The King has come

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

Zephaniah 3:14-15

God promises His perpetual joy and security for His people. The world we live in is uncertain, times surprise us unpleasantly, and everything is a risk. But in the midst of all this, God affectionately calls out to His people saying, “Be glad and Rejoice with all your heart”.

When God says "Rejoice"; you better mind it: because is not some cheesy phrase put there, whose effect will wear out with time. God asks you to celebrate because He has reasons. And when you experience the truth of what He has accomplished for you, New Year celebrations don't end with the few days in January.

“he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;” Psalm 103:10-11

We mess up big time. We've done things we should'nt and not done things that we should. In the course of our actions, we put lots of things under strain. Our words, our thoughts, our emotions and our actions ---- everything is bruised.

And we end up having a place inside, where there's so much of guilt piled up, mistakes of the past, and unbroken high places. There's another picture of me that the world sees, but I know, that there's a luggage that I'm always carrying beneath.

And when I am alone, it drains up all my strength. Most of the times, we're just so tired with the amount pretense and masks in our life. We cringe in fear, when we think about the consequences of letting the world have a glimpse of our misery inside.

You started off with zeal, but somewhere down the road, your distractions led you somewhere else. Now you find yourself in a place quite not like something that you can show around. You are drowning inside, realizing how hopeless life can get everyday.

When there's hardly any reason left to survive, God says, “Rejoice”.

That's because His plan for your restoration is already in store. God has scored off your punishment. God says, “You don't have to receive what you actually deserve”.

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. - Psalm 103:12

God would at no point, endorse the sinful things in our life and in no way compromise on His stand. Nevertheless, He is not going to leave things the way they are, and abandon us either.

His command to rejoice, is because of His promise for redemption. God's verdict is not going to be life threatening, rather life transforming. The joy of the divine, can replace the suffering of the carnal, if you believe and receive the promise of restoration that He has for you today.

Examine yourself. Recognize the ways in your life that are detestable in God's sight, Repent and Reconcile. Ask Christ Jesus to purify you, so that you can receive the fullness of His promise. We repeat this process so routinely, that now it sounds just like another religious rambling.

God commands us to rejoice, because this is the easy task. He has done the difficult one for us on the cross. We need to receive the power of Christ's forgiveness in every area of our life continually.

I would like to quote Selwyn Hughes, "In John 13:10, Jesus said to His disciples, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet". You may have indeed experienced repented fully at your conversion, but daily contact with the world, the love of self, and tactics of the enemy means that you need to have Jesus "wash your feet". Repentance is a daily attitude."

I have to repent of my sin, my slackness, my indifference and my willful overstepping of God's commands. We don't have to carry this burden for yet another year. We can boldly approach God's throne of grace, and ask of Him to give us the joy He promised.

The punishment threatening your life, and the enemy with his plan of destruction is no longer there. The presence of everything dangerous and harmful has been replaced with the strength and security of your King. Maybe the crafty serpent wriggled into your life and swallowed up your peace and joy.

But now the Sovereign Lord reigns is in your midst, preserving your life from all harm and giving your enemy a run for his life.

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart.

Happy New Year! :)

On the way to Damascus

(This entry is inspired by the Word of God spoken on 31st December 2009 at Philadelphia Church Villivakkam)

He had just finished overseeing the murder of a Christian martyr, and was not satisfied. He was still planning threats and murder against the disciples of Christ.

"circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. "- Philippians 3:5-6
Paul was proud of his ancestry, being born in the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. He also believed that being a Pharisee, he belonged to a group that was highly devoted to preserving the Word of God.

Paul's place of birth - Tarsus, was home to one of the best universities of the times. In addition, to his Roman citizenship; without doubt, he would have experienced world-class education.

When his Hebrew faith was threatened by a group of followers of Jesus, Paul was not content being an arm-chair revolutionary. Instead, he sprung into action. He chalked out a systematic persecution plan, and began implementing it religiously.

