Sunday 16 October 2011

MOSES WHO SERVED WITH EAGERNESS


MOSES
Eagerness to what causes us to do anything.
Scripture reading: Exodus 3:1-12
Background
Midian was  land named after a man. After Sarah died, Abraham married a woman called Keturah and she had a son named Midian. Moses used to tend Midian’s herds.
Horeb was mountain range about 3 and a half kms long. When such mountains are seen in moonlight, the sand on it would cause it to shine. As a result of this, people named it Horeb which mean the Moon God. One of the peaks of this mountain range is known as Sinai.
Israelites are in Egypt as a result of the Word of God. When one is in such a situation, God expects you to self-reflect. God blessed Abraham. When he made a covenant with Abraham, he ask Abraham to cut animals and birds into two pieces and place them. He would make his covenant in this manner. We understand that covenant is meeting God’s need. It’s not just an exchange. Sometimes we feel that covenant is exchange pieces of bread but that is not so. Covenant is meeting God’s need. Doing what God requires of us to do. To do what God wills. God told Abraham, “I want this. Take these animals and birds and stand before me.” But, we see that Abraham fell asleep. That was his mistake. God had asked him to wait. That didn’t mean he could sleep. Waiting is standing with patience and suffering. But Abraham fell asleep and wild animals came and attacked the sacrifice thus, making claim over what God had deemed his. Yet, we see that the smoking oven and the flaming torch came.
Sometimes we make the mistake of looking at Abraham and Moses as superheroes. But they were also normal human beings, ordinary men like us. God is the God righteousness and the God of justice. He is a Judge. As a result, God made a covenant, but also gave the judgment that his descendants would suffer in a foreign land for four hundred year. God is a God who blesses but also one who judges. For eg. The ill treatment of Joseph might be looked upon as something wrong happening towards him or a judgment being pronounced upon him.
360 years have now passed after this incident with Abraham. Moses is 40 years old. Again, God chose a man and began to take his purpose forward. His purpose was to increase the descendants of Abraham. Moses has grown up In the palace. He knows that in spite of being brought up in the palace, he is Hebrew. Being brought up in the palace, means he got the best training but Moses was not of the palace. He was in the palace but not of it. Just that we are in this world but we are not of this world. That was the challenge.
But a fire burns within him that the palace wasn’t Moses’s ultimate destination. This burning passion plays a very important role. The palace was not for him. This is a big pitfall for us, to settle compromise and just agree with the circumstances but Moses didn’t do so. He left the palace and went to meet his brothers. He knew that it was his destiny. He belonged to this people. Many a times in life, we don’t remain where we belong. It might be for a selfish reason or a benefit. But Moses teaches us. His stand was clear. And that’s why he went amongst the Hebrew.
As a result, he couldn’t bear the wrong happening to his people and he killed an Egyptian. When he went to comfort his people, who were fighting, they turned against him so he ran away. In spite of it, the fire was burning within him. 40 years had past since that time. To keep that fire burning was challenge. He continued in that same passion.
Now we see that God’s timing has ripened. He is tending the flock and now, he sees the burning bush.
Exodus 3:1-12
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Now, Midian is the present Saudi Arabia. There is a small gulf where two countries divide. This mountain is placed there. It decided their boundary and context. The first unprecedented action that Moses did was to take a step and go beyond the general boundary of the common people. God’s people are adventurous people. God looks for warriors, he is a God of warriors not cowards. Here, Moses emerges as a warrior. Nobody took their sheep to the far side but he did.
2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
Moses decided that he would take a closer look at this supernatural event. He had willingness. Therefore, he did it. Warriors step forward with courage. They want to go beyond their limits. They are not compromising. He didn’t step back because of the glories he had. And now, we see that he saw a big fire around the bush. Moses spotted it. He wasn’t simply awestruck but he looked at it. He recognized that it was a miracle. Warriors are created for miracles. They always expect one. Moses knows this picture. He knew the shackles his people were in. His heart is still burning with this passion. He knows that his people are not made for slavery. That is not their destiny. They are destined for something better. And that was his passion. We face a major problem in the area of what we can do and our ability. We don’t hear God nor do we meet him. There are people who think what they can do for God but the point is what God wants to do with you. That is what matters. Moses’ position is similar. He knows he cant save his people. Pharoah and his rule is too strong and powerful. He killed the Egyptian because of his passion but suddenly, he realizes the reality. But this miracle captures his heart. He doesn’t know much of this God. He has the history but he doesn’t know him. Abraham also knew only the all-powerful God but this intimacy wasn’t there. For the first time, God meets in this way and introduces his purpose.
Moses isn’t simply overwhelmed. He decides to take a closer look. Many simply get overwhelmed. But Moses didn’t do that. He decided to check it himself. He wanted to become a part of it. He who believes will fashion miracles. When God wants to do something, he sends people. But instead, we pray for our needs. We don’t walk in his miracles. Moses went himself. He wanted to experience this reality. Christian life is recognizing reality through experience not just talking about it.
