songwriter, trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Amen

1 Kings 19:11-13 (EXB)

The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand ·in front of [before] me on the mountain, ·and I will pass by you [for the Lord is about to pass by].” Then a very strong wind ·blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of [tore apart the mountain and shattered the rocks before] the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was ·a quiet, gentle sound [the sound of a gentle whisper/blowing/wind; or a brief sound of silence; T a still small voice].When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “Elijah! ·Why are you [What are you doing] here?”

Direction

To put the above passage in context Elijah was nearing the end of his earthly life and God was about to instruct him to anoint his successor. However to be able to hear God's instruction Elijah had to recognize God's voice. Even though we may not be like Elijah, we still need the ability to be able to cut through the clutter and hear what God is saying to us. It is not always an earth shattering event with a lot of fanfare but rather "a still small voice" that speaks to us. We need to tune our hearts to listen to the inner nudging of the Holy Spirit in order to align our lives with God's purposes. We may have a tendency to look for a miraculous event or something earth shattering, however God comes to us with a "still small voice". Isaiah 30:21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. ·You should go this way [L Walk in it].” Psalms 119:9 How can the young keep his way without fault? Only by observing your words. Although in many cases, when faced with choices the answer is clearly laid out in the word of God, sometimes we need to hear the Rhema or spoken word of God, a word for that specific situation. As an example, We do not always need to hear the spoken word of God when people are offering us drugs or inviting us to riotous events, since, the answer is already clear in the written word of God. However, when trying to decide what career path to take or what course of study to follow, we need to hear the Rhema or spoken word of God. As we see in the passage above from the book of Kings, God instructed Elijah that he would be passing by. This was followed by an earthquake and a violent wind. However God was in none of this. God was in the still quiet voice. There is an old song that goes as follows: "There are many different voices, day and night they fill the air; there is one so still and quiet, I would know it anywhere; through the narrow path in the mountain to the valley down below" We need to hear and obey God's written word, as well as His spoken word. Another song "His voice makes the difference, when He speaks it soothes my troubled mind. He's the only voice that makes the difference and I will follow one day at a time" In closing, tune your hearts to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit and His gentle nudges and leading, and you will see that you have avoided a lot of calamity and averted many a disaster in your lives. Amen.

1 Kings 17:1-6

Elijah from Tishbe, who was one of the settlers in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the Lord lives, Israel’s God, the one I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain these years unless I say so.”
2 Then the Lord’s word came to Elijah: 3 Go from here and turn east. Hide by the Cherith Brook that faces the Jordan River. 4 You can drink from the brook. I have also ordered the ravens to provide for you there. 5 Elijah went and did just what the Lord said. He stayed by the Cherith Brook that faced the Jordan River. 6 The ravens brought bread and meat in the mornings and evenings. He drank from the Cherith Brook

Divine Provision

Do give some background for this Ahab was a wicked king of Israel who worshiped Baal, a demonic idol. 1Kings 16: 30-Ahab found it easy to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. He married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, who was the king of the Sidonians. He served and worshipped Baal. 32 He made an altar for Baal in the Baal temple he had constructed in Samaria. Because of the Kings wickedness, Elijah the prophet, working on God's behalf, commanded the rain to stop in the land. This was done to prove to the people of Israel, who was their real God. Elijah represented God in an evil period of time where everyone worshiped Baal. Since Elijah was representing God, the famine that followed from a lack of rain did not affect Elijah. God instructed Elijah to move towards the brook and God commanded the ravens to feed Elijah. Elijah never went hungry and did not experience the famine which was in the land. What we can glean from the above passage is this. As long as we represent the God pf the Bible, in this Earth where the majority are Baal worshipers, we can be assured that God will take care of our needs, despite the economic climate and the other conditions in the world. In other words there may be a famine in the world however there will never be a famine for the people of God. I have written before when the Egyptians experienced the plagues including darkness, there was light in the land of Goshen, where the people of God dwelt. Similarly we as God's people are living in a world predominantly covered by a canopy of spiritual darkness, however, we bring light into this dark atmosphere. The famine in the land does not affect us and following God's instruction will lead us to divine provision. In conclusion, we ought to be like Elijah the Tishbite, representing the God of the Bible in a mostly Godless world and following God's instruction in order to be fed spiritually and naturally. If God could command the ravens to feed Elijah, He would never let His children go hungry, spiritually or naturally. Listen to advise and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise, as stated in the book of Proverbs. Amen.