When it came to legalistic righteousness, he was also totally faultless. If the Law condemned him about something, he would offer a sacrifice and clear it up. He tried in every way to walk upright before the Law.

Paul had the best in the world, he was educated, successful, and highly respected. He was also zealous about God. Paul thought that his life was perfect.

He was a passionate and focussed man. And now, he was on his journey to another success target - to arrest the Christian fugitives who had taken refuge in Damascus. "Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" - Acts 9:6
But what he didn't know was, that his plan was just about to change. As he was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him, and God gave Paul his new mandate, "Get up and enter the city, and it will be told what you must do". [Acts 9:1]

A guy, once with dangerous intentions, now moves into Damascus to be filled with Holy Spirit and get baptized.

Through these years, you would have probably acquired lots of things that make you proud. Accumulated wealth, a couple of credentials on your resume, a list of flashy achievements, honor in the society, and a near perfect life. Like Paul, you're just pursuing one target after the other.

But all you need, is a light from heaven, and a Word from God, to change the course of your life.

You're probably stepping into your next phase, with an agenda in mind. When you meet with God on your way, your assignment, your perspectives, your focus and your passion will change forever.

All the influences on your life, has probably given you an identity. The whole world, recognizes you that way. Saul, was an intellectual, go-getter, and a heartless persecutor. But God did not see him that way. God saw Saul as the carrier of traits essential to make disciples of the nations. When God saw Saul, God saw His plan.

Many of us have become what the world expects of us. With time, we're given various labels. God does not care about the labels. He knows the person you, and He knows the real life for which He lent His breath.
To hear God's Word, was an unlikely event those days. Today, you have an opportunity to hear God's Word through so many ways. It is yours for the asking.

Probably you're walking earthwards; meeting with God, can move you heavenwards.

"Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. " Acts 9:8

It feels the same sometimes, we would receive God's Word and His promise for the year, yet we cringe in darkness and stagger forward, placing each step in fear and doubt. When it seems like you are blindfolded, and walking a rocky path. Don't worry, things may seem hazy for a while. But God has placed his resources out there, to safely lead you from your point of blindness to your point of revelation.

There, God will restore your physical sight, and bring to light the vision for your life. All you need is to receive God's Word in your life today, and commit yourself to obey without restraint.

God's Word changed a man who went from place to place murdering Christians, to a man moving across nations, building people's lives and turning them to Christ.

All of us are on our way to Damascus, with an agenda in mind. We need God's intervention, and the direction of His Word at this point.

Do you want to receive that encounter today ?

God is waiting...

Eucharistia..

"But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God; Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number." Job 5:8,9

I've always 'known' that God knows me. 2009 was a year when I experienced the reality of that truth in my life.

"The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7)

Everyone has an unsearchable part in life. Tucked deep within, safe from the external. The things you long for spring forth from this 'restricted' area of our personality.

Though this is the strongest part of your personality, the tugs and pulls of the world are stronger enough, to push these desires to the back seat and turn your focus on things called, 'priorities'.

This year, I was so worked out, and emotionally exhausted working on my 'priorities'. I was thankful to God about many things, but consistently longing for something more. I was so moved when God showed up in most unusual ways defending my desires.

It was His way of saying, "Daughter, I have searched you and I know you". ^a

And I tell my Master in return,

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ... What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign LORD.

For the sake of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have shown them to me." ^b

I pray to strive harder in the years ahead, to seek my Master in a way He desires, and fulfill the desires of His heart.

Eucharistia.

a Psalm 139:1

b 2 Samuel 7:18-29

Merry Christmas ! :)

You and I know the significance of Christmas in our lives. We’ve heard it so many times, and we experience the privilege every moment. I thank God for that.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Christmas is the message of love, reconciliation and joy. It is the message of hope to the dying world. True….

But for you and me, who already know the Way, the Truth and the Life. Christmas is more than that.

Christmas is a challenge set before us.

