Go and point out their fault

Go and point out their fault

Scripture:-

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15-17

Observation:-

Go and point out their fault! No way! Offend them? Lose my friend? What? Bring one or two more to criticize them? My own brother? My best friend? Tell the church??? No… Tell on my best buddy, my BFF? Wait, doesn’t it say “Don’t judge, or you will be judged?” Phew! That lets me off the hook. Or does it?

Concerning the issue of judging, there has been much confusion which basically stems from translation issues. Basically, the one English word “judge” can mean several different things ranging from simple reasoning (I judge that this team is better) to passing off an opinion on someone (I judge this boy has a bad upbringing) to pronouncing a sentence (a court judge passing off a judgment on a case). However, sometimes it is necessary to look further into the Greek text to understand a Scripture better. This webpage http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/judgenot.html has a good analysis on the subject.

For example, earlier the Lord preached “Do not judge”, and “Do not condemn”. However, in this passage, the Lord says that if your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. There seems to be a basic contradiction.

However, the Greek word used for “judge” in “Do not judge” is actually “hupo-krites”, which means do not judge like a hypocrite, or like the pot calling the kettle black. Later, Jesus confirms this meaning by saying “You hypocrites, take the plank out of your eye before removing the speck of dust from your brother’s eye”. In other Scriptures, we are actually commanded to judge, and this not from our own human wisdom, but to judge according to the Word of God.

In this passage, the meaning is the same. If we see a brother or sister sin, we are commanded to go and point out their fault. Of course, before we do that, we must check ourselves that we don’t have a plank in our own eye. This takes wisdom and courage. How do we know he or she has sinned? Based on the Word of God! If a man is abusing his daughters, can we close a blind eye and refer to the Scripture, saying “Do not judge”. Of course not! Not to point out his fault would be a great sin on our part.

The first round is private, a matter discussed between just the two individuals. However, often time due to pride, the party who sinned may not listen. This leads to the second round, where you bring one or two others so that every matter may be established by two or three witnesses. If the perpetrator is still stubborn, the third round is bringing it to the church leadership, and finally, if he or she still won’t listen, we are to treat them like a pagan (unbeliever) or tax collector.

How are we to treat unbelievers and tax collectors anyway? Unbelievers are those who do not believe in the same faith. Tax collectors were seen as pariahs of Jewish society because by collecting taxes on behalf of the Roman government and even overcharging was like being traitors of your own people. How did Jesus treat them? He accepted them as they were, encouraged them to turn towards the truth, to accept God’s way. He loved them as they were, in spite of their many imperfections. Therefore, to treat a fallen brother as an unbeliever means to pray for him to return to God’s way, to show love and respect and patience to him, just like the Lord would, who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.                           

Application:-

Know for certain that while we must never judge like hypocrites, we are called and commanded to point out sin according to the Word of God. Our action in doing so is purely out of love, as stated in the Proverbs “better is open rebuke than hidden love”. Therefore, where we see sin in even a close family member or friend, it is our duty to point it out, to plead with them to come back to correct ways of living. To hide behind “Do not judge” is not a valid excuse as the context is only in regard to hypocritical judging. We must get our own act right and then still do our best to bring our friend back to right living. Some may refuse to do so because of the shame of their past, but in Christ, we are a new creation, we are to look forward, to live by the Word of God. In Christ, our past sins are forgiven, and we look forward to life anew in Him.

Suppose our friend does not listen to us, as is often the case. Then, we are called to take one or two more with us to reason with him. This takes a lot of effort, and is emotionally draining, but if we love our brother or sister, and we love the Lord, we need to do what has to be done. If the friend after all this is still unrepentant, then we have to tell it to the church. Ouch! We probable would lose a friend or brother or sister in acting for his or her own good, but only if we do so are we a true friend!  Even after all this there is still no effect, we are to still respect and love that person, praying for him or her to come back to the right way.

Prayer:-

We praise You, Lord, that You forgave us. In You, Lord, our sins are forgiven, we are made righteous, not by our righteousness but in Your righteousness! How difficult it is, Lord, to point out the faults of others, what more face to face! Where I am called to do so, give me strength and courage to go through these painful steps, to meet them one to one, to even bring one or two with us, and to even bring it to the church. Lord help us, for it is very hard as we hate to offend, and we want to avoid conflict even if it is necessary. Give us wisdom and discernment and courage in this, we pray. In Jesus name, Amen.

