The Christmas carols, the Christmas tree, the streets lights and of course, the shops full of all things Christmas are here with us again. But wait a minute, where is the babe? Does the Bethlehem native story still ring true? Before you forget or indulge in the routine and rituals of Christmas….REMEMBER: CHRISTMAS IS YOUR SALVATION STORY. Keep your hearts warm as you wait to celebrate!!!!
Archive | November 2009
THE LOVE MATRIX
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what LOVE is: JESUS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
There is a Polish saying that says, “HURRY UP TO LOVE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY QUICKLY DEPART!”
Why love matrix? You may ask. Matrix has its roots from the Latin word…Mater which means womb or mother. Among other meanings…Matrix can be defined as;a substance, situation or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed. As human beings, we all take form in our mother’s womb…that is our enclosed matrix. Without a womb, it is impossible for a human child to develop into a full human baby. Of course, while it is possible to impregnant the human embryo outside the mother’s womb…with time without the proper environment for it take form into maturity, there will be a certain termination. We all are grateful for our earthly mothers, who provided us with the proper environment i.e their wombs where we took form and after nine months became independent from that enclosure.
And that too also applies in our Christian lives. You see, before we got born again…God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ who laid down his life for us. In essense, he is OUR LOVE MATRIX. Before we knew him, God placed us in the right environment…and brought our way the right people who taught us the word of God and slowly, it began taking form in our hearts. Before we knew it, we were gloriously saved. And after we got born again…the love matrix begins all over again. God calls us to laid down our lives for the next generation…for the babies who are yet to be born of God.
As a Christian, do you feel it is your responsibility to laid down your life for your brothers? Does love compel you to do something for the body of Christ? HURRY UP, my brother and sister, there are people waiting to be loved and enclosed in the LOVE MATRIX.
THE DREAMER
Genesis 37:19-20 “Here comes that DREAMER!” they said to each other. “Come let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his DREAMS.”
No matter what stage or point we are in life, we all have dreams. Dreams may or may not come true. Dreams may be things which we would love to have or do which are still out of reach. Dreams may also happen in our sleep beyond our human control and ability to choose whether to experience them or not.
But dreams, like many other things are also means in which God can use to convey a message for the unforeseen future.
And so, it was in the case of Joseph. By then, he was just a teenage, loved by his father, Jacob and hated by his brothers. Then one day, he had a dream which he quickly shared with his brothers. When they heard about his dream…they HATED him even the more. Of course, the matter might have ended there, was it not for his second dream. By now, they could not stand him and Jacob, his father rebuked him but kept the matter in mind. You see, Joseph wasn’t the initiator of his dreams in the first place…and in a sense, he wasn’t looking out for interpretation or their accomplishment. In any case, he was still innocence for that. But God had a plan.
Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt and landed at Potiphar’s house. Before long, he was accused of sexual assault and landed into prison. If Joseph wondered what would become of his dreams, we are not told. However, we are told of someone else’s dreams: the cup-bearer and the baker. These two men landed in prison where Joseph was and he, by God’s help interpreted their dreams; one died, and the other…the cup-bearer returned to Pharaoh’s service. Two years later, Pharaoh too had his dreams and Joseph was called out to interpret them. Before he knew it….HIS DREAM was beginning to be accomplished.
Has God given you a dream? Do people look at you and think like Joseph, “Heh, here comes the dreamer!'” Take courage. One thing though is for sure…when God give you a dream…he will also make someone else like you to dream. In order for your dream to be accomplished, God will cause you to run to help someone else accomplish their dreams first. Joseph sowed into the dreams of the cup-bearer and Pharaoh without know that in the real sense, he was sowing into his own dream…and the returns were more than he could have ever dreamed in daylight:a Prime minister, nations saved and above all, reconciliation with his own family.
My friend…if God has given you a DREAM…don’t settle for less nor let obstacles stop you. THERE ARE MANY DREAMERS OUT THERE WAITING ON YOU!