On Christmas, God moved the supernatural like never before, so that He can come to man’s rescue. The birth of Christ was a radical move that changed man’s destiny forever.

God stepped out. He stooped down.

He became one with man, so that man will trust Him, through which He can save him. What an awesome God!! What an incredible plan!!!

Christ left His glory, His majesty and splendor to be born among us. His mission was accomplished. Today, through His life, He lets us to be reborn, so that we can accomplish God’s vision for the rest of the world. That’s Christmas.

If we are overwhelmed about Christ’s sacrifice, we ourselves need to be ready to surrender to sacrifice. That’s Christmas, and that’s the challenge.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” – John 15:16

True, many of us have ordinary lives. But the part we forget, is that, no matter how ordinary it is. It always has an extraordinary goal attached to it.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”-

2 Corinthians 4:7

Unfortunately, instead of focusing on our goals, we are preoccupied with meeting our needs, which is infact taken care of by God.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” Matthew 6:31-32

Its time we get out of our comfort zones, out of our own glories, and step out, just like Christ did on Christmas. Being wrapped in swaddling clothes, or being born in a lowly manger, did not deny His Kingship. God did not stoop down because He gave up, but because He was about to proclaim victory.

I believe that we have arrived at a point in our world’s lifetime, where each of us has to make a radical move to make a difference in our place of calling. We need to go that extra mile, to build relationships, meet people at the point of their need, and turn their lives to Christ.

“For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:10

I am not a person with a great evangelistic zeal, I don’t have many Christ-like qualities. I have not led any to Christ. But this Christmas, I want to take this challenge.

I pray that God enables me stretch my potential, enlarge my boundary, build relationships, fill my love tank and make a difference in the world around me. I am going to spend the few days before 2010 prayerfully considering ways that I can do this.

The world’s clock is ticking fast. We need to be laboring hard. People need to recognize us as people of faith and action. We need to let God work in us and through us. We need to kill the tendencies of mediocrity and strive to give God the BEST.

We keep the Christ-Centered Christmas to ourselves, and let the world enjoy their own versions. Shouldn’t this change ?

We celebrate Christmas because Christ completed His assignment. When we pursue our assignment, the rest of the world can celebrate Christmas too.

Can we take the Christmas Challenge together ?

Merry Christmas.

Love
Callie.

My sister has a post on Christmas as well, drop in at Nothing but a lovely life!

Ruined Houses

My alarm rings at 5:00 in the morning. My hands anxiously search for the mobile phone all over the bed. I find it either under my pillow or under the bed. I thank the creator of the snooze button and go back to sleep. It rings again at 5:15 am and then at 5:30. From now on, it is no longer an alarm to my ears…. its music.

A loud bang rings… this time it is not the alarm, but my head, and I wake up with a start. I stare at the clock glaring at my face. It is 7:00 am; I’ll just have time to finish my morning routine. I jump out of the bed….

I mumble a careless prayer, that hardly lasts for 3 minutes and read my bible portion in a glance, and then I hurry my way to work.

I’m sitting on a bus and I can’t remember a thing…just what did I read today morning? ….no clue!! So, I take my bible from my bag to help me recollect. I try to memorize a few verses, so that I can meditate through the day. The chill breeze blows on my face…and puts me to sleep. With the bible in my hands, I close my eyes. I finally awake, when it’s just time to get off the bus.

My day is almost over, and I realized that I’ve exceeded my clock hours. I walk out of the building and am on the way to the bus stop. My ears are plugged with my ipod, blaring loudly my favorite Christian Rap. I suddenly realize that I don’t remember what I read in the Bible today morning.

After a rather unpleasant ordeal, I finally find a place to sit in the bus. My ipod is still plugged in my ears. I have every intention to take my bible and read, but my eyes are too tired. I had a stressful day after all. Besides, I need some diversion. I continue listening to Toby Mac. And when he sings, “I need some time with God, and a mental vacation”, I cringe in guilt. I promise myself to spend some quiet time with God the moment I reach home.