Guardian angels and little children

Guardian angels and little children

Scripture:

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:10-14

Observation:

How precious are the little children in the eyes of God! Their angels in heaven always see the face of God the Father in Heaven! Wow! One powerful thing we learn from this statement is that all of us have angels assigned to us! Bless the Lord! We can pray for God to bless our guardian angels, to empower them as they watch over us! Secondly, the angels of children have special privilege of access to God! Again, we are reminded of the tremendous value the Lord places upon children.

The warning for us is clear! Do not despise little children. We may think we are stronger, more knowledgeable, better at doing everything. However, the little children have what’s far more important – God’s special favor and attention. And God would not be pleased if we despite little children, or even those younger than us. Instead, if we love and cherish them, will not our God be pleased with us?

The Lord goes on to speak of the parable of the lost sheep. One out of a hundred is missing and the shepherd looks everywhere he can for the wandering sheep. When he finds it, how truly joyous he is that he has found his lost sheep. His joy is far greater over that lost sheep than the other 99 that are safe. This does not mean he the other 99 less, but rather, there is a special joy in receiving back a precious animal thought lost. This parable illustrates to us how God the Father in Heaven is not willing that any of His little children should perish. They may wander here and there and become lost, but His eye is always upon them, looking out for them.

Application:

Thank God for the guardian angels He has assigned to us. Pray that He will bless them and empower them in their mission to protect and watch over us. Thank God for the little children He has brought into our lives. Ask Him to teach us to look at them not with our eyes, but with His eyes, beholding them as the truly precious children that they are. Praise God that He looks over us like a loving Shepherd. Even when we wander, He seeks for us, not wanting us to perish, especially more so for the little ones!

Prayer:

We praise thee and thank thee, Lord, for the precious guardian angels which You have assigned to us. Bless and empower and quicken them, O Lord, so that they may watch over us, and help us as ministering spirits from You. Teach us to love little children like You do, even those younger than us. Give us the ability to relate to them, to bless them, to teach them of your goodness. May Your name be praised forever, Lord! In Jesus name, Amen.

Woe to those through whom they come

Woe to those through whom they come

Scripture:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:6-9

Observation:

Imagine having a large millstone hung around your neck and being thrown into the sea. Or having your hand cut off. Or your foot. Or your eye gouged out! The Lord uses the strongest possible imagery to emphasize to His disciples that they must take His warning ever so seriously.

Little ones who believe in Jesus are serious business! We must make sure that we are not the ones who cause them to stumble! As parents or grandparents or uncles and aunties of young children, we have a heavy responsibility indeed. We can stumble them by our life’s example, not only by things we do, but by the things we don’t do. Our bad habits, our careless words, our attitude towards others and towards God! All these are so important, To neglect it would be akin to being flippant about the possibility of us drowning in the sea or having a limb cut off or eye gouged out. The Lord warns us to take teaching children very seriously indeed!

Woe to the world because of things that cause people to stumble! The world as a whole will be punished at the second coming by the fire of judgment. The mistreatment of the poor, the corruption of the young, the worship of mammon and false religion at the expense of every good thing… All these cause people to stumble, and the Lord confirms that such things must come. However, the Lord warns us that we must now allow these things to come through us.

Application:

Take some time to review our lives, and consider our conduct and witness we give to those around us, especially young children we interact with daily. Does anything we do stumble them? Ask the Lord for wisdom to determine which areas of our lives we need to change. Pray to the Lord to give us the strength and discipline to make courageous decisions to cut off certain things that are not of value and may in fact stumble others. Paul, in his writings, exhorted us to even forego certain things which although we are able to do perfectly with a clear conscience may stumble others with weaker faith. He resolved not to do anything, even eating or drinking in such a way that may stumble others.

Prayer:

We praise thee, Lord, for the children You have placed in our lives, our own sons and daughters, our nephews and nieces or even grandchildren. We thank thee, Lord, that they are precious in Your eyes. Teach us and help us, Lord, to be good examples to them and to others as well, that we may not stumble them, but instead turn them to You. Forgive us, Lord, where we have been selfish and insensitive, and stumbled others, even unconsciously. Help us to have an attitude like Paul’s, who resolved not to eat or say anything that could stumble others. Give us Your wisdom, and grasp Your urgency and importance of this matter. Blessed be Your holy name O Lord! In Jesus name, Amen.

