Chosen in His Service

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Set Free of Chains

In Matthew 6, we see Jesus teaching his disciples to pray. He taught we are first to forgive others before seeking God’s forgiveness for ourselves. “.. forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6.12 (NLT)

He goes on to say, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”. Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)

Through the ‘Parable of the Unforgiving Servant’ (Matthew 18.21-35) Jesus helps us understand the need to forgive without reserve. In Mathew 18.21 we see Peter asking Jesus this question. Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” After answering Peter, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven”, Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the unforgiving servant.

The King in the parable represents God while the servant and his debtor represent us. I am sure you are all familiar with the parable. In Matthew 18.32-34 the Bible says, “Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.”

The 35th verse is a warning, it says, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Verse 35 is the key verse that will unlock many of the problems that we face today as believers.

In all our lives there are many people who have either wronged us or those we believe have wronged us. Soon after coming to know of God’s Love for us we willingly forgive many. But often there are forgotten unforgiveness or even deep rooted anger against person or persons that seems impossible to get rid off. Many of us struggle with such. Often the set formulas of confessing, forgiving, prayer of blessing, restitution if any etc, do not work. In such situations what do we do?

Unforgiveness binds a heavy chain around our neck with the other end firmly around the unforgiven person’s neck. If there is more than one person to forgive, then the number of chains will be equivalent to the number of people to be forgiven. So everytime you strive through faith or prayer to come out of debt, poverty, sickness etc you sense something dragging all over the place. Your ministry does not take off as it should have, your are experiencing constant marital strife, you are unable to hold on to jobs, friends, etc. Check your heart with the help of the Holy Spirit and see if there is unforgiveness in your life.

In addition to all these chains binding you to people there is the most heavy chain binding you to the devil. No matter how hard you pull, he will drag you to the lake of fire prepared for him and his demons.

What can I do to escape? What should I do to loosen these chains off my neck? The answer is simple. Pray for your enemy. Bless him/her in all the areas of their life. Pray for their salvation, healing, joy, peace and prosperity. Speak blessings into their life. Okay, now how often should I do this? As often as you remember them. If you remember them say ten times, pray for them ten times. If you remember them say 100 times, pray for them 100 times. When we do that, we will be obeying Jesus who he said, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven”.

This will ensure that you will experience forgiveness in your heart and you will be loosed of your chains. You will also fulfill your calling to be a blessing to those in the dark.

So next time you feel offended, start praying for the offender all the blessing you desire for yourself. Speak out the blessings. Everytime you remember the bitter words, or the wrong done to you, speak words of blessing over their life. Be definite when you bless. Do not pray, “God bless them” or “I bless them in the Name of the Jesus”, or even “God Bless them for they know not what they do”. Speak specific blessings. “Lord Bless them in their finances”. “Lord, heal their back pain”. “Lord let there be peace in their family”. “Oh, Lord, I bless her womb in the Name of Jesus. May she be blessed with a child soon, Father.” These are just a few examples. You may know their exact needs. Pray for those needs, especially pray for their souls. Pray that they may experience the Love of God in their lives too and commit their lives to Jesus.

Do not pray selfishly. Pray without expecting anything for yourself. Your heavenly Father will bless you and keep you till your last as you walk in forgiveness and obedience to him.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Nativity Myths

We are all familiar with the nativity scenes displaying the familiar picture of the three wise men and the shepherds gazing with adoration at the Christ child in the manger, with his loving parents Joseph and Mary and a menagerie of domestic animals looking on.

Have you ever wondered what’s wrong with the picture?

The Bible merely says that the baby Jesus was laid in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for domestic animals. Luke 2.7, 12, 16 It says nothing about any animals being present. What about the three wise men or Magi gazing at the baby in the manger when the Bible clearly says that the Magi entered a house to see Jesus (Matthew 2.11)

Much of the world, and even many Christians, have been confused by a series of tradition that have managed to pass as legitimate Bible facts in churches around the world.

The purpose of this is to let the Bible speak for itself—to defend the faith it was designed to convey.

Birth of ‘Yeshua Meschiach’

The birth of Jesus or ‘Yeshua Meschiach’ and associated events are described in the Gospels according to Luke and Matthew.

Luke 2. 6- 24 speaks of Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem, the shepherds’ visit and his circumcision on the eight day. It also records Jesus’ presentation in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Luke 2. 8-20 Shepherds living out in the fields nearby were told the good news of Jesus’ birth by angels. They were given a sign, ‘a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger’. The shepherds went to see this baby and ‘returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told’ Vs 20.