 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
It is interesting that when Moses steps forward, God takes greater strides towards him. Our calling is like this. It is not one-sided. When Moses moved, God responded.
   And Moses said, “Here I am.”
This is the message for us today. God invited Moses into this miracle. And Moses displayed his readiness.  Our problem is that we many times we think about what we want to do for God. But we need to find what God wants us to do and where he wants us to be. Moses was there with his sheep. In this position, God called him and he responded to it.
Moses led lakhs of people through the wilderness. He is an amazing example in the Bible. He faced Pharoah. He took care of his people through that time. The key is here. He said, “Here I am.” We can translate it as “God, I am yours.” And God is looking for such people.
God wants to drag this world into miracles and for this, he is looking for such people. God doesn’t need our alms. That has been the issue in the Scripture. Man looks at God as a part of his life and God looks at Man as His. Man, therefore, thinks of following rituals but God just wants to make us His. He expects the same from us.
Moses responds in this way. God expects the same for us. He is not interested in how much we give him but how much we keep for ourselves. This exhibits how much we belong to God. Tithe is God’s and the rest is mine. There something wrong in that thinking.  It shows whose you are, yours or God’s. God wont come and stand in front of us like we doesn’t expect. He will place a man instead of him and will place him in God’s place. Moses was placed in God’s place for Aaron and for the people of God. His weaknesses didn’t matter. He was placed in God’s place for by God himself. He was the Almighty God for Aaron and for Pharaoh.
Many times people say that we will do as God directs us. God clarifies his strategy in this way. We cant ignore those that God places in His place in our lives. That is his strategy. God is asking us to leave our plans and seek Him. Moses didn’t make excuses or didn’t seek his way. God saved Him and Moses became His. God works according to his pattern. And Moses gave himself to it. God wants to deal with us in this way.
God hasn’t changed. It is His revelation that will move us. The way we view God, will make the difference. Here is Moses. Not even his sheep are his. He simply had a staff and that was it. All of Moses’ plans are done with now and he makes himself available to God. The single miracle was enough to change the direction of his life. A single Word transformed him. He became available for God. It captured his total life.
This is what God wants from us. He want to move us with a single Word and revelation.  God is looking for our response. God is looking for such people. God wanted to convey to Moses that he is a miraculous God.
Today, we need to check if we believe in this miraculous God, that we don’t simply talk about it. If we do, we will walk in it with our faith. All will be provided through Him. The things of this world are not our destiny. What we want to do for God is not our destiny. What God wants of us is our destiny.
Moses gave us his sheep for the miracle. The miraculous God gives us a miraculous beginning. David says the same. God is my shepherd, therefore I shall not want. He makes me lie beside silent waters.
We need to check what we are doing. Have we formulated our own plans. If we belong to God, He will decide. The meaning of Lordship is that God decides. Our role is to accept or reject. God is our Lord, our Owner. Either we ignore or we embrace His Word.
That is what our miraculous God is all about. Moses made excuses later but God didn’t register all that. That wasn’t an issue because Moses had declared his belongingness to God. No weakness or shortcoming was big enough.
 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
God takes names here. He presents himself as a God of individuals. He works individually. We need to examine how we can work individually with God. Do we check what God wants us to do on a daily basis. If we are God, we simply inform him but if He is God, we ask him what we are to do. We do not need to dare to go against and compromise in front of God. We cant become lazy when it comes to God. Moses immediately responded. He declared God’s ownership over himself. God works according to His timings.
If we want to become successful in life, if we want to please God and fulfill his purpose, then we need to be miraculous. We need to become like Him. Therefore, 2 Cor 5:12 says that no one discerns a righteous man. We are foolish if we think that our life will turn out according to our plans.
We need to respond when God calls. We cant decide when to follow God. Moses is remarkable example in history. He was a man with empty hands. He led six million people and provided for them for forty years. He became a pastor and counseled six million people. He cared for them, met their needs, disciplined them and brought them to the where God wanted them. This was because one man declared God’s ownership.
The miraculous God is waiting to hear the same. All we need to do is respond like Moses.
7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
God then, declares his covenant and says that he works according to his covenant.
 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.”
God later talks to him about a destiny he has for him and Moses responds in the same way. There would be challenges but when God decides to use us, he will work the miracles. He is the God of time. We need to fulfill His purpose in His timing.
Let’s not focus on ourselves, our plans and our timings. Let’s focus our eyes on our Lord. Let’s not rebel against God but let us respond to Him. Let us surrender to His Will and walk in His miracles.

