Category: Meditation

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Inspiration Meditation

Are your muscles sore?


Just recently, I did heavy weight lifting (about 25kgs) to build up my biceps. I lifted these weights after a long time break from weight lifting and I did around 25 repeats. I wanted to continue on and so I did another 20 repeats after a short 5 minute gap. I will tell you what made me do it. In my mind, I imagined myself where I would and how I would feel with great looking biceps.

I was tired in no time and I knew I shouldn’t have lifted so much weight at once. The next morning I could feel that my biceps were very sore. I couldn’t stretch out my arms fully and even moving my arms around made me feel an acute, sudden, sharp pain. This made me realize why it was such a big mistake lifting 15kg weights at once.

While applying a curing ointment to my biceps, I realized this is much like our faith in the Christian walk and how certain things I did could be used as an analogy to explain things mentioned in the bible. But before I talk about faith, I want to explain a bit about what causes Muscle Soreness. This is purely Wikipedia knowledge and I will try and make it as non-technical as possible.

Muscle soreness is a result of microscopic tearing of muscle fibre. The amount depends on how hard, how long, and what type of exercise we do. This tearing of muscle fibre causes sharp pain with swelling/bruising over the affected area. As it slowly cures over the days, the rebuilding process begins which makes muscle grow bigger and stronger than before.

But when does this process begin, you may ask? It begins when we are at rest. You see if you continue exercising as you normally would, your muscle fibre is torn over and over until you break down completely. You muscle grow smaller as there was no time for them to recover. This is much like our faith. Let me show you some verse from the bible and how they co-relate to our analogy of exercise and faith…

Romans 10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ”. Muscles grow when we excercise regularly just as faith grows through the hearing of the word of God.

James 1:3 – “…because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance”. Lifting 15kg weights is testing your muscles capabilities…its stretching out the maximum potential your muscles have to lift them up and put them back down. It develops perseverance (endurance). Well…what do we need endurance for?

Romans 5:2-5 – “…and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”.

So what is that kept me going when I was tired? In other words, what motivated me to exercise more and more? It’s that image of myself feeling confident and having bigger biceps. Similarly, in our Christian walk, we also have an image that we can set before us. Its the image of finishing this race.

What race you may ask? It’s the race mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. It sums up all the verses we have talked about earlier about perseverance, character, and race.

Dear brothers and sisters, this world is like passing through a large shopping mall that is about to close down. The time is ticking (Jesus is coming soon), the things all around you are very tempting and great to look at (temptations). If you stop and look at things, you are wasting time. You have to reach the exit before the mall closes down. In this shopping mall, once the gates are shut, it won’t be opened again. It’s open now…so make your way through the narrow path, squeezing through the thousands around you who are still shopping, tell them to get out as much as you can. Those that listen, will walk to the exit with you but those who don’t will face the consequences.

It’s their choice and it’s your choice. Make it out quick and you will see a world that you’ve never seen before. It won’t be the same as the entrance world. It will be a place so beautiful that your mind cannot comprehend. You will see His face, so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to ever turn away. You will see our wonderful Savior and our Lord saying to you “…Well done, good and faithful servant!…” (Matthew 25:23)

God bless you and I hope this has been an encouragement to you!

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22/07/2012 – After attending the Church today, I just felt that I should mention this. I was thinking a bit more about the shopping mall analogy. Have you ever felt lost in a shopping mall…not knowing where the exit is. Have you ever referred to these little maps that are available that show you the exit points. There are many exit points but there is only one which you need to exit through which will reach you to the place you parked your car. Consider this little map as the Bible, which is guiding you on what to do, what is good for you, what is not good for you and how you should make it down to the final exit before the time runs out.

Have you ever been so lost that a guide in a mall will literally take you to the exit? Well consider this guide, Holy Spirit promised to us by God (Luke 24:49). He can be as real as a person next to you can be. He only becomes that real to us when we spend time with Him, talking to Him and listening to His advice. And when you are following the map (bible) or the guide (Holy Spirit), you trust them that they will take you or guide you through to the right exit that you are wanting to get to. God is willing to guide you given that you ask him for his guidance (Isaiah 58:11).