THE CHRISTIAN
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL, because it is the power of the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
The question goes out to you…Are you are a Christian? What really makes a Christian know they are a CHRISTIAN in the first place? With so much happening around the Christian world, how are you, as the child of God able to identify the voice of the Good Shepherd among the many strange voices? Much is being said…and much will continue being said but the truth is, JESUS is the SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY and FOREVER….In other words, there is not an ANCIENT JESUS, A MODERN JESUS or POST-MODERN JESUS for that matter. If the world calls themselves post-modern or whatever else they want…YOU REMEMBER this: You are a Christian because of WHO you Believe and not where or which times you are in.
Do you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Do you believe he died to set you free from sin and condemnation? Do you believe that Jesus is the one and only Son of God? Do you believe, after his resurrection, he went to heaven to prepare a place for you and me? Do you believe that he left us the Holy Spirit…to guide us into all TRUTH? If your answer is YES…then you are a CHRISTIAN, saved only by grace through faith in HIM and that is a gift of God.
I Corinthians 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the SPIRIT whom is from God, that we may understand what GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN US. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the SPIRIT, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
Therefore….my dear brethren…be warned and be alert; there are many wolves out there!
THE PROPHETESS
Luke 2:36-38 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and SPOKE about the CHILD to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
We all love the CHRISTMAS STORY in Luke chapter 2. Inevitably, in a couple of weeks, as Christians, we will be reminded of the birth of our Saviour…the baby Jesus. However, in the crafting of the Christmas story in Luke 2…we also meet two very outstanding personalities; SIMEON, a righteous and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s CHRIST. Then, there is ANNA, a PROPHETESS. But her story seems to read differently than Simeon’s. In a very strange but brief way, HER BIOGRAPHY is summarized in a few sentences…i.e her family, her tribe, her marriage, widowhood and her prophetic ministry. For someone who spend decades on her kneels before the Lord, it might then seem ridicules for such a hero to receive no or very little attention.
But that is the whole point! You see, in the world we live in, even in the Christian world…people or leaders are recognized for their outstanding life-long achievements. We honor men and women of God who have given up much so as to serve in the Kingdom of God. And while it is rightful to do so, most of the time, great ministries and men and women of God are birthed through the prophetic office, and yet, it is rare to hear or see the prophet/prophetess being honored. And here is the reason why.
The prophetess/prophet usually lives their lives like most of us…having a normal eight to five job, married, have kids and deals with the issues of life on a daily basis. Yet, in spite of these, the prophetess is a WORSHIPPER! She has a life behind the closet…A PRAYER LIFE. Nations, people, ministries etc are birthed behind closed doors…and when the time come for them to stand out for all to see….like Anna, the prophetess come out to give thanks and SPEAK THE WORD as the Lord’s mouthpiece.
Are you a prophetess? Do not seek to stand out to be counted. Are you weary of seeing your prayers taking long to be answered? REMEMBER ANNA and be encouraged! Someone once said, “THERE ARE NO WASTE BINS IN HEAVEN!”
THE STAIRCASE FOR GOD
Psalm 50:22-23 “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with no rescue: He who sacrifices THANK-OFFERINGS honors Me, and he prepares THE WAY so that I may show him the SALVATION OF GOD.”
Today in the US is THANKSGIVING DAY. Family and friends meet over the dinner table to share a turkey dinner and offer thanksgiving for the past year. Of course, not all of us live in the US, but most of us if not all have the opportunity to meet with our family and friends over different occasions from time to time. However beyond a day that is earmarked as a day for giving thanks, each day is in fact ideal for us to give thanks. Nature teaches us to give thanks after we have received or when times are good. However, there is another kind of THANKSGIVING that pleases God more: A SACRIFICIAL THANKSGIVING.
It is easy for you and me to give thanks when we are on the receiving end….but sacrificial thanksgiving is much harder because it means we are surrendering something valuable to us without any guarantees of gain. Sacrificial thanksgiving says… I did not get the dream job I longed for, but thank you Lord that all my needs are met. My health is poor, but thank you Lord for the years I have enjoyed good health. It feels lonely after the death of a loved one, but thank you Lord for the memories of times spent together. And the list is endless.
You see, sacrificial thanksgiving does much more than bring a smile on God’s face…if anything it prepares a staircase for Him to show up at your DOORSTEP. When God shows up at your doorstep, HE BRINGS WITH HIM, SALVATION. Have you prepared the way for HIM? If Jonah did sacrifice while enclosed inside the fish stomach, then you and I are well able to do the same.