Luke 7:47-49

47 The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.

49 “But the people who hear my words and do not obey are like a man who builds a house without preparing a foundation. When the floods come, the house falls down easily and is completely destroyed.”

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore, the Lord God says: Look! I’m laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a valuable cornerstone, a sure foundation: the one who trusts won’t tremble.

Acts 4:11

This [Jesus] is the Stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which has become the Head of the corner [the Cornerstone].

Cornerstone

When building an edifice, the builders always start with the foundation. The builders need to dig deep to ensure that the foundation rests on a rock or solid ground. Our lives can be likened to construction of a building. 1 Peter 2:5 You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house. We need to ensure that our lives are centered around the cornerstone which we see in the above verse is Christ. (Isaiah 28:16, Acts 4:11) Also in the book of Luke 47-49, Christ states that those who hear and obey His commandments are like a wise man who dug deep and laid the foundation of his spiritual house on the rock of Christ. Those who hear the words of Christ and choose to ignore and not obey it are like the foolish who built their spiritual house founded on sandy soil. We need to ensure that we not only attentively hear the words of Christ but we need to obey the words of Christ in order to have our lives centered on the rock of ages which is Christ. The Bible says Christ in us is the hope of Glory. our hope, our faith, our lives should be centered upon Christ. He is the plumb line by which we set things straight in our lives. We need to listen and obey so as to avoid entering into temptations and getting entangled in sins which so easily beset us. Draw upon the love, grace and mercy available through Christ. Rest in His Word and draw strength from His holy spirit in order to have our lives built on the sure foundation of the Word of God. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, 16 and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

The Armor

In the above passage, Paul the Apostle, being a prisoner for the Gospel, explains the elements of Spiritual Armor. He draws his inspiration from the armor of a Roman soldier he is chained to. We are to constantly be aware that we are in a spiritual battle with the enemy of our souls, Satan. The Bible says 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Satan is always looking for a way to trip us up in our spiritual walk. He relentlessly bombards God's people with afflictions of the soul or body. However we are exhorted to "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Paul, in the passage from the book of Ephesians explains how to fight in this battle over our souls. 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, The enemy of our souls rises up strongholds in the lives of people. There are strongholds of bitterness, rejection, depression, pride, envy, sexual sin and many others. However God has equipped us to overcome these strongholds, or something which has gotten hold over our lives. Jude 20 But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, We need to heed the instructions God has provided for us in His Word to be victorious over the enemy's assault on our faith walk. By applying the above principles to our lives we can rise above the storms and tumultuous situations in our lives and stand tall in the faith. In closing a word of exhortation Proverbs 24:16"Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity." So, do not cower in shame or despair if you have fallen in your faith walk, get up dust yourself up and continue walking in the straight and narrow path. In the words of Mathew 7:13-14 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Amen

Matthew 21:28-32 (CEV)

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. Now he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’29 “‘No, I don’t want to,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.30 “The father said the same thing to the other son, who replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ But he didn’t go.31 “Which one of these two did his father’s will?”They said, “The first one.”Jesus said to them, “I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom ahead of you. 32 For John came to you on the righteous road, and you didn’t believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn’t change your hearts and lives and you didn’t believe him.

Isaiah 1:19 (VOICE)

If you pay attention now and change your ways, you can eat good things from a healthy earth.

1 Samuel 15:22 (CEV)

Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.