Please consider this as just an analogy which fits quite well with many aspects of things related to God. It doesn’t accommodate all that is taught to us in scripture and therefore one must meditate what’s in the scripture and try to relate them to what’s happening in their own life.

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Meditation

Impact from your words

Dr. Deb Roy, a researcher and cognitive scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recorded the first 3 years of his child’s life to learn how humans acquire language. He and his wife rigged their home with recording devices, which they used to collect over 200,000 hours of audio and video footage. Amassing, condensing, and editing the recordings enabled them to hear baby sounds like “gaga” evolve into words like “water.”

If someone wanted to conduct a research project at your home, would you participate if you knew that your every syllable would be recorded and analyzed? What would the study reveal? Proverbs 18 offers insight about some unwise speech patterns. The writer notes that foolish people express their own opinions instead of trying to understand what others have to say (v.2). Does this characterize us? Do we sometimes provoke fights with our words (v.7), or speak impulsively and “answer a matter before [hearing] it”? (v.13).

We need to become students of our speech. With God’s help we can identify and transform destructive dialogue into words of encouragement that are “good for necessary edification” and that “impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:29).

Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages for Thee. —Havergal

Our words have the power to build up or tear down.

Our daily bread – Speech Study by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Just to add to what Jennifer has written…Be careful what you speak to your children, family, partner, relatives and those around you. Your words can influence on who they will end up as in the future.

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Meditation

Triumph over doubt and fear

“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

It is easy to love Him when the blue is in the sky. When the summer winds are blowing and we smell the roses nigh; There is little effort needed to obey His precious will when it leads through flower-decked valley, or over sun-kissed hill.

It is when the rain is falling, or the mist hangs in the air, When the road is dark and rugged, and the wind no longer fair, when the rosy dawn has settled in a Shadowland of gray, That we find it hard to trust Him, and are slower to obey.

It is easy to trust Him when the singing birds have come, And their canticles are echoed in our heart and in our home; But ‘tis when we miss the music, and the days are dull and drear, That we need a faith triumphant over every doubt and fear.

And our blessed Lord will give it; what we lack He will supply; Let us ask in faith believing – on His promises rely; He will ever be our Leader, whether smooth or rough the way, And will prove Himself sufficient for the needs of everyday.

To trust in spite of the look of being forsaken; to keep crying out into the vast, whence comes no returning voice, and where seems no hearing; to see the machinery of the world pauselessly grinding on as if self-moved, caring for no life, nor shifting a hair-breadth for all entreaty, and yet believe that God is awake and utterly loving; to desire nothing but what comes meant for us from His hand; to wait patiently, ready to die of hunger, fearing only lest faith should fail – such is the victory that overcometh the world, such is faith indeed. – George MacDonald.

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Devotion Inspiration Meditation

Grace and Salvation Misconception

In today’s Christianity, Grace is one of the most talked about subject. Pastors and preachers from around the world explain of the richness and importance it brings to our daily lives. I am sure many of the people who have been raised up in a Christian family have heard this term ‘grace’ being used in almost everything from getting up each day alive & well to achieving successful outcomes in various tasks.

This wonderful term ‘grace’ as one brother has put it is “God’s riches at Christ’s expense”. It has been given to us as a free gift just as our Salvation. It was not because we deserved it or because of our works in this world (Ephesians 2:8-10). It was purely God’s unmerited favor to mankind. In our quest to understand this term ‘grace’, it is important to realize that God’s grace is available to all men just as it says in Titus 2:11. Despite this, not all men have been saved. You see God gave people a choice to make for themselves.

He is not a God who forces people to do what his will is. Although, he knows very well that being submissive to Him will leads you to a life full of Joy and Peace. He took so much effort into making each one of us unique so much so that not one single finger print is same as another person who lived thousands of years ago. He did this to not make us robots controlled by what he likes and dislikes but that we would have a choice to come as we are and accept him to be our Lord and Saviour.

Grace on its own doesn’t redeem us of our sin, it is Jesus Christ who redeems us of our sin. It’s not there to forgive our sins since its Jesus Christ who forgives our sins and makes us new creatures in Him. The biggest misconception comes when ‘new-age’ preachers tell their congregation that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. That sinning against God is ok as long as you ask for forgiveness.

