Fasting days increase our closeness to God. When one humbles himself before the Lord to fast, the Lord shows His grace upon him. He who clings to the Lord will never be ashamed.
In Matthew 4:1-11, we read that Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days without eating or drinking.
Matthew 17:21 “This kind of devil will not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Jesus said the above to his disciples when they tried to cast out the devil and failed.
When the Lord wanted to destroy the people of Nineveh, He sent Jonah to save them. Then we see that the people of Nineveh sat in ashes before the Lord and prayed. Their animals also didnt take a any food . God saved the people of Nineveh. Fasting days purify us.
To fulfill God’s will, we must humble ourselves before Him and submit.
2 Chronicles 20:3 “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid, and devoted himself to seeking the Lord, and ordered all Judah to fast.” King Jehoshaphat, when his enemies, the children of Ammon, the Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir came against him and his kingdom, he fasted to the Lord that day because he was afraid.
Then he prayed to the Lord that we do not know what they should do. He said that our eyes are on you. All the tribes of Judah, their wives, their children, and their sons also humbled themselves before the Lord and stood before him. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.
The Lord looked upon his people. He poured out his Spirit on Levi. He said, “Do not be afraid of this multitude of people who have come against you. The battle is not yours, but the Lord’s.
” Then the Lord destroyed Jehoshaphat’s enemies. The Lord gave great salvation to Jehoshaphat and his people.
Fasting is one of the special spiritual sacrifices we offer to the Lord. To God be the glory.
The miracle healing of the mad man of Gadara- Mark 5:1-15demonstrates the love of God, the compassion of Jesus Christ, the greatness of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.1 John 3:8
John 3:16 Many people are in grave like situations in their lives, they live among the tombs,buried there where people can’t reach.We need skilled men to reach them & pull them out from dungeons they are in.
We need prayer warriors, to pray that they won’t give up, men who have crucified their flesh who do not have excess baggage on their lives & can go that low in these graves like Jesus & capture their souls for eternity. Men who God has processed & have not compromised or bowed down to satan & his devices,are humble to let God lead & not man, on their faces before Him for guidance on how to reach them. Jesus saw this man suffering for a long time & came to set him free.
We need to seek God to deliver them in the least amount of time, energy & money spent to free them as time is short. We need to partner with who God is saying to partner with in this season & not just with those we are familiar with or we like, so that His work is done.We need to take those territories for Jesus which Satan has captured first, so that they are set free from those demons that have held them captive.All authorities must work in peace so that precious lives can be saved.
Living like Jesus will make this work easier.A crucified life.Peoples destinies have been destroyed which have to be rewritten. We need destiny helpers, midwives, Mordecai’s to be in attendance to move by the spirit & not by the flesh to redefine history & change destinies. Not by might nor power but by the spirit.
The Blood of Jesus has power to break people out of witchcraft, altars of divination, marine witchcraft. It is the greatest, it shall silence, destroy strongholds. Let’s take back what is ours.Let the goodness of God lead us to repentance and salvation. The message of Jesus is clear:repent or you will likewise perish!
Or despite thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; NOT Knowing That THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADETH THEE TO REPENTANCE?
Psalmist reminds us with a note of God’s unbeatable promise and assurance that when my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up (Psalms 27:10). In every smile and every tear, good parenting holds children close, a steadfast presence through laughter’s noise and sorrow’s silence. Like gentle raindrops that quench the thirsty earth, good parenting nurtures children’s spirits, guiding their footsteps with whispers of encouragement, dispelling the shadows of fear.
It weaves an enduring bond, an everlasting connection that transcends time and circumstance. Some time ago, I received a letter from a client during my counselling therapy. I have taken all necessary precautions to protect the client’s confidentiality as I reveal it to you.
Dear doctor, I’m writing to you today to share something I wrote a while back particularly when I was in a lot of pain. I believe it might provide you with some insight into my thought process during that period. The constant criticism I receive from my parents makes it seem impossible for me to heal emotionally. Every minor remark feels like a personal attack, leaving me feeling worthless and hopeless and I want to die.
Is it truly so difficult for them to comprehend my perspective? To set aside their own preconceptions, expectations, and judgments of me? To simply see me as a human being?