Like a little child

Like a little child

Scripture:-

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:1-5

Observation:-

The little child smiles, barely suppressing a giggle as the Lord places him right in the middle of His disciples. Widely smiling, the Lord places his hands on the little child’s shoulders, and says “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The disciples look at each another in astonishment, pondering this latest paradoxical statement when the Lord adds “Therefore whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Tousling the child’s hair as he scoots off to play, the Lord concludes “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

The disciples had come to ask the Lord who would be greatest in the kingdom of Heaven but the Lord effectively told them. “You want to be great in Heaven? Be like this little child. Unless you can change and be like them, forget about even entering Heaven! What is it about little children that the Lord refers to here? Is it their simple faith, believing whatever you tell them? Is it their simple trust, easily trusting you without being wary of some hidden agenda? The Lord refers specifically to their humility. Being a child, they naturally accept that adults know better than them, and are not afraid to look for help instead of trying to do everything themselves. One typical hallmark of children is also their curiosity. When they don’t know, they ask, unlike adults who think twice whether asking will make them look silly. Children are also usually very positive and easily excited, unlike us adults who often time tend to be more negative and pessimistic.

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Unlike the adults in those time who placed little importance in children, the Lord values them highly and equates welcoming them as welcoming the Lord Himself. How blessed indeed are those who are involved in ministry to children!

Application:-

Let us remember to value little children just as the Lord does. They are truly precious, the most important people in the world.

Also, remember the lessons that we can learn from little children. We must remind ourselves to be humble like them, coming to our Father in Heaven like a little child, trusting that He knows best. Instead of being depressed and pessimistic, learn to look at the world like a little child, full of hope for the future. Let us trust in God that though the storms may seem scary and the night dark, He will make all things okay. Instead of judging and being suspicious of others, let us learn to approach others like little children would, friendly and thinking the best of them. While we may be used to shouldering everything on our own and bearing heavy burdens with our own strength, remember that we have a Heavenly loving Father who loves us and we are His child. Ask Him for help! Ask Him for wisdom! Father knows best!

Prayer:-

We thank You, Lord, for showing us that children lead the way, and that it is the humility, the simplicity, the honesty and trust in children that we would all do well to remember and follow. How simple, how honest, how innocent they are. Help us learn to be like them O Lord, for that is what pleases You! Lead us too to help children in need, be it in our neighborhood, or even in countries far away. Help us learn to love children like You love them, Lord. May Your name be praised. In Jesus name, Amen. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The fish and the four-drachma coin

The fish and the four-drachma coin

Scripture:-

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” Matthew 17:24-27

Observation:-

“Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” The accusation posed by the tax collectors lingered in Peter’s mind as he returned to see his Master. Emphatically, he had replied “Yes, he does.” Incredibly, before Peter could say a Word, the Lord spoke first “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes? From their own children or from others?” Others, of course. Peter agreed thoughtfully. “Then the children are exempt! But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and catch a fish. Open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin for your tax and mine.

This is a curious passage indeed, concerning coins in the mouth of fish and some fuss over a two-drachma tax. But what was this two-drachma temple tax about? Apparently, this practice was brought down from Old Testament times when half a shekel was charged as a census tax on all adult male Jews. Later this tax was used for the upkeep of the temple. In any case, the Lord uses this opportunity to remind Peter that He is indeed the Son of God, and charging him a tax was akin to a king taxing his own children. In any case, the Lord arranges for Peter to pay this tax so as not to cause offense.

Now, we clearly see from other Scripture, that the Lord was never shy to cause offense, time and again, offending the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law to the core by sharp words and rebukes. However, in this case, the Lord saw fit not to cause offense. Ultimately, we can learn from this that there is a time and place to cause offense and not to cause offense. For some, like the Pharisees, it is necessary to speak out bluntly against their wrongdoings, especially when they were doing so much damage by their exploitation of the poor and foreign Jews and their false humility and “righteous acts” which were an abomination to God. In the case of the temple tax collectors, they were just doing their job, collecting funds to upkeep God’s temple. They could not comprehend yet that Jesus was the Son of God. Therefore, in that instance, foregoing His Sonship right not to be taxed was the correct thing to do for their sake. Later, Paul adopted a similar stance, in some cases, becoming all things to all people so that perhaps some might be saved, yet also in other cases, standing up bravely to condemn evil with authority regardless of the offense caused.