Forgiveness comes only after true repentance from your sinful life. “True repentance is not only sorrow for sins and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light. Not only so, but to make restitution so far as is possible for all the wrongs that we have done, to pay our debts and restore to God and man their rights, that which is due them from us. This is true repentance and the exercise of the will and all the powers of body and mind is demanded to complete this glorious work of repentance” – President Joseph F. Smith.

Doesn’t sound like what your pastor has told you or your counselor? It may not be but it’s what God has said in the Bible according to Titus 2:11-12. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”.

How does Salvation fit into all this? Salvation is given to man as a gift from God by His grace. People are here to share the good news of Salvation and new life in Him but has no part in God’s salvation to people. You see that in Philippians 2:12 where Paul says, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. He did not say to work out God’s salvation but your own. No man or No minister can forgive your sins or give you salvation. It is Jesus Christ alone who can give you salvation. He is the only one who died on the cross and rose again to forgive our sins. Salvation is received not achieved.

Another biggest misconception is when preachers tell you that once you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, ask him to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins, and pray a simple prayer, you are saved. Not so, as this forgiveness of your sins depend on the topic we just explored. The topic of True repentance.”True repentance is not only sorrow for sins and humble penitence and contrition before God, but it involves the necessity of turning away from them, a discontinuance of all evil practices and deeds, a thorough reformation of life, a vital change from evil to good, from vice to virtue, from darkness to light. Not only so, but to make restitution so far as is possible for all the wrongs that we have done, to pay our debts and restore to God and man their rights, that which is due them from us…”

Are you ready to truly repent of your sins and ask God to come into your life. Do you want to be submissive to His will and plan for your life? Do you want to be assured that when you die, you will go to heaven? Do you want to have peace and rest in the midst of trouble and restless world? Do you want to have freedom and liberty from the bondages of this world? Do you want to live a life pleasing God’s sight and live to be all that God wants you to be? Do you want to have joy and peace that surpasses all understanding in your life?

If your answer is YES to all those questions above, pray this simple prayer and believe in God. You will surely experience a life of abundance, joy, peace and tranquility.

“Lord Jesus Christ,

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever.

Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.”

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Reference:

God’s Saving Grace

Have eternal life

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Devotion Meditation

God’s Jewels are Crystallized Tears

“He hath made me a polished shaft.” – Isaiah 49:2

There is a very famous “Pebble Beach” at Pescadero, on the California coast. The long line of white surf comes up with its everlasting roar, and rattles and thunders among the stones on the shore. They are caught in the arms of the pitiless waves and tossed and rolled and rubbed together, and grounded against the sharp-grained cliffs. Day and night forever the ceaseless attrition goes on – never any rest. And the result?

Tourists from all the world flock thither to gather the round and beautiful stones. They are laid up in cabinets; they ornament the parlor mantels. But go yonder, around the point of the cliff that breaks off the force of the sea; and up in that quiet cove, sheltered from the storms, and lying ever in the sun, you shall find abundance of pebbles that have never been chosen by the traveler.

Why are these left all the years through unsought? For the simple reason that they have escaped all the turmoil and attrition of the waves, and the quiet and peace have left them as they found them, rough and angular and devoid of beauty. Polish comes through trouble.

Since God knows that what niche we are to fill, let us trust Him to shape us to it. Since He knows what work we are to do, let us trust Him to drill us to the proper preparation.

“O blow that smite! O hurts that pierce, This shrinking heart of mine! What are ye but Master’s tools Forming a work Divine?”

“Nearly all God’s jewels are crystalized tears.“

From the book – Streams in the Desert (Volume one) by Mrs. Cowman

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Inspiration Meditation Message

Treasures of Darkness

God was speaking to king Cyrus the king of Persia Ezra 1:1-3. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed….I will go before you and make the crooked places straight “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, …that you may know that I the Lord,….Am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:1-5). Darkness resembles putting things away which God didn’t like in us. God visits each of us in very special way. Darkness is not always the consequences of sin, but if it is due to sin, you find, there is a treasure of forgiveness in it. If we are faithful and repent of our sins, God is just and faithful and he is willing to forgive. Even in darkness there is a treasure of forgiveness, but always remember one thing, when we are sinning we are dining with the  devils.