I am finally at home. I pounce at food. If you look at me eating dinner, you’d think I’ve been starving. While I am eating, I need some diversion. I browse through my facebook page, lazily looking at the photos of my friends. (My eyes are not tired now!!)

I’m done with food now, and every single cell in my body starts crying out in exhaustion. I need sleep. What about my quiet time? Hey, c’mon you can’t pray and listen to the Master’s voice when you are tired; you’ll doze off. Its better I get some sleep and postpone my quiet time for tomorrow morning.

I set the alarm for 5:00 am.

You don’t have to be a prophet to tell what would happen tomorrow.

There were people like me in Bible times too. People like me, who resolved to rebuild the temple of God, as soon as they returned to Jerusalem. They were determined to return to God his rightful place in their lives.

But shortly after their arrival in Jerusalem, things changed. They laid the foundations for the new temple. But the Persian king ordered the work on the temple to cease.

Later the barriers were lifted by another king. But even then, the people lapsed into spiritual lethargy. They were not idolaters, but they had lost their early passion for the worship of the living God.

And just like me, their excuse was, ‘The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’ (Haggai 1:2)

While they didn’t have time to build God’s house, they had all the money and the resources, to build homes that rivaled that of the kings. And God asked them, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house(God’s House) remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4 emphasis added)

God asked me this question too.

When we say that we are the temple of God. It does not stop with God just staying in us, sitting in our hearts and looking around. It means that God considers our lives to be a source of His comfort. He wants to confide with us. He has a heart that He wants to share. But we are usually caught up with our own priorities, building our own houses, decorating our own imagination, and living our own fantasy.

Today we do too many things at once. We’re running everyday, working against time and we’re infact not living, but racing our lives. Quiet times, have become a thing of the past. When we read the works of great men and women of God, we shrug and say, “They have no clue about life today”. To add to our slothfulness, we now have Christian leaders, proposing 2 minute devotions and quick prayers for busy people. Pitiful indeed.

God’s message to the Israelites was, “Consider your ways!” I guess, that’s the same message to us as well. Most of our habits and activities make no sense to God, and we’d slowly realize that all our preoccupations finally take us nowhere.

“You have planted much, but have harvested little.

You eat, but never have enough.

You drink, but never have your fill.

You put on clothes, but are not warm.

You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” (Haggai 1:6)

Today, we have many attractive man-made principles of faith. Principles that have the audacity to limit the powerful works of an awesome God to some repetitive utterances assumed to be “authority from God”. But our Savior proclaimed the only true principle central to our faith.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33)

We don’t need quiet times to win God’s favor. God does not evaluate our lives by the lengths of our prayer or scripture reading portion. But He longs to make Himself known to us through these quiet times. Quiet times are for us to know God and understand His voice.

The more, I denied myself some time alone with God. The more I felt miserable. It was then that I realized, that spending some private time with God, enables me to see more of Him and less of myself in every situation that arises through the day.

Most of the times, we don’t move away from God because of some shameful sin. We just starve our hearts without Scripture and prayer and ruin God’s house. Spiritual lethargy is how we get separated. Consequently, the sweetest communion of all gets wrecked.

“Oh the pure delight, of a single hour

That before, thy throne I spend

When I kneel in prayer

And with thee my Lord,

I commune as friend in friend”

God did not reconcile with man, through His paramount sacrifice on the cross, so that He can manage to have 5 minutes in our busy schedule.

God sacrificed everything so that He can live in me and reach out through me.

Will my sacrifices be any harder?

Have we left His house in ruin ?

YokeBreaker Sessions – Exploring Sexuality as God created it

Our sexuality is our complete expression of maleness or femaleness. Our sex is determined by God, but how we express our sexuality is a decision that we make.

Unfortunately, the world provides us with way too many opportunities, to get our sexuality assaulted. Remember, sexuality is the way we express ourselves, so it is we who are accountable, when there’s an assault on it.