From the above verses, it is clear that the shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.

Luke 2. 21 On the eight day of his birth, Jesus was circumcised according to the Law Lev 12.3

Luke 2. 22 -23 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as commanded in Exodus 13.2, 12

Luke 2. 24 ‘to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." Leviticus 12 says ‘a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering’…..’ If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering’. Lev 12.1-8.

Thus, Luke chapter 2 makes it clear that,
1. The shepherds saw the baby Jesus soon after he was born, probably the very same night.
2. He was circumcised on the eight day of his birth.
3. After the days of purification were over (8+33=41 days), Jesus parents took him to Jerusalem to offer the customary sacrifice prescribed by the Law. They were so poor that they could only offer the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. (two doves or two young pigeons)


Matthew 2:1-12 speaks of the Magi from the east coming to Jerusalem in search of ‘one who has been born king of the Jews’ Vs 2.

Matthew 2:2 the Magi saw the star of Jesus Christ ‘in the east’ and traveled far to ‘worship him’. In the days of camel and caravan travels, it is unconceivable that they reached Bethlehem any time soon.

Matthew 2:7 Herod finds from the Magi the exact time the star had appeared. Later when Herod realized that the Magi had outwitted him, he gave order for all boys who were two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, to be killed based on the time he had determined by minutely questioning the Magi. Matthew 2:16 Herod knew the exact time the star appeared so he limited his killing to boys who were two years and below.

Matthew 2:9-11 The Magi followed the star and reached a house above which the star stopped. They entered the house and saw the child. This verse makes it clear that the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger but at a house. The baby is now a child, a toddler and they worshiped him.

Luke chapter 2, verses 12 & 16 makes it clear that the Christ the shepherds went to see and saw was just a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger. A baby lying thus was to be a sign unto the shepherds. However, Matthew 2.11 clearly states “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him”. The Magi saw a child, not a newborn baby. This is true irrespective of the Bible version you read.

In fact, it may have been over a year after the birth of Jesus before the wise men even arrived! This theory is supported well when we read that King Herod commands his soldiers to kill all the infants in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16).

Matthew 2: 11b They opened their treasures and presented Jesus with costly gifts of gold incense and myrrh. They gave three types of gifts that represented His royalty, priesthood and prophetic role. On a more practical level, these gifts turned the fortune of the poor Jewish family, enabling them to travel far to Egypt to escape the anger of Herod. When Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the Temple, they were still poor which is why they offered the poor man’s burnt and sin offering. If they had gold or any of the other gifts, they would not have withheld it. This too proves that the Magi visited afterwards.

Likewise nowhere in the Gospel is the number of the Magi who worshiped Jesus mentioned. It is clear from verses that there were more than one Magi, but we cannot be sure about the exact number. (Matthew 2.2, 9-12) Traditionally the number of gifts may have determined the number of Magi too.

Christmas Celebration

The traditional date of celebrating the birth of Jesus has been challenged by scholars who point out that when Jesus was born, shepherds were watching their sheep in the hills around Bethlehem. Luke tells us that an angel appeared to "some shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (Luke 2:8).

Some scholars feel that the sheep were usually brought under cover from November to March; as well, they were not normally in the field at night. But, early Jewish sources suggest that the sheep around Bethlehem were outside year-round. The surrounding region of Bethlehem was good grazing land and the hillsides contained numerous caves which could be used by shepherds for shelter. The sheep around Bethlehem were no ordinary sheep. Bethlehem was located 4 miles south of the Jerusalem Temple, and many of Bethlehem's sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple. During the special feast days in Israel's religious calendar, thousands of Jews would come to their holy city from all over the Roman Empire to offer sacrifices. Rather than transport their sacrificial lambs from distant homes, they would buy them in Jerusalem. By law, the sheep slated for sacrifice had to be without blemish or defect. (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 22-23; Numbers 28-29.) Thus, the shepherds in the region of Bethlehem kept close watch over their special sheep.

God first revealed the Messiah's birth to the shepherds who protected the lambs which would soon die on behalf of sinful men. The ‘Lamb of God’ was placed on a manger – a feeding trough, where other sacrificial lambs were penned. When the shepherds saw the baby, could they have understood the significance? Is that why they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told [by the angels]’ Luke 2.20.

