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Posts Tagged ‘Lord’

Heb 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

‘Substance’ here refers to the foundation that supports you in your life. Your faith is going to carry you through 2008. ‘Evidence’ means ‘confidence’. Faith is being confident of what you are going to achieve based on what you see right now. It is an attitude and a posture of confidence that God is leading you all the way.

Faith is having the confidence of holding yourself or your own when you are with powerful people, bosses, colleagues, subordinates and even family or strangers. God wants us to walk in confidence. Hebrew 10 tells us to hold on to our confidence and not to throw it away.

Without confidence, means without faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. This confidence is not about arrogance but trusting God and knowing that He will see you through. God’s power travels through an atmosphere of faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. When God’s words are preached, deliverance, healing and all signs of miracles is performed and confirmed through faith. The anointing power travels through our confidence in God. Have confidence that God is with you. With an attitude change, your ministry is changed by having confidence and walking in confidence.

Your confidence is the cable where God’s power travels like a live wire from heaven to you. When Jesus was attacked by the devil in the desert, he was tempted in the realm of His confidence. Satan was interested in Jesus’ life and His confidence. In Matthew 4:1-3, 5-6, 8-9 – especially verses 3, 6, 9 – notice the words ‘if you are the Son of God’ that Satan used. Satan was testing Jesus’ confidence as the Son of God. He was daring Jesus to prove that He was the Son of God by doing what Satan wanted Him to do. It was necessary for Jesus to show who He was. Satan uses the same techniques on us, too. The devil will tempt us that ‘if we are the children of God, then do this and that’. The devil will always test and shake our confidence again and again in our faith as the child of God.

The devil is a scholar of Bible School. He knows the scriptures very well but he twisted it. To defeat the devil, we have to know the bible too. Years ago, there was a newspaper article featuring two young men of a local church who was killed by a drunken driver on their way home from church. The pastor of the church started this church not too long before the accident. After the accident, a Christian friend of the pastor from his previous church came to mock at the pastor. This friend was telling the pastor that ‘if the divine blessing of God was upon you and your church, why was there no divine protection upon your congregation?” We know that this is not true. We live in a broken world. Satan attacks not only an individual, he will try to attack the whole church’s confidence as well. When we do God’s works, the devil will do everything he can to shake your confidence. The devil was trying to shake the pastor’s confidence in believing that the church he pastor was not under God’s will. But this church, today, stands strong and is still growing.

The devil is very cunning and will make you doubt who you are in God. But the beautiful thing is when Jesus was tempted, Jesus did not have to prove to the devil, his enemies or even his disciples that He is the Son of God. It is the ultimate confidence He has in who He is. He did not have to prove Himself. The same goes for us.

When we are impacting the realms of arts, media, entertainments, business, education, and so forth, the devil will try to break your confidence and ask you to prove yourself and to men. Even Christians will ask you to prove that God is with you especially in the midst of negative events. But when you worry, the more you will worry. When you focus on the negative, the negative will expand. When you give reason and react to fear, you loose your confidence.

In Matthew 11, Jesus wants us to be the light of the world. He mingled and make friends with the tax collector, the sinners, the prostitutes, and the fisherman. He shocked the conservatives of His times. Jesus sent His disciples into the world, to reach out to the world which is directly opposite from what the holy men of His times taught. They taught the people to get out of the world/darkness into the light. They told the “holy men” not to mix around with the sinners of the world because they were defiled. Jesus did just the opposite. His disciples went into the world, to go as sheep among the wolves.

Even John the Baptist doubted Jesus. John the holy prophet sent his disciple to ask Jesus whether He was truly the Son of God (Matt 11:5). But Jesus did not prove Himself to John or his disciple by performing miracles before them. Instead, He responded by telling John to look at the fruits of His life where the sick were healed, the blind saw, the lame walked. He said to John, “Blessed are those who were not stumbled because of Me”. Jesus was not bothered with what people thought of Him. He simply did what the Father wanted Him to do. This is the confidence He had of who He is.

The key to faith is Revelations. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Confidence comes through revelation. Jesus was brought up like any other children of His times. He went to school, to the synagogue to study the word of God, He read the bible everyday, He worshipped God in the temple with His parents. Through His studies of the word of God, He learnt about His identity, who He was and what His mission was on earth. He never doubted His identity. He carried on with the works of the Father although He read of His death, His suffering and His resurrection. He knew He was the Chosen One and the Messiah. The revelation was clear to Jesus throughout His growing up years. John 13:3 clearly says Jesus knew where He came from, what have been given to Him and where He was going.

