Thursday, November 27, 2008

Hearing Ears

What do you hear? What do you want to hear? How do you hear? What do you do with what you hear. These were some of the questions that came to my mind this morning.

One could want to hear only positive things. Others some gossip. No one wants to hear anything bad or negative.
There are anxious and eager hearers and uninterested careless hearers. Some want to hear the opinion of people, others love to hear from God. What we hear could do us good if it transforms us and makes us happy or it could ruin us, if it creates hatred or panic.

God wants us to have hearing ears to hear from Him. I meditated on some of the bible verses on the spiritual hearing of the believers.

'Blessed is the man that hears me and watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors'{ Pro.8:34] It is a daily duty of a believer to listen eagerly to what the Lord is saying. If I do it I will be blessed.

The Lord may want to say things to correct me some times. 'The ear that hears the reproof of life abides among the wise.' [Pro.15:31] Only an unwise person will shun the disapproval and the reprove of the all wise loving God our father. He wishes you and me to be holy and true like Him . so in his love He shows our faults. I lke to say, he who listens to a life giving rebuke will be at home with the wise.

We hear God's voice when we go to church. 'Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil'
[Ecc.5:1]

The best attitude is, to be able to say, 'Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid: O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy. [Hab.3:2] This will be our cry if we have true hearing ears.

The right kind of hearing will bring a godly fear, a spiritual quickening, a revival, a revelation and a longing to seek God's mercy.

James says, 'Wherefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak slow to wrath.' [James 1:9] It is sad but true some prefer to hear things that pleases them. They gather around teachers, what their etching ears want to hear, not sound doctrine. Thus they turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths.{2nd. Tim.4:3&4] No wonder there there is so much of falling away from the true churches and so much of diluted doctrines that there is no distinction between the people of God and the pagans in their behavior.

What the believers are expected to do is, '---having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.' ]Luke8:15] 'These are they which are sown on the good ground; such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, some hundred.'[Mark4:20]

Lord help us be not only hears but doers of your word. Help us hear the right way and benefit by it, is my prayer for you, me and all other God's children

Sunday, November 16, 2008

God of Peace and the Peace of God

The situations we face in today's world, brings disquiet, fear and turmoil within us. It is nothing but natural if the God of peace is not in us.

I wondered how to keep the peace within us . The Lord reminded me of a verse from the Bible.

" Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."[Ph.4:6]

If we just give the matter that worried us to God in prayer and in faith thank Him for what He is going to do about it, He will take the responsibility of guarding our hearts and minds. Then we will be free from panic or worry even in very bad circumstances. We ourselves will wonder at the God given peace. It is a peace that passes all understanding and all misunderstandings. It comes by handing the matter into God's hand , leaving it with Him and praising Him in faith that He knows to handle it .

It is the God of peace or His presence with us that gives us this kind of peace.

The bible also tells us how to keep the God of peace with us: " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."[Ph.4:8]
If the God of peace is with us, we will be in peace with God and others, have peace in every situation at all times and promote and spread peace.

God of peace help us to have you always with us, is my prayer.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Blessed Seniors!

The other day we visited a seniors' home. We 'entertained ' them by singing. We prayed that the gospel songs would touch their hearts, as they were nearer to the grave than us, because of age, [though death could come to anyone at any time] and they should be ready to meet the Lord.

All of them were in their wheel chairs. Some enjoyed the singing, some joined in, some were absorbed in their own thoughts and others were indifferent. My thought was: What a blessed thing to know the Lord before we become incapable of thinking properly! Yet it is never too late for the mercy of God to meet anyone and bring them to salvation. The Holy spirit will do the work if we pray for them.

The very next day I read of two great seniors, who were part of Jesus' infancy. Luke 2:25-27 tells of the righteous and devout seniors, Simeon and Anna. Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.' He must have spent time in the scriptures and in prayer, to get such a revelation!

Moved by the Holy Spirit he went into the temple courts and waited for Mary , Joseph and the baby to arrive. I am amazed at the way the Holy Spirit led him! When they came to dedicate the baby, Simon took baby Jesus in his arms and and praised God and said, 'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people. A light, for revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. Then he prophesied and said to Mary, 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul too'. [Luke2:33-35] What an amazing accurate prophesy!

Simeon died , the way he desired and prayed, but we have seen his prophesy being fulfilled!

The other Senior was Anna, a widow of 84 years. She had lived with her husband for only 7 years! but served the Lord for 77 years! She was called a prophetess as she was close to God: With fasting and prayers she attended upon the sanctuary. She also spoke of the baby to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Unlike now, they respected these elders and their words. Their words were recorded for us to read even today.

Surely God would have accepted their sincere prayers. As they blessed the baby with their whole heart, they would have been blessed by God.

What a contrast to some of the seniors of today!

I would like to be a contented praying , useful and blessed senior.

What about you, when you become old.? Prepare yourself now by getting close to God now, then your old age will be a blessing to others.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Life Purpose -Donation

Donation is the third duty and purpose of our life. Donation does not only mean giving out money or stuff to the needy with out expecting any return .

It has a deeper spiritual meaning: God has given us so many things. It is He who has given us this very life. Bible says, ' either you give or you lose your life.' " who ever wants to save his life shall lose it but whoever loses his life for me, shall find it". [Mat.16:25] We have a natural tendency for self preservation and feel reluctant to go all out serving the Lord. But if we really love God we will not hesitate to even to lay down our lives for the sake of the Gospel.'It is more blessed to give than to receive" are words of our Lord Jesus himself. IPeter4:10]

God has promised His power and authority to us [ Luke10:19] and has also given us a commission." Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give"[Mat10:8] This is a donation.

The talents and gifts we have are from God. We are expected to Donate them to him. We received them to serve God and others with it.

When I meditated on the above, my heart raised a payer to the Lord, who loved us so much: Lord, everything we have are given by you freely. Help us to donate them to you, to serve others in your name without grudging.

I also sang the little chorus. I meant what I sang:
All that I have,
All that I am
All I shall ever be,
Cannot repay the love that I owe,
I surrender to Thee.

I wish you too will sing it along with me!