Saturday, July 31, 2010

DIVINE WILL IN A WIND
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Verse for Today
Acts 28:13b - The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.
God uses the ups and downs of nature sometimes to lead and guide His children in their sojourn. Even when the wind seems to be against God's children, it is used by God to accomplish His purpose for them. Some times the wind is used to lead His children to reach a place where some believers are thirsting for God's Word. It is amazing that subsequently some storms baffle Paul and others, but ends up in a rich time of ministries in an unknown island. In all of these movements of nature, Paul was able to see the hand of God in leading him in his ministries. God speaks to His children as well as to the world through the movements in the nature. The great flood at the time of Noah was a time of destruction for the disobedient world, but a time of salvation for the faithful of God, and for God to start a new order of things. Through a storm and a mighty wind, God spoke to His disobedient prophet Jonah and brought him to repentance. Peter was able to listen to the voice of the Lord to restore him in the midst of storm and waves. John the exile in Patmos was able to see the glory of the risen Lord at a time of loneliness and isolation. We need to be alert and see the various means God uses to speak to us. Sometimes, He speaks to us through our conscience and in our hearts as we read and meditate on the Word. At other times He speaks through His servants in a song, an article in a magazine or through a sermon. Occasionally we experience green signals of delays through wind or road blocks of donkeys to stop from going astray or lead us forward.

Dear friend, are you able to experience the leading of the Lord in all that you do on a daily basis? Are you keeping your eyes and ears open to the mysterious ways by which He speaks to us and thus leads us in a particular direction in our lives? Are you able to hear the voice of the Lord in your heart for direction in your life and ministry? Has He ever led you mysteriously to people and places where ministry needs were awaiting you? Remember, there are no accidents in a believer's life, and all our walks are ordained of the Lord provided we are fully committed to Him and His ways. But we need to spiritually discern these ways of leading so that what we do will not in any way contradict the written Word of God or break a commandment. This requires us to saturate our hearts with the Word of God and be fully controlled by the Spirit of God. Paul experienced the leading of the Lord in all that He did and was always prepared to minister to people in the face of a wide variety of needs. He was available, focused, prepared and awaiting for opportunities. So when wind or storm came his way, he was always thinking about the possibility of God's hand in it for direction in ministries. Let that be our attitude also and let us ask the Lord to reveal His will and ways to our hearts in all the circumstances He allows us to go through. Let us ask ourselves what God has for us in each of our circumstances for His glory and for the furtherance of His kingdom.

Philippians 1:12 - Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.

Thought for Today
God guides through various ways for man to understand the pathways he ought to tread.

Friday, July 30, 2010

THROUGH THE HURRICANES OF LIFE
Friday, July 30, 2010

Verse for Today
Acts 27:14 - Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the 'northeaster", swept down from the island.

When we sail in the sea of life, everything seem to be going stable and quiet, when suddenly and unexpectedly hurricanes and violent storms blow over our ship. The sudden change might catch us by surprise and totally unprepared. The power of the wind will be such that we often feel totally weak and powerless to withstand its pressure. All our experience and expertise in handling storms seem futile. We might wonder why the storm has come at that unexpected moment when everything seemed to go well. These storms are capable of devastating us in our testimony as people of faith. It might plunge us into utter hopelessness and loss of confidence. But we must understand that These storms are sent our way to see for how long we will hold on to our faith in the Lord who will not cause us any harm in the storm, but will only use it to strengthen our faith and allow us to grow in our trust in Him. When we are in the eye of the storm, the everlasting arms are underneath us and we are kept under the wings of the Lord. We dwell in His shadow and enjoy the care and love of the Father. We lean on to the Beloved and comfort ourselves even when we are tossed around. In the midst of the storm, the Lord gives us visions about His glory as we meditate on His Word, and reassures us that there is no need for us to be afraid. So we should look at the Lord who is with us instead of the hurricane which blows around us. When the everlasting arms are underneath us and when the garrison of His angelic beings is around us, no hurricane will ever touch us.

