I greet and bless you in the name of our Creator, Maker, and ever unforgettable Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has kept for you today is from the book of Isaiah 35:10, “And those the Lord has rescued, will return. They will enter Zion, with singing; everlasting joy will be on their head. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. ”
From the above context we learn that the children of God will return from their Captivity in Babylon. And they will enter Zion, with singing and rejoicing, Everlasting joy will be on their head, they will be filled with joy and gladness since they had been set free, and all their sighing and sorrow will flee away. The good news is that the God of Jacob does not abandon God’s people to their despair. Their sorrow will come to an end, and on a day when the sick body will find new life in God: Silent tongues will be loosened to sing songs of joy and freedom. Formerly feeble knees will walk themselves to Zion. Fearful hearts will look to the future with faith, hope and courage, while sorrow and sighing will be on the run.
What does the Lord expect from you to attain everlasting joy? Firstly if a person wants to attain eternal joy he must have union and fellowship with his church. God is very particular about our spiritual fellowship with God, through the relationship we have with our fellow believers in the church, which we go to. You must be known by the pastor who is the head of the church. You need to have active participation in other church activities. Some will just come to the church, attend service, give their offerings on Sunday and that is the end of their fellowship. This is a wrong attitude of a child of God. God is watching your attitude and your participation in the church. If not very big, at least in little things, you need to stretch out your contribution.
We read about Hannah in the Bible. She was tormented by her husband Elkanah’s first wife Peninnah, who kept nagging at her and rebuking her and wounding her with words, and criticising her and hurting her in such a way that caused Hannah to cry all the more. She wouldn’t eat for many days, because of her ill treatment she endured in the hands of Peninnah. She felt rather ashamed of herself for not being able to conceive and bring forth a child. She was childless. And this led her to frustration. But she did one good thing. She went in search of God. She did not lose her hope. She went to the temple of God and began to pour out her heart. She sat in the temple weeping. Being grief stricken she could not, utter words but her lips were mumbling with shivering. Eli the priest in the temple, who watched her odd behaviour, asked her if she had drunk wine.
Hannah replied saying, “Not so, my lord,” “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”She said, “May your servant find favour in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Since Hannah went in search of God in the temple, God heard her prayer. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
God gave her heart’s desire. Hannah’s rival, Peninnah could not further ridicule her or rebuke her anymore. God took away her shame and gave her joy and gladness. Where do you go when problems crop your way. Do you go in search of God like Hannah or do you go in search of soothsayers, fortune teller, or one who performs black magic, and sorcery. Think well for yourselves. Choose to go to God in prayer rather than go after, crystal gazer, or those who do witchcraft. Never ruin your life by taking wrong methods to solve your problem. Some for silly reason commit suicide. This is also wrong attitude. Let Hannah be your role model. The Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. The Young lions do lack and suffer hunger, But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. “God Bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Teach us to go in search of God when we are in trouble rather than run after, soothsayers and fortune teller. Help us to interact in church activities. May we give our priority to church and fellowship with godly people. Help us to be like Hannah who sought God and went to the temple and prayed to God. Teach us to pray without ceasing.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless you in the name of our Creator, Maker, and ever unforgettable Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has kept for you today is from the book of Luke 15:10,“Heaven will rejoice when you repent of your sins.”
From the above context we learn that when we repent of our sins then Heaven will rejoice over us. The Bible says, “Let him know that he who turns a sinner, from the error, of his way, will save a soul from death, and cover a multitude of sins. The parable of the lost sheep told by Jesus is very applicable to the great work of man’s redemption. The lost sheep represents the sinner as departed from God, and when he is not desirous to return, and then he will be exposed to certain ruin. Christ is earnest in bringing such sinners back home. In the parable of the lost piece of silver, that which is lost is one piece, of small value when compared with the rest. But it was all the woman had therefore the loss of one piece was severely felt by her. Yet the woman seeks diligently till she finds it. This represents the various means and methods God makes use of, to bring lost souls home to himself, and the Saviour’s joy on their return to him. How careful then should we be that our repentance is unto salvation!
