Taken from Dear Sisters, Letters of Hope and Encouragement by Gisela Yohannan
Challenged and blessed by this letter on unity as a wife, in ministry and among my co-workers.
WE ARE TO REFLECT GOD'S NATURE.
More than anything else, unity based on love, as described in 1 Cor 13:4-8, demonstrates the nature of God to a world that is torn into thousands of pieces by strife, wars, and hatred. All these directly result from men's selfishness and pride, their demanding and fighting for their own rights at the expense of others.
God on the other hand, is a Trinity that exists in perfect unity. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit never compete with each other for anything. God's plan is that when people watch our lives, they should see a true reflection of His nature in us. That's why Jesus prayed for His followers just before He went to the cross: "that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us." (John 17:21).
UNITY VALIDATES OUR GOSPEL MESSAGE
Jesus clearly expresses in the very next statement of His prayer that the believability of the gospel message will depend on our unity among each other: ..."that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me" (John 17:21.
It's a very sobering truth. We generally think that preaching confirmed by healing and miracles will cause people to believe in Jesus. But now we discover in Jesus' prayer that unless God's work is backed up by our unity, we actually destroy the credibility of the Gospel. That should alarm us enough to honestly examine our home life, our teamwork and our relationships with our husband, co-workers, leaders and church members.
UNITY TRANSFORMS US INTO A MIGHT FORCE
Imagine a cart with a heavy load on it and 20 people each trying to pull it into a different direction. How successful will they be to get to the next village? They will never make it unless they make up their minds and everyone pulls in the same direction. Similarly, if people unite together in a cause, nothing will be impossible for them. That's what God said in Gen 11:6 about the ungodly people who set out to build the Tower Of Babel. How much truer should this statement be of us, whom God has called to build HIS KINGDOM!
Much frustration and lack of success in our ministries can often be traced back to the fact that our hearts are not united. If there is any resentment in your heart toward your leader, your co-worker, your husband or the ministry- even if you never express it in words- you have created a roadblock for God's Spirit to move.
UNITY DOES NOT COME WITHOUT A PRICE
It starts with a deliberate decision on our part to humble ourselves as Jesus did, to willingly lay down our rights and desires and submit to the will of God WITH ALL OUR HEART (Philip 2:5-8).
If we struggle to hold onto something we count so dear, let us consider this: Our life here on earth is so short. Unless we make our decisions with eternity in mind, we will definitely miss God's plan.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Exodus-by Faith
But without FAITH it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb 11:6
My husband and I have been reading through Exodus where God delivered the Israelites from years of slavery and bondage. We have been parked in Ex 12 and Heb 11. As Passover is approaching I am thinking of the faith it took for Moses to tell each family to dip hyssop in basins of blood and apply the blood to the doorposts. Obeying the Lords voice in faith saved the first born males from death. The Jews were protected by the blood.
Here are a few notes from the commenaries that have ministered and encouraged my faith.
Faith means we cannot see the outcome, we are not sure what lies ahead but we are convinced of the reality of God.
Faith simply means that we rely on God and obey His word, regardless of feelings, circumstances or consequences.
Faith means clinging to the hope that God will eventually triumph; He will come back to earth in judgement to reward those who have sought after Him. And so we obey. We do God's bidding, even when submission is hard. Sometimes we just have to do things feeling afraid.
Those who do not have faith cannot see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities that transcend this world. Their hope is in God's stength, depending on Him and His faithfulness.
Faith is never easy.But the more convinced we are of the reality of an all-good, all powerful God, the more our trust will grow, and the less overwhelmed by doubts and temptaions.
It was faith in God's word that had brought Moses back to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery; it was faith that took him out of Egypt and it was faith that separated him and his people from Egypt as they crossed the Red Sea. No matter what our circumstances may be, we can trust God to bring us out and take us through.
Faith that saves us from eternal separation from God comes by placing our faith in Jesus sacrifice at the cross.
My husband and I have been reading through Exodus where God delivered the Israelites from years of slavery and bondage. We have been parked in Ex 12 and Heb 11. As Passover is approaching I am thinking of the faith it took for Moses to tell each family to dip hyssop in basins of blood and apply the blood to the doorposts. Obeying the Lords voice in faith saved the first born males from death. The Jews were protected by the blood.