Thursday 6 October 2011

PROSPERITY AND MIRACLES ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN


PROSPERITY  AND MIRACLES ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

The Church: A miraculous people
The Church is a group of miraculous people because we take birth into the Kingdom of God by miracle. Christ himself said that
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”John 3:8
We receive life from God which is a miraculous life. In this way, we are a miraculous people born by miracles. Therefore, miracles are our rights. We begin by miracles and we continue our life in miracles.
But our problem is that sometimes, like Paul addresses the Galatians, we too begin by the Spirit and then, try to end by the flesh. But we can sustain life in the Kingdom only through miracles.
Adam: His miraculous environment
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[d] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Gen 2:4-15
When the first man was created, it was by miracle. It was only possible miraculously. He was created (indicating miracle) and made (indicating skill). God made Man using his skill but the breath of life that was breathed into him was by miracle. As for us, we are born again by miracle.
God made gems and gold and placed it in the land of Havilah (v.11-12). Thus, God had kept elements of prosperity / abundance prepared by miracle. There he placed man. Man didn’t deserve it, nor was he qualified to gain it. But God created Man by miracles and hence, he placed him there miraculously. And therefore, prosperity works as a miracle for us.
Jesus: The miraculous restorer
Jesus came on earth to take us back to Eden. He came as a restorer. His work was to give this revelation to the people of why they were created. Jesus came so that he could help people see their purpose and therefore, then reach it.
Adam only knew that God had created him and he was God. Everything around him was miraculous. It was his natural environment. And it is the same with the Church. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes and opens our eyes. The Wind comes and we come to know that we are in the dark and we go to the wonderful light according to the direction given by the Wind (2 Pet 2:10).
We were in a Dark Age. But, God’s Wind blew over us and reached us. Without our knowledge, he came and gave us directions. He invited us to the Wonderful Light.
Hence being born again is not just about a single day of decision but also that the Holy Spirit draws us to the marvelous Light of the Lord. God uses situations, words, people etc. and does it miraculously.
Adam never asked or wondered about the abundance around him because the natural environment around him was that of miracles. Indeed, miracles come naturally to us, we don’t need to make back-breaking efforts to witness them.
Adam didn’t recognize the abundance around him because he didn’t know his history. All he knew was that he was here as a result of a miracle. Similarly, the people of God continually live life in miracles. Miracles don’t come after a lot of efforts. They simply come. It may be related to anything.
Jesus said in Mark 16:17, that signs shall follow a believer. This means they will come after believers, after us. Adam was born into a miraculous world and that is exactly our heritage also. We call on faith and it comes. God is our father and hence we ask with confidence as children who have the right to ask. We are not slaves. We live as heirs. This is where we think differently from other faiths that encourage self-deprivations and self-efforts.
Kingdom life: Life of Abundance / miracles
God’s entry into a life brings renewal and hence, there is no condemnation. We begin miraculously and miracles will always follow us, therefore we become miraculous people.
God’s will is to see us at his desired position. He makes adequate and readily available provision for it also. He is our miraculous father and hence, he wants us to function in that dimension. When the people of God begin to function in this way, the world will not be able to understand this miraculous life.
When God created Adam, the greenery, water, fruitfulness around him; all of it was miraculous. Then, he was given a throne and asked to rule. Similarly, God has created the miraculous environment of the Coming Kingdom in this Age for his people. Only this miraculous people will be able to sit on the miraculous throne to rule the world.
Jesus came to show this abundant life in the Kingdom. This life would be one in which the beginning, sustenance and the culmination would be function through miracles. And hence, Kingdom people would be people for whom money and miracles would be two sides of the same coin.
Indeed, true prosperity is from God. Miracles are from God. Establishment is from God. Indeed, all this is the inheritance of the people of God. Once we begin to see the light of this revelation, we begin to live the Kingdom life that the world gapes at but doesn’t understand.

AARON - WHO GAVE HIS ALL


AARON - WHO GAVE HIS ALL

It’s of no use to simply keep turning the pages of the Bible. One can’t gain anything by
mindless perusing. But, if it is done with the mediation of the Holy Spirit then a life time
will also prove short for understanding it. This universe is massive. Astronomers are
discovering new galaxies every day that are continually expanding its boundaries. And,
in this unending vastness of our universe, the words that wield most force are those
within the Bible.

We are blessed, if we are learning how to wield these words and if our life and heart
is set on these words.Not those that simply read it, but those whose life is set on it.
Such people are the most blessed in this the world. The stars, the creation and all living
things long to hear these words and we have been chosen to understand and know
them by God.

Background:

The book of Leviticus is meant for those that are called to ministry. Levi was a tribe
of Israel that was chosen by God to specially work for and represent God amongst
God’s people. They were a group of people chosen to serve, through special mediation,
service and commission, as a link between God and his people. Therefore, the book
has been named Leviticus. Moses as well as his brother Aaron belonged to the tribe of
Levi. And their children were Levites and so, this book was written for them.

Moses has led the people out of Egypt. They have now almost reached the boundary of
where God wants to lead them. They have prepared the Tent of Meeting. The distance
was very short. In current times, one could have reached the land within 10 minutes via
helicopter.

Scripture Reading:

 1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added
incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his
command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed
them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what
the LORD spoke of when he said:

   “‘Among those who approach me      I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people      I will be honored.’”

   Aaron remained silent.

 4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and
said

front
outside the camp, as Moses ordered.

 6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your
hair
will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may
mourn for those the LORD has destroyed by fire. 7 Do not leave the entrance to
the tent of meeting or you will die, because the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.”
So they did as Moses said.

8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or

other
This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, 10 so that you can
distinguish
clean, 11 and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given
them through Moses.”

Leviticus 10:1-10

God ordains people for His purposes:

This passage is very tricky and hard to understand. Aaron had two sons, Nadab and
Abihu. God had appointed Moses over everyone. He was in the place of God for Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu. His words are final for them. This is a very important point for us in
our life. God places people on his behalf in our life. But we don’t consider the weight
that their words carry. In this case, Moses was carrying the Word of God for them.
Moses was speaking to Aaron, Nadab and Abihu not God. But God had ordained him.
This is very significant. In life, God ordains people for his own purposes. One can’t
decide and pick and choose on his own. This is not a job to be taken up. The scripture
teaches that God works only through people he has ordained. Here, God has ordained
only three out of the thousands of Levites. They are Aaron, Nadab and Abihu. They
were not useless just because they were burnt to death. They were chosen men of God.
God has picked them and ordained them to do his service.