Do you know who you are as surely as Jesus does? It is important for you to know:

1. Your position – who you are in God. You are the head and not the tail.

2. Your power – the anointing and the spiritual gifts given to you.

3. Your purpose – God’s will for you in your life to impact the world for Him.

John 13:4-5 listed Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Jesus, being the Creator of the universe, Lord of lords, King of kings, he actually knelt down to wash the feet of the disciples. In the olden days, the washing of the feet of the guests is a job done by the lowest level servant upon arrival and before meals. The disciples before the supper were arguing who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God so none of them was humbling himself to wash the feet of their fellow brothers before the supper. Each was thinking he would be the greatest next to Jesus. Jesus set them an example that the greatest leader must be a servant leader. He knew His position as the Son of God, yet He stood and washed the feet of His disciples with confidence and love. He was not even focusing on the revelation that shortly one of them would betray Him and the rest would desert Him. He became a servant with love that night.

Some of us may feel that becoming a servant is belittling of your position. You may be a CEO of a big company, a high ranking officer in your department or a rich man living in huge houses and driving an expensive car, you are still called by God to be His servant to serve His people. Jesus was also called the Holy Servant because He was humble and did the work of a servant, serving the people of God. Similarly, as the servants of God, we are to serve. The more you serve God’s people, the more you contribute to helping them make their life better. God, seeing your humility, will raise you up before the eyes of men.

Another example is Joseph (Genesis 39-41). Joseph, was arrogant in his younger days. But as he became a servant in Egypt, he learned to be humble and walked with God. As the head servant in Potiphar’s household, all authority was placed into his hands, yet he did not abuse his authority and serve his master well. Later, he was thrown into the jail after being wrongly accused, he continued to serve the keeper of the prison. Eventually, the Lord brought him before the Pharoah and he became the right hand man of the Pharaoh. The bible said that God was with Joseph and all things put into Joseph’s hands, God prospered him. God raised him from nothing to the highest rank. All these were possible because of Joseph’s personal walk with God, his confidence in God and his humility to serve his masters despite of the full authority placed into his hands. Never once did Joseph abuse his authority given.Confidence give you power to serve.

How do you maintain your confidence in God? In Psalm 91:1, we are to run to God and dwell in the secret place of God. Psalm 23 is a beautiful Psalm that tells us God is our Shepherd. In verse 1 to 3, the Psalm begins with the writer referring to God being the third person as shown in the word used “He makes me”, “He leads me”, “He restores my soul”. From verse 4 to 6, it says that “when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” The third person from verse 1 to 3 became personal when the writer used the word “You”. It showed that God has become part of his life and he has a personal relationship with God. Only when you are confident that God is with you, you are not afraid to brave any difficulties. It is even okay that not everyone is happy with you but you know that God is with you and all things will be well.

What did Jesus do when he was troubled? He always prayed. He would go to a secret place early in the morning, late at night in the mountain, where no one could reach Him and disturb Him. He went away to a quiet and secret place to pray to God. These were the moments when He was able to pour out his soul to His Father and have His strength be renewed and recharged.

Do you have a secret place where you can pray to God? To nurture your confidence in God again? If we dwell in the secret place of God and walk in confidence with God, we have no fear. Today, if you have no set aside time to pray about the troubles in your heart, it shows that it is really not important enough to warrant you going on your knees before God and cry out for help. Only when you do so, then will you be able to find the peace of God surrounding your heart, to hear a new revelation on what to do and to nurture your confidence in God again. Take the effort to go away to your secret place to be with God, you will not regret doing so.

7. Values of Faithfulness (Trustworthiness)“Faithfulness is the cornerstone of one’s character” – Edwin Louis ColeLuke 16:10, 12 – (NKJV) – He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?1 Corinthians 4:2 – (NKJV) Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Faithful is our manna, especially to the things that belong to another man. If we are faithful in the little things, we will be faithful in much. Without faithfulness, there is nothing to build that will last. Be faithful in the things placed into your hands whether be it in submitting your works on time, not taking things from the office home for your personal use, be a good steward in your finances and, so forth.8. Values of Hard Work (Diligence)2 Peter 1:5 – (NKJV) – But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge.2 Thessalonians 3:10 – (NKJV) – For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.Ephesians 4:28 – (NKJV) Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