Pertaining to the curious story of the fish with the coins in its mouth, there were apparently some old Jewish stories about God blessing pious people by enabling them to find precious things in fish. Hence, the Lord could have humorously produced this miracle to emphasize to Peter His Sonship again, and also reminds us how God is able to provide for our needs, even in the most unusual ways.

Application:

Praise our Lord Jesus, and remember that He is truly the Son of God. Although He became fully man, just like us, He is also fully God. Praise our Father in Heaven that He saw fit to also extend that privilege of sonship to us, that we might also become part of His royal family through Jesus Christ.

Pray to the Lord for wisdom to know when to waive our rights so as not to cause offense but also to stand up for what is right, even if it causes offense. Remember that God gives wisdom generously to all without finding fault, praise His holy name!

Thank God that He indeed provides for all our needs. Though we may be facing insurmountable problems, financially perhaps, trust God that He is Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider. He will provide for all our needs, albeit in even the most unusual ways. Praise His Holy name!

Prayer

We praise thee, Lord Jesus for You are the Son of God, seated at the right hand of our Father in Heaven, Holy and Righteous in all Your ways. We thank thee, Father in Heaven, that You saw fit to make us Your children as well, giving us sonship through Jesus Christ.

We beseech thee for wisdom, Heavenly Father, to know what is right to do as we live our lives. Give us the courage to stand up for what is right, when it is time to do so, yet also humble and meek to waive our rights, when it may cause offense unnecessarily. Blessed be Your Holy name!

We thank You, Father in Heaven, holy Jehovah Jireh, for You provide for all our needs, physical, financial, spiritual. You meet our needs in every way. We entrust our lives, our families to You. In Jesus name, Amen.

On the third day He will be raised to life

On the third day He will be raised to life

Scripture:-

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 17:22-23

Observation:-

“They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life” declared the Lord concerning His impending death and resurrection. His disciples were shocked and filled with grief. How could their Master suffer and die? They could not comprehend or understand the significance of their Lord’s raising from the dead. They did not understand that it was necessary for their Lord to die to bring forgiveness for the sins of men and be raised to life to give men eternal life.

Application:-

Meditating on Jesus’ words here, we are reminded of four things. Firstly, considering the description Jesus gave himself in this context “The Son of Man”, we remember that Jesus Christ came as a fully human person. Being wholly human, he would come to understand exactly how a human would feel, how a human would live and think and speak and eat. He would understand the frailty of the human body, and endure the maximum pain a human could endure on the cross. Jesus understands how we feel because He became human just like us, subject to all the temptations and emotions and feelings that we humans face.

Secondly, think about how the Lord was to be delivered into the hands of men. It was not men themselves who seized the Lord in their own power. Instead, the Lord was delivered into them, all according to God’s will, as part of God’s incredible plan of redemption for the human race.

Thirdly, remember the Lord’s death. They killed him in the cruelest possible way. He had to die because He had to be the spotless Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice that would redeem mankind back to God. He had to die so that He could conquer death and pave the way for eternal life for all who would believe in Him.

Finally, remember the Lord’s resurrection. The disciples would not have been grieved for long if they only understood the Lord’s triumphant resurrection that would change everything, making life eternal possible to every human being who would choose to believe in Jesus Christ. It is because of the Lord’s resurrection that we need no longer fear death, for He has conquered death for us, and we who hold fast to Him, can look forward to a glorious and eternal future in His kingdom serving the Great King!                                                                                                                                         

Prayer:

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for You came to us, humble and frail, to be one of us. You were born in a manger, a poor son of a carpenter. You experienced what we experience. You felt what we feel. You were fully human, just like we are. Blessed be Your holy name, O Lord!

We praise You, Lord, that You answered Your calling, that You yielded Yourself to be part of God’s plan of redemption, to accept the suffering and death of a sacrificial lamb, knowing Your death would bring life to so many. Blessed be Your holy name, O Lord.