Apostle Paul said, all things are good but all things are not profitable. So try to renounce those things. In Rom 13:11-14 he emphasized that this is the time, Awake from sleep. Now is our salvation. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Try not to make any provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light. Christian life is not easy life but it is a wonderful life. Hidden darkness treasures make our life worthy to live as Christian life in God. Take sincere step in your life and God will surely bless you.

When we are going through dark times, we need to seek the Lord. Darkness sometimes means sorrow, problems, weaknesses of human nature, loneliness, loss of the loved ones, and so on. Our Lord allows such things from time to time. Each of us experiences these dark moments in life (problems) but it is only God who makes a way out. God teaches us new ways of life in these dark times like repentance, not to repeat the sins and to learn new spiritual lessons. Every day we encounter the spiritual warfare. We are not always on the mountain tops or in some deep valleys. In either situation, we need to look to our Lord from the depth of our soul and we need to wait patiently in the secret place, until we receive answer from God. It’s no use trying to find a way out to escape out of these troublesome, painful, heart-breaking situations.

Whatever darkness you’re facing today, You can be assured that God is holding your hand. God’s always at work in your weak areas. Everything works for the good of those who believe in Him (Romans 8:28). The only thing we can do is, ask god’s grace in these dark times. He is moulding us and making us to match his own image. The image of our savior, Jesus Christ.

Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God (Isa 50:10)

Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourself with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—This you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment. (Isa 50:11)

Bro. Jonah Ravinder briefly illustrated these above verses. You must fear the Lord and obey our Master (Jesus) and trust in his name and stay with God in our darkest of times. The bible says, He that believeth on Him shall not be disappointed.

Verse Eleven is where the hardest situation is. If some problem comes upon your life don’t try to find a solution yourself. Don’t try to light your own World. If we try to go in our own ways, we will face the consequences. So therefore, wait patiently upon the Lord till he brings you out of that darkness. As the psalmist said, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; …..(Psalm: 62:1& 2) Encourage yourself to do like this.

In 5th verse King David has no choice but to wait patiently and silently longing for the Lord. Christian life is always ‘look forward’ life, meaning that we need to ask God to strengthen our souls and pray. We need to rely more upon Holy Spirit than ourselves.

Dear children of God, trust Him all the time, even when we don’t feel Him, or see Him. When you are going through some dark times, pour out your heart like Hannah (Prophet Samuel’s mother) and there’s nothing more enjoyable (in spiritual sense) than a sorrowful spirit in God’s presence.

God spoke to Moses through the dark clouds (Exo: 20.21). When he was out of Egypt, I am sure he went through his own dark times. Even while he was on that mountain, he had to wait upon God in those dark clouds. It was only then that his face was supernaturally radiant (Exodus 34:29-35).

Whatever darkness you are going through in your life, don’t worry, God is with you. In Psalm 18:11, God makes darkness His hiding place. Jesus said “my soul poured out before the Lord”. We got salvation through the cross. Jesus went through the darkest hours while he was in pain and agony on that cross. (Ninth hour at about 3 o’ clock) At this very moment, redemption was paid and the treasure of our salvation came out of that darkness.

For this reason Jesus said in verse 45 My God My God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matt 27:45 & 46). Here, Jesus clearly illustrated on how one would feel when he is walking through darkness. I am sure even we felt like that sometimes but look at our redeemer now who sits at the right hand of our almighty God.

We need total dependence on God and obedience to his teaching in those dark times. So, wait patiently upon God until he redeems you and brings your out of your darkness. 

GOD BLESS YOU

– Bro. Jonah Ravinder

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Devotion Inspiration Meditation Message

Which stage have you stopped at?

God anointed Elisha with a double portion of the anointing that Elijah had. This was God’s seal of approval on Elisha’s life. But before God anointed him thus, he had been tested.

As in the case of all true servants of God, Elisha too was called to the ministry while he was faithfully doing his secular duties.

“Elijah found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.”(1 Kings 19:19).