Despite much research and expert opinions there are still differing opinions regarding the actual day of Christ’s birth. The first century church did not celebrate Christ's birth. They were far more concerned and occupied with his death and resurrection. But modern man is preoccupied with celebrating a birthday. A baby lying in a manger is harmless and non-threatening but, a man who claims to be God dying on a cross--that man is a threat! He demands our allegiance! We cannot ignore him. We must either accept him or reject him. He leaves us no middle ground.

This Christmas season, when you see the Babe that was laid in the manger, remember - He was born to die . . . that all who believe in him might live.

Link to a realChristmas quiz
http://www.biblequizzes.org.uk/quiz.php?therealchristmasquiz

Our Birthright in Christ

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:34)

Birthright

Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary identifies the term ‘BIRTHRIGHT’ as a right, privilege, or possession to which a person, especially the firstborn son, was entitled by birth in Bible times. In Israel, as in the rest of the ancient world, the firstborn son enjoyed a favoured position. His birthright included a double portion of his father's assets upon his death (Deut. 21:17). Part of the firstborn's benefits was a special blessing from the father (Gen. 27:27)and the privilege of leadership of the family (Gen. 43:33).

The inheritance rights of the firstborn were protected by law, so the father could not give his benefits to a younger son (Deut. 21:15–17). The firstborn himself, however, could lose the birthright. Because he committed incest with his father's concubine (Gen. 35:22), Reuben lost his favored position (1 Chron. 5:1–2), while Esau sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a stew of lentils (Gen. 25:29–34), or for “one morsel of food” (Heb. 12:16).

Jesus was both the firstborn of his heavenly Father (John 3:16), and his earthly mother, Mary (Luke 2:7); so he enjoyed the rights and privileges of the Jewish birthright. All Christians are His brothers, sharing in His spiritual inheritance (Rom. 8:17). They are counted as “firstborn” by God's grace (Heb. 12:23).

Selling Your Birthright

Esau was Jacob’s elder brother. One day returning from hunting, he was hungry and tired. His brother Jacob was preparing some stew and Esau asked Jacob for a bowl. Jacob used this time to negotiate for what seems unimaginable-the family birthright. Every one in the ancient days knew the earthly value of birthright.

Then why would Esau take his birthright so lightly? It was because he did not recognize its great spiritual value. Every business day countless men and women exchange their birthrights for worldly goods, because they see what the world has to offer as more valuable than what God might offer.

This is not completely their fault. Satan has blinded the minds and hearts of men and women for centuries. He does not want them to know the tremendous fortune that awaits the child of God. Their inheritance is filled with meaning, purpose, and rewards that await them both here as well as in Heaven. For this reason, satan keeps men and women from recognizing the real value of their own godly inheritance.

Reclaim your birthright

Your role as a marketplace Christian is to be the key that unlocks this prison that keeps many in captivity. You can reveal the Truth that allows them to enter into the inheritance God desires for them. Pray that God allows you to see each unsaved person you encounter as one who needs the key you hold in your hand. Then you will add to your own inheritance laid up for you in Heaven.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

True Gospel

Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Often we consider this warning as not applicable to us since we believe the Gospel as preached in the Word. However, everything is written in the Word for our edification and teaching.

Apostle Paul gives strong warning to those who preach the Gospel. Preachers of the Gospel must have real understanding about the Gospel. For this we must have in-depth understanding of what Paul preached about the Gospel in Romans and Galatians to avoid this self-inflicted curse. Can Christians come under curse? Answer it yourself from the above verse.

The Gospel
The word Gospel came from the Greek word “Euaggelion”, which means Good tidings or Good news. It is found seventy-four times in the New Testament and has been translated interchangeably as Grace or Gospel.

Often people preach the Judgment and hell-fire scaring the people in the pretext of preaching the Gospel. There is a place for these subjects in our preaching, but CROSS and its power in our life is central to Gospel. Our ‘good intentions’ are just that -‘our intentions’. It is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4) and not the fear of hell or Judgment.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.’

Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The goodness of God is revealed only in the Gospel. The Old Testament revealed the wrath of God, God’s nature to judge the sin, man’s inability to save himself and the need for a savior. It is the nature of God to judge sin and He will judge every sin, whether it is small, medium or big. God demands a payment for every sin we commit and we cannot escape from that payment. We either have to pay ourselves or somebody else has to pay for us.