The bible tells us to give all our diligence in the things we do. Paul says that if we do not work, we do not get to eat. For an organization to grow, the employees must be hard working and labour with their hands things that are good. In times to come, those who work hard and store up, will also be able to give to those who are in needs.9. Values of Integrity (Truthfulness)John 14:6 – (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.John 8:44 – (NKJV) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.Matthew 9:12-13 – (NKJV) When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The moment you lie, trust is broken. In this broken world, you know you can tell the truth and still be loved. Better be your way and greater be your life if you build your life on truth. John 8:44 tells us that Satan is a liar and there is no truth in him. He is different from Jesus. Jesus is the truth and there is no lie in Him. When you lie, you walk in lies. You made the devil your father, who is the father of lies. There is no glory, honour and praise in the lack of integrity. But Jesus said that He did not come for those who are well, righteous and rich – Matthew 9:12-13. He came for those who are sick and unloved. When we sin, when we lie, we can repent and return to God. He will welcome you gladly back into His arms. The church of God has rooms for people who are weak, for people who fail, for those that the world rejects. In our marriage, between husband and wife, it must be built on truth and love.10. Values of Generosity (Be a Giver/ Have a Generous Heart and Spirit)Acts 20:35 – (NKJV) I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’1 Timothy 6:6-8; (NKJV) – Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.James 3:14-15; (NKJV) – But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

One of the best ways to break envy is to be a giver. The more you give, the blessed you will be. When you are envious of people and covets after their possessions, it is demonic. It is self-centredness ruling and it is carnal, of the flesh. It does not come from God.

Where do these ten values come from? Please visit Sermon Alive and also look at the part 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Go to www.sermonalive.com

Servanthood is the Key to Destiny

Genesis 24:15-22

We have looked at servanthood being the key to promotion and authority. Now, we will look at Servanthood being the key to destiny. Let go to Genesis 24 where we will look at Abraham wanting a wife for his son, Isaac. So he sent out his oldest servant who ruled over Abraham’s household to look for a girl. This is a beautiful story of our times. God, the Father, is a picture of Abraham. Issac is a picture of Jesus the Son. God wants a bride, a generation of believers for His son, Jesus Christ. And He sent out His servant, the Holy Spirit, which is a picture of the oldest servant, looking for the bride for His son. So the servant walked throughout the land, looking for a girl for Isaac.

After a long day, he was thirsty. He came to a well and there were many women there. He saw this girl at the well. The servant did not ask the Lord for a girl who is well-educated, smart, a socialite, and etc. No, he just wanted a girl who served – Genesis 24:12-14. Lo and behold, here came Rebekah. In Genesis 24:15-20, we saw Rebekah giving a drink to the servant. And when she saw that he had finished drinking, she offered to draw water for his camels until they were all finished drinking. She did not draw for one camel but all the camels.

Now, when we read this casually, we cannot understand the magnitude of this action. To Rebekah, the servant was a perfect stranger. Most people won’t even serve their friends, let alone a stranger. This girl served a perfect stranger. But she has the heart of a servant. There were ten camels and she fed all of them with water. If you do your mathematics, an average camel drinks about 106 litres of water. It’s about 106 bottles of the big bottles of 1.5 litres. Ten camels mean 1060 litres of water. To help you understand this better, imagine the typical household pail you have at home in which you use it for bathing, for mopping the floor or to water your flowers in the garden. A pail of water is about 20 litres. To feed ten camels, 1060 litres is a total of 53 pails.

In those days, the well has 50 steps down into the water. Those are small steps built into the wall of the well. Imagine you have to carry a pail and walk down 50 steps, scope up 20 litres of water and walked up 50 steps out of the well. You got to do that 53 times. Now, Rebekah didn’t walk but she ran up and down the well – Genesis 24:20. She must be the modern day super gym woman! She was willing to serve a total stranger with a servant heart!

Now, the servant has ten camels and they were all filled with goodies. Genesis 24:22 says the servant took out a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel of gold and two bracelets weighing ten shekels of gold. So, she started to have gifts given to her. You want the anointing of the Holy Spirit. You want the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Then start serving. Look further at verse 53. The servant took out precious gifts of jewelry and clothing to Rebekah. Not only that, her brother and mother received gifts, too. Her servanthood immediately led to prosperity. The more you serve, the more God will give it to you and prosper you.

You may think at this point then that you better go out and serve. Go and create a career. Build up a big business. Score top in your studies. To do all these, it means you do not have a lot of time to serve. You may be thinking of waiting till you are successful and rich, then you tell people you are a Christian and everybody will come to the kingdom of God. Or, you may think that you want to be rich and successful first before you serve so you can give to the church. This someday will never come. The more you procrastinate, the more you cut yourself away from the destiny of the Lord. Listen, people! This is not how it works. There must be a balance. People do not come to church because you are rich. People come to church because you are a servant. But don’t into one extreme to start serving God and fail in your examination, forgot to complete your works in the office but busy doing church works during office hours, don’t serve God all the time until you loose your job or promotion. Excel in your job as you are paid to do your works. This will be a good testimony for people in your office. Both extremes are not God’s ways.