Here are a few notes from the commenaries that have ministered and encouraged my faith.
Faith means we cannot see the outcome, we are not sure what lies ahead but we are convinced of the reality of God.
Faith simply means that we rely on God and obey His word, regardless of feelings, circumstances or consequences.
Faith means clinging to the hope that God will eventually triumph; He will come back to earth in judgement to reward those who have sought after Him. And so we obey. We do God's bidding, even when submission is hard. Sometimes we just have to do things feeling afraid.
Those who do not have faith cannot see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities that transcend this world. Their hope is in God's stength, depending on Him and His faithfulness.
Faith is never easy.But the more convinced we are of the reality of an all-good, all powerful God, the more our trust will grow, and the less overwhelmed by doubts and temptaions.
It was faith in God's word that had brought Moses back to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery; it was faith that took him out of Egypt and it was faith that separated him and his people from Egypt as they crossed the Red Sea. No matter what our circumstances may be, we can trust God to bring us out and take us through.
Faith that saves us from eternal separation from God comes by placing our faith in Jesus sacrifice at the cross.
Monday, December 3, 2012
In Christ
"In Jesus you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you being dead in your tresspasses and the uncircumcision of the flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it the the CROSS. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." Col 2-11-15.
Commentary; Those who are in Christ have put off the power of sin and the flesh, they have received new life, have been forgiven and delivered from the requirements laid down by human traditions. They have been freed from the powers of spirit beings. There is nothing that the Christian needs to add to what was received in Christ at the time of conversion.
Christian circumcision is the spiritual removal of sin from the heart taking part in the New Covenant of JESUS CHRIST.
Not only were our personal sins forgiven at the Cross, but those rules that condemed us have also been removed by the death of Christ.
Jesus thank you for dying for my personal sin and the new life I have in You through faith. No human effort can obtain any favor or forgiveness. In Christ alone is redemption and forgiveness.
Commentary; Those who are in Christ have put off the power of sin and the flesh, they have received new life, have been forgiven and delivered from the requirements laid down by human traditions. They have been freed from the powers of spirit beings. There is nothing that the Christian needs to add to what was received in Christ at the time of conversion.
Christian circumcision is the spiritual removal of sin from the heart taking part in the New Covenant of JESUS CHRIST.
Not only were our personal sins forgiven at the Cross, but those rules that condemed us have also been removed by the death of Christ.
Jesus thank you for dying for my personal sin and the new life I have in You through faith. No human effort can obtain any favor or forgiveness. In Christ alone is redemption and forgiveness.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Be Still and Know that I am God
Waiting on God by Andrew Murray
"That Christ may be fully formed within, and that we may be filled to all the fullness of God."
Everything that is salvation, everything that is good and holy, must be the direct, mighty work of God himself within us.
God says: 'Be still and know that I am God.' There is no stillness like that of the grave. In the grave of Jesus, in the fellowship of His death, in death to self with its own will and wisdom, its own strength and energy, there is no rest. As we cease from self,and our soul becomes still to God, God will arise and show Himself...
There is no stillness like the stillness Jesus gives when He speaks. 'Peace be still."
"That Christ may be fully formed within, and that we may be filled to all the fullness of God."
Everything that is salvation, everything that is good and holy, must be the direct, mighty work of God himself within us.
God says: 'Be still and know that I am God.' There is no stillness like that of the grave. In the grave of Jesus, in the fellowship of His death, in death to self with its own will and wisdom, its own strength and energy, there is no rest. As we cease from self,and our soul becomes still to God, God will arise and show Himself...
There is no stillness like the stillness Jesus gives when He speaks. 'Peace be still."
Monday, November 19, 2012
Quietly
Taken from Waiting On God by Andrew Murray
"Take heed and BE QUIET: fear not, neither be faint-hearted." "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Such words reveal to us the close connection between quietness and faith. They show us what a deep need there is of quietness, as an element of true waiting upon God. If we are to have our whole heart TURNED toward God, we must have it TURNED away from man...