My own parents, the very people who brought me into this world, seem indifferent to my struggles. My own parents, the individuals who brought me into this world, fail to make any attempt to understand me. [About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (Matt. 27 Verses 45 to 53)] Sometimes I imagine myself screaming and shouting at them until they finally listen to me. All I want to do is run away from them, to escape their suffocating presence and find a place where I can breathe freely for a long time.
I’m tired of always being the one who needs to understand their problems, their emotions, their perspective. I’ve tried my best, time and time again, to empathize with them, and I do understand them.
But shouldn’t they be the ones making an effort to understand their own daughter, to see me as a human being, not just a reflection of their own desires and expectations? I often wish I had never been born. I love life, but living with them is making me question whether it’s worth living at all. They make me hate myself. They make me feel worthless. They make me want to disappear, to run away and never come back.
I feel an urge to inflict emotional pain upon them, so that they feel the pain they’ve inflicted on me. I wish I was never born. In my teens, I could never understand the depth of this verse. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15) Today, I see the different dimensions of this verse, particularly how clear and great the awesome profoundness of God’s relatedness and completeness in relation to our innermost being of daily routines of our life.
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 1:11
It starts with passion. What are you passionate about? What burden has God placed on your heart? Have you ever wondered why?
Nehemiah had a burden for his people, for the broken city of Jerusalem. He wept. He cared with a passion. He had a vision of what could be and his first step was important. He didn’t race to Jerusalem and try to go at it alone. He didn’t start mapping out a plan to find the solution. He didn’t take the burden to people. He knew where the burden came from and he took the burden to the only one who knew it fully and had power to see it through. Nehemiah went to the Lord and prayed.
Nehemiah 1:4-11
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.
7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.
’10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.
11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah knew this was preliminary before his prayer is heard; then only did he put his requests before God. The LORD cannot hear or answer when there is a sin that separates us and Him
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”
But to those who are convicted of their sin, when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).
A believer can learn from the life of Nehemiah how he was pained about the condition of his land and his people. He first took his concerns to the Lord with deep anguish of heart and then he determined in his mind to do something about it. At the end of his prayer he says,
“Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” (Neh 1:11) His prayer looked forward to an action on his part.
To those who have veered off God’s path, if you return to Him, He is ever willing to forgive and restore! “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime” (Ps.30:5).
How privileged we are when we think about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, who speaks to the Father in our defence! His blood made us partners of the new covenant. Jesus Christ is our advocate before the Father. He is the great High Priest ever interceding for us. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Nehemiah’s prayer represents how we should pray, how Jesus taught us to pray.
Reverence – Nehemiah gave God the glory God deserves. He acknowledged God’s sovereignty and power, his might and his greatness. When we realize how big God is, we are able to have the right perspective. Nothing is greater than him. No burden is too great for him to bear. No opposition is too big to stop his plan. No person is crafty enough to outsmart him. Our trials, burdens, oppositions, and tasks become small compared to God.
Repentance – Nehemiah confessed the sins of his people, AND didn’t exclude himself. He came in humility before God and recognized the power lies in God alone. He made sure he was right with God and his heart was in the right place before he moved forward.
Promises – Nehemiah prayed God’s promises. We can’t pray God’s promises if we don’t know them. And we can’t know them unless we’re reading them in his Word. God knows his promises, but praying them back to God was Nehemiah’s way of remembering those promises and building strength and confidence on them.
Petition – Nehemiah took what was on his heart to God and asked for his provisions in carrying out God’s call.
Nehemiah knew his power was in prayer. He guarded the promises God gave him. He nurtured and fed the vision God gave him out of his burden.
Think about what you are passionate about and how God is burdening your heart in a way that needs you and your passion to take action. Our burden for the humanity, community, sharing the love of Christ in practical ways, building relationships, and serving together as one. My Jerusalem has been built out of that burden and the vision God has given us. Be in prayer over the leaders, the volunteers, the homeowners, and the relationships as we Serve Together. Your prayers are powerful and part of the mission. Let’s REBUILD!
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
Yes dear Soldiers of Christ, we are certainly living in the last days, things are changing very fast. We are almost in the perilous times. Do you see what I see? Yes, it says
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
The above signs are before us, heady, high minded, lovers of evil more than lovers of good. It says further
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Having a form of godliness- looks like godly people but they deny the power thereof. Absolutely disgusting, hearing horrific news, no mercy even little ones are not spared.
Further it says, For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, These are not the lovers of truth but haters believing every form of ungodliness. Yes, the very adamic nature is being revealed through them who do not want to know the truth.