...than words

The parable Jesus tells about a Father with two children in the book of Matthew 21:28-32 explains clearly that it is not our words that matter however it is our actions, or what we do. He was speaking to the religious crowd, who said the right things however they did not obey God's commands. John 14:23 Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Although it is important to say the right thing, it is infinitely more important to do the right thing. The Pharisees back then had the law and quoted the law and taught the law, however, they did not obey the law or keep the law. Jesus said in Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Sometimes we need to guard against falling into the same trap as the Pharisees where we nit pick certain points of scripture and neglect the most important showing mercy, grace, forgiveness and love to the world. In closing we need to obey the word of God by doing what He outlines in the scripture. Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. or in another version: As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Amen

Matthew 7:1-3 (TPT)

“Refuse to be a critic full of bias toward others, and judgment[a] will not be passed on you. 2 For you’ll be judged by the same standard that you’ve used to judge others. The measurement you use on them will be used on you.[b] 3 Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and yet fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own?

...that ye be not judged

We as people have a tendency to be blind to our own faults and shortcomings however we claim to see clearly the faults and weaknesses of others. As Jesus says in letters of red Mathew 7:3 You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. What it means is this. We are oblivious to our own flaws however we see minor flaws in others. However this behavior is not acceptable to God. 1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. In the TPT If you do not sit in judgment of others, you will avoid judgment yourself. If you do not sit in judgment of others, you will avoid judgment yourself. CJB. All these versions of the verses above are essentially saying that we need to shine to spotlight inwards on ourselves in an attempt to discern character flaws in us and not to try and pick up the flaws of others. Many times when our strengths are someone else's weakness we can fall into pride by patting ourselves on the back for not having the same weakness. Jesus tells a parable about a tax collector and a pharisee who were praying. Luke 18:9-14: Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ 14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus is not condoning being extortionists or adulterers however is pointing out that we are all in need f forgiveness and are not better than each other. There is also the parable about Simon and the prostitute who washed Jesus feet with her tears of repentance and was justified for her act of devotion which erased all her sins. When we see ourselves as sinners who have been forgiven much we will be able to look at the sinful through the eyes of Christ and lead them to the one who forgives. In closing, we need to look to him who forgave us and point others to the one who has the power to forgive their sins and restore their relationship with God, Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen

1 Samuel 30:1-4,6, 16-18

the Amalekites had been raiding in the desert around there. They had attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, 2 and had taken away the women and children. 3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they saw the burned-out ruins and learned that their families had been taken captive. 4 They started crying and kept it up until they were too weak to cry any more...6:David was desperate. His soldiers were so upset over what had happened to their sons and daughters that they were thinking about stoning David to death. But he felt the Lord God giving him strength,
16: He led David to the Amalekites. They were eating and drinking everywhere, celebrating because of what they had taken from Philistia and Judah. 17 David attacked just before sunrise the next day and fought until sunset.[a] Four hundred Amalekites rode away on camels, but they were the only ones who escaped.

18 David rescued his two wives and everyone else the Amalekites had taken from Ziklag. 19 No one was missing—young or old, sons or daughters. David brought back everything that had been stolen, 20 including their livestock.

The Lord strenghthens

To summarize the passage above, the Amalekites attacked the women and children of David and his men while the men were away. They lost everything. The men in the utter desperation thought of killing David their leader. However David encouraged himself in the Lord. When the chips were down and when even his own men were against him, with all his possessions and family captured by the enemy, David turned to the Lord for strength. The Lord in this case showed up and as always gives him strength to carry on. Many times in our lives we may be facing our own "Ziklag" where everything seems to be plundered by the enemy of our souls. Maybe our health has been robbed from us or our finances or both and when we may feel abandoned by those whom we love, we need to do as King David did. We need to encourage ourselves in the Lord and draw from His strength and wisdom. He always answers those that turn to him in desperation requiring an answer to their problems. We see in the passage above that everything ends well as the Lord led David to the enemy's camp and they reclaimed everything that was stolen from them plus much more. Following God's direction in a difficult situation such as this will always bring us the victory. The book of proverbs says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and He will make your path straight. Also in the book of Psalms The steps of a righteous man are ordered of God. When we trust God to come through in every situation He makes sure that our paths are ordered aright. There is a gospel song that goes as follows: "God walks the dark hills The ways, the by ways ,He walks through the billows Of life's troubled sea, He walks through the cold dark night, The shadows of midnight,God walks the dark hills, Just to guide you and me, God walks the dark hills,To guide my footsteps, He walks everywhere, By night and by day, He walks in the silence, On down the highway,God walks the dark hills, To show me the way." Trust in God when you seem to be broken, battered and bruised spiritually and He will guide you and walk side by side with you and carry you through the stormy situation in your lives. Amen