The Gospel is the good news about the payment for sins, paid by Jesus.

Jesus died on the CROSS for the sin payment of the whole world [All people, All sins and All time]. Thru the Cross, Sin, the stumbling block between man and God, has been removed [John 12:32].

The CROSS was God’s idea of sin payment for the whole world. No man can measure himself up to God’s standard of holiness. God’s standard of holiness is Jesus, we either have to be perfect like Jesus or surrender ourselves into the hands of our savior Jesus. So God himself designed a way for man to escape from this judgment. This way is the CROSS of Jesus. People go to hell, not because of their sin, but because of their rejection of God’s idea of sin payment through the Cross.

All religions speak of the wrath of God and judgment of God to some extent. All are looking for a way to escape from this coming judgment of God. For this reason, whether a person is born as a Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain or some other world religion, they are knocking at every door known to them based on the knowledge they have received from their family, traditions etc. Hindus goes to pilgrim places such as Varanasi, Sabarimala, etc. while Muslim’s goes to Mecca. Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds of these unbelievers, and unless the light of the glorious gospel of Christ is preached [2 Cor 4:4], they will keep on knocking at all the wrong doors to escape from the coming judgment of God.

As the body of Christ, it is our duty to lead the unsaved to Jesus, the only door. The creative work of God (intuitive knowledge) in every man [Romans 1:18-32] and Ministry of the Holy Spirit [John 16:8-9] are doing their job perfectly making our job easy and effective to spread the Gospel. However, we must preach the Gospel the way Paul preached.

Through this two-fold ministry, intuitive knowledge and the Ministry of the Holy Spirit, people already know that they are sinners and there is a judgment for their sins. Therefore, we don’t have to make them guilty again.

The good news to be preached

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Most evangelists today emphasize the first part of the verse – “For the wages of sin is death” – and calls it the Gospel.

(Let us remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees, [Mat 23:4] They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.)

These judgment preachers have magnified the sin and the works of the devil more than the grace of God and the new nature of a born again believer. They could not even live up to the standard of holiness what they are recommending. They ignorantly think that they can reach the standard of Holiness that God has set for man. God’s standard of Holiness is Jesus, which is very high and no man by his own effort can attain that. There is an effect on these kind of preaching and thousands of people get saved out fear of hell and the judgment of God, but this kind of salvation does not last long, until somebody teaches them about the Love of God. God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe [1 Corinthians 1:21b].

The actual Gospel is the second part of the verse – “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. The present day ministry of the body of Christ is to preach this gift of God which is God’s Grace and our new nature. When a man understands the unconditional love of God and the nature of born again spirit, he will unintentionally lead a holy life. Holiness is the fruit of salvation, not the root to salvation. The knowledge about the unconditional love of God and the new nature of the born again spirit will release us from all sins.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

This speaks not only about our condition before we are born again; but also of our condition outside Christ. The condition outside Christ is same for believers and unbelievers alike. We have nothing to boast about, other than what we have in Christ.

Everything (New birth, Salvation, Healing, Blessing, prosperity etc) from the cross is by Grace through faith. We don’t have to do a single action other than believing with the heart and confessing with the mouth, to get these benefits, but we do good works such as forgiving, tithing, loving and giving as a corresponding action of our Faith on the complete work on the cross. That is why [Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38] Bible says that “The Just shall live by Faith”.

We should understand the difference between “Works of the Law” and “Works of Faith. The work of the Law is like a horse behind the cart, the work of faith is like the horse in front of the cart, where horse is the “faith” and cart is the “work”.

The work of law brings curse, while the work of faith brings blessings. These two works may look the same, but the motive behind each work is in opposition to one another. The works of the law diminish the perfect work of Jesus on the cross, the work of faith magnify the perfect work of Jesus on the cross. The work of Law reveals the person’s ignorance about the redemptive power of the cross, inability to believe, or his rebellion to submit to the perfect work on the cross.

According to God, motive is everything. We receive all these benefits from the cross by Grace through faith, but we produce the work of faith as the fruit of salvation, not as a route to salvation. Often we mistakenly think and believe that new birth is by Grace through faith, but everything else such as healing, blessing is received proportional to our performance. We will never get anything from the Cross based on our performance. So quit trying to qualify yourself, just believe on the qualifier.