If people who haven’t been chosen try to take on God’s matters in their hands, it will
never work. God chooses people and expects them to work according to his pattern.
Moses was doing the same. Probably, they took Moses’s words lightly. God has told
Moses that for Aaron, Moses would have been at God’s place. Moses was doing his job
faithfully and was instructing them accordingly. God had very intricately instructed them
included the tiniest of details and they did it.

God’s Word is All-Sufficient:

When God asked the people to make the Tent of Meeting, they were in the wilderness.
He asked them to use leather of seals but how would they get it there. He asked to use
acacia wood which wasn’t found in the wilderness. Where would they get all this? They
were asked to use precious stones and gold beyond measure. Provision of all this was
not possible in the wilderness but God wanted to teach Moses that HIS WORD IS ALL
SUFFICIENT.

When he speaks, he does so with all sufficiency. When God says he’ll accomplish
something, he has already done it. Whenever he says anything, he prepares everything
necessary for it. One need not wail and cry for it. One need not confirm it several
times. His Word is all-sufficient. This was the point of focus. And we see that they
were provided with all that God asked the Israelites to use. We don’t know how it was
accomplished but it became possible because His Word is preceded by complete
provision.

They were asked to inlay the gold plates with precious stones. They had to use gems
called Urim and Thummim. One meant enlightened and therefore, represented one who
has received the revelation of God, one who has encountered God. He is the one who
speaks beside God. Thummim meant holy and hence, represented one who walks in
his holiness. The man who wielded these stones was a man of revelation and holiness.
Thus, he was according to God’s image representing the Garden of Eden.

These three were appointed by God for this work. But they seemed to take Moses’s
words lightly.

1

incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his
command.

It is written that the fire to be used should be from the altar in the Tent of meeting.

(Lev 1:7, Lev 3:5, Lev 6:12,13). The fire on the altar should never go out. It should
always stay alight. And this fire was to be used. God had spoken through Moses that
it should always remain alight. The point is that it represented God’s character, his
holiness and his power. The people were to remain aware at all times that the God who
was amongst them was all-powerful and holy. And therefore, God had instructed this.
But Nadab and Abihu used another fire. They took it lightly. They thought that any fire
would do. They didn’t see any difference in this fire and any other fire. Therefore, they
did this. So, they got the fire from another place. The moment they did this, a massive
fire burnt them alive.

There is a message here. God doesn’t compromise with his Word. He doesn’t go back
on what he has spoken. He never compromises. If he says something, he stands by it.

He never waters down his Word. His Word is to be followed exactly to the letter. And
thus, he sends this message through the fire.

When God ordains, he does so for separation. It’s not a side business. Moses asked the
other sons not to mourn because the oil of Anointing was on them or they would have
died. There was a purpose upon their lives and there was a destiny ordained for them.
Moses was asking them not to move from that or their condition would become like their
brothers.

One can’t take God’s words lightly. You might be living in such a condition only because
someone is interceding for you. He is the God who never changes. He is the same
today. Your security, the grace upon you is because the people of God are interceding
for you. Don’t tempt your destiny and let the people of God move away from your life.
The God of Nadab and Abihu is alive today. In the times of Elijah, he brought down fire.
During the time of Daniel, fire couldn’t destroy his friends. God is the same today.

Aaron – the man of revelation:

In this case, Aaron emerges as an interesting character. He has to do the same work.
He has to minister at the altar where his sons were burnt to death. We generally
remember Abraham but not Aaron. Abraham had not even killed his son [though his
significance can’t be denied] but we remember him but here the situation is graver.
Aaron or his sons had not chosen to serve God. But God had appointed them. To serve
God was a very fearful responsibility and they were aware of that. God told Moses
to call Aaron and his sons and appoint them. Humanly speaking, they should have
declined it but they didn’t. And now after his sons have fallen dead, Aaron doesn’t flinch
from walking to the same altar. He didn’t shirk from it.

The key quality of Aaron was the revelation of God that he carried. He knew whom he
was serving. The one who has the true revelation of God overcomes every situation.
The man of revelation is not cowed down by emotion. God doesn’t speak at any time
during this incident; it is only Moses who speaks. Aaron’s other sons pick up the dead
bodies and go. Aaron doesn’t become a part of it. [v.4]

 4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and
said to them, “Come here; carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the
front of the sanctuary.”

The man of revelation is strong. He is not moved. The God that he has encountered is
all-sufficient. The realm that he has entered is all-sufficient. He places all his conflicts,
sufferings, struggles on one hand and the revelation of God on the other and praises
God. He remembers his redeemer. He knows his King and walks in his revelation. The
same is true for Aaron. The one who has the revelation of God walks by this revelation

not by sight.

Paul had to go through many struggles and yet, when he encounters King Agrippa,
all he can say is “How can I deny what I have seen?” The same situation occurs with
Aaron. The young men took God’s word lightly and hence faced the wrath of God. God
didn’t compromise his standards. He believes in quality and maintains his standard.

If we have received the revelation of God, we have been enlightened by the King,
then, don’t take that lightly. If we take it lightly, we still serve the same God who didn’t
compromise with Nadab and Abihu. He will never compromise his standards. There is
no room for crossing his limits.