Thereafter, Elisha spent many years doing menial jobs for the prophet Elijah. He was known as the one “who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”(2 Kings 3:11b).

He did not seek great things for himself, but God had great plans for that young man.

Before Elijah went up to heaven, Elisha had to be tested. And so Elijah told Elisha to stay on in Gilgal, while he himself went on to Bethel. Elisha refused to stay back and was determined to go with Elijah. At Bethel, Elijah again tried to shake off Elisha by saying that he had to go to Jericho; but Elisha stuck on like a leech. Finally, at Jericho, Elisha was tested once more in a similar way. Again, Elisha passed the test of persistence and accompanied Elijah to Jordan. It was thus that he got the double portion of the anointing – God’s best for his life (2 Ki.2:1-14).

What is the message here for us? There are various stages in our spiritual development at which God tests us to see whether we are satisfied with what we have already received or whether we will press on to God’s highest.

Gilgal stands for the place where our sins are forgiven.

“The Lord said to Joshua, `Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.”(Josh. 5:8-9).

Many Christians get thus far and stop there.

Some press on till Bethel (meaning ‘the house of God’) – which stands for fellowship with believers in the family of God.

“And Jacob called the name of that place Bethel. Then Jacob said, `This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house.'” (Gen. 28:19,22).

Some stop here.

But a few go still further to Jericho – which stands for the manifestation of the supernatural power of God.

“The people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat…..and they took the city (of Jericho).”(Josh. 6:20).

This is as far as most Christians ever go.

Very, very few go all the way to Jordan – which stands for identification with Christ in His death, as symbolised in baptism.

“Then Jesus arrived at the Jordan, coming to John, to be baptized by him.”(Mt. 3:13).

Very, very few are willing to walk the way of the cross – “the new and living way that Jesus has inaugurated for us through His flesh.” (Heb. 10:20).

But it is these few, who are wholehearted enough to press on to total death to self, who receive the double portion – God’s best.

The Test of Perseverance by Zac Poonen

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Meditation

Treating a living God as an idol?

Are we treating our ‘living’ God as an idol? It can be a question or a disappointing truth for many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We all are well aware of the commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3). But what if we are treating the living God himself as an idol? Now you might ask, how can ‘one’, treat a living God as an idol? Well, lets look at our ‘morning prayers’. Most of us tend to thank God for all that he is doing in our lives, submit our petitions before him for the day, and we are off to work or to do something else. Now lets take a look at the ‘non-believers’ who worship the idols. They get up, pray to their idol gods, thank them for what the idol gods have ‘supposedly’ done in their lives and head off to work. Sounds similar?

The point I am trying to make is, many of us tend to treat our living God as some kind of idol who doesn’t respond to our petitions and thanks giving. Many of us don’t give our living God, a chance to have that ‘deep’ love relationship. It is ‘crucial’, if I could use that term, to pause and listen (psalms 27:14) to what God has to say to us each day. It with great regret and heavy heart, that I admit that this was the story in my life too, until God by his grace, took that blind screen off my eyes. So, I encourage you brothers & sisters, start regarding our wonderful savior, the God eternal as indeed a ‘living’ God. He cares for you, loves you and desires for you to be completely his.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

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Devotion Inspiration Meditation Message

LEARNING NOT TO DESPISE PEOPLE

“Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt” (Lk.18:9).

There are various reasons why people view others with contempt. They may have been taught by their parents from childhood to look down on others who are inferior in social status, or wealth, or education, etc. Or, if you are very intelligent and top your class in school, you can begin to view others in your class with contempt. If, in addition, you are unfortunate enough to have foolish parents who make you imagine that you are a genius, then matters could be even worse.

Let me plead with all parents: If your children are intelligent, please don’t ruin them by boasting about them. I made it a rule in my house that my sons were never to tell anyone about their rank in class or the prizes they got anywhere. I knew that if they became proud, they would lose the grace of God immediately. Then they would fall into sin, and never be able to fellowship with ordinary brothers. I fear that many parents have ruined their children thus.