Luke 24:1-10

Very early Sunday morning, the women came to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. They brought the sweet-smelling spices they had prepared. 2 They saw that the heavy stone that covered the entrance had been rolled away. 3 They went in, but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 They did not understand this. While they were wondering about it, two men in shining clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were very afraid. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. 6 Jesus is not here. He has risen from death. Do you remember what he said in Galilee? 7 He said the Son of Man must be handed over to the control of sinful men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day.” 8 Then the women remembered what Jesus had said

Luke 24:5

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?

Alive again

This weekend is Resurrection weekend also known as Easter. This is the commemoration of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection on the third day. We need to pause and reflect on the signification of this for our lives. Our faith hinges on the fact that Jesus was crucified for our sins and was resurrected the third day. Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. " The lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Jesus came to the world for this purpose: to bear the penalty of our sins; to carry our transgressions to the cross. He conquered death because death could not hold Him captive. He defeated sin as He was the sinless Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. As the Jewish people celebrate pass over we remember the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Moses instructed them to slay a lamb and apply the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and when the death angel was released he saw the blood of the lamb and passed over the house. Similarly Jesus the sinless Lamb of God was crucified and His blood applied to our souls causes satan to pass over us and we are protected from the ravages of sin, sickness and disobedience. In the Spirit we apply the blood of the Lamb over our hearts and mind and soul to keep us from being targets of the enemies attack. We are redeemed from the enemy's clutches. We are saved and even though we all die eventually we will rise again to spend eternity in God's presence. Those who do not accept the death and resurrection of Christ will rise to eternal separation from God or in other words eternal damnation. We come to you Father God on this day to thank you for Jesus' death and resurrection on the cross. We surrender our lives to you Lord and live to serve you eternally. Amen.

Lamentations 3:23 (MSG)

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.

Lamentations 3:23 (TLB)

Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day.

A fresh start

We see in the above verses that God showers us with mercy afresh every day. Jesus said in the book of Matthew 6:34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." In another version “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." It is important to live every day anew and live in the present moment. Worrying about the past or future will prevent us from enjoying the present. God gives us each day what we can handle. We do not carry forward the problems of yesterday or yesteryear. We leave our burdens at the foot of the cross and start afresh every morning. The bible states that Jesus arose early and started His day in prayer. That is a great example to follow. Start the day off by renewing our minds in the presence of God and casting our cares at the foot of the cross. We call for his mercies to give us the strength to do what we have to do every day. We look to Him for guidance on the course of action we need to take. We surrender our lives afresh to Him and lay at the alter every care and every sin that easily besets us. We start each day in an attitude of gratitude or thankfulness. In closing for now, we should say every day, This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.Psalms 118:24 For this cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Amen

Proverbs 10:22

The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 10:22 (TLB)

The Lord’s blessing is our greatest wealth. All our work adds nothing to it!

Genesis 26:1-3 and 12-14

And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham
And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee.
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.

14 For he had possession of flocks and possession of herds, and great store of servants; and the Philistines envied him.

Prosperity

in the passage above we see that there was a famine in the Land where Isaac dwelt. Isaac was preparing to move however the Lord instructed him to stay despite the famine. Isaac followed the Lord's instructions and relied and trusted God to provide for him even during a famine. God honors trust. Romans 4:3 “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” When we believe and trust God for our provisions He steps right into the situation and blesses us. It is His blessing that makes us rich and not our own toil. This is not to say we lie back and do no work and expect money to be thrown at us. We see in the passage above Isaac sowed in the time of famine. This went contrary to natural wisdom. However Isaac was relying on God. When he sowed even in famine he increased and prospered and became the envy of the neighborhood. God promises to bless His children even in times of famine or economic distress. As long as we listen for God's voice and continue to sow into God's work we will be blessed. As it says in the book of proverbs The Lord's blessing is our greatest wealth. Matthew 6:33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.(GNT). The above verse sums up this passage well. God is able to provide for us richly as long as we continue to walk in His ways and continue to follow His commands. Sow in the time of famine and God will provide the harvest.