Apostle Paul mentions this deception in

Galatians 3:3-4 [AMP] Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh? Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)--if it really is to no purpose and in vain?

Gospel Paul preached

Paul was very confident that the Gospel he preached was according to God. We must preach the Gospel the way Paul preached, in order to avoid the curse and to release the power of the good news. If by any means, we preach a different gospel, other than what Paul preached, we fall under the curse Paul speaks in Galatians 1:8, also we could not release the power flowing from the cross.

Every time we preach the gospel the same way Paul preached, we will face the same question he faced in Romans 3:8, 6:2 and 6:15. If we have not faced this same question from our audience, then we have not preached the true gospel.

Let us study the question that Paul faced three times “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

What was Paul preaching to get a question like this? It is very clear that Paul continuously preached about the Grace of God, which we obtain through the cross of Jesus. On the Cross Jesus paid the payment for the sins of the whole world. The sin of the whole world is already dealt on the cross and no longer is God asking for a penalty for sin from man. The payment for all sins, here the word “ALL” means all sins, all time and all people.

Paul preached that God’s demand for the penalty for the sins is taken care on the cross. Jesus paid for our sins forever [Past sins, Present sins and the Future sins]. This truth, without doubt, provokes one to think that Paul is giving a license to sin.

If we preach the same gospel that Paul preached we too will face the same question, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

The accuracy of our preaching can be evaluated, based on whether we have faced this question or not. If we emphasize God’s grace sufficiently, then this question is logical and must be addressed.

Faced with the question Paul answered, “God forbid”, every time. He was saying, “No, Absolutely not! Let it never be!”. The Greek language for “God forbid” Paul used might be the strongest negation without employing some type of profanity. Paul says that ‘freedom from sin and sin consciousness is not a license to do sin. It is actually the freedom and power to do lead holy life.’

Romans 3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm what we say.) Let us do evil that good may come?

When Paul preached this Gospel, some slanderously reported that Paul is giving the people, license to do sin. If Paul, the man who presented the gospel in perfect balance, faced this slanderous report in the 1st century, we who are living in the 21st century, the century of the media, will face it 100 times more. So put on the Robe of righteous to face the religion, the Christian religion.

Though Paul preached this gospel in the 1st century, religion of the last 20 centuries perverted the ‘too good to be true message’ of the gospel by magnifying the sin and the devil.

The Christian religion that is under the deception of the devil will fight this truth and call us false teachers with verses such as

Mark 13:22 “For false Christ’s and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

We are not ignoring sin; rather we are magnifying the perfect work on the cross by our Lord Jesus.

Bride of Christ

Greetings in the glorious name of our Lord Jesus who said, “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”

Let us address the question: Who is the bride of Christ?

The imagery of marriage is applied to Christ and His believers known as the church. The believers are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have become heirs to eternal life. In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church (the body of believers) to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25-27)[a]. Just as during the betrothal period, the bride and groom are apart until the wedding, so the bride of Christ on earth is waiting for her Bridegroom during the church age. Meanwhile her responsibility is to remain faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24)[b].

At the end of the age the church will be united with the Bridegroom at the "wedding of the Lamb" and with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2)[c].At that time, all believers will inhabit the city known as New Jerusalem, also called the Holy City in Revelation 21:2 and 10. Apostle John in his vision sees the Holy City coming down from heaven adorned “as a bride”. This clearly shows that the inhabitants of the city, the redeemed of the Lord, will be pure and holy, wearing white garments of holiness and righteousness. The city is not an earthly city but consists of the redeemed ones of Christ.

Revelation 19 verse 9 further explains that ‘fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints’. This identifies not only the fine linen but also the woman who wears it. If the bride's fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints, then the bride herself represents the saints. The holy city is called the bride because it includes all those who are the bride and the Lamb's bride is dressed in fine linen that is bright and clean.

(There are those who misinterpreted Revelation 19 verse 9 among other verses like Rev 22:17, saying that the bride of Christ is “heavenly mother”, co-equal and eternal with the heavenly Father. They do not accept that the bride of Christ is the believers who are redeemed by the blood of the lamb. They interpret the word ‘bride’ to represent a female counterpart of God. Such people distort the Truth and are false teachers[d] and their end is eternal destruction).