It is a common habit among children to make fun of someone who cannot speak English (or whatever their mother-tongue is) with a good accent. Beware of encouraging that in your home. Did any of us come out of our mother’s wombs speaking with a good accent? We should thank God for any ability that we have. But we should never be proud of it. Do you know what accent they speak with in heaven? The accents of humility and love. Let us learn those accents clearly.

Perhaps you are a woman who keeps your house spotlessly clean, with everything in its proper place. Then you see someone else’s home untidy and slipshod – and you despise her. You are then a Pharisee; while the person whose house is untidy may be a godly person.

Some brothers have very poor music sense, and if they start singing a chorus in an open time of praise in the church, they will invariably sing totally off tune. Don’t despise them, because God doesn’t listen to the music; he listens to the words. And that brother singing the wrong tune may be more sincere than you, who can sing the right tune. Personally, I have thanked God for such brothers, because they humble all the clever musicians in the church. It is Pharisee musicians who destroy the church, not the non-musical brothers. God loves non-musical brothers just as much as anyone else – but He rejects Pharisees. Many a surprise awaits such Pharisees when the Lord returns.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t come first in your class, or that you shouldn’t keep your house tidy, or that you shouldn’t sing in tune-Not at all. By all means let us do all these. But let us be humble about them – and not despise anyone else who cannot do what we can.

There are many areas like this where we can despise others quite easily. It says in Job 36:5 that “God is almighty, but He doesn’t despise anyone”. The more we become like God, the more we will value people and never despise anyone – for anything.

So let us cleanse ourselves and learn to look at people as God looks at them. “What do you have that you did not receive from God? How can you boast then about anything or despise anyone else?” (1 Cor.4:7).

– By Zac Poonen (Christian Fellowship Church)

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Meditation

Meditation on Matthew 1

Today morning, I was meditating upon the first chapter of Matthew. I found some interesting facts that I have never realised all these years while reading through them. I have a tendancy to skip over the long genealogies and frequently read passages to get to one or two verses that touch my heart for that day. But this time, I have made an effort to read the genealogy of Jesus. I have discovered that there were forty two generations in total from Abraham to Jesus (Matthew 1:17).

There are three significant truths that can be observed from Matthew 1:18-24.

Firstly, I believe “Righteous acts in your life save you from disgrace” – Matthew 1:19. Joseph was said to be a “righteous man”. It does not mention if he was righteous man of God or righteous man of this world. Either way, because of the righteousness in him, he did not expose Mary to public disgrace. It says in God’s word, that he had in his mind to divorce her quietly. Later on, we know that Joseph realised that the baby Mary had in her womb was of the Holy Spirit. His righteous acts saved him from his own disgrace in the public. If he had put Mary to disgrace in the first place and later took her as his wife, he would have been in continual regret for the public’s view on him and his wife. Or, he would have been disgraced by public for his lack of recognition that the baby was conceived of the Holy Spirit. The whole scenario could have been a whole lot different to what we read today.

Secondly, “It is good to seek the Lord before he seeks you” – Matthew 1:20. He seeks after you to comfort you in times of trouble, to help you, to save you from trouble, to give you rest; all because of his unconditional love. The bible says, Joseph “considered” to divorce her quietly. It does not say that Joseph sought the Lord when he realised Mary was carrying a child (Matthew 1:18-20). The Lord sought after Joseph to tell him about the child (Matthew 1:20-21). Do you think the story would have been different if Joseph sought the Lord first? I certainly think so!

Thirdly, “Obedience to God is one of the main keys to living a righteous life” – Matthew 1:24. Joseph didn’t doubt, question or rethink about what God spoke to him in the dream. The word says, “Joseph woke up…did what the angels of the Lord commanded him…” (Matthew 1:24). He took Mary as his wife, had no union with her till she gave birth and gave the new born child,  the name “Jesus”. He did ‘just’ as the angels of God commanded him. Are you doing ‘just’ what the Lord is asking you to do? Joseph was declared as a “righteous” man and I believe his key towards living that life was ‘obedience’. Are you obeying to God’s word in your life?

It good to ponder upon these things and correct our lives that we may one day become just like him, his children. Is God speaking to you today? Are you ready to be used as God’s chosen vessels like ‘Mary’ and ‘Joseph’?