Numbers 23:20(CEV)

“My command from God was to bless these people, and there’s nothing I can do to change what he has done.

Numbers 23:8 (GW)

How can I curse those whom God hasn’t cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord hasn’t condemned?

...no man can curse!

In this day and age where people are dealing with frustrations and cussing out each other due to rage and anger, we need guard ourselves against the negative words spoken against us. The word says "death and life are in the power of the tongue" . What that means is we shape our circumstances to some extent by our speech. What we say affects what happens to us within the framework of reason. However, those of us who have put our hope and trust in Christ for our salvation come under his covenant of blessing. We need not worry about people cussing us out or even praying curses over us in their own twisted way. In the book of Numbers chapter 22 and 23 we see that Balak, an enemy of Israel, God's covenant people, hired a prophet to Blaam, to curse Israel. However, God did not permit Balaam to curse His covenant people. Balaam pronounced blessings instead of curses. The people of Issrael were far from being perfect however, regardless of the sins, failures and shortcomings God did not permit His children to be cursed. Similarly, once we are under the shadow of His wings,by putting our trust in Christ, committing our well being into His capable hands, we are beyond being cursed. People may speak words of death over us and curse us out in their own frustrations and it will be like water off a ducks back. Whom God has blessed no man can curse. The trick is to come under God's umbrella of protection by walking in obedience to the principles outlined in His word, the Bible. We can be under the shield of God's protection by living our lives in conformity to His Word. No weapon formed against us can prosper and every tongue that rises in judgement against us we shall condemn. This is our heritage as believers. Amen.

Hebrews 11: 8-10

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should later receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:10 (GNT)

For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.

Heavenly City

We see in the text above Abraham was called by God to leave his home and move to the promised land. At the time God called him, Abraham did not know which way to go. However God instructed him step by step, through trials and tribulations, to the promised land. We in our lives are similarly called to leave the worldly lifestyle behind and make our journey to the eternal city, whose architect and builder is God. There is a song that goes as follows: "Life is like a mountain railroad with an engine and a brake, we must make the run successful from the cradle to the grave. Watch the curves the fields and tunnels, never falter, never fail. Keep your hand upon the throttle and your eyes upon the rails." We live our lives knowing this that our final destination is the eternal city, the new Jerusalem, our heavenly abode. There will be no sadness no sorrow. Psalm 16:11 in thy presence is the fullness of joy: and at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. We get a sampling of this joy and abundant life down here on earth by living our lives in conformity to God's will, however in heaven there is no opposition from satan and no attempt to steal our joy. The love of God causes our joy to bubble up like a fountain when we are seated at His feet. Like Mary in the gospel story sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him, while Martha was cumbered about with much serving. Satan would like us to be cumbered about and worried and hassled even serving God, however Jesus wants us to chill at His feet. Like Peter the apostle who said to Jesus, "where can we go, you alone have the words of eternal life" Like King David who worshiped the Lord while tending sheep. We need to worship at the feet of Jesus to have our spirits filled with the presence of God so that we could experience the fullness of Joy the Bible talks about. Life is not always easy in this world, however our hope is not in this world but in the world to come. We journey through this world with our eyes fixed on Him who overcame the world for us. Jesus deprived the world of it's power to harm us. We hold on to God's unchanging hand and build our hopes on things eternal. In closing, Lift up your eyes for your redemption draweth nigh. In the words of Job, I know that my redeemer lives and He shall be the last one to stand. Behold the Lamb, on a white horse He returns to rule and reign, in Majesty. Amen.