Dear friend, are you going through some storms in your life today? Has it come unexpectedly, and is it blowing cruelly on you? Is its destructive power beating on you and taking away your confidence in life? There is no need for you to be perplexed owing to the hurricane, because the Maker of this universe is protecting you under His wings. He will fill your heart with peace that passes all understanding and cover you with Himself. No evil force can hurt you because the Lord is at your right hand. Perhaps the wind of financial difficulty, sickness, slander, loneliness, unemployment, business failure, friendlessness and stress come your way without warning and you are thoroughly unprepared to handle your situation. You may be confused and forced to think that there is no hope for you. It is likely that you feel that the bottom is falling from you and that you might go deep down any moment. But these are the thoughts that the enemy mighty be throwing into you through your circumstances. But the Lord who controls the winds and the waves is with you. The hurricane will obey Him and stop, if you ask the Lord in prayer to help you. Even if the hurricane doesn't stop, you will be taken unhurt through it safely by the Lord. You are the precious child of the Heavenly Father and He will not allow you to suffer beyond your capacity to take it. He will guard your mind from being doubtful and fearful, and strengthen your faith. He will prove to you through the storm that He will carry you through it and give you victory so that you will grow in faith in Him and in His promises.

Psalms 107:30 - They were glad when (the storm and the sea) grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.

Thought for Today
Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High and the shadow of the Almighty will not be shaken by the hurricanes around them.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

ALL FROM MY EBENEZER
Thursday, July 29, 2010

Verse for Today
Acts 26:22 - But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.

We are all here today because of God's help, even though some of us won't acknowledge it. God knew us even before we were born and gave us life to be born in this world. He bestowed upon us a parentage and talents of various kind to meet certain spiritual needs of this world and its people. But in order for us to be of use to God according to His divine plan for us, we had to be born again. He gave us the privilege to be born into His Heavenly Family. He imparted His Spirit to us and gave us spiritual gifts to serve His church and the people around us. All that has happened to us has come from God and whatever we accomplished in this world has been because of Him. It is true that we tried to do a lot of things according to our human faculties, but God has ruled and overruled our situations to bring us this far so that He can accomplish His divine plan for us. When we have this realization, we will give all glory for all that happens in our lives to God. We do not deserve any help from God, and so whatever He accomplishes in us is by His benevolence. Come to think of it, all that happens to a child of God is worked out by God. He makes all our circumstances work together for our good and for His glory.

Dear friend, is it possible for you to claim to stand on the sole merit and help of God in your life? Is there something that has happened without His permission and will? Are there any achievements, whether in your secular or spiritual realm, that has not happened because of God and through God? If so, such achievements are not counted in Heaven, and it is not in God's account book. Human capacity, tactics and strategies will make us do things for achievements which are purely earthly even though we try to give it a spiritual colour. Any colour that we give will be seen in its true colour before God and so it need not be worthy of appreciation by the Lord at His Judgement Seat (Bema). The inclination to achieve things through human capacity and faculties for one's self does not come from the Lord and His Spirit. This is why we are admonished by the Word of God to test the spirit of any activity to see if it comes from the Lord or not. We see how Paul prays for the Philippians to have the spirit of discernment so that they will know what is spiritually right and according to the Word of God. Let us be careful that whatever we are and do will be with the sole help, support, leading, enabling and empowering of the Lord. So when He sends times of leanness, it is for our spiritual welfare and growth. When He sends times of enlargement and success, it is also solely of the Lord, for us to give Him complete glory. Thus we can lead a life which is totally indebted to the Lord for His glory. Can we say with Paul that whatever that has happened to us is of the Lord?

1 Samuel 7:12 - He named it 'Ebenezer', saying, "Thus far has the Lord helped us".

Thought for Today
The Lord who has been faithful in helping us reach so far will also take us to the end.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

IS THERE A EUTYCHUS NEAR YOU?
Verse for Today
Acts 20:12 - They took away the boy (Eutychus) alive and were greatly comforted.