Wounded Sexuality

You’ve gotten into what seemed like an innocent friendship but then started becoming emotionally dependent on the person. Emotional Dependency is a bait. When you become emotionally dependent on a member of the opposite sex, you become vulnerable to manipulation and injury.

You speak to a person of the opposite gender and you find him or her extremely understanding. Consequently, you feel very comfortable sharing your problems with him. Slowly, your conversations start becoming very personal and you start complaining about your family and your friends to him.

He doesn’t criticize you, he tells you that you are the best, he tells you that you don’t have to change for anybody. He asks you to go for what you want, and not bother about the others. You are encouraged, and the next time you are in pain, the first person you think of is him. You want to run to him and share your sorrow with him. If you can’t speak with him, you feel miserable, and you are desperate. Your communication with your family, friends and others gets totally cut down and the only person you want to express yourself to, is him.

This is emotional dependency. As a matter of fact, emotional dependency is exciting in the beginning. It feels all very magical. You begin to feel that the guy or girl is a godsend. But what you don’t realize is that, in the process of getting emotionally dependent, your sexuality gets wounded. You allow your emotions to be controlled by the person of the opposite sex. You talk in secret, and then lie in public. When you are chatting long hours, or sometimes late hours, your conversation slowly drifts towards talking unnecessary, offensive stuff.

Slowly, you begin to change yourself for the person concerned, many girls become anorexic, to impress their boyfriends with their size zero figures. And many guys, devour their parents’ pockets to gift their girls with things, they believe could sweep them off their feet.

Its not always necessary that you need to be emotionally dependent on a single person to get your sexuality wounded. Using perverse language, the constant urge to keep talking to people of the opposite sex, are all symptoms of wounded sexuality.

In addition, to this, visiting porn websites, reading offensive literature, watching vulgar cinema (Do we have good cinema today ?), and all of this are deadly weapons that assault our sexuality.

Prolonged emotional dependency on a person, would lead you to do anything for him. You can’t tolerate, if he ignores your call, or if he scolds you for something. I’ve heard a story of a girl who sent 500, “I am sorry” messages to her boyfriend, because she missed taking his call. You begin to believe that he’s the only reason you’re alive. You can’t think of a life apart from him. You dress the way he wants, you jeopardize other relationships, and you change your entire self for his sake.

Diseased Sexuality

If you don’t take care to treat your sexuality while its being wounded, it goes to the next stage of getting diseased. This is the stage of addiction. You are addicted to porn, perverse language, flirting, or to the one guy or girl of your dreams.

The addiction that you have for the boy or the girl can be so damaging that you can even lose yourself in the process. Whether you are a guy or a girl; when you allow yourself to get physically defiled, it gets your spirit, soul and body diseased.

It is not only a physical assault that can get your sexuality diseased. Getting intensely attached to a person, that you just can’t stay away, even if it means risking the love of your parents, your hard earned career, your education or sometimes your ambition; even this is a symptom that your sexuality is diseased.

Dead Sexuality

Sadly, in this stage, the person has no control over his or her desires. The state when you have no control over your expressions, your insane drive to fulfill your sensualities. This is dead sexuality. And this is the most deadly assault on your sexuality.

Amidst all this noise, the Master has a voice. A sexuality that belongs to God.The sexuality created by God.

The Holy Sexuality.

God created us holy and pure, and he expects us to preserve our sexuality in the same way. Remember, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, ” then the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked.” When our sexuality is disturbed, we will allow ourselves to compromise with sin. Opportunities that drive our impulse, will begin to chase us.

Most importantly, our sexuality has to be kept holy so that we can bring forth a Godly offspring after holy matrimony.

God gives us many gifts, that He intends us to open after Holy Matrimony.

They are

1) Covenant Love

2) Intimacy

3) Sex

4) Children

5) Celebration

The gifts have to be opened and experienced in the exact same order. Many married lives, don’t have the gift of celebration, just because they opened the other gifts before their holy matrimony.