Jonah 2: 9-10 BUT I, WITH A SONG OF THANKSGIVING, WILL SACRIFICE TO YOU. WHAT I HAVE VOWED I WILL MAKE GOD. SALVATION COMES FROM THE LORD. And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry Land.
OF TIME AND MEN
Ecclesiastes 7:14 When TIMES are good, be happy; but when TIMES are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
We all know the old saying, “TIME IS MONEY.” But I have made my own observation; MONEY, TIME and MEN are three inseparable things. At least, I am learning firsthand from the one God has given me: My own husband. You see, for him, he calculates his success…i.e time invested in a task by the returns. One day, he comes home with that sense of pride that today his time was well worth it…of course, plenty of clients and cash flow. Another, his man ego almost crashed…the clients are few and the boss is nervous.
You see, until a year or so ago, TIMES were good. People went about living their lives as normal. Going to work, buying homes or flats on mortgage, going for exotic holidays and of course, saving for the ‘rainy day.’ Then, bang!…Without warning…the world financial institutions began crumbling down. People from right, left and center began losing their jobs, homes and health. For men, especially whose time means money, staying at home or taking on a less-attractive job can be quite a painful experience.
But wait a minute…the above scriptures talks about GOOD TIMES and BAD TIMES. Yes, its a fact we are now living in difficult financial times. In bad times, we are told to CONSIDER...that is to stop and rethink and re-evaluate our priorities. There are things which time cannot translate into money. For example, we bought a bicycle for our daughter last Spring. Of course, my husband and I took turns and invented time to teach her how to ride. Our time did not translate into money, but rather into a deeper pleasure which no money can buy.
And this same challenge goes to the MEN out there:
How can you invest your time well during these times as you wait for an opening? There are plenty of institutions looking for volunteers e.g nursing homes, hospices, your Church community etc. TIME doesn’t always have to spell money. TIME SHOULD ALWAYS TRANSLATE INTO PEOPLE, first and foremost…in GOOD OR BAD TIMES!
A LETTER FROM GOD
1 Corinthians 7:32, 34 I would like you to be free from concern. An UNMARRIED man is concerned about the Lord’s affair – how he can please the Lord. …An unmarried woman or VIRGIN is concerned about the Lord’s affairs; Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.
Years ago, I came across this letter in a Christian book which truly blessed my heart and hope will bless yours too.
Everyone longs to give himself or herself to someone; to have a deep soul relationship with another…to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But to the CHRISTIAN, God says, “NO, not yet; not without being loved by ME alone; with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me – to having an intensely personal and unique relationship with ME alone.”
I love you, My child, and until you discover that your satisfaction is to be found only in ME, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship I have planned for you. You will not be unified with each other until you are united with me exclusively. I want you to stop; stop wishing, stop planning and allow me to give you the most thrilling plan in existence, the one that you can’t imagine.
I want you to have the BEST. Please allow ME to bring it to you… Just keep watching, expecting the greatest things. Keep expecting that satisfaction, knowing that I AM. Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry . Don’t look around at the things you think you want. You just keep looking away and up to ME, or you will miss what I have to show you.
Then when you are ready, I will surprise you with love more exciting and wonderful than any you could ever dream of. You see, until you are ready – I am working this minute to have you both ready at the same time – until you are both ready, you won’t be able to experience the LOVE that amplifies your relationship with ME, and to enjoy the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love I offer you with yourself.
KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU UTTERLY. I AM GOD ALMIGHTY. BELIEVE ME AND BE SATISFIED.
This letter saved my life and I believe it can save yours….KEEP YOUR EYES ABOVE!
GOD, THE HEDGE AND YOU
Genesis 13:1, 14-15 So Abram went from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and LOT WENT WITH HIM. The Lord said to Abram after LOT HAS PARTED FROM HIM, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land you see I will give to you and your offspring FOREVER.