All around us there are people who are falling down and dying spiritually. This world is a vanity fair and it makes people fainthearted through weariness. It is a dangerous place where people who are so close to spiritual activities are susceptible to fall. They might be sitting in our pews and listening to sermons. They might be singing in our choirs and playing in our orchestra. They might develop spiritual symptoms without spiritual character. They are among the living people, but are spiritually dead. They pretend to listen to the messages, but have switched off their minds to God's messages. We need to watch out for such people and make sure that they do not fall fainting and are lost, because it is possible for a person to be among spiritual people and might get lost. If they fall, it is urgent that we take them up and touch them with the Balm of Gilead. Some of them are in the desert, like Ishmael, without spiritual water, and are dying. There is no point in saying that they are born in families with spiritual traditions. Some are taken away by the world, flesh and Satan as in the case of Lot and his family. We need to be ready and prepared as was Abraham and go after the lost and bring them back from the enemy. We need to be like Paul, men and women who are committed to sharing the good news with these lost among us and make them alive. This needs commitment, preparation, willingness to go after them and ability to touch them spiritually. Thus individuals, families and communities will be secured for God. When spiritually dead people are made alive, it causes us all to be glad to take them to the spiritual homes which are known as local assemblies of God's people.

Dear reader, in which of these groups do you belong? Are you like Eutychus who has fallen down and spiritually lifeless? Are you like the people in the pews who were with Eutychus, but did not know that he was falling down dead? Do you think you are like Paul who was ready to touch the lives of people through the spoken word and at the same time prepared to touch the lives of those who have been spiritually sleepy and fainthearted? Perhaps you are like the people who were happy to find the dead man alive and rejoiced with him and his family. We need to be also concerned about our own spiritual condition and responsibility. We need to be concerned about the people who are hanging around with us, seemingly saved, but are too far from God. We need to be alert to see who might fall down. As these people are sitting close to us in church pews, we need to make sure that they are not spiritually sleepy or have only a spiritual color without substance. If we don't, we would be very sorry when they fall down and then it would be too late. Thousands are falling away from faith each day and the enemy is using his cunning and crafty methods to lure people away into spiritual sleep and coldheartedness. Let us be watchful about the Eutychuses around us and be mindful about their true spiritual condition so that we can do something about them before it is too late. Let us also prepare ourselves to be like Paul to be able to touch the lives of the spiritually dead persons who might be in the pews with us so that they will have life in God. At such spiritual miracles, there is joy among the angels, in Heaven and among the household of God. Dear friend, where are your Eutychuses?

Psalms 107:20 - He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Thought for Today
Let us be watchful even in our pews and at the gates of Heaven lest any one might be lost from there.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Verse for Today
Acts 19:9a - But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the WAY. So Paul left them.

When the Word of God is preached, we usually find four responses. There are those who gladly accept it. There are those who reject it outright because of hardheartedness and willful disobedience. There are also those who are indifferent to it and ignore it or put it aside. But all who hear the message have a responsibility to respond positively because what is preached is the Word of God and it is preached on behalf of God. Those who are neutral and ignore the message are thoughtless about it and do not take it seriously. But the hardhearted are willfully rejecting it and are stubborn and obstinate about obeying the message from God. They think they are smart and can make some arguments for not believing and accepting the message. These two groups will end up in loosing the opportunity in accepting the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. We also have a fourth category that accept the basic message, but are obstinate not to accept the whole message of God's Word. This is a dangerous position because they receive half of the message and reject the rest. God expects us to listen to the whole counsel of God's Word and accept it in its totality. We are accountable to God in what we believe and pay a price to remain true to what we believe. Partial belief is extremely dangerous and inconsistent with the truth because partial truth is not really truth at all. God expects us to give total allegiance to the whole counsel of faith that has been once and for all entrusted with those who believe.