What I’ve written above, is what I’ve been taught.

But, if I have to share with you what I have experienced, all of it is nothing but the Grace of God. For, I do not have a Master who is unable to sympathize with my weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just like me, but was without sin.{Hebrews 4:15}

When I look back, and wonder how I’ve been able to be safe, It was not my “righteous” decisions rather it was the faithful Master who kept me safe by His Grace.

There’s a war on our sexuality. The devil wants to defile it and believe me, we cannot handle it by ourselves, we need the strong arms of Jesus. I have been saved of so much of unnecessary tears and emotional trauma, not because of my self control, but because of the love of God. It was a simple, childish prayer I said, 9 years ago, “God, I have wasted 13 years of life already, please accept me into your fold.”

Ever since, the Master Shepherd has been passionately taking care of me, and preserving my sexuality. I can firmly testify. there is no miracle more powerful than salvation. And no refuge greater than an absolute surrender to the Master.

YokeBreaker Sessions – Honoring Parents

I smiled sarcastically, when I read this session’s topic. C’mon! this one can’t be for me.

My strategy with parents has been very simple, “Shut up and nod your head”. Then take your complaints to God. Argue with Him, fight with Him, and throw your tantrums before Him. He’ll listen; He’ll wait till the fumes subside, and then He’ll show me where I am wrong. Sometimes, when I have messed up real bad, He’ll take me in His arms, and help me face the music.

I love my folks, and I’ve poorly described the effect that they have on my life, in the posts, “My Maker as my Mother” and “Celebrating my DaDs”. But frankly speaking, I have my share of complaints and frustrations too.

In this YokeBreaker session, my Master told me something about myself that I never knew.

In the parable of the prodigal son, I have always identified myself with the prodigal son, because I have my own personal story of eating the pig pods, and then running back to the Master’s arms.

But this time I saw myself in a different light. I wasn’t the rebellious prodigal son, I wasn’t the son who ran away breaking my father’s heart, I wasn’t the spendthrift who wasted all my father’s money on some wild fascinations.

I was the good, obedient son who remained with my father, working for him in his fields, and following all his orders.

It wasn’t my wayward brother’s return that hurt me. I was happy too, to see him back alive. But that’s when I realized that I wasn’t being recognized. Yeah! that’s the point.

No matter; how good I am, the need and the expectation to be recognized and appreciated keeps growing within. And at one point it shows its face. The guy in the parable felt his shot, when his father arranged a feast for his younger brother.

For me, it could be anything else. But it all drills down to this..

Do they recognize my efforts?

Do they realize, that it’s not just them, but I have made sacrifices too?

To this, I heard the Master’s Voice, “My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours.”

I felt foolish and dumb. When God had an eternal inheritance in store, I was looking for a goat.

Maybe, you’re looking at yourself and your eyes are all blinded from seeing the good things your parents have invested in your lives. And all that you can see is that you have become hybrid robots, aping them, obeying them and losing yourself. Believe me, your parents are not in control of your life, neither has God given the controls to them. God is in total control.You are not living to fulfill their desires, you are fulfilling God’s dreams.

A deep transformation took place in the heart of the prodigal son, so his focus changed and he sought to honor his father. This transformation, was something that the good son missed.

Honoring parents’ is not an action, it is a lifestyle. Out of the ordinary, we can’t get into this lifestyle. We need God to help us honor our parents in all seasons.

It is painful when parents are pushy, unrealistic and offend our emotions with their thoughtless words. It is hard to honor parents, when we know that they’re messing up big time. When your temper and tongue reaches critical threshold levels…

Whisper this prayer, “God, I wish I could give them a piece of my mind, but You do that for me….I’ll just go ahead and do what they want…”

Every time you pray this prayer, God has this to say to you, “My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours.”

YokeBreaker Sessions – The power of Revelation

• But why is the Word of God important?

The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. 1 Samuel 3:21

That’s what God’s Word does to our lives. It reveals God Himself.