We praise You, Lord, that You suffered and died for us, in the cruelest of ways. You sacrificed Yourself because You loved us, and You were obedient to the Father until death. You finished Your Work, You made life available to us. Blessed be Your holy name, O Lord!

We praise You, Lord, that You did not stay dead, but was raised to life on the third day, triumphant and victorious, Conqueror of Death and Hades! We trust in You, O Lord, for You hold the keys of eternal life! In You, we will put our trust and hope always. Blessed be Your holy name, O Lord! In Jesus name, Amen

He was healed at that moment

He was healed at that moment

Scripture:

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:14-20

Observation:

“Lord, have mercy on my son”, the desperate father as he knelt before Jesus. The poor man had brought his demon-possessed son to the Lord’s 9 disciples, and none of them were able to drive the demon out. The crowd had gathered, watching with interest, wondering if the Lord Jesus Himself would be able to drive out such a powerful demon.

“He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water” the sad father explained. Medically, seizures can usually be explained to be due to various reasons, but in this case, the fact that the boy would often fall into the fire or water showed that there were dark spiritual forces involved here.  “I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him” the father added with exasperation.

The Lord looked around at the crowd. Typically, there would have been gloating Pharisees or teachers of the law in their midst, gleefully waiting for Jesus to fail. Most of the crowd too would have concluded that this demon was probably too powerful for even Jesus, considering the failure of His nine disciples. Having just come down from such a wonderful Heavenly experience with Moses and Elijah on the mountain, meeting this fickle, unbelieving crowd must have been very annoying. Furthermore, the failure of His nine disciples had only heightened the expectation in the air that He had finally met a demon He could not overcome.                                                                              

Probably shaking his head, the Lord astonishingly rebuked not only the whole crowd but the whole generation “You unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me!”. Then straightaway, the Lord rebuked the demon with great authority, and it left the boy right away, leaving him completely healed to the complete amazement of all the crowd.

Later, in private, the shaken nine disciples asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”, and Jesus told them frankly “Because you have so little faith! If you had faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain Move from here to there and it will move, Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Application:

Looking at this passage, what strikes us first is the failure of the nine disciples to drive out this one demon. This was a major problem that caused the whole crowd to start doubting the validity of the Lord’s ministry. When we say we are Christians, we all become ambassadors for our Lord Jesus right away. Our success or failures affect the perception of our Lord in the eyes of others. The higher the profile of a Christian, the more the world reacts with glee when they fall. We need to humbly pray that the Lord will enable us to live lives worthy of His name.

Secondly, the model of the father bringing his son to Jesus is still true for us today. As parents, we are to bring our children to Jesus in prayer, and He is faithful to listen to us and heal us, but we must believe and continue to believe! There is great power in the blessings and prayers of a father or mother for their child.

Thirdly, looking at the symptoms of the demon possessed child, we see that he had seizures, was suffering greatly and had a tendency to throw himself into fire or water. The last symptom in particular was a clear sign of demonic activity. Throughout His ministry, we see that the Lord healed the sick and cast out demons regularly. Somehow, these two ministries go hand in hand, and there is a certain connection between sickness and demonic influence. Sickness if of the devil who came to steal, to kill and to destroy, but Jesus came so that we might live life to the full, and that also includes a life which is healthy and free from sickness and pain. How do we obtain this? Only by faith!

The Lord clearly explained to His disciples that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they would be able to say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it would move. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 gives us an excellent definition saying that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is not the same as hope. Hope speaks of wishing something to come true, but faith is strongly and confidently believing that what we hope for will come true. It is written in Isaiah 53 that Jesus bore our sicknesses and carried out pains and that by His stripes we are healed. Faith is believing on God’s Word that it is true for us. It is believing that God will watch over His Word to ensure it comes to pass. It is believing that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed, even though the symptoms persists, even though what we feel does not correspond with what we belief.

In the church today, much damage has been done by wrong usage of “If it is God’s will” in our prayers. The moment we pray “Lord, if it is Your will, let me be healed”, we immediately inject doubt into our prayer and faith is no longer evident. However, if we pray “Lord Jesus, I thank You that by Your stripes, I am healed.”, we put our faith in God’s Word, and if we hold true to that in faith, we will be healed. Now healing is not always immediate, but if we cling on to God’s Word, it will become true for us sooner or later, for God watches over His Word to bring it to pass.