We, then, see that Aaron is to dedicate his other two sons. And Aaron’s reaction is of
complete submission. He is not broken with emotions nor has the situation bowed him
down. He doesn’t walk in fear of what his next two sons might do. Aaron’s dedication to
God is remarkable. He is ready with his family. His attitude is that of Job that God takes
what he gives. God’s words should be understood in light of his judgment. God gives his
instructions to the letter and if the people of God don’t follow them, there’s a judgment to
face. It reflects His authority and His Lordship over His people.

Moses then brings God’s word to Aaron that whoever approaches me should declare
his Holiness and His Glory. The same is true for the Church. We approach God to
attribute His Holiness and His Glory and increase it. God is a God of detailing. He pays
attention to detail as well as the overall model. He wants to teach us that everything that
He does is according to a model, a pattern.

Aaron took these words seriously. He didn’t mourn for forty days nor did he mourn with
his family. His attitude was of complete dedication. The same attitude is seen in the
people who sell all their possessions and put it at the feet of the Apostles. All that is
their’s is given with complete dedication.

All that is mine is the Lord’s.

Staying under God’s Anointing:

The oil of Anointing is upon us. Anointing is entering the realm of the abilities of God.
We do this by allowing God to work in us. Its sign is that we have seen the Kingdom,
that we have seen the King, that we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. We have
been anointed to work in His strength, ability and power. God keeps one expectation
from us after he anoints us

Walk in my strength not yours. Walk in my purposes not yours. You are mine.

The anointing represents God’s ownership over your life. The Holy Spirit puts a seal

on us ‘Separated for the Lord’. Anointing is not accidental, it is purposeful. We are no
longer our own, we are the Lord’s. The choice lies with us. Just as Aaron said and so
did his other two sons,

 “You want us. Here we are ”

The anointing brings them from one position into the position of God’s presence. Lets us
consider our lives and decide where we will go. Will we go the way of Nadab and Abihu
or of Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar? The cost doesn’t matter, are we ready to pay it and
dedicate ourselves towards his purpose beyond compromise, beyond self?