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We see that there is joy when the shepherd found his lost sheep and the woman is happy when she found the lost coin. A woman would have more joy at finding a lost piece, than she would have, in the possession of those which had not been lost. “So, says Christ, there is joy among the angels at the recovery of a single sinner. True to the idea of the parables, the Great Shepherd is God Himself. When He recovered His own property; He shares his joy with others. His joy was so vast and exuberant that He could not keep it to Himself, He “calls His friends and neighbors together”—His whole celestial family—saying, “Rejoice with Me, for I have found My lost sheep-, My-lost piece, of coin.” In this sublime sense it is “joy,” shared in the presence of the angels”; for they are the ones who share with God. The publicans and sinners that stood around our Lord were surprised to hear Jesus share these parables. These do not care about the lost sinners, but a very different feeling is cherished in heaven. There, the recovery of even one such outcast is watched with interest and hailed with joy; They are not left to perish. For even now the great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ is going after His lost sheep, and the Owner is making diligent search for the lost property; and He is finding it, too, and bringing it back with joy, and all heaven is full of it. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God; who are the friends and neighbours of Christ:
I wish to tell you that God will be pleased when you give up all your evil habits and seek God. The Bible says, do not be unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater for they do not have an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Nor engage yourself in foolish talking, nor coarse jesting for it is not fitting for a child of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. God wants you to live as children of light. If you are diligent and wake up from your sleep of ignorance then Christ will shine on you.”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, Instead, be filled with the Spirit, of God, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When you repent of your sinful deeds and walk according to the ways of God, there will be rejoicing in Heaven. God will be happy and will rejoice over you. God will firstly forgive you of your sins and secondly bless you with all that you need. May be today you had not secured a good job, or you would not have had an increase in your payment. May be you have been long in service but you have not been promoted. God will immediately provide you with a good job, increase your salary or give you a promotion, which you are looking for very anxiously. God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. When you humble yourselves, under the Mighty hands of the Lord, God will exalt you in due time. Taste and see that the Lord is good. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Father, thank You for telling us how we ought to live. Teach us to repent of our sins and walk in the ways of God. Help us to be wise and not foolish. May we walk as children of light and not as children of darkness. Provide knowledge and understanding that we may inherit the kingdom of God so that the Angels in Heaven will rejoice over us.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless you in the name of our Creator, Maker, and ever unforgettable Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has kept for you today is from the book of Joel 2:12, “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning“.
From the above passage we learn that God declares to the people through Joel the prophet, asking the people to repent of their wicked ways and return to the Lord. Joel compares all the losses that people incurred in their life to that of the destruction caused by the invasion of locust which sequentially devour every crop and all vegetation, in an unrelenting, progressive destruction. Both grain and fruit harvests failed, due to the devastating onslaught of this four-pronged locust infestation. The total destruction of Israel’s wheat and barley crops, along with the failure of the entire fruit harvest, caused farmers and priests alike to mourn and lament bitterly. God called not only the priests to mourn and also called for a sacred assembly, but God commanded the entire nation to fast, and to cry out to the Lord their God, in sincere repentance of heart.
God the Father wants us to be His children. He says, “I have gathered you together like My children, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But you do not adhere to My voice.” Just as a Father pities his children so the Lord pities all those who fear him. This is the true nature of a father. Even when the prodigal son squandered all the wealth of his father, and had lost every penny and was forced to eat the husk that was given to the pigs, he repented of his wrong doings, and when he returned to his father, we see the graciousness of the Father, overshadowing the sinfulness of the son, we realize the goodness of the Father, which paves way for the son to return back home. But it would have been miserable if the son hadn’t returned back. Likewise we see many people, because of their own selfish reason, withdraw themselves away from God the Father, and live the life as they desire, not knowing the danger that would befall them. Such people are easily attacked by Satan. They may be highly educated people, medical students, or Engineers. But suddenly such people get easily caught and become victim to the ways of Satan.