As long as the waiting on God is chiefly regarded as an end toward more effectual prayer, and the obtaining of our petitions, this spirit will not be obtained. But when it is seen that waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness- one of the highest forms of fellowship with the Holy One- the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself. Then, it comes to the fulfillment of the precious promise, that all of self and self-effort will be humbled: 'The haughtiness of man shall be brought down, and the Lord alone be exalted in that day...
Take time to be separate from all friends and all duties, all cares and all joys; time to be still and quiet before God. Take time not only to secure stillness from man and the world, but from self and its energy. Let the Word and prayer be very precious...
The quietness is a confession of our meekness. It will be done with all our willing and running, with all our thinking and praying. We must receive it from God. It is the confession of our trust that our God will, in HIS time, come to our help-the quiet resting in HIM alone. It is the confession of our desire to sink deep into our nothingness, and let HIM work and reveal HIMSELF..."
"Take heed and BE QUIET: fear not, neither be faint-hearted." "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." Such words reveal to us the close connection between quietness and faith. They show us what a deep need there is of quietness, as an element of true waiting upon God. If we are to have our whole heart TURNED toward God, we must have it TURNED away from man...
As long as the waiting on God is chiefly regarded as an end toward more effectual prayer, and the obtaining of our petitions, this spirit will not be obtained. But when it is seen that waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness- one of the highest forms of fellowship with the Holy One- the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself. Then, it comes to the fulfillment of the precious promise, that all of self and self-effort will be humbled: 'The haughtiness of man shall be brought down, and the Lord alone be exalted in that day...
Take time to be separate from all friends and all duties, all cares and all joys; time to be still and quiet before God. Take time not only to secure stillness from man and the world, but from self and its energy. Let the Word and prayer be very precious...
The quietness is a confession of our meekness. It will be done with all our willing and running, with all our thinking and praying. We must receive it from God. It is the confession of our trust that our God will, in HIS time, come to our help-the quiet resting in HIM alone. It is the confession of our desire to sink deep into our nothingness, and let HIM work and reveal HIMSELF..."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
In my weakness He is strong- "The Lord is my banner"
When the Lord brings us to significant junctures in our life it is important to stop and ponder and take in everything the Lord has for us to learn about what He is speaking to our heart. In the psalms David often uses the word selah-meaning think about that. He brings us to the place of ruin and brokeness not to keep us there but to destroy our flesh and build us up in His Spirit and grace. In our weakness He is strong. Sown in weakness, raised in power, His power. In order for this to happen, the flesh needs to be crucified.
In Exodus 17, Israel had just been delivered from years of bondage and the control of the Egyptians. They had come out of Egypt through the passover and crossed the Red Sea by the mighty salvation of the Lord, then they encountered the first enemy they had to deal with Amalek. Many scholars believe Amalek is a picture of the flesh. Because Amalek and his people were enemies of God they had to be subdued even if it meant going to war. Amalek did not fear God and was their first and constant struggle.
When Israel came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, Moses said one of my favorite verses, (I carried this verse on an index card with me for 1 year) Ex 14:13-14 "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord which HE will accomplish for you...The Lord will fight for you , and you shall hold your peace." That is salvation! Then came Amalek and the command was "Go out and fight against Amalek-that's a picture of warfare.
In the battle against Amalek God instructs Moses to raise his rod over his head and when he did Israel prevailed, when he let his hands down, Amalek prevailed. Moses hands became so heavy that they put a stone under him, and Aaron and Hur supported his hand one on either side. The raised hands did not indicate Moses empowering. The Israelite's learned that their freedom was dependent only on their faith in God, not on their own strength.
I noticed two significant things here. To fight against the flesh it is going to hurt physically. That is why if we are going to have victory we must along with the obvious spending time in God's word we need to have a devoted steady prayer life and include times of fasting. Second, we must include our friends to help hold us up. Goodness do we need to chose our friends and counselors wisely. My husband is a counselor to me. The word instructs him as my husband to wash me in the truth of God's word. I've been praying the prayers from Stormie OMartin's book The Power Of A Praying wife for him. In the section for his repentance it says, "If there is suffering to be done, let it be the suffering of a remorseful heart and not because the crushing hand of the enemy has found an opening through unconfessed sin." How careful we must be that we recieve counsel from those who do not have unconfessed sin in their life which would block them from communicating the truth fully. We need to take counsel from those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
There is a continuing warfare raging in our bodies. "For the flesh sets itself against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another." Gal 5:17 The flesh must continually be put to death. If we walk by the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. We cannot battle the flesh in our own strength. All power and authority have been given to Jesus and what is His is ours as well by the indwelling of the Spirit that lives within all believers.