Tuesday 20 September 2011

God's Revelation For Decision Making

GOD’S REVELATION FOR DECISION MAKING (YEAR 2011)
Pope Gregory prepared a calendar and as a result we are beginning this year . Some people live under the impression that this calendar was prepared by God and we need to follow it strictly.
The fact of the matter is that Christians as such don’t have a new year in this manner. This is the reality. But the motivation behind celebrating the New Year is many times that we compare ourselves with others. Hindus celebrate a New Year. Muslims celebrate a New Year. Parsis celebrate a New Year than why not us .Hence, it has hardly got anything to do with dates.
What I want to emphasize is that time begins with God / God is the origin of time. And the current time is a small piece of the overarching plan of God. And we hail this piece of time as 2011. God has told me that 2011 is to be an year of abundance. People take New Year resolutions like ‘I wont drink again.’ This is a good thing but we also need to go beyond towards better things.
Those that are born again and bear the revelation of the Kingdom do not have to consider Satan as a potent enemy that they have to fight every day. For them, it’s God on one end and them on the other hand. Their focus is narrowed down to what God is strategizing for His Kingdom upon this earth.
It’s not like how some people excuse themselves with, “Satan made me drink.” The Bible clearly states that Satan has been bound by Christ. Jesus himself stated that he entered the strong man’s home and he bound him. He then set the prisoners free forever. Jesus took over his home. Hence, Satan has been plundered therefore how come he opens a bar and forces people to drink. He is bound so he might struggle a little and try to make false attempts but nothing beyond that.
Terah – the man of vision and Abram – who walked in his father’s footsteps
We generally hear about Abraham but let us begin with Terah because we shouldn’t ignore this character.
Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran. Gen 11: 31-32
Terah and hence, Abraham is a descendant in the family line of Noah’s son, Shem. About 2600 years have passed after Noah’s time. A few generations have past. Terah has three children. One is dead. Lot is without a father.
Terah’s Background:
Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. Josh 24:2
We see here that many descendants of Noah have rejected God and gone astray.  Terah is mentioned as the father of Nahor and Abram [Haran isn’t mentioned because he was not alive then]. They worshipped other gods. They were idol worshippers. This is the context of Terah.
But something has happened. He is caught into something. He has caught a revelation. And he begins to implement it. It has not been referred to but we see it in his actions. When he was serving other gods, he saw something and there’s a dramatic change in his life. In his time, no one would leave his heritage and native place. But we see that suddenly, Terah, takes Abram, Haran’s son Lot and Abram’s wife, Sarai and leaves Ur, in the southern part of Iran to go to Palestine, to Canaan. Something extraordinary has happened. His life has made an acute turn and hence he doesn’t want to remain settled in his land. He begins to say, “This is not my place. This is not where I should be. God has destined another place for me.” And hence he takes a historic step. He leaves his heritage, his native place and goes towards a new place.While going towards it, he reached Haran. But he died there.
His destiny was Canaan. He wouldn’t compromise. He wouldn’t accept anything less than what God had ordained for him, destined for him. What we can learn is not to compromise with a little. Just because we get something, doesn’t mean we sit back and become content. We are made for larger things because we have a greater father. We think of greater areas. This is an important step, a historic step.
Terah received a dramatic revelation of the living God. He was moved away from his native land. The encounter with God shook him into action. Now, we see God’s purpose for Abram. They are in Haran. Terah is dead. God appears to Abram. Naturally, in these conditions, Abram might move back. His father’s vision was Canaan. For his father, the destiny was Canaan. God gives him a vision so that he doesn’t move out of his father’s journey. If God wouldn’t encounter Abram, his natural reaction would be to go back to Ur. He was in an unknown land and unknown people so He might not have continued his journey.
But God’s purpose was to instruct Abram to walk in his father’s footsteps. History in the Bible is filled with sons walking in their father’s footsteps. This important facet of Abram’s attitude is looked over many a times that he honoured his father and walked in his footsteps. His father had seen something and he began to walk into that. He got into it and he didn’t leave it. He wasn’t satisfied with little and incomplete obedience. He walked in his father’s footsteps. People of revelation are never satisfied with incompleteness. They are giants. They carry revelation. God wants his people to be a people of revelation. He doesn’t simply want a religious crowd that simply engages in rites and rituals. He wants a people who are always ready to hear and see what he wants to show them. They are committed to bringing it into manifestation.
And we see this quality in Abram. Terah died when he was 205 years old in Haran. Now, God spoke Abram. But how did he know it was God. When Moses encountered the burning bush, he asked, “Who is this?” He had been raised in a foreign religion so he didn’t know God. But here, we see Abram never questions God. When‘God speaks to Abram’, he doesn’t ask anything. This means he was familiar with him. When God met Terah, he was still an idol worshipper but now things are different. Abram knows God. Why? Because he had received something from his father, he had heard something from him. He had gained it in his company. His union with his father had made him familiar to God’s voice. And so he didn’t question him. He immediately recognized him as the God who revealed himself to his father.
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
Just as God had showed his father, he was taking him ahead in that. He was not to turn back. God asked him to leave three areas :
  • Place
The first was his country. God wanted to ask him to leave his boundaries. The ‘country’ represents a boundary or a limit. God was asking him to leave his boundaries and limits. Many a times we limit ourselves. ‘I cant do this.’ ‘how can I?’ ‘I am not educated.’ Moses told God that his speech wasn’t favourable. But God didn’t consider that. Your limit is not a problem in the Kingdom of God. Our weakness or limit is not a problem for God. God asked Moses, “What is in your hand?’ And it immediately became a snake. It was something beyond his ability and capacity.
Therefore, the first thing God was impressing upon Abram was that he had to get out his own comfortable box. He had to begin to enter God’s arena. That’s God’s message for us that its time to enter God’s arena.
  • Relatives
The second point is ‘relations’. That is our company and union. Leave the people you are related with, those that you are joined to. Come out of it. When God wants us to walk with him, we have to leave those that we are joined with. We have to get beyond social commitments and entrapments. People glory in such relationships and are proud of it. But the Kingdom principle works differently. God asks us to leave all of them behind. Join where I show you. This is God’s nature. He is a covenant God and covenant is his nature. Relate yourself with me and the one I show you.
Manubhai left his relatives and joined the ministry of God 21 years ago and he’s been doing that till date. The Kingdom works differently. It leaves no choice.
  • Home
The third thing that he asked was to leave his father’s home. He was asking him to leave his safety zone. Jesus wouldn’t allow the man who wanted to go bury his father. We make our home our comfort and secure zone. God asked Abram to leave this safety and comfort zone. We need to leave this zone for the Kingdom. We have to follow God his way, not our way according to our conditions.
God puts these three things before Abram –
Leave your limitations
Leave alone your social bindings
Leave your comfort / security zone
And when, this was done, he said, go to the country I show you. This means God asked him to walk into the revelation God showed him. See what I show you and walk in it. And reach that place. And therefore, God is a God of revelation.
A man or woman of God is a person of revelation. They are not a religious but they have seen something so they want to reach it. They wants to see God’s revelation into manifestation. One who makes excuses is not a person of revelation. When we see something, we want to communicate it.
And then, he said something more. He said that he would create a new people out of Abram. This is not about Muslims. The key word here is ‘create’. I will bring a ‘people created’ through you, not made. They would be a people divinely created not manufactured. They would be created from above. I will create a new community through you. It will be a community of the Kingdom, a people of revelation. And it is said about these people,
“I will make you into a great nation,
   and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
   and you will be a blessing.
The people of revelation are a people of blessing. I will make you a blessing. Kingdom people are a people of blessing for a nation. They are not a group who simply sit in a hall and sing choruses. Kingdom people live in God’s boundary. Here, God gave Abram a position. Whenever God calls someone he gives him a new name and a new identity. God does something like this here. God tells him that he will be a blessing. People would be blessed if they go to Abram. Abram would be the key for blessings. He would be a blessing for many. The same is true for Kingdom people. Our advice, counsel or revelation changes the directions of peoples’ lives.
Abram’s new name was ‘blessed’. His identity was being blessed. God shows us something. He brings us into his new relations and bindings and he takes us into his arena and boundaries. He makes us enter into his strength and capacity instead of our own capacity.
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him;
He continued to follow the revelation. God showed him a city that he was building. Abram followed what revelation God showed him. He left all and followed that purpose.  He came to the east boundary. He built an altar exhibiting his security and commitment in God. When he went to the other end, he built another altar. He built two altars. He built the first altar – verse 7 in Shechem and when he reached the other end in v 8. He pitched a tent and made an altar there west of Bethel. He exhibited and declared his commitment to God’s vision. The altar was a symbol of commitment and dedication to His covenant and to the completion of his commitment.
He who has ears let him hear.
The year 2011 is going to be an year of abundance and new revelation and new boundaries and a new bright future.