God wants you and me to return to Him. David says, “In sin did my mother conceive me.”The Bible says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God which means that we are all sinners. We need to repent of our sins. We need to acknowledge God as our Saviour, Lord and Master of our life. Only then we can enjoy eternal life with Him. Are you willing to surrender your life to God or do you still want to live in sloth and drunkenness, like the stiff-necked people of Israel. The continued grace and mercy of God can be seen in His divine appeal, to the people of Judah to repent of their sins and return to the Lord – for we read ‘even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning. The goodness, grace and mercy of our long-suffering God, remains open to all, who will simply trust in His word, remember His goodness, genuinely return to Him with heart and soul – and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. Choice is yours. May God help you to make the right choice.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Heavenly Father, thank You for the book of Joel, which bears witness of Your goodness and grace, to all, who will trust in Your word. Teach us the lessons that You would have us learn from Israel’s history, and prevent us from making the same mistakes. We pray that You would help us to make the right choice. We need a change of our inner life so that we might trusts You implicitly, in thought, word, deed and motive.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless you in the name of our Creator, Maker, and ever unforgettable Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has kept for you today is from the book of Isaiah 58:14, “Then you will find joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph, on the heights of the land, and to feast on the inheritance of Jacob your Father. The Mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
If you delight yourself in the Lord, in preserving the Sabbath and glorify the God of Sabbath, in his goodness and faithfulness and in the assurance of his love and favour. God of Jacob will cause you, to ride in triumph. Thou shall be safe, far from danger and God will feed you, with the heritage of Jacob. Thou shall enjoy the good of the land of Canaan, which God promised as a heritage to Jacob and his Children. Thou shall enjoy temporal as well as spiritual blessings. The Lord will not withhold from you, any manner of thing which He sees to be for your prosperity and happiness. For the Lord has spoken through His mouth. The promise is sure, and shall be fulfilled, having proceeded from the mouth of God. Even in Old Testament times the Sabbath day was called as the Lord’s Day. If we thus remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, we shall have the comfort and profit of it, and have reason to say, it is good to draw near to God because God will cause us to ride in Triumph.
I know of an uncle who was a good Christian. His name is Joel He was very pious and God fearing. He followed the Sabbath Day with great fear and in obedience to God. His only daughter Priscilla got married to a boy in Canada. I attended her wedding and blessed her. She left to Canada with her husband Sherin. He was a good boy very simple and humble. After few years, I happened to visit the USA. When Priscilla heard that I was coming to Chicago, she decided to visit me with her husband. He was an ordinary Truck driver. So they decided to travel by truck and visit me. As they could not afford to fly by airways. They travelled nine days by truck and reached Chicago. Knowing that they had come to meet me, I went with my friend to see them. I was surprised to see Priscilla all so pale and weak. She had lost all charm and beauty. It was three years since she got married but she did not have a child. She did not get a good job to survive there in that foreign land. Life was miserable to her. I couldn’t bear to see her in that state. I told her that God had a plan and purpose in meeting her.
I pleaded before the Lord on behalf of them. I cried unto the Lord in prayer. I asked the Lord three things. Firstly to bless Priscilla with a government Job. Then secondly I asked the Lord to bless her with a child so that she can at least spend her time with her child and be happy. Thirdly I prayed that God should bless Sherin with a good job. Because as a truck driver he will not be able to make money and will not be able to manage the family in that great land Canada. I prayed very earnestly for them and having blessed them I returned to Chennai. After a month I received the news that Priscilla had secured a government job. Twenty days later uncle Joel called up to say that Priscilla was pregnant. And after another twenty days, Priscilla called up and said, that her husband Sherin had been blessed with a good job, in a transport company. God granted all the three requests within two months. This shows that God answers prayers, and that the righteous shall never be forsaken.
If you want God to answer your requests, then you need to be righteous and observe the Sabbath Day. Be blameless before God. The God whom you worship is truthful. He keeps His promise. God answered Moses and Aaron when they called upon God. When king David inquired of the Lord He answered him. Abraham pleaded for Abimelech, and God heard his prayer and healed both Abimelech and his wife. When Moses pleaded for Miriam, God heard his prayer and healed her of her leprosy. Hannah prayed to the Lord and God blessed her with a son. Hezekiah prayed and the Lord extended the years of his life. Thus we see that the blessings of the Lord rest upon the righteous. The Bible says, Blessed is the man, who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His Commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth. The generation of the upright will be blessed. May God help you to fear God and be righteous and blameless, before the Lord. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord we thank You for revealing to us the importance of fearing the Lord. Help us to observe the Sabbath Day reverently and with much dedication, that we may be blessed. May we thus feast on the heritage of Jacob, and ride in triumph on the heights of the land. Teach us to be more righteous and blameless before God.
In Jesus Name We Pray.
Amen.