In Galatians, Paul explains to the Galatians that no works of the flesh will be justified but by grace through faith in Jesus. He challenged them because they seemed to begin in the Spirit then tried to be made perfect by the flesh. They fell into legalism which only enslaved them to works and not the liberty and freedom which came through Christ alone by faith. The hope of righteousness by faith in Christ not only brings justification before God but also growth in the Christian life until we are completely glorified by God and freed from the presence of sin.
We cannot fear God and fear man. Paul said, "For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ Gal 1:10."
Fear of man is a snare and a battle I've struggled with most of my life. The Lord is teaching me and moving my hearts full devotion to live to please the Lord alone and not to be enslaved under the acceptance and control of others.
In Exodus 17, Israel had just been delivered from years of bondage and the control of the Egyptians. They had come out of Egypt through the passover and crossed the Red Sea by the mighty salvation of the Lord, then they encountered the first enemy they had to deal with Amalek. Many scholars believe Amalek is a picture of the flesh. Because Amalek and his people were enemies of God they had to be subdued even if it meant going to war. Amalek did not fear God and was their first and constant struggle.
When Israel came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, Moses said one of my favorite verses, (I carried this verse on an index card with me for 1 year) Ex 14:13-14 "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord which HE will accomplish for you...The Lord will fight for you , and you shall hold your peace." That is salvation! Then came Amalek and the command was "Go out and fight against Amalek-that's a picture of warfare.
In the battle against Amalek God instructs Moses to raise his rod over his head and when he did Israel prevailed, when he let his hands down, Amalek prevailed. Moses hands became so heavy that they put a stone under him, and Aaron and Hur supported his hand one on either side. The raised hands did not indicate Moses empowering. The Israelite's learned that their freedom was dependent only on their faith in God, not on their own strength.
I noticed two significant things here. To fight against the flesh it is going to hurt physically. That is why if we are going to have victory we must along with the obvious spending time in God's word we need to have a devoted steady prayer life and include times of fasting. Second, we must include our friends to help hold us up. Goodness do we need to chose our friends and counselors wisely. My husband is a counselor to me. The word instructs him as my husband to wash me in the truth of God's word. I've been praying the prayers from Stormie OMartin's book The Power Of A Praying wife for him. In the section for his repentance it says, "If there is suffering to be done, let it be the suffering of a remorseful heart and not because the crushing hand of the enemy has found an opening through unconfessed sin." How careful we must be that we recieve counsel from those who do not have unconfessed sin in their life which would block them from communicating the truth fully. We need to take counsel from those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
There is a continuing warfare raging in our bodies. "For the flesh sets itself against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another." Gal 5:17 The flesh must continually be put to death. If we walk by the Spirit we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. We cannot battle the flesh in our own strength. All power and authority have been given to Jesus and what is His is ours as well by the indwelling of the Spirit that lives within all believers.
In Galatians, Paul explains to the Galatians that no works of the flesh will be justified but by grace through faith in Jesus. He challenged them because they seemed to begin in the Spirit then tried to be made perfect by the flesh. They fell into legalism which only enslaved them to works and not the liberty and freedom which came through Christ alone by faith. The hope of righteousness by faith in Christ not only brings justification before God but also growth in the Christian life until we are completely glorified by God and freed from the presence of sin.
We cannot fear God and fear man. Paul said, "For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ Gal 1:10."
Fear of man is a snare and a battle I've struggled with most of my life. The Lord is teaching me and moving my hearts full devotion to live to please the Lord alone and not to be enslaved under the acceptance and control of others.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"Because You Have Obeyed MY Voice" Gen 22:18
Gen 22:1-19-Abraham's faith confirmed.
This is an account of the Lord's loyalty to His covenant and to His servant Abraham. It reveals Abraham's incredible faith and points to the future sacrifice of God's only Son-Jesus.
