top of page

53 items found for ""

  • DAY - 9 EL KANNA

    DAY – 9 EL KANNA " Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. " Exod 34:14 " You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me...!" (Ex 20:5) (Psalm 8) declares, "O Lord, Our Lord, What is the man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit? The Psalmist's words illustrate God's incomparable greatness, limitless understanding, and tremendous power. The Universe came into existence merely through the power and authority of His words. God was just not content with that; He desired to create a Human in His image. He breathed the air through His Nostrils, God's very own breath. Being made in the image of that kind of god Almighty, all of Mankind in front of Him, whom He has created out of clay, is ultimately a void without Him. Let us try to gain a better understanding of the creation. What was God's purpose in creating Man, especially in His image? Why was He/She made? God's intention in creating man is motivated by His conflict with Satan and the fallen angels. God brought a judgment on that original creation when he rebelled and led several angelic forces with him, resulting in chaos, emptiness, and darkness. The angels utterly failed to honor and glorify God, which was their purpose for being. In terms of confronting Satan, the man was created in the image of God to serve Him, to dwell with the Almighty God in His presence, and to rule over the creations. Yes, God created man in his image to be a perfectionist. But what transpired? Instead of obeying God and giving Him glory, He desired to be God himself, failing to serve Him. Despite knowing good and evil, man has yet to grasp the ideology of knowing what to do or what not to do. So God gave certain commandments to be strictly followed and abide by to help them (men) focus on the paths that lead them to Him. Before entering the Promised Land, God gave Moses, the chosen leader through whom He rescued His people, ten framed laws. The Great and Glorious God appeared before Moses on Mount Sinai and gave the Laws written by His own hands. And the most significant command was, "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath, or in the waters beneath." Exodus 20:4 As time passed, they forgot about God, collaborating with others in worshipping their pagan gods, worshipping their idols, making sacrifices to them, and so on. These were regarded as the most heinous acts committed by men. ISRAEL BECAME POLLUTED. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, lived in that period. (1Kings 11:23) Jeroboam was an Ephrathite and a valiant warrior. He began to plot conspiracies to become king of the ten tribes, influenced by Prophet Ahijah's words. Following King Solomon's death, the ten tribes revolted and invited him to be their king. The actions of Rehoboam (Solomon's son) favored Jeroboam's plans, and he was proclaimed "king of Israel" as a result. Jeroboam became the first king of Israel's ten tribes. Following that, he established his capital. He fortified and lived in the city of Tirzah in Shechem. After a few days, King Jeroboam thought to himself, "If these people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people shall turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah." (12:27) This he said because King Jeroboam was so concerned about his reign and authority over the people, and he was well aware that he was a common man who had once worked as an administrator in King Solomon's court, and was ambitious and jealous in capturing the kingdom, rebelled against King Solomon and Solomon's son King Rehoboam, and became king. "Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever," God promised David. (2 Samuel 7:16) Jeroboam, an Ephrathite, was terrified that the people could return to King Rehoboam at any time. As a result, he devised a cunning plan. He cleverly told the people that it would be difficult for them to travel a long distance to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice to God, so he made "two golden calves" (similar to Aron's calf), one in Bethel and the other in Dan (at opposite ends of the kingdom), and made the people worship. God saw the king and the people defiling themselves and rebelling against God and His law. His gaze was drawn to their abominations. As a result, He sent His words to King Jeroboam through an unknown prophet. The prophet cried out, " Altar! Altar! " as Jeroboam stood on the Altar to offer sacrifice to the golden calf idol. 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David,' says the Lord. He will sacrifice the high priests who make offerings here on you, and human bones will be burned on you.' That same day, a man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign that the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart, and the ashes on it will be scattered." When King Jeroboam heard this, he stretched out his hand from the Altar and commanded to seize him, but the hand he extended toward the man shriveled up and he couldn't pull it back. In addition, the altar was divided and its ashes were poured out following the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord. Despite this, King Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, which resulted in his downfall and the annihilation of the House of Jeroboam from the face of the earth. (13:34) Because he did more evil than anyone else before him, making metal idols and gods and thus provoking God's wrath, every male from Jeroboam was cut off, both slave and free, and the house of Jeroboam was completely burned, and dogs and birds ate the bodies of those who died in the city. It is unfortunate when someone refuses to walk in God's ways. God declares, "That is