Hello reader, in which of the four categories of people do you belong? Do you believe the whole counsel of God? Or are you willfully rejecting the whole message or ignore it out of lack of concern? If the courts of law of this world expect witnesses to give "the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth", would it be too much for God to expect you to believe the whole truth as it has been revealed to man? Those who believe the whole truth are the children of obedience. They are those who contend for the faith which has been entrusted with them once and for all. They are willing to pay the price to believe in the whole truth and are ready to give up any thing in this world to stand witness to the what they believe. They look for Biblical reasons to justify each and every one of their actions and thoughts. Whenever they falter, the Spirit of God who lives in them will convict them of their failures which will lead to confession and true repentance. Paul preached the whole truth and gave his life to stand witness to the truth in its totality. He fought for the doctrines as much as for the historical Christian faith. He died because he took a public stand for the whole truth. He didn't think his life was important in defending the truth as it was revealed to him. The truth that we are asked to defend is the Lord Jesus Christ and matters concerning His Father, His Church, His Spirit and His sheep. His truth fortifies, comforts and leads us in times of adversity and prosperity. His truth is the most liberating force in this world. Let us be willing to give our lives to the One who gave us His life to teach us the truth.

2 Corinthians 13:8 - For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

Thought for Today
Those who stand for the truth are the only free people, and the rest are in the bondage of falsehood created by the father of lies.

Monday, July 26, 2010

A Vision For Courage

Verse for Today
Acts 18:9 - And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent".

When His children go through intimidation from the world, the Lord does not forsake them, but speaks to them and strengthen them. He gives them visions of His glory and pours courage into their hearts to keep going without regard to consequences. He guarantees protection and care as they continue to testify to His saving grace. He takes time to speak to His children in the midst of the trouble which they go through. He assures them of His hand of care. He tells them that He is watching the situation they are in and that He is fully aware of their condition. Nothing is hidden to His eyes and that He is with His children no matter what their difficulties are. Paul was repeatedly told by the Lord through personal appearance about the mission that He has entrusted with him and how important that the mission continues. The Lord knew the people who were to be saved through the ministry of Paul and so he was reassured of the protection from above for him. This Lord is our God and He will sustain us also in the midst of opposition. In this world, we are often confronted by the enemy at the time of preaching the gospel or building up the saints in the local church. We know very well that we can go forward only with the protection and reassurance of the Lord. The promises given to Paul are available to us also to draw upon.

Dear reader, if you are confronted by the enemy from all corners and if you feel intimidated, and fearful in your heart, the Lord wants to reassure you today that there is still hope for you. In times of difficulties, the place to go is the presence of the Lord, as did Isaiah, David, Moses, Joshua and Paul. As you seek His face, the Lord will speak to you and reveal His glory to you through the reading and meditating of His word and through the precious moments of your prayer time. When you thus seek the face of the Lord, He will reveal His glory to you in your meditation and that will comfort and strengthen you. The Lord will give you the courage to keep going with your ministries for Him. He will give you the fullness of His Spirit who is the Spirit of boldness and courage. Thus instead of seeing the opposition, you will be enabled to see the prospects and possibilities of your ministries. He gives you His strength and show you what His strength can accomplish through you. Through it all, you will see how the Lord is going to glorify His name through you in the days to come. You will be able to look at the work the Lord will do in and through you, and it will cause you to be joyful and courageous to face the difficulties which lie ahead. Remember, you are His and so He gives you His courage through His Spirit. He will certainly accomplish His purpose through you if you are committed to go forward as commanded by Him.

