WHAT IS YOUR ANCHOR IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY?

Isaiah 6:1-2 (New Living Translation)

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

 

Uzziah (also known as Azariah) was the twelfth king of Judah.  His father and grandfather were assassinated; they left Judah a poor and weak country. Uzziah was king at 16 and ruled for 52 years (see 2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 26). He was faithful to God, and thus God prospered and made Judah strong again.

Sadly, in his later years, pride caused Uzziah to attempt to take over the functions of the Priests; God struck him with Leprosy and this eventually led to his death. It was while mourning over Uzziah’s tragic death that Isaiah had this spectacular vision of God on the throne in the Temple, filing it up with his mighty presence and greatness.

The vision showed Isaiah that Judah’s true King was still alive and full of power. The vision strengthened Isaiah’s faith, renewed his hope, and showed him the way forward. It was the key turnaround moment in Isaiah’s life.

Who or what is king over your life? Country? The President? The economy? The certificate you earned from College? Family? The job you do? Friends? Church you attend? Will these hold firm in times of uncertainty?

Isaiah’s confidence was wrecked when Uzziah died, but the Lord rescued Isaiah with a vision of His presence and greatness. Our anchor and stability in times of uncertainty is Yahweh, the true and permanent Ruler of Heaven and Earth.

May the LORD give us a vision of his presence and greatness, like he did for Isaiah, to strengthen our trust in Him in these uncertain times, Amen!   

 

Image: Seraphim on Jerusalem YMCA based on Isaiah 6:1-5 (Source: Wikimedia) 

THE REAL SUPER-MAN!

 

Matthew 11:2-5 (New Living Translation)

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

 

When news that the actor Christopher Reeve, who played the role of the children’s comic book hero Superman, had broken his neck while horse riding in May 1995, I was shocked and sad. Like millions of children who adored Superman, I was sad to accept the truth that the man who acted as Superman was flesh and blood, like myself.

As I think back on the Superman movies, I see that the producers did an excellent job in presenting Superman to us children as the solution to human problems. Here was a handsome young man, who could fly, see through walls, lift any object, defeat all the evil people in the world, but was a humble and nice person to be around.

The creators of Superman presented him as a messiah – and as a child I believed them!

Contrast this with John the Baptist, a firebrand preacher, who had been locked up by the King Herod, for his strong preaching against the King. Jesus did not fly like Superman to go free John from jail, neither did he go beat up the King to release John. So messengers from John, came to Jesus to question whether he is truly the Biblical Messiah.

The response from Jesus is beautiful – “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” It says to John, I may not be flying in to release you, but see what it is that has preoccupied me, judge for yourself if this is messianic work!

To strengthen his messianic status, Jesus rose from the dead, and is now in heaven, from where he continues his ministry to the blind, the lame, the leper, the deaf, the helpless, and the hopeless, in every generation, in every nation. This is a hero who cannot broke his neck while horse riding, who is divine not flesh and blood.

Jesus was full of godly power while he walked on Earth, but was kind, gentle, and compassionate. In him, we find a precious, faithful friend, who understands our pains, as we live in this tough world. He is our Superman – call on him today and every day, and you will find help in the day of trouble, Amen! 

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Image: A very human superman (Source: Wikimedia)    

 

JESUS FAVORITE SERMON

 

Matthew 13:31-32 (New Living Translation)

Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants…”

 

Reading through the gospels, it is clear that Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God more than any other topic. He told the crowds that followed him that the kingdom was near, and asked them to repent, so they can be a part of it.

He explained the nature of the kingdom to them using many parables and stories like the one above about the mustard seed. Indeed as the image above shows the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds; but when fully grown it is a good size tree.

Jesus is the seed that has given birth to the Kingdom of God on Earth.

The Kingdom of God is simply the place where Jesus is King. The Bible teaches that Jesus is King in the hearts of all who sincerely believe in Him. These are the Church of God; not the Church referring to buildings, but of people who believe in Jesus; not perfect people but people who see their sinfulness and look to Jesus for healing.

These make up the Kingdom of God on Earth, and the number grows daily. It started with a single seed, Jesus, over 2000 years ago, and has been growing and growing. There is no exchange of money to get in, the visa is belief in Jesus as the one who can give us power from the inside, power in our soul and spirit, to live godly lives.

As you seek for daily bread, for career success, for friends, for intimate relationships, for fun and laughter, seek Jesus a little more through prayer and Bible reading. Be part of the Kingdom of God on Earth today! 