Being ready to reach God's appointed position


Being ready to reach God’s appointed position – Joshua, the                   exemplary leader [Judges 1]
After the death of Moses, it is Joshua whom God chose to lead His People. He distributed the land of Canaan amongst the twelve tribes. He showed the tribes the revelation of their destination. This didn’t mean they settled in the land unchallenged. They had to take over their allotted land.
Similarly, God shows us a place but we have to reach there. The Israelites had to fight their own battle just as we have to fight our own battle. God wont manifest His Will until you act upon what he speaks to you.
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” [Judges 1:1]
Joshua was dead but his success lay in the fact that he had established his vision into the hearts of the multitude. God fulfilled all of Joshua’s words. The major role that he fulfilled was to train the people in how to go after God and serve Him. Like a true leader, he equipped his people and trained them. Hence, they knew exactly what to do after he died.
            A real leader makes you fly; a fake one doesn’t even allow you to improve.
Joshua gave an exact direction as to what they had to do. And this is what the Church and Church leadership provides. It is a body that gives direction, guidance and training.
After Joshua’s death the question arises “Who will fight?”  But they are ready to take over. God also immediately responds to His people and Judah doesn’t flinch from doing God’s bidding.
The LORD answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.” [Judges 1:2]
Canaan’s king, Adoni Bezek [v 5,6] was a mighty warrior. He had defeated many other kings. He was a man of power and courage. But God said that he had given the land into their hands and Judah heard God’s voice clearly. This resulted in clear victory. When we listen to God’s voice with clarity beyond doubt and confusion, we are able to witness clear results. Therefore, God’s people always know the result. We are a people of destiny.
The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.
                                                                                                                        [Judges 1:3]
Verse 3 informs us that Judah and Simeon went together. None of them were selfish or self contained. They partnered each other in achieving what God had already ordained to be theirs.
When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. [Judges 1:4]
Judah won a great victory. They struck down ten thousand strong men. God’s people are always involved in a great victory march. Even today God wants to make us spiritual giants. We are people who will naturally do supernatural deeds. We are people whose minds and perspectives have changed. We do not think like down-trodden dust eating creatures but we think like eagles that always soar over heights.
God changes our thinking, our behavior and ultimately, he makes us who we are. He makes us sit beside him in the heavenly places. He wishes that His Church sheds away the old shackles of a slave mindset and become who she is, the Body of the Christ, the assembly made to win. We are the people meant to march the victory march with Christ.

ATTITUDE OF KINGDOM PEOPLE


                        Attitude of Kingdom people [2 Chron 26]
God exists as King. Therefore, we are not simply worshippers but we are the citizens of the Kingdom of God. Similarly, the Church is not just an assembly of worshippers , it is an assembly of active citizens who contribute to the Kingdom. Therefore, the Kingdom is very important for the Church. We do not simply get information and teaching but we see, enter, progress in and establish the Kingdom.
God wants to see what he has begun come to a culmination. He began His Kingdom; rule on earth with the words
Let there be light..
This was the sowing of the seeds of the Kingdom. He established His plan for the Kingdom at this very juncture. Hence, the Church being the agent of this Kingdom cannot be defined as simply a group of Sunday worshippers or singers or meeting-goers.
            We are a people engaged in the Kingdom, for the Kingdom.
How does a citizen play his role?
At the outset, it is important to keep in mind that the Kingdom is not a narrow dimensioned rule. It encompasses within itself the natural as well as the spiritual perspective. This is important for the Church because it functions in this kind of a Kingdom.
2 Chron 26 contains the account of King Uzziah who began his reign over Judah at the young age of sixteen and reigned 52 years over Judah. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Also, contained within this passage is a glimpse into a people who understood their role as citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Uzziah did not become King himself but he was ordained by wise people of the Kingdom. He followed the decision of the wise people. Such Kingdom people are a people of revelation and wisdom. Here, they saw and put God’s will into practice. In the Kingdom of God, His Will works.
He accepted  the decision of the people. When someone knows that his work is pre-ordained from above, the results are different. Therefore, a sixteen year old ends up reigning for 52 years. It is a combination of God’s wisdom, His anointing, His revelation as well as his skills that cause Uzziah to succeed beyond measure. He used all of it to the fullest measure, thus exhibiting his maturity.
It just goes to emphasize the fact that a Kingdom person is not just a happy-go-lucky person. He always walks with planning. He knows that the Kingdom does not come at random. Hence, Uzziah’s decision to trust the counsel of the Kingdom people was key to his success in fulfilling his role as King. And this is how the citizens of the Kingdom played an important role in bringing the Will of God into manifestation.
Uzziah, the King – His Characteristics
1.     He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors. [2 Chron 26:2]
Kingdom people believe in rebuilding. It is a symbol of God’s favour, grace and His lovingkindness. They do not accept the end as the end.
2.     He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.    [2 Chron 26: 4,5]
He established righteousness in the Kingdom. Kingdom people are never compromising. The Kingdom brings righteousness. If we want to see righteousness in the world systems and individuals, we need to allow the Kingdom to come and transform them. Kingdom people are strong people and hence, are capable of standing up for the Kingdom.
3.     The verses referred to in the second point also indicate that Uzziah worked under a prophetic spirit. Zechariah was his constant guide. Prophetic people are secure people. Prophets are not astrologers but they see what God is saying and take His people there. They are helping ministries not controlling ministries. They functions towards providing support, encouragement, inspiration and strength. They do not scare people but assist people in getting across a challenge. And that is exactly what the Bible works towards.
The Bible doesn’t tell when the storm is coming but that we have to overcome the storm.
Furthermore, prophetic ministries also bring a new direction and build up the Church. Just as the Church exists to save and build, prophets do the same.
4.     He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. [2 Chron 26:10]
The Kingdom is holistic. Uzziah promoted agriculture/cattle rearing. Others kings hadn’t done this. This shows how the Kingdom involves actions not just proclamation.
He repaired, restored, and gave strength to weak corners. Hence, he brought security. We have to highlight this Kingdom to the world not by using force. God is love and it is this love that compels people to follow.
A Warning
Uzziah made a mistake. He tried to become someone he wasn’t. 2 Chron 26: 16- 19 informs that –
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. [v.16] They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.” [v.18]
 Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. [v.19]
He wasn’t ordained to present the fire. In spite of warnings he didn’t pay heed to them. And this resulted in God’s wrath upon him in form of leprosy. It is important to remember that if we move away from where God want us, we will fail.
Conclusion
It is therefore, important to understand that as citizens of the Kingdom we need to keep our eyes focused upon the Kingdom that we are a part of. We need to discern and follow God’s will. We need to understand the prophetic Spirit as also the holistic nature of the Kingdom. Only if we do all this and not move away from the boundaries of the Will of God, will we see the fullness of God’s Kingdom manifest in this World and its system.