As Rebekah served the servant, the most beautiful thing was this. She was picked of all the women, to be the bride of Isaac and forty-two generations later, out of the lineage came forth Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Saviour of the whole world. Servanthood led Rebekah to her destiny!

Today, the Holy Spirit is sent out, looking for one man, one woman, one congregation, a church who will serve God. Today, as you choose to serve, God will not only promote you, gives you authority; He is going to bring you to your destiny! And through your life, Jesus Christ will be made known to people around you and to all the world. You may be a successful person today. Thank God for the success, for the talents and gifts but do not miss this one truth. When you get to heaven, Jesus is not going to say, “Well done, my successful Businessman/CEO/AVP/Doctor” but “Well done, my good and faithful servant”. How many of you out there are ready to serve God today? The most dangerous thing is we fool ourselves, carrying our bible, looking dignified and going to church every week. We think we will be alright as long as we fulfill our duties. Oh friends, your life should not be one of duty. Your life should be one of delights and your delight is of serving our God and serving His kingdom. Will you give a few hours of your week to serving the community, God’s kingdom, to be His voice in the boardroom, His mind in the project room? Will you make a stand and serve God today?

This review is based on the paperback edition of Anne Rice’s novel, ‘Christ the Lord Out of Egypt’.

I must admit that as a past reader of Anne Rice vampire novels, I was prepared for a different experience than what I encountered by reading this book. My son gave me my first Anne Rice novel at Christmas a few years ago, and he followed up with more of her paperbacks on subsequent birthdays, Mothers’ Days, and Christmases.

Many of Anne Rice’s previous novels are dark, yet strongly compelling, reading. You might find your mind wandering as you wade through paragraph after paragraph of descriptive details that, while setting the scene, sometimes distract you from the storyline. However, her stories always seize your interest. You might skim over the flowery descriptions, but you are always entranced by the characters in their search for something bigger than themselves.

In this book Anne talks about something bigger than all of us – and succeeds in eliciting strong emotions accompanied by occasional tears. This is a simply written account, narrated from the point of view of a young Jesus.

Unlike earlier novels, she restricts the descriptive language to a level which accurately depicts the time, customs, and surroundings – without distracting from the story’s progression. The book has been carefully researched. Historical facts are intertwined with dialogue and narrative in a way that makes them come alive to the reader.

Young Jesus surprisingly commits a huge sin in the third paragraph of the first page. This startled me! My perspective of Jesus has always been one of God personified in the flesh – and God would never sin! That first page raised my hackles and I almost put the novel down in disgust.

However, it was a Christmas present from my son, and I felt compelled to read it for his sake. I certainly didn’t think that Anne Rice was going to tell a story about the Jesus Christ I knew from reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Without a doubt, I am overjoyed that I read the book right to the end. It cleared up a mystery that has plagued me for years: Why did Jesus have to die to save me? This answer had been given to me many times in sermons and in the Bible itself. However, I never completely understood it until I read this book.

Whatever you do – don’t skip to the end of the novel to discover the answer. Without absorbing the narrative, chapter by chapter, you will not comprehend the last two pages.

Anne has wavered from Roman Catholicism to atheism, and back to Roman Catholicism. She relates in the paperback edition why she made a promise to dedicate her life to God.

The introductory pages of the novel include a map showing the northern part of Egypt and the areas of the Holy Land that are mentioned in the story. The back of the book includes an ‘Author’s Note’ and ‘Note to the Paperback Edition’. Here, Anne describes a bit of her background, her research techniques, and her conversion back to Christianity.

No matter what your religious beliefs, you will find this novel an interesting read. I intend to buy several to give away to friends and relatives.Christ the Lord Out of Egypt – by Anne RicePaperback Edition ISBN: 0-7704-3013-9Hardcover Edition ISBN: 0-6769-7768-5*Anne Rice has kindly provided the following thoughts on this review:

‘I do personally believe that Jesus was sinless, and in my novel the intention is to present Him as absolutely sinless. In the opening scenes He does not kill anyone. He ‘feels the power go out of Him’. Rather like the similar passage of the Gospel of Mark when the hemorrhaging woman is healed by touching His robe.

‘Take care and have a good year,

‘Anne Rice’

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.