my name: I am the LORD! I will not give up my glory or my praise to other people or idols." (Exodus 42:8) Idolatry is defined as anything that gives glory to someone other than God. "Flee from idolatry," Paul warns the Corinthians, "for the Lord God is a consuming fire." However, when we confess our sins and return to Him, He opens His arms and accepts us. PURPOSE OF A MORTAL. God is Love, and He is an infinite source of Love. We all worship God, who is Love. But God is much more than just love. He adores all that is good and holy and disdains all that is evil, defiled, and perverse. As we read about the purpose of our creation, we discover that God created us to worship Him as His worshippers. No human being can exist without worshipping something. Even those who are referred to as Aethiest will be adoring something other than deities in their lives. As a result, our hearts yearn for something to fill the void left by our emptiness and inadequacy. "It is impossible to worship nothing: we humans are worshipping creatures, and if we do not worship the God who made us, we will inevitably worship someone or something else," says J.I. Packer. And it is for this reason that the first three commandments reaffirm that "God despises idolatry," or the worship of false gods. IDOLATRY, ABOMINATION & CONSEQUENCES. Divination, fortune-telling, sorcery, charming, witchcraft, channeling, and necromancy are all forms of idolatry. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) These are abominations in God's eyes. He also despises astrology, sun, moon, and star worship (Deut 17:3-4), and other pagan worship practices such as human sacrifice (Deut 18:10). Saul was Israel's first king. Due to his disloyalty, God anointed David as his successor through Prophet Samuel. After Prophet Samuel died, the Philistines surrounded the Israelites with their army to fight them. Saul was terrified by their massive army and decided to consult God. When Saul went to pray, God did not answer him because of his disobedience, nor did God choose to speak to him through dreams or other Prophets. Because Prophet Samuel was no longer alive, the King decided to turn to spiritism. God stated in (Lev 19:16-31): "Do not seek out mediums or spirits, as you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord, and I am your God." God specifically instructed the Israelites to expel those who engage in such practices. As a result, every Judge, Prophet, and King Saul exiled these people among the Israelites. Saul was in a state of confusion when he came across a woman who practices "medium." So he went to her in disguise to find out what would happen in the future. He asked her to perform a seance to bring Prophet, Samuel. This shows the depth of Saul's rebellion against God. Saul was completely in direct contravention and the dark. Now, the woman was in the process of bringing the spirit of the dead Samuel when Prophet Samuel appeared. She screamed and discovered that the disguised man was Saul and that the Spirit was Prophet Samuel himself. The woman was shocked because she was a fraud who deceived people with simple tricks; she had no idea it was the spirit of the original Prophet Samuel. When Saul asked what she had seen, she replied, "An old man standing with the mantle." As a result, King Saul identified it as Prophet Samuel and fell. The prophet Samuel addressed Saul. "Why have you bothered me by bringing this up?" he asked, to which Saul replied that he was worried about the Philistines. He explained that God had said nothing to him about the next step. When Samuel heard all of this from Saul, he yelled at him, "Why then do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?" Yes, the Lord became Saul's adversary as a result of his persistent defiance. Furthermore, Samuel informed Saul's fate, stating that by the next day, both Saul and his son Jonathan would be with Samuel, indicating their death. According to Samuel, both Saul and his son died the next day in the battle against the Philistines. Jeremiah 44:3 explains that his people have been punished "because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they did not know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers." They stubbornly ignored his prophets who repeatedly warned them, "Oh, do not do this abomination that I despise!" God sent many Prophets to warn the Israelites to turn away from abominations, but they did not listen. WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT & TRUTH We have a very clear picture. God Himself instructed us on how to worship Him. According to (John 4:24), "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth." The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit in this context. The Holy Spirit is the one who awakens in us a sense of God's beauty, splendor, and power. The Holy Spirit inspires us to celebrate, rejoice, and give thanks. The Holy Spirit is the one who opens our eyes to see and taste all that God is for us in Jesus. Worship in truth as well. Jesus himself criticized religious leaders' worship, saying that while they honor God "with their lips," their "heart is far from" him (Matthew 15:7–9). True worship involves the heart, the affections, and the entirety of our being. Worship/love the Lord with all your strength, heart, and soul. Surrender completely and wholeheartedly in His presence, and He will take care of You. God despises idolatry. Simple. And as God's chosen people, we are obligated to despise what God despises and to love what God loves. Again, idolatry does not only refer to the worship of false gods, sculptures, and so on, but the true meaning is devotion or attachment to something in physical form. Idolatry or apotheosis is anything that can draw your attention away from God, anything that is more important than God, anything that we seek, but only God can provide. As we read about the Israelites and kings who denied the Almighty God and began worshipping and honoring idols, we will be looking more at the present day in this session. MODERN-DAY ABOMINATIONS. 