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Image: Mustard seed and oil (Source: Wikimedia)

OUR DAILY BREAD

 

Luke 11:1-4 (World English Bible)

…when he [Jesus] finished praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’“

 

While some scholars say Jesus was born 1,250 years after God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt (the exodus), others say he was born 1,500 years after. During this long length of time, Israel had occupied the promised land, and under King Solomon, silver was as common as ordinary stones in Israel (1 Kings 10:27).

The Israelites saw God fulfill his word to bring them into a land of milk and honey (see my previous blogs MILK AND HONEY – Part 1 and MILK AND HONEY – Part 2); but by the time Jesus was born, many lived in poverty. This was because Israel became a wealthy nation and forgot about God; consequently life became difficult for them.

When Jesus came and was performing great miracles, his followers were amazed. They observed that he was prayerful, and felt this was why he was so powerful. They therefore asked to be taught how to pray. Jesus taught them to pray about heavenly issues, to pray about their sins, and to pray also for regular daily bread.

We should be concerned about heavenly issues and therefore study our Bible regularly to understand heavenly issues better and better. We should also pray for our daily needs for our spirit, soul and body, and do so without doubts whether God will answer. To be spiritual is not a call to a life of starvation, disease, and misery. 

O God of heaven, give us day by day our daily bread, in Jesus name, Amen!   

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Image: Homemade White Bread with Honey By TheCulinaryGeek from Chicago, USA – Homemade White Bread with HoneyUploaded by the wub, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27753532

THE BLESSING OF CHRISTMAS

 

Luke 2:25-32 (NLT) (shortened)

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon… the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus… Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

There are about 2.2 billion people who claim to be Christians; that is about 3 out of 10 people in the world. Christmas is among the biggest religious celebrations in the world. That said, there are Christians who do not celebrate Christmas for various reasons.

First, are Christians who rightly state that Jesus was not born on December 25; so, it is meaningless celebrating Christmas. There is no commonly accepted date for his birth; some scholars’ say Jesus was born in October, another says he was born in June.

Next are Christians who say it was wrong for Roman Emperor Constantine 1,681 years ago to make December 25 a day to celebrate Jesus birth. They argue that December 25 was already used for celebrating a Roman idol, so to celebrate Christmas is idol worship.

There are other Christians who hold that many who celebrate Christmas see it as a time for excessive eating, alcoholism, and multiple sexcapades. They feel Christmas celebrations are so ungodly, there is no reason for Christians to join in the celebrations.

While there is no doctrine that we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, the Bible does show us that wise men came from a far distance to celebrate his birth; the passage above also shows Simeon’s joy and prophetic proclamations about the child Jesus.

Heaven will not frown at Christians who choose not to celebrate the birth of Jesus, neither will heaven frown at those who decide to celebrate. What matters more is not the day, but how you choose to celebrate. If you wish to celebrate the birth of Jesus on any day of the year with family, friends, and your community, it is up to you.

Simeon says Jesus ‘is a light to reveal God to the nations’. The Bible shows Jesus using his authority for good, and also show him teaching about God’s kingdom that will someday replace this world. As you celebrate Christmas, think about him.

Christians celebrating Christmas without Jesus are missing the point. The blessing of Christmas is not in consumption but in sharing the light of Jesus where you are.  

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Image: The Star of Christmas © brotheremmanuel.blog

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!

 

Genesis 1:2-3 (New Living Translation)

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Before any creative process happens, the first requirement is ‘light’ – a new idea, a new inspiration, a new insight; a new spark inside the human heart (spirit) and mind (soul). This new light becomes the driving vision, the star, and the guide, of the new thing, new process, or new program of action being rolled out.

Thus at the dawn of a new creation, with a new agenda, God’s first act was to declare ‘let there be light’, on earth, to do away with the ‘darkness’ covering the waters. The light implied a new vision, the darkness implied a burnt out dead vision, no longer useful for purpose, but still holding on tightly, imprisoning the waters.

The new light pierced the darkness, pushed it aside, for new life to come forth and serve a new agenda, fulfilling a new purpose set for it by the light bearer, the new visionary. Who is this new visionary and light bearer for the new creation earth?

John 1:1-5 (New Living Translation)

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

‘Let there be light’ was the beginning of a new project on earth designed and supervised by Jesus. A project with a vision, purpose and powerful plan.

What is this plan?

Apostle Paul explains it like this in Ephesians 1:9-10 (New Living Translation): God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.

In this divine plan, the earth is like a womb, pregnant to birth a new creation, predestined to be adopted into the heavenly family.

Do you want to be part of this plan? Pray to see the light, to understand God’s plan to transform us from dust to divine. I pray that God’s light will shine fiercely bright, in your heart and mind, showing you his eternal plan, in Jesus name, Amen!  

 

Image: Pigeon Point Lighthouse By Deirdresm – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12049755