Friday, March 28, 2014

What are you speaking to yourself?

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, ' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. - Mark 11:23-24

What are you speaking to yourself? Are you always doubting yourself? Are you always thinking that you don't measure up? Are you fearful of the future and at the same time in constant regret of the past? Are you always looking at your lack? Are you always focusing on the negative things in your life? Are you always thinking "If only" and "What if"?

The bible tell us Jesus cursed the fig tree for it has the appearance of fruitfulness where it didn't. It has leave but no fruit. In a context, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to exercise their faith by speaking. Mark 11 tells us to believe and speak. The emphasis is on speaking what you believe. Jesus is teaching us the importance of speaking. In Proverb 18:21, the bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. We are to speak good into our lives and we will see good and not the other order around. 

Caleb and Joshua and the other ten spies went to spy out the promised land which God had promised. When they were back from their mission forty days later, they were the only two who reported that the enemies were bread to them and that the children of Israel were more than able to conquer them. The other spies reported that there were giants in the land and told the children of Israel that they were like grasshoppers in their own sights. God was pleased with the report of Caleb and Joshua and they were only two to go to the promised land together with a new generation of the children of Israel. 

The woman with the issue of blood kept speaking to herself if only she could touch the hem of Jesus' garment that she would be healed. Well, she was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus' garment and Jesus even proclaimed she has been made whole. The centurion just asked Jesus to speak a word of healing for his servant for he believed Jesus could heal from a distant. Jesus marveled at his faith and his servant was healed at that very moment.

What we speak to ourselves is so important and yet many of us are programmed to speak death quickly in almost every situation we are in! And that may be a reason why we are not seeing more good happenings manifesting in our lives. We tend to focus on the negativities rather than the positvies of everything. We have been "deceived" into believing the worst in everything even though it is usually the reverse that is true.

We, the beloved of the Lord, should keep speaking good and continue to proclaim and believe the finish work of Jesus at the cross! Keep doing that for Jesus had already provided everything we need on earth and beyond. Hallelujah!

Monday, March 10, 2014

Just when you think you are a nobody...

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, - Galatians
1:15

In Chapter 11 of Hebrews, the men and women of faith were mentioned. Their exploits were recorded so that we can learn from them. Yet when we spend time reading the bible, we will notice that they were not at all perfect but just men and women whom God has called. The point is not to belittle who they are in Christ but to emulate their "faith" in God! For there are so much we can learn from them.

Abram was told by God that he shall be the father of many nations and God changed his name to Abraham. In spite of the promise made by God, Abraham doubted God and had a child by his own fleshly effort through Hagar. From the time God declared Abraham was righteous and that he will be a father of many nations till the time Isaac was born was about twenty five years. It may have been a very long wait for Abraham but God still comes through for Abraham.

Sarai was very domineering and probably "commanded" Abram to sleep with her maid. She was barren when she was married to Abram. Yet when she was ninety years old, God literally renewed her youth so that she could have pleasure with Abraham and produce Isaac. 

When Moses was young and learned of the ways of the Egyptians, he was not used by God. The bible tells us he was eloquent and full of the wisdom of the Egyptians. Moses fled from Egypt after he learnt that there were people who knew of his killing of an Egyptian. He fled away from Egypt and lived forty years in the dessert. When God sees that Moses can be a useful deliverer of His people, Moses was a stutter. He was no longer the same eloquent and confident prince he once was.

During the years in the dessert, Moses may be thinking that he was no longer deserving of his calling in life which was to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt into the promised land. Yet when Moses was eighty years old, God called him to deliver His people out of Egypt! Little would Moses had guessed he was still the appointed one to deliver God's chosen people out of Egypt.

Rehad was a prostitute in Jericho. When the children of Israel sent two spies to spy out Jericho, she was there to help them to escape from Jericho by lying to the soldiers who were pursuing the two spies. She told the spies that forty years ago when her people heard of how God of Israel delivered His people from the Egyptians, how He parted the Red Sea and how He drowned the whole Egyptian army, her people were afraid that God will also deliver them into the hands of the children of Israel. Yet it was only forty years later that the children of Israel "conquer" Jericho. Even though Rehad was a prostitute, her name was recorded in the genealogy of Jesus Christ!

God always call forth the least to confound the mighty. He can and will turn our messes into messages of His glory. He can use what we think is little to magnify His goodness in our lives. Don't look at the little that we have and begin to worry all the times that we don't measure up. God sees us complete in Christ and He will complete His master plan in each of His people.

Just when you think you are a have been, just when you think you are a nobody, just when you think you are the outcast of society, God can turn your live around for His glory for His precious Son, Jesus Christ, has paid the ultimate price at the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law! We can reign in this life because of what Jesus has accomplished at the cross. Just believe and keep hearing the word of Christ and see the  supply of God's grace coming and flowing through us! Hallelujah!