As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day we will be united with our Bridegroom. Until then, we are to remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Footnotes
a. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. - NKJV

b. II Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. - NKJV
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. - NKJV

c. Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - NKJV
Revelation 21:1-2 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John,saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. - NKJV

d. II Peter chapter 2

Who is it you are looking for?

Greetings in the name of the risen Lord who said “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” Luke 6:21

Let us read John 20:15 - 18 together
15"Woman," he (Jesus) said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she (Mary) said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).
17Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Context :
Mary had come early the day after the Sabbath to anoint the crucified body of her Teacher – Jesus of Nazareth. But the tomb was empty and she could not find Him. So she began to weep.

She wept bitterly. She had lost all her hope. For Mary, Jesus was her Rabbi, and her Savior.

However, the Romans and Jewish priests had conspired and crucified him. Now even his body seemed to be stolen. It seemed to her that everything she held precious had been stolen from her life. Life held no meaning. It was at such a crucial moment that the risen Lord appears and asks her two questions.

Here, in verse 15, we read the questions – 2 significant questions asked by the resurrected Jesus to Mary Magdalene who was weeping beside his empty tomb

1. Woman, why are you crying?
2. Who is it you are looking for?

Jesus, the omniscient God made flesh, knew all the reasons behind her crying. He also knew that she was looking for his body. Yet he asks these questions that force her to :

a. Identify to herself the exact reason for her crying
b. He wanted her to identify exactly who she was looking/searching for.

Let us briefly consider each question.

1. Woman, why are you crying?

Jesus wanted Mary to identify to herself the exact reason for her crying.

Why do we cry? When do we cry? We often cry when we are hurt either physically, emotionally, or mentally. We also cry when we are angry, frustrated etc. Ask any woman and she will give you a long list of why she cries. (Modern women have trained themselves not to cry even privately.)

Every time a child or an adult cries, there is the immediate reason and a hidden reason. Often when you see anyone cry bitterly for a long period, you can easily assume that there is more than the present situation which is contributing to the tears.

Here, Jesus knew Mary’s past and her current situation and he had compassion on her. He was determined to wipe away her tears once and for all. So he asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” Pour out all your pain before the One who alone can wipe your tears away.

To help her, Jesus had to encourage her to have a revelation as to the person she was looking for. She had to stop looking for her dead teacher and look for the risen Lord. So he asked her the second question.

2. Who is it you are looking for?

(Before this, Jesus had asked a similar question to Peter “Who do you say I am?” Lk 16:15 which allowed Peter to confess the Sonship and Messianic title of Jesus.)

Initially, Mary does not directly answer Jesus’ questions.

She continues to speak without knowing who was speaking to her. At that point Jesus replies/calls out with a single word.- “Mary”– He calls her by her name.

He who has engraved her in his palm[1] and knew her and called her by name[2] before she was knit within her mother’s womb called her now by her given name.

At that precise moment, the blindness left her and she spontaneously addresses him as 'Teacher-Rabboni ."

It is at this point she is entrusted with the Gospel news (This is a similar experience for all believers. At the outset of accepting him as our Savior, we recognize one or two aspects of Jesus. It is later in our fellowship with him we receive a wider perspective of who He is.)

By the time she conveys Jesus’ message to the disciples, she is saying “ I HAVE SEEN THE LORD”. Finally, she identifies/answers Jesus’ question as to who she is looking for.

Today, the same questions Jesus asked Mary are repeatedly being asked to millions.
"Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

The entire world is searching for someone to heal its hurts. Many go searching in all the wrong places. But Jesus gently encourages us to seek Him. He alone can deliver us.

Won’t you seek Him today? The Bible says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found…[3]”

Those that have been predestined before the creation of the world[4] seek and find Jesus. Jesus reassures and commissions them just as he did Mary 2000 years ago and they in turn carry the torch crying, “I have seen the Lord”.

Have you seen the Lord? If not, I encourage you to invite him today into your heart and he will come and wipe your tears away.

Footnote:
1. Isa 49:16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
2. Isa 49:1 Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.
3. Isa 55:6
4. Eph 1: 4 -5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

Free of Prison Bars

Greeting in the name of the Lord who said, “Nothing is impossible for God”.

Gen 39:21 - But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Are you in any kind of prison today? Are you going through any experience that is similar to a prison experience? Are you bound in any area of your life? Is there sickness, strife, debt, poverty, loneliness, lack of joy in your life?