Does having faith in God for healing mean stopping our medication, throwing away our spectacles, and foregoing all medical help? No! God is our healer. It is in the nature of His name, Jehovah Rapha. Doctors and medical advancement are also involved in doing part of God’s will, which has been clearly established in Scripture, which is to heal those who are sick.

God may heal us immediately by His great power, or lead us to the right doctors, but we must be clearly convinced that it is His will to heal us. Then we believe on God’s Word that our healing will come to pass, whether through divine or human means. 

Prayer:

We praise thee, Heavenly Lord, for Your great love for us. We thank You, Lord, that You are Jehovah Rapha, our healer. You are the God who heals us, and it is Your will always to heal us. It is for this reason that You sent Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, not only for the forgiveness for our sins, but also for the healing of our sicknesses and infirmities, for as it is written, He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains, He was pierced for our transgressions, and by His stripes we are healed. We praise You and thank You, Lord, for this great revelation and believe on our Lord Jesus to be healed. Though the symptoms remain, and our feelings show otherwise, we choose to believe in our healing based on Your Word O Lord. Let Your Word come to pass even now in Jesus name! Let our faith always be on You, and on Your Word O Lord, that will never pass away. We pray too O Lord, that we may be faithful in the things we do, and the words we say, for we are Your servants, and we are called by Your name. Let us be faithful indeed, we pray! As fathers and mothers, we pray for our children, we bring them to You, Lord Jesus, believing in their healing for You took their pains, You took their infirmities! We praise You and love You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                 

To be sure, Elijah comes

To be sure, Elijah comes

Scripture:-

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. Matthew 17:9-13

Observation:-

Filled with awe, the disciples must have been very excited as they came down the mountain, ready to tell their friends the awesome event they had witnessed. Knowing this, the Lord proceeds to instruct them to keep this great experience to themselves until the Lord had been raised from the dead.

Then, the disciples ask the Lord a question which has been bothering them. “If you are the promised Messiah, why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” What was this prophecy about Elijah coming first all about? To understand this better, we need to go to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, who completely his prophecy by stating “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”  Based on this, the teachers of the law concluded that Elijah would typically descend back to earth in the same way that he left, on chariots of fire, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Using this reference, they were trying to convince Jesus’ disciples that He could not be the Messiah because Elijah had not returned yet. What these teachers failed to understand however, was that the day of the Lord refers to the Lord’s second coming when He will indeed appear in the skies and bring about His judgment on all the nations.

In his answer to this question from his disciples, the Lord explains three points. Firstly, He affirms Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah will certainly come and will restore all things. What is the precise nature of this restoration? In Malachi, the prophet speaks of the coming Elijah’s unique ministry to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children to their fathers, failing which He will strike the land with a curse. Secondly, the Lord speaks of Elijah having already come and having evil men do to him everything they wished – a clear reference to John the Baptist’s suffering and death. In Luke 1:17, the angel Gabriel in His message to Zacharias speaks of how his son will go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah and among other things, turn the hearts of the fathers to their children”. So John the Baptist did have an important role in fulfilling this prophecy, although not much is mentioned in the Scripture about John advocating closer family ties among the people of Israel. Popular belief is that Elijah will return again before the day of the Lord as one of the Two Witnesses mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is perhaps in those last days, that we will fully see John’s role then in calling for the healing of family relationships between children and parents. In today’s age, the family unit has been attacked like never before, and broken homes are rife across the nations, and children rebelling against their parents

Finally, the Lord also reaffirms, that He too will likewise suffer like John the Baptist.

Application:

Consider how the Lord instructed his disciples not to speak of the Transfiguration until the right time. There is a proper timing and place for different things and we need to seek the Lord’s will as to the right place and time to speak of certain things.

Remember the importance of restoration of family relationships in the Lord’s eyes. Family has always been God’s idea and is in fact the way that he chose to help us understand His loving relationship with His Son. The Lord put such a high value on family relationships that He promises long life to those who will honor their parents. Let us pray for the unity of the respective family units where He has placed us. How blessed it is when brothers and sisters, parents and children dwell together in unity.

Remember that just as John the Baptist was persecuted followed by our Lord Jesus, so too, we who follow Him may also be persecuted, especially in the last days. Let us pray for courage and strength to stand firm, and be loyal to the Lord before men, no matter the cost.