Ephesians 6:10 - Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Thought for Today
When you have courage from the Lord, you are a mighty man (or woman) of valor.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

A Duet From The Dungeon
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Verse for Today

Acts 16:25 - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

When we put our trust in God for all our present and future situations, we will be able to sing songs even in tribulations of bitter type. At such times, songs of praise and comfort flow into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. These songs come out irrespective of whether it is sunshine, rain, pain, misery, weariness, persecution, bereavement or any other human experience. The Spirit gives us the right song to sing for each occasion. These are songs of the soul that we sing. They are often addressed to the Lord as a prayer or praise for the privilege He has given us to suffer for His name' sake. Sometimes they are songs of comfort to strengthen and reassure our souls in our trials. At other times, these are songs to testify to the faithfulness of our Lord who has called us to suffer for His sake. When the Lord suffered unexplainable cruel experiences for us, it is only appropriate for us to suffer for His sake as a response to His sufferings for us. We are called upon to sing even in the midst of deep persecution, whether it is physical, financial, mental or emotional or even social. We can sing when we are socially outcast, gossiped about or falsely accused. We can sing when we are rejected and resented. We sing often with tears in our eyes as a result of the grief created by the situations or people around us. We have a Lord who listens to our songs of tears and comes in to comfort us and wipe our tears. But as we sing, there is an unsaved crowd outside which is listening to us and these songs are great messages of testimony of our faith to them.

Dear friend, do you get the grace to sing songs of praise, prayer or consolation when you go through pain and misery thrust upon you by the circumstances? Such songs are a gift for us to strengthen ourselves in the midst of trials. Some of the greatest songs in our hymn books have come out of intense sufferings by God's people. Many of the golden psalms written by King David, Sons of Korah, Asaph and Moses are songs which were formed and shaped in the midst of fiery experiences. That is the reason why they are so powerfully felt by us when we sing these in our times of intense pressure and tension. Remember, when we go through difficulties in the midnights of our lives, there are always songs in the night that we receive as a gift from the Lord either to sing or to write. These are the spiritual songs of the fruit of the Spirit we sing in times of adversity. It is not very difficult to sing when everything goes well for us. But to sing when you are in the dens of lions or in the fiery furnace during those lonely hours needs special grace. Let us thank the Lord for giving us these songs of praise, prayer and testimony which will convey the love of a God who wipes our tears to those who suffer in the same manner. Let our singing and praise tell the world that we have a Lord who enables us to sing even in the midst of greatest trials. He is the never changing Lord come what may. When we sing in sufferings, the chains of misery with which the world binds us will fall away from our hearts and we are able to sing as if we are no more in chains. Such is the victory the Lord is pleased to grant us as a mark of His faithfulness to His faithfulness.

Psalms 40:3 - He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

Thought for Today
Hymns of faith flow from godly hearts when there is rain, cloud and pain even in the cold valleys of life at midnight.

This message of comfort from the Word of God comes to you from Brother Oommen Philip. If you have prayer points to share, desire any spiritual help, have questions for which you need answers or have any counseling needs, please send it to todayintheword@gmail.com. All correspondence is kept confidential and your e-mail address is not shared with any one else. If you would like others to receive this mail, please send their i.d or feel free to forward.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

COMFORTING WORDS

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Verse for Today
Acts 15:31 - The people read (the letter) and were glad for its encouraging message.

Letters have the potential to encourage and console us and at the same time, some letters hurt us beyond description. We see that the letter from the apostles and elders of the Church at Jerusalem made its readers both comfortable and happy. This is because this letter was dictated by the Holy Spirit and the writers were fully under the control of the Holy Spirit. So they wrote a message of comfort and joy that the Spirit wanted to convey. It took the readers out of the bondage of tradition and legalism. This letter has become part of the Word of God and remains to be a very encouraging passage for many who go through discouragement. The Bible itself is God's words of encouragement for His children who are confronted with innumerable problems and difficulties. Following this pattern, we should be able to send words of encouragement to people around us and our dear ones who go through a lot of tensions and sorrows in this world. It is our privilege to use God-given faculties to use words of encouragement in dealing with the suffering people around us. We need to show Godly kindness to those around us because everyone whom we meet is fighting various battles of life. There are those who go through confusions, heaviness of heart, frustrations of various kind and spiritual battles. So when God's Spirit fills our hearts with words of comfort and as we receive such strength and comfort from the Lord, it is for us to share it with others who go through difficulties.