V. 22: Begins with "After these things," meaning a new story is about to begin in Abraham's life where the "True God" reigns. He is no longer led by any false gods but obeys the voice of Jehovah-jireh-the Lord will provide. God tested Abraham to show his true character. After years of waiting for the birth of his son Isaac, God said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountains I will tell you v 2." Abraham obeyed, he built an alter, arranged the wood, bound his only son and layed him on the alter. Then he stretched out his knife to slay him. Imagine...the test of belief and trust...
The angel of the Lord called from heaven and said, "do not stretch out your hand against the lad, FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD, since you have not withheld your only son from me v 12." From this point on Abraham FEARED God and was in awe of Him. God told him he would be blessed and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through his seed "because you have obeyed MY voice v 18."
Prior to this moment in Abraham's life he feared man and listened to others because he had not fully recognized the Lord's voice. Years earlier because he feared to speak the truth to the Egyptians, he lied, and said his wife Sarai, who was beautiful, was his sister and they took her to Pharoah to be his wife. Plagues came to Pharoah, the truth was revealed and his wife was returned to him. One of the snares of the "fear of man" is when it is in our power to communicate the truth and we do no do so. Silence in some cases is good, we wait and we pray, however, there are times when being silent when we know the truth, and do not fully communicate that truth because we are afraid to do so, can lead to confusion, misunderstanding even destruction. Relationships can end because some part of truth is left unspoken.
Another example of fearing of man in Abraham's life was when he mistakenly listened to his wife, thinking the son of promise would come through Sarai's maid-servant Hagar, by sleeping with her and giving him a son-Ishmael. This led to family division.
When Abraham finally came to the place of recognizing the Lord's voice, he believed that no matter what God required of him, obedience to His plan was most important.
I love Jesus with all of my heart. In loving Him, my highest goal is to please and obey Him. This past weekend the Lord called me to lay something at the cross that has brought me an incredible sense of peace and I feel like a huge weight was lifted off my back that I realized was there but didn't think the Lord would remove.
Over the past 3 years the Lord has drawn me into a relationship and depth with Him that I so needed. I've struggled with deep insecurity most of my life and the Lord wanted to show me who I am in Him. My security and identity comes from Him not from others and my relations with them. So much of the fear issues I've had were from giving power to people in my life that didn't belong to them. We cannot be in right relation with others until we are in right relation with Jesus. In order for Jesus to do this we have to allow the Lord to draw us away to Himself so He can love us, minister to us and heal our deep wounds. This doesn't mean we exclude our self from fellowship. We need trusted friends to pray for us and share His truth with us. I've shared before my tears with the Lord have healed me. He loves me and cares for me so much. And I trust Him to know just what I need and how to provide it.
Sunday the Holy Spirit was unmistakably speaking to my heart of a sense of loneliness and torture that He wanted me to admit. Having lived a portion of my life in isolation feeling separated by my mental illness, in my heart I just didn't think Jesus was bigger than this or that He could release that fully. I thought I may live with that sense of separation and fear for the rest of my life. In faith the Holy Spirit mended a trust issue in my heart. In faith I obeyed the Holy spirtit speaking to my heart that superseded the voice of reason in my mind forcing me out of my comfort zone to a new level of trust in my Lord. Last week the Lord was helping me see that my mind needed to surrender to the Spirit. We can't experience God in our mind and intellect. He is much bigger and much greater than that. It takes faith to know and experience the voice of the Lord in our heart.
Surrendering in faith gives me the hope and promise of new life in my life. I couldn't know it until after I obeyed in faith but I layed down a great pain before Jesus that I believe His stripes only could heal. Thank you Jesus for the cross and for dying for my sin and for your forgiveness. Holy Spirit thank you for helping me. Fill me with your love and presence with an obedient heart.
In this walk of faith we never "arrive." We are continually being conformed into the image of Jesus until our last breath.
Is the Lord stretching your faith? Is He asking you to surrender something before Him that you are resisting?
To overcome fear and move in faith there is some act of obedience the Lord requires of us. A surrender to be layed at the cross of Christ. A death of self in some way whether it is an addiction, the letting go of a relationship, forgiving someone who has hurt you or a fear that has crippled you. Make it right with the Lord today. When we obey in faith, God reveals more of Himself to us.
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