Anointing


                                       Anointing [1 Sam 16]
1 Samuel 16 is the account of the prophet Samuel going to anoint David in his father, Jesse’s house.
Saul has been rejected as God’s anointed and now, God asks Samuel to fill his horn of oil and go [v. 7]. He decided to take things in his own hands and walk according to his own wisdom in his attack against Amalek and hence, he had failed as God’s anointed. Therefore, Samuel’s eyes are seeking for the man who would now take up the cause for the Lord, God of Israel and lead his people. In fact, chapter 15 ends on a very tragic note,
            And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel
            grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over           
            Israel. [I Sam 15:35]
It is at this time that Samuel, instead of becoming discouraged discerns the voice and Will of God for the current time. As a prophet, Samuel functions at bringing the right man at the right hour. God has selected a son of Jesse to become a king for Himself. Indeed, the fact that Samuel is able to take the next big step for Israel’s future, shows how much the Kingdom of God needs a prophet to appoint the right person. Appointment of an unfit person for any work, who has not been anointed by God, immediately affects the Church negatively and retards its progress and walk with God.
Simply put, anointing means entering God’s territory. We do not need an anointing until we are working in our area of expertise or our area of know-how. It’s when God’s territory begins when we need the Anointing.
This same thing happens when Samuel reaches Jesse’s house under the pretext of performing a sacrifice. As Samuel gazes upon Jesse’s son, Eliab, for a moment, he feels that surely the Lord’s anointed is before him [v. 6]. But, God reminds him that He does not look at the outward appearance but He looks at the heart. All seven of Jesse’s sons do not find favour in the eyes of God because He is looking for something beyond human skills or human strength. He is looking for heart.
For God, it is not our strengths or our talents that matter. God’s anointing, when it comes upon us makes us remarkable just as it made David remarkable. In spite of his ruddy appearance of just another young boy, God chose to anoint David. It was this anointing that caused David to go beyond his own talents of music to his ability to protect his flock from wild animals when he was young and from God’s enemies when he later becomes the shepherd of all Israel.
David’s anointing also exhibits how the majority’s will might not necessarily be God’s will. While all would have rested their choice on anyone but David, God chose him for this same reason. In Saul, the worthlessness of physical strength and prowess had been exhibited very clearly but now, God shows how it is His Anointing that gets the job done. It is not contained within natural talents.
This account just emphasizes the fact that everyone should be anointed. We are on a journey in the Kingdom of God and we need to reach where God wants us to be. But this is not going to become possible using our own talents.
It is not enough to simply bring people into the Kingdom of God and then, leave them unattended. We need to make sure that we keep account of where they have reached. And this is not possible without God’s Anointing. The Holy Spirit will take us beyond our territory, our talents and our strengths. He allows us to enter and operate in the dimension of God’s abilities and strengths.
David, as God’s Anointed, took Israel to heights that had never been reached in Israel’s history and no one in the kings that ruled over Israel has equaled him. This was not because of his musical genius or his military prowess. It was because God’s Anointing energized him to reach God’s appointed destination for him. It was not that he was in himself an extraordinary man but God’s anointing caused him to become extraordinary.
In the time of Church, we also need to rise up like David in God’s Anointing. We need to seek it and grow in it everyday. If we want a strong community of Kingdom people arise, we need to seek God’s Anointing to do the same because it is only this Anointing will ultimately, get the job done and will get it done right.