We read God’s Word for encouragement, direction, comfort and people like me, to fill blog entries It’s time we realize that the primary reason God has given us His Word, is so that He may reveal Himself to us. Every other purpose is secondary.

• Have we realized this?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:1

When we received Christ Jesus as the Lord of our life, we were precious infants in the hands of God. With a musical babble, long spans of peaceful sleep, hands in our mouth, drooling all the time, throwing little tantrums, kicking the air with our chubby legs and clinging really tight to the Father’s arms. God gave us the right to become His children. He was a beaming with a large smile. He looked with pride and said, “That’s my child”!

The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. Genesis 21:8

Isaac was a long awaited son for Abraham; however, he did not feast on his son’s birthday; instead, on the day his son was weaned from milk. Abraham chose to celebrate his son’s growth rather than his son’s birth.

God does enjoy our babyish exertions. But He celebrates when He see His children grow up. All along; He does not want to see an infant who can’t understand what He speaks rather he desires to see a grown up victorious young son or daughter to whom He can say, “Come, inherit my riches”.

He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Revelation 21:7

The revelation of God in our lives retains us in holiness. For spiritual growth, being holy is indispensable. Without holiness, no one can see God.

• How does the revelation of God keep us Holy?

It helps us to overcome.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. I John 2:14

It gives us clarity so that we won’t be deceived.

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14

It gives us the Grace of God.

God’s grace is very different from His mercy.

Imagine, a motorist speeding at 100 km/hr on a city road in Chennai. He meets with a tragic accident, and is bleeding to death. An ambulance passes there by chance, and seeing the guy battling for his life, rescues him. He is treated and he gets his life back, but of course, with his share of bruises, fractures, and paralyzing pain.

This kind of rescue is mercy.

But the revelation of God in our life rescues us through Grace.

Imagine if the motorist had his path diverted and never met with an accident, he would now have his life, without bruises and pain. In Grace, there are no injuries; Grace redirects our roads to the right destination.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

The revelation of God will ensure His intrusion for the sake of our prosperity, protection and peace.

Abram fought against the kings who invaded Sodom and Gomorrah and captured his nephew Lot. He pursued them along with 318 of his trained men and recovered all the goods and rescued Lot as well. After Abram returned, the king of Sodom went out to meet him.

But before this could happen, Melchizedek, the king of Salem and the priest of God Most high intruded. He met Abram, brought out bread and wine, and blessed him.

This intrusion, gave Abram a revelation.

So, when the king of Sodom came out to meet Abram and offered him riches; Abram said, “I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal”.

The intrusion of the High Priest can prevent us from touching the things of Sodom.

Next time, I hold my Bible in my hands, I am going to set aside, all my childish wants and needs and ask God to reveal Himself through the words inspired by the Spirit.

It is exciting to know that God is eager to enlighten His children about Himself.

What a loving Father we have!! A Father whose greatness cannot be fathomed, but yet longs to manifest Himself to His children.

FAQs

How much of the Bible should I read everyday ?

We can’t put a rule there, because physical appetites vary and so does spiritual appetite. Your reading of God’s Word is proportional to the hunger you have. The question here is not how much of the Bible can I read, but you need to work on growing your appetite. Babies don’t eat much, but young warriors need much food for a constant supply of energy. It is healthy to have a good appetite. And make sure that you don’t get yourself spiritually anorexic.

Sometimes, when I read a Scripture something like an inspiration rises within me and I feel led towards a particular direction. How do I know if it is from God and not my own ?

Ask God to confirm it. When God wants to take you in a particular direction, He will confirm it in many ways that you can recognize immediately. But you need to make sure that you are sensitive to His voice. Robert Murray, the Scottish preacher of deep piety and prayer used to say, “When you are reading a book in a dark room, and come to a difficult part, you take it to a window to get more light. So take your Bibles to Christ.”

Excerpts of other sessions coming soon!!!