Dear friend, if you have lately received words of encouragements from someone, it is appropriate that you take time to thank them and also thank the Lord for sending such words of encouragement. If you receive encouragement, it is time you pass it on to others who suffer. The encouragement that you received from the Lord is like a candle with which you can light a substantial number of candles and remove darkness from their lives. God gives us opportunities to meet such people. A kind word or a smile will warm people's hearts. But words of unkind criticism, negative responses or words of discouragement will put out the light in them and drag them to utter darkness and disillusionment. We are entrusted with a message of encouragement, hope and joy, and it is our blessed privilege to pass it around. We are thus messengers of peace, love and joy from God to this world. Let our words make people glad, and encourage them to keep going in this world of hindrances, pain, misery, hopelessness and battles. Our words and gestures are very powerful, whether we use it negatively or positively. If we use it negatively, it is very destructive and will quench the joy of people. Let us today be a little kinder and use our God-given faculties of communication to encourage a weary soul. Remember, a joy that is shared is doubled. We are the messengers of hope in this weary land and let us not be quiet, but herald it around.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 - We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Thought for Today
Words of encouragement are like drops of cold water in a dry and weary land.

Friday, July 23, 2010

CRIPPLED BECOMES CAPABLE
Friday, July 23, 2010
Verse for Today
Acts 14:10 - (Paul) said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet". And he leaped up and began to walk.

We are part of a faith which identifies the spiritually crippled people around us. They are born spiritually crippled. They do not have any strength in themselves to stand up and walk. It is our responsibility to impart the spiritual strength in them to stand up and walk which comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are wasting their lives sitting down and are dependent on others for all their movements. They are in this stage because of sin which can be washed away in the blood of the Lamb of God. But if only we seek such needy people will we be able to find them. We can find such people all over the world. But it is important that we have the desire to seek such people and to help them get cure for their sinfulness. We were all once upon a time crippled with sin and were unable to exercise spiritually. But God in His mercy touched us and that's why today we are able to spiritually leap and walk. Now that we have this capacity to spiritually leap and walk around, we need to examine whether we are making use of the capacity God has given us to exercise ourselves spiritually. We need to be grateful to God for removing our spiritual disability. When we walk spiritually, the Lord Jesus will walk with us and give us the strength to leap for joy because our disability is removed.

Dear friend, are you sitting as a spiritually crippled person or are you now able to stand upright, leap and walk and even run because Jesus has removed your spiritual disability? If Jesus has removed your disability, you no longer need to sit down as if you are crippled. If so, you will make your new found ability to walk a great waste. You need to show to yourself and others that your disability is removed by God and that you are able to walk with Jesus. He is out there waiting for a daily walk with you and to strengthen you to even climb mountains of spiritual heights. He wants you to run the race that is marked out for you so that at the end, the Lord may give you crowns. But the recognition of the Lord is only available for those who run the race, and find crippled people and introduce them to the Lord for Him to help them. You and I cannot remove others' disability, but we can introduce them to the Great Physician who can remove their disability by applying the Balm of Gilead on them. This Great Physician is seeking to include you and me in His team to help others who are spiritually crippled. Are you willing to join this team on a part-time or full time basis? There is reward for those who are on the team of the Lord Jesus. There will also be special recognition when such people stand at the Judgement Seat (Bema) of Christ. What a privilege it is to work on the team of the Lord Jesus which has already been declared more than conquerors!

Hebrews 12:12 & 13 - Therefore strengthen the hands that are weak and knees that are feeble, and make straight path for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Thought for Today
If you have experienced healing in your soul, don't be tempted to sit as if you are still crippled, but get up, straighten up, leap forward and walk with Jesus.