A Hedge can be defined as:
– barrier or protection against something
-to enclose or separate with or as if with a hedge
-to guard against the risk of loss… and
–TO EVADE DECISION especially by making noncommittal statements
In life, there are two kind of hedges…MAN-MADE and GOD-DESIGNED. By nature, man desires to feel secure and of course, that sense of security comes when we know we are protected. And security inevitably makes us steadfast. Hedges are therefore, a part and parcel of our daily life.
It was the same with Abram. At 75, God called him to move out of his secure zone…i.e Haran. Without protest, He gathered his earthly belongings…his wife, livestock and servants and set off to the land God had called him into. But wait a minute…there was someone else in his entourage….Yes, LOT, his nephew. You see, Lot was the son of Abram’s brother, HARAN. The land of Haran for Abram stood for security and steadfastness. And while it was easy for him to obey God when he was asked to move out, something still was hindering him: LOT. By taking Lot with him, the sense of security he had enjoyed in Haran was still very much alive in his mind. Moreover, in Abram’s mind, without a son of his own to inherit his wealth, Lot was the closest member of his family and rightly an heir to his wealth. In many ways than one...LOT WAS A HEDGE for Abram. But was this a God-designed hedge or man-made?
Just as in Abram’s case, God may be calling you out of your secure zone. Yes, you have every reason to believe He is leading you. But you want to have some form of physical guarantee that He will keep you secure where He is taking you. So with your earthly wisdom, you decide to help Him out. Before you know it…there is a LOT in your life. You see, Lot came not to secure Abram’s future but rather to hinder it. But God had a better plan. Abram’s and Lot’s men began quarrelling because of the limited space. Finally, Abram made a decision…LOT and Him had to separate. And no sooner after Lot left…GOD CAME TO ABRAM. After the Hedge had been removed….GOD GAVE ABRAM HIS INHERITANCE…not only for him but for HIS OFFSPRING FOREVER. Without the hedge…HIS TERRITORY ENLARGED FOR GENERATIONS!!!
What are the hedges in your life? Who is the Lot that is hindering your visibility? Now is the time to send him packing. THE LORD IS WAITING ON YOU.
PERFECT IN BEAUTY?
Ezekiel 28:18 Your heart became PROUD on account of YOUR BEAUTY, and you corrupted your wisdom because of YOUR SPLENDOR. So I threw you to the earth; I made you a spectacle of before kings.
PERFECT...when we hear the word perfect, we know that means approved, pleasant, ideal, spectacular among many other words. Perfect brings with it a feeling of excellence and veneration above the average. PERFECT is the feeling that God had on the sixth day of creation: GOD SAW ALL THAT HE HAD MADE, AND IT WAS VERY GOOD. AND THERE WAS EVENING AND THERE WAS MORNING – the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were COMPLETED in all their vast array. Genesis 1:31-2:1
Completed…in God’s term means the sky will always be blue, the grass will always be green, the water will always be colorless, blood will ever be red and many other aspects of creation have and will never change as long as heaven and earth abounds.
But long before heaven and earth were in existence….there was another who was PERFECT IN BEAUTY. Before his fall, Lucifer was the chief among the angels. He was EVERYTHING YOU AND I WOULD EVER DREAM TO BE, and much more. HE WAS PERFECT. But something went terribly wrong…on account of his beauty, his heart became lofty. Why not, I too can become like God, he convinced himself and a third of the hosts in Heaven. And before he knew it…he became an OUTCAST…not for life…but rather for ETERNITY.
Sometimes we too in life have moments or seasons of PERFECT BEAUTY. These are times when things are so harmonious, almost musical. Life seems to offer us nothing but the very best of this side of heaven. And we begin forgetting…and prideful thoughts arises in our heads: my academic qualifications brought me this far, with a good diet and exercises I will outlive by age-mates. We strive and thrive to attain a PERFECTION with whatever means available no matter what or who we might harm or hurt along the way. You see, Satan too was blameless and perfect until…a prideful desire crossed through his mind. He wanted to be GOD.
And while, it is right to be desire to be excellent in what we do, PERFECTION either led us to a dangerous road of thinking we are self-sufficient or to the ONENESS of proclaiming with the rest of creation in awe…IT IS VERY GOOD. May God see in us a reproduction of HIS PERFECT BEAUTY on the six day of creation.
RAINBOW GULF OF LOVE 