My tummy’s call

I heard my stomach growl

A shot of pain struck my head
My legs could only crawl
I didn’t know where I was going
But I kept moving on.

I reached a place where I could sit
And gobbled up all the food I could get.
And then I looked at my belly and said,

“You’re way too cruel man
You shouldn’t have treated me like that
Just to fulfill your hungry demands”

That’s when I heard my digestive tunes,
Tell the truth in full command.

“We saw what you did to your soul
When everything was in your control.
No food, No water.
And the pain you caused her.

You dumped her place with filth and foul matter
She struggled for air,
And sobbed lonely tears of despair
You froze her senses,
Just to fulfilled your immature pretenses,

A careless prayer was all you mumbled,
A perverse swear and a powerful grumble,
An arrogant mind.
And a trend in fashion.
A worthless ambition.
A Godless destination.

Now you complain,
That life’s a strain.
You’re totally depressed
And fuming out your stress

Every where you turn,
Your dreams have all been burned.
And then you point on HIGH,
Shouting, “WHERE’S MY REPLY ?”

I wonder if you are crazy;
You know that you have to eat,
when you’re head goes dizzy.
Don’t you know WHERE TO GO?
When your life’s all messy ?

Jesus is your Saviour
Only He gives life to your soul
Surrender to Him
And give Him total control

He knows the secret
And the guilt within
Yet, HIS LOVE is too powerful
To stay away from your sin

What He did on that Cross,
You thought was great history
But if you accept, believe and confess
Baby, It’ll change your destiny.”

Before I could burp,
I bowed my head to say;
I’m sorry,
I promise that its with You, Jesus that I will forever stay.

Are you in power ?

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them. – Proverbs 3:27

I read this portion and thought to myself, “Okay! I’ll feed the hungry and dress the poor once my cash gets fat” and then I said to myself, “Better than that! if I become a CEO, I’ll start this really big charity and be merciful to all, ‘coz that’s what this verse is all about….when I’m in power I’ll do good”

After a while, the goody good righteous thoughts took back seat and my imagination took me for a ride on a flashy white merc which would definitely be my first indulgence if I ever get some heavy cash.

I smiled to myself and eventually, captain imagination descended to planet earth and I realized that I was sitting inside a crowded public transport bus traveling back home after work.

A middle aged lady entered the bus, she looked like she had a bad day at work. She climbed in and leaned on the supporting pole beside me and asked if I could hold her bag. I took her bag and looked up to have a closer look , her haggard and fatigued face was trying to tell that she would collapse any moment . I could almost hear the cells in her body scream in pain.

I did something silly after that, I looked at her abdomen, to see if she was pregnant. Ok! I was safe, she was not a senior citizen, and not an expectant mother; so even if I don’t give her a place , no one would call me heartless.

Suddenly I remembered the verse that I just read,

” Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them. – Proverbs 3:27 “

My Master was just about to teach me a great lesson.

Power is not what I imagined to be, not that high throne with a crown on my head.

In this case, the power was my physical strength, and the seat that I was happily seated was the good that I could do. And the drained out woman was certainly someone who deserved my comfortable seat that was in my power to give.

Many times we attribute power to possessions and position. These are the things that we tend to acquire because of power.This is not power by itself. Power is the innate potential God has placed within each of us, which He enables us to use, groom and build upon. Hold on to your power, not the things that come as a result of power.

Jesus held on to His power and authority as the Son of God but used it for the salvation of mankind. The only difference was that; in this case, we never deserved it. Yet He did good.

The power in you is unique, special and is very important for those around you.Use your power to empower , encourage and withhold not good from those who deserve it. Sometimes, those who really deserve good may not be the exact kind you have in mind. Take a moment to look intently and identify opportunities to be a blessing.

As for the lady, I gave her my seat. She was extremely happy to sit and dozed off to sleep instantly.Man!! she was really tired.

And I stood there leaning on the pole, smiling to myself thinking about my fancy white merc.