See further, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these aloo resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
As the saying goes by What a man sows, shall he reap. We cannot keep on deceiving all for our folly shall be made known to all in due time.
So, since we are living in the perilous times, what manner of life we should live is to be pondered upon and take heed to live a godly life.
Yes, as the scripture says in 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That’s the truth. If we live godly then we are bound to suffer hardships, persecution from ungodly men. It’s no surprise and therefore nothing to complain about, we must live a godly life. What does the bible say about this? In Revelation 22:11
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
So our calling is if we are righteous, Yes we are the righteousness of God, we must be righteous still, Holy then be Holy still.
Let's humble ourselves and seek God in everything we do for the day of the Lord is drawing nearer and nearer. God is our helper helping us through His Spirit, warning us, instructing us, correcting us, so that we live a godly life well pleasing Him. Amen.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.John 8:32
Jesus spoke this to the people who had faith in Him and who trusted Him.Believing in Jesus,who is the truth will make you free from slavery to sin and will give you eternal life. Romans 8:2 says”For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”.
John3:16 says”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whomsoever. believe th in Him Should not perish but have everlasting life”.
Jesus give this. promise ( John 8:32) to His believers, His children.As a believer in Christ,we have to abide in the word and persevere in studying,learning and applying God’s word.By abiding in His word we will come to know the truth.(proverbs2:1-7)Jesus is the truth. John 14:6 says”I am the way,the truth and the life”.John 17:17 says”…….thy word is truth”.
When we know Him truly,we are set free from the bondages of sin and from the penalty of sin.By knowing Jesus we are able to overcome the sin. Jesus points out to the Jews that they can be either the children of God by believing and abiding in Him or be children of the evil one. Children of evil one could not recognise or accept Jesus.
They wanted to murder Him and disregard His word.Children of God recognise that Jesus is the son of God,sent by the Father, to redeem mankind. Jesus Himself make us free through His teachings,His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection,proclaiming victory over sin and death.
He set us free from the fear of death and eternal judgement. We rejoice in the freedom we have in Christ,the power over sin and death, curses and diseases.It makes a shift in our thinking,speaking,actions,reactions according to the will of God.
The children of God are taught by the Holy Spirit and great is their peace.It empowers us to bless others.when our words and actions align with truth others will trust us.True freedom and peace is experienced by those who follow Jesus. We are more than conquerors as they are not afraid of death and defeat. Jesus will set us free completely from the lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life.He will make us free from our insecurities and anxieties. We should not be like the Israelites who turned to their captivity.
Galatians 5:1 says “standfast therefore in the liberty wherewithal Christ has made us free,and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”.We should enjoy the new freedom we have in Christ.
Heavenly Father,we thank you for making us free from the yoke of sin,anxieties,insecurities and all other bondages and making us conquerors. I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
Psalm 37:11 “But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Meekness is strong,not weak.It is gracious, not brash.A meek person is not easily provoked cause his humble genes denotes the dependence upon God and His constant need for His guidance and support.
A characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual respect to learn from The Holy Spirit and from the people who are low in their capability,experience or education.
Meekness is the prime attitude that can protect one from their blind pride that arises from power,wealth and position. Scripture says,in Mathew 5:5,Blessed are those that are humble for they shall receive what God has promised.
We should notice the characteristic of Our Lord Jesus who describes himself in the following scriptures.Mathew 11:28” Take my yoke upon you and learn from me;for I am meek and lowly in heart.This Christ like quality of meekness is misunderstood in our contemporary world.
Meekness is developed through Godly desire,the righteous exercise in their morale and strive to retain the remission of sins.A spiritual gift to seek after. We should remember however the purposes for which such a blessing is given, even to benefit and serve the children of God.As we submit to this attitude and prepare to follow Our Saviour eventually we tend to become more like Him.We are enriched in ourselves to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be more disciplined,controlled,composed and calm.
Moses was the most learned and wise one in the whole of Egypt in his words and deeds,yet he was meek amongst them all .Humans become proud in their abundance of knowledge and wealth. We should learn from Our Spiritual Father,Jesus and also the gift of meekness that was evident in Moses that were instrumental to accomplish God’s purpose.
The Saviour’s meekness is eternally an essential experience for each of us to magnify the wisdom of God above our one’s own wisdom.
“Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17)
Jesus said these words, when only one leper came back to thank him after being healed. In Luke 17:11-19, we see that Jesus was going towards Jerusalem. He passed through a village amidst of Samaria. Far away there stood some lepers, crying together “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.” He looked at them with compassion and said “Go and show your selves to the priest”. On the way they were all healed. Nine of them went back to mind their own work and forgot to thank Jesus. A Samaritan, who was one among them, when saw that he was healed, did two things (Luke 17.5)
1. Turned back and with a loud voice glorified God.
2. He fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet giving him thanks.
With over whelming joy and happiness he glorified the omnipotent God who gave a miraculous deliverance to him. Bible says,
“ Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…. ….serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing (psalm 100:1-2).
Psalm 34:1 says “ I Will bless in the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth’’.
God has given good health and many worldly blessings to us. It is mandatory that we should always praise his Holy name. Luke 2:20, says ‘’ The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.(about Jesus) . Secondly, he fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks (Luke 17:16). Similarly the three kings saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down, and worshipped him. They had opened their treasures and presented gold….. (Math 2:11). We should always humble ourselves and surrender at his feet. It also means , offering our valuables to God. (Spending our time, money, energy and material goods to spread the gospel).
Testimony : A class mate of mine in Bible college had two daughters. One got married and she gave birth to a boy child. He said that even after six months after the child`s birth, he said that he was thanking and glorifying God every day for his grandson.
Prayer :
Lord fill us with the spirit which gives thanks and praise to you always. Amen !!!!
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. (Matthew 19:30)
The Parables Of Jesus – The Laborers In The Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16)
(a) In this parable which Jesus taught, the ‘landowner’ is God, the vineyard is the world, and the laborers whom were sent out into the vineyard are God’s people whom He has called to salvation. From this parable, we see that all whom the Lord has called to salvation are called to come and to labor in His Kingdom. Each of us is given tasks and responsibilities and expected to be faithful to the tasks that the landowner has given us to accomplish. In Jesus’ day it was typical that a laborer might go and wait each day in the market place for someone to come and to hire him, and one laborer might potentially work for one person for part of a day and then work for someone else for another part of the day. According to the Law of Moses, a laborer was to be paid at the end of each day of work, and thus we see that portrayed here in these verses.
“At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.” (Deuteronomy 24:15).
We see here that the landowner chose to hand out pay to the ones who were hired based upon the opposite order of the time of their having gone out into his vineyard to labor. We need to learn from this that the Lord is going to reward people the way in which He wishes to reward them, and what we may think in our own minds and understanding is best, may not be what the Lord with His infinite wisdom, knowledge, and understanding decides is the best. Since we are living under the rule of grace as Christians we ought to be grateful for any and all blessings which the Lord chooses to give us, regardless of what others may receive or be blessed by the Lord with.
The time of payment.
The wages are paid at the end of the same day (verse. 8), in accordance with Lev 19:13b, “Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight”. The rationale is given in Deut 24:14-15, “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it.”
The amount of payment.
Every worker receives the same wage, a denarius. Responding to the protestations of the first group, the landowner explains that he has paid them according to his fairness and justice (verse. 13), and the last group according to His goodness and generosity (verse. 15).
So be ready for surprises from Lord and never complain about the fairness of His rewards. Never boast about the duration of your salvation because the one who gave it and sustained it is He only. Do the responsibilities, specially the ones you are supposed to do in the Army of Jesus faithfully and receive the wages as per His riches.God bless you
Joshua 1:8 In our life we desire many things to prosper. We make lots of efforts and oaths with our own strength and mind to make proper decision. But many times, nothing will prosper, we never think about God’s plan in our life. God will prosper our life when it is good to us. As it is said in Joshua 1:8 there are three ways to follow in order to make our life prosperous.
The book of law shall not depart from our mouth.
We should meditate therein day and night.
We may observe to do according to all that was written therein. Deuteronomy 28:1 We should be very cautious in law which God has given us. If we diligently listen the voice of the Lord, then the Lord shall set us on high above all nations of the earth.
Psalms 1:2 If we delight is in the law of the LORD; and meditate day and night. We shall be a blessing. As it is mention in Genesis 24 Isaac was blessed to have a wise woman as his wife without knowing each other because Isaac was a man who meditate God’s word. Psalms 1:3 A person who loves God’s word are like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