Prayer:-

We praise thee, Heavenly Lord, for the Great and Mighty Lord that You are. Your ways are higher than our ways. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Let us submit our plans, and our thoughts to You. Teach us to follow Your will and Your timing. We praise thee, Heavenly Father, for the beauty of family relationships, which You created and blessed us with. Let there be unity and love in my family I pray. Let there be peace and forgiveness, patience and love. Be the Lord of our family, Lord Jesus. We submit our families to You. Make us better, more loving fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters in You.

May our hearts be ever loyal to You, O Lord. Help us be loyal and true, trusting in You in all things. Let us be ever faithful, no matter what the cost, for You O Lord hold the keys of eternal life. May Your name be praised forever, O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

This is my Son, and I love him

This is my Son, and I love him

Scripture:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There in front of them his appearance was changed. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became as white as the light. Just then Moses and Elijah appeared in front of them. Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud surrounded them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”

When the disciples heard this, they were terrified. They fell with their faces to the ground. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus told them what to do. “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen,” he said. “Wait until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Matthew 17:1-9

Observation

Suddenly, their Lord and Master changed in front of them. His face started to shine exceedingly brightly, like the sun. Even His clothes became so white, as white as light. Then incredibly, Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking to Him. Feebly, not knowing what to do and probably trembling as he spoke,  Peter offered to put up three shelters for them, but even before he finished speaking, a great and loud voice came out from the cloud saying “This is my Son and I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” 

The three disciples fell to the ground, terrified, for they had heard the voice of the great God of Israel, the great Yahweh Himself. They remained there in fear until the Lord came and touched them, telling them not to fear. Bewildered, they suddenly realized that the heavenly visitation had passed. The Lord then instructed them not to mention this appearance until after He had been raised from the dead.

Application                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Looking at this passage, we first note that the Lord brought only three of His disciples, the inner circle of Peter, James and John. Later, these three disciples became very prominent in the leadership of the early church. Although the Lord chose twelve disciples whom He spent time with and taught daily, there were a further three He selected from among them whom He mentored on an even closer level, allowing them to experience even the most wonderful revelations such as the Transfiguration which happened here. For us too who are in positions of leadership, we do best to mentor a maximum of twelve on a regular basis, but to specially mentor up to three at a time on a far deeper way, sharing our innermost thoughts and imparting our most precious lessons.

Secondly, the Transfiguration showed the disciples for the first time the divine nature and appearance of the Lord as He truly was, resplendent in glory, full of light and purity. When we think of the Lord, we often imagine Him in human terms, carrying little children, touching the blind man, dining with tax collectors. However, while on the earth, His true glory was veiled and only in this instance did the three disciples see Him as He truly is. For us too, even as we worship Him, we ought to picture Him as He truly is, glorious, resplendent, full of light and brightness. Indeed, for some of us who seek Him diligently, perhaps one day we may be most blessed to see the Lord in all His wonderful glory!

Thirdly, the appearance of Moses and Elijah assures us of the continuity of life in Heaven, after we leave this earth. As we pray and commune with God here on earth, so too in Heaven, we will continue to commune with Him. The late D.G.S Dhinakaran, a truly great man of God who was known as the apostle of India in his heavenly visitations, spoke of seeing the Lord having conference with great saints like Moses and Paul and King David, discussing the affairs on the earth. Life for us certainly does not stop here, but continues on in Heaven for those who believe in Jesus Christ!

Fourth, we see that great, loving relationship between God the Father and God the Son in His words “This is my Son, and I love Him. I am very pleased with Him. Listen to Him”. God is the one who instituted family, fathers and sons, parents and children. Just as we are naturally drawn to love our children, we get an idea of how much God loves His Son. God the Father not only loves the Lord Jesus but is also very pleased with Him, and the Son only seeks to do His Father’s will. On earth, our children are not perfect, but we must firstly always remember that we love them, and wherever possible, we need to let them know that we are pleased with them. Encouragement of the children is so important from the youngest of ages.

Just like God the Father loves Jesus, He also loves us, and is pleased with us when we follow His will. Let us seek to follow His will, and walk in His pleasure. How wonderful it is when our earthly father loves us and is pleased with us. How much more then our Heavenly Father?