Many married women feel as though they are in a prison. A prison where the prisons bars are made of lack of love, appreciation, respect etc. You live with your husband and children yet you are always alone. You are emotionally drained with no support. Every believer knows that marriage is forever, till death. Life in this loveless, emotionally draining relationship seems never ending. A day seems like a year. You give and give, but you get nothing in return. This scenario plays out true even among believer couples. Is there no solution to this?

The solution is to go to the root of the problem. When we turn to Gen 3:16b we get a glimpse of this. Meting out the punishment for disobedience God said to the first woman Eve that her desire will be for her husband and he will rule over her. This was not God’s original and perfect plan for womenkind but was the result of SIN.

As a result of SIN, instead of seeking to be fulfilled by God who created her in His image (Gen 1:26,27) women have sought to fulfill herself through the man in her life. Human kind was created to be fulfilled through perfect fellowship with God. Woman was uniquely crafted to be helpmeet to her husband. Instead, sin corrupted this perfect order and women are currently globally struggling within prison walls or breaking out of what they conceive as prison walls.

However, there is good news! God has made provision for every situation in our lives. The Word of God says that whom the Son sets free is free indeed (Jn 8:34-36). Jesus Christ came to set captives free (Lk 4:18). As we set our minds on things above (Col 3:1,2) and renew our minds daily on the Word of God (Rom 12.2) and as we set our mind on all that is excellent and pure, the peace of God will dwell in us and we will no longer feel the constraints of the prison bars. Just as Joseph, God will be our constant companion. (Mt 28:20b) He will be kind to us and cause the prison warden (whoever or whatever the situation is) to show favor towards us!

When we were born-again, our spirit became instantly born-again. However, our soul is the same and needs to be fed constantly on the Word of God in order to be born-again! As our minds are renewed daily, and we train ourselves to focus on things that are excellent, our ungodly ties fall off and we are set free, free of prison bars.

Slowly but surely poverty, sickness, debt, strife, loneliness, lack of joy all loose their vicious hold over you and you will begin to bask in favor of the Lord. For example, wives will notice that their love for their husbands become balanced and their desire is for fellowship with God. This sets their husbands too free to love them the way they were meant to be loved.

May our Lord show us His kindness and grant us favor as we learn to be obedient to His Word.

A Garment of Praise

Isa 61:3…..a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair….

To counter the effects of despair, loneness, rejection, depression, self-pity - to name just a few - the Bible has an excellent remedy. It is found in the above quoted verse from the book of Isaiah. The Word tells us that we are to put on a ‘garment of praise’ whenever we experience a spirit of despair around us. Now because of Jesus and His redemptive work on our behalf, we can boldly put on ‘a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair’.

It is good to know that we can put on a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair but how exactly are we to do that? Let us examine briefly the phrase ‘garment of praise’.

Praise
Praise is a verb, meaning it is an action word. Praise is defined as ‘to say good things about; to approve’. In prayer people usually praise the Lord. We praise the Lord by extolling the virtues of the Lord, by recounting His mercies towards us, etc.

How we can have a ‘garment of praise’.
True praise should not be mere words uttered by lips. The word says “garment of praise” (emphasis mine). Obviously, God does not seek to praise himself. We are to praise Him and the praise is to be like a garment to us. Our praises are to be in the form of a garment.

What is a garment?
A garment is prepared by interweaving thousands of threads in a special way. There is much effort behind the making of a garment. The quality of the threads and the distance between the threads determine the ultimate quality, and value of the garment.

A garment provides you with protection from the elements. The thicker the garment is, the better the protection from the chill, storm and cold. A garment can cover your body. The extent it covers your body depends on the size of the garment.

Garment of Praise
It is the same when you are creating a garment of praise. When you praise the Lord, you may begin to praise with just your lips. Often praise is a sacrifice because you will not feel like praising especially when facing a trial (Heb 13:15)[a]. But as you continue to press in with your praises as you recollect the blessings you have enjoyed from the Lord, and the forgiveness you have received while still a sinner and above all your election as a child of God, your heart will overflow with gratitude. Then you can advance to the higher realms of praise. You will discover it is possible to praise the Lord even for the most distressing situations you are facing. The spirit of despair will be lifted off you and instead you will be covered with a blanket (garment) of praise. Now as you wait for the Lord[b], you can trust Him to make your way smooth[c].

Footnotes:
a. Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name (emphasis mine)
b. Psalms 27.14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

c. Isaiah 26:7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.