Mark 4: 35-45

Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.

37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”

39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. 40 Jesus asked them, “Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?”

41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Who is this

In the above passage we see that as the disciples, who were fishermen, we doing their job, satan stirs up a storm in an effort to overthrow them. Although Jesus was present He did nothing, as He was asleep in the boat. Many times in life we find ourselves in the same situation as the disciples of Jesus. We are doing our job as we ought and find ourselves in a massive storm, struggling to keep our head above the water. Also many times when that happens it seems like Jesus is doing nothing. However, we can be reassured in this, as long as Jesus is in the boat with us we ain't going under. Jesus is the Master of the wind and the waves. He is king over our circumstances. We may thing we are going under, however all it takes is one word from Jesus, who is in the boat with us, and Peace is ushered in. In one version it says that Jesus said peace and there was calm. Just one word from Jesus ushers in the peace of God in the midst of a stormy situation. Remember when going through the storms of life to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, to perfect that which concerns you. Jesus loves you more than anyone else in the world loves you and He's got you back. He is fighting on your behalf. He has overcome the challenges of the world for you. He loves you and He will never forsake you. He is the great shepherd and He watches over his sheep. He is the Master over every trial you are facing. He is the shelter in the midst of the storm. Amen.

Luke 2:10,11 (GNV)

Then the Angel said unto them, Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people,11 That is, that unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Good will towards men

The birth of Christ over 2000 years ago was proclaimed by angels who announced the glad tidings. On Earth peace and good will towards men. Many people today (mostly atheist) blame religion for all the unrest we see on earth. However Jesus came to bring peace to those who God favors. Luke 2:14 in the RSV says "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” God gives peace among men with who he is pleased. Peace is a condition of the heart.The kind of peace Jesus gives is an inner peace to those who trust Him. All of God's blessings are reserved for those who trust Him. Deuteronomy 28:2 (ESV) And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. God's blessings are promised to those who obey. In the parable of the prodigal son, when the son left the Father's house to do his own thing , he was eating what pigs eat. Similarly, when we stray from the commandments of God, we find ourselves far from the blessings of God, eating from a spiritual pig pen. However, in the same parable we see once the prodigal returns the Father welcomes him with the best robe and ring. Similarly, once we return to following God's commands, He opens the windows of heaven and pours us out a blessing so we have no room to contain it. It all boils down to trusting God. When we trust Him with everything that pertains to our lives we reap God's blessing on our lives. Trusting God gives access to the blessings of God in our lives. God will perfect that which concerns us, God is a father to the fatherless, a husband to the widow and He will take care of everyone who puts their trust in Him. Relying upon God for our peace and well being is the one thing we need to do. In closing, the message of Chris't birth is good news to us and trusting Him will give us peace in our lives and so much more. God's treasure trove of riches, true riches which money can't buy, are reserved for those who trust Him completely. Amen

Matthew 2:1,2, 11

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

And when they came into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifice that God wants is a humble spirit.you will not turn away someone who comes with a humble heart and is willing to obey you.

Gifts

We see in the verses above that at the birth of Jesus, wise men were seeking a savior. Their reaction when they saw Him was to open up their treasures before Him. That should be our reaction when confronted with the presence of God. Our first reaction should be to bow down and worship Him and secondly to open up our treasures before Him. Although our treasures may not always be money based we need to offer Him something from the depths of our heart. Like we see in Psalm 51:17 God wants us to have an obedient heart. A willingness to follow His commands and live by His rule. He is after all the High King of Heaven. He deserves to be revered and worshiped as such. In the Christmas carol little drummer boy, we see that a poor boy plays his very best on the drum for Him. The song says, then He smiled at me. My goal when I eventually meet my maker is to have Him smile at me. Jesus talks about this in the parable of the talents. To the people who used their talents to honor Him, He said "well done". That is my goal in life that when I finally move on I hear my Master say to me well done. This Christmas let us give the gift of obedience to our King. In the words of the drummer boy, play your best for Him and he will smile at you. Happy Christmas season and honor Christ this Christmas. Amen.