What is the best way to please our Heavenly Father? Well, what did He say? Listen to Jesus! So let us study what Jesus said and listen to Him in obedience! Then both our loving Father in Heaven and our great Savior and Lord, our Big Brother Lord Jesus will be pleased with us. We are in God’s royal family! How wonderful indeed!

Prayer:

We praise You, Father in Heaven, for You love us, just as You love the Son. You teach us love through the family institution, through how parents love their children. We thank You that You chose us, precious Father, to be part of Your family, to enjoy Your love and Your pleasure. Help us follow Your will O Lord. Help us follow our Lord Jesus that we may please You! Help us to love our children too, physical or spiritual, and be loving fathers and mothers to them, showing them our pleasure in them.

We thank You, Lord, that this life is only the beginning, and we have an eternity in communion with You, as You planned for us. You are glorious and wonderful, Lord Jesus, bright and resplendent, full of glory and honor! Blessed be Your name O Lord! We praise You and love You. In Jesus name, Amen!

In His Father’s glory

In His Father’s glory

Scripture:

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Matthew 16:27-28

Observation:

At first the Lord tells his disciples that they must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. Then he warns them of the folly of exchanging one’s soul for even the whole world. And now, the Lord prophesies to them the manner of His second coming, of which we are told four things.

Firstly, Jesus is coming in His Father’s glory. How incredibly magnificent and wonderful would be God the Father’s glory! The nearest comparison we can picture here on earth would be the glorious rays of the sun, giving life and warmth to the earth. In His first coming, the Lord came as a little baby, born in the most humble of places, a smelly, stinking stable. However, in His second coming, it will be a great and triumphant and spectacular entrance in the skies!

Second, Jesus is coming with His angels. He is not coming alone but with the entire host of Heaven, powerful and mighty. Who can stand before the Lord of hosts and His mighty army?

Third, when Jesus comes He will reward each person according to what they have done (NIV) or according to their works (KJV). This verse alongside other Scripture such as the parable of the talents and the minas show us that there are different degrees of rewards for Christians who are faithful to the Lord. Paul later speaks of a man whose work does not stand before the fire of God and is barely saved, as if just out of the fire.

We are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus, yes! However, is our faith genuine, real faith? That’s where our works come in. True faith will lead to good works! As James said, faith without works is dead! The main point of this is how we live our lives matters. It is not sufficient to profess to be a Christian yet live a life that shows otherwise. We will be given according to what we have done, whether good or bad.

Fourth, the Lord mentions that there will be some standing here will not see death before they see Him coming in His kingdom. What does it mean to see the Lord come in His kingdom? The way the verse is structured implies that not all, but perhaps only a few will see Jesus coming in His kingdom before they see death. However, the Second Coming hasn’t occurred yet and for sure all who were standing there would certainly have passed away. Perhaps, the best clue we have concerning this is the experience of Stephen as he was just about to be martyred. He spoke of seeing the Lord in the sky, seated at God’s right hand! Though the event hadn’t happened yet, some of the early Christians must have been granted a vision of seeing the Lord’s second coming. John would certainly have seen this, as evidenced by his writings in the book of Revelation, and most likely Peter would have seen this vision, given his absolute confidence and clarity as he wrote about Christ’s second coming in his letters.

Application:

Picture in our mind’s eye the image of Jesus coming in the clouds with His vast army of angels, full of the Father’s glory, shining like the sun! Praise the Lord for the promise of His second coming where He will take His place as rightful ruler over all the earth.

Remember the Lord’s word that He will come as judge, rewarding each one according to the things they have done. Consider how we spend time here on earth in light of eternity. Pray for God to lead us to do work that pleases Him and will stand the test of His fire. Praise the Lord that He rewards His saints and blesses abundantly those faithful to Him.

Prayer:

We praise thee, Lord Jesus, for the promise of Your coming, great and glorious, shining like sun! We look forward to Your coming O Lord. Prepare our hearts and minds to live lives worthy of You we pray. Forgive our sins, yet lead us to lives full of meaning and purpose. Lead us to do work that pleases You. Give us your passion so that we may serve You with strength in the Holy Spirit. Grant us fresh visions, and fresh strength, even as You lead us from glory to glory. Praise Your holy name, O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.