1. Food sacrificed to idols. " Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? (1Cor 10:19) Many questions have been posed to us about this subject. Should I not eat in the home of someone else, perhaps a relative of another faith? Should I abstain from eating at other religious festivals or public gatherings? So, let us investigate what the Bible says. In the third year of Jehoiakim's reign as King of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to besiege Jerusalem. The King directed his officials to accompany him and train young men for service in the Babylonian court. The King assigned them a daily portion of the King's food and wine. Daniel and his friends were among these men. Daniel and his companions refused to eat the King's food. Daniel was convinced that eating the King's food would defile him. But why did he believe that? There were some forbidden foods at the King's table, such as pig and horse, which were popular in Babylon. In Leviticus 11,17:10-14, God clearly stated to Moses and Aaron what they should and should not eat. As a result, both the pig and the horse are breaking the law. Daniel also refused the king's wine, although wine is never forbidden as unclean in the Law. It's possible that the wine was offered to Babylon's gods. Furthermore, Daniel recognizes that eating the king's food signifies accepting the king's friendship and patronage. Sharing food is committing to a relationship (Gen 31:54, Exod 24:11) Daniel does not object to the king's training or the use of a new name, but he objects to eating the king's food because it is a public declaration of dependence on the king. Daniel does not put his trust in Nebuchadnezzar, but only in the Lord. As a result, Daniel resolves not to consume this food. This means that he "sets his heart" not to eat the food. Daniel comprehends the situation, determines what is right and wrong in his heart, and chooses to do the right thing. He and his friends only drank water and ate vegetables. "Food does not bring us closer to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do." Paul, the Apostle, writes to the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 8:8) Many people believe that worshipping a false god is sinful, but eating food sacrificed to an idol is not. Although not all of these are considered sins, they are all sources of gratification for demons. In this world, there are many "so-called gods" and many "lords," but for us, there is only one God, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:5–6 Let us now turn our attention to the Last Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ. What did He say to His disciples in that place? Lord Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat, this is my body." Then He took the cup, thanked them, and handed it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you." This is my covenant blood, poured out for many for the remission of sins. So, in remembrance of His death for us, we participate in the covenant with Him by partaking in Christ's blood and the bread we break as joining in Christ's body. As a result, when we eat foods sacrificed to deities, we are offering them to demons (1Cor 10:20), not to God, and thus do not participate with demons. In verse 21, Paul says, "You cannot drink both the Lord's cup and the cup of demons; you cannot partake in both the Lord's table and the table of demons." In response to the question, Lord Jesus went to the home of a prominent Pharisee to eat. Tax collectors and sinners sat down to eat with the Lord Jesus. When asked how He could eat with such people, Jesus simply replied, "How can He eat with such people?" "The sick, not the healthy, require the services of a doctor. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners." However, He is nowhere to be found eating at the location where the foods were offered to other gods. That is the distinction. It's just that we can't eat defiled foods or foods associated with idols, and that's the Law. 2. The Love of Money is Idolatry. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matt 6:24) As previously stated, an idol can be anything we worship in place of God. Worship does not only refer to temples, buildings, carvings, and so on; it also refers to the act of loving and adoring something. On one fine day, as Lord Jesus Christ was preaching to the crowd, a man came running towards Him. He rushed up to Him, knelt before Him, and asked, "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit God's Kingdom?" When Jesus heard this, he responded, "To inherit the heavenly kingdom, one must follow the Law given to Moses by God." This sounded easier for the man because he had been following every commandment since he was a child. The young man told Lord Jesus about how his parents raised him to obey all the laws. Jesus was taken aback as he listened to him, and He was filled with love for this young man. Now, Lord Jesus desired to assist this young man in entering His Kingdom. He went on to say, "Jesus felt love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." The young man was shaken by Lord Jesus' words. According to the Bible, "He went away sad because he had great wealth." The young man concluded that Jesus is asking too much of him. Instead of following God, he chose the world. During Satan's temptation of Jesus, he displayed all the riches of the world in a flash right in front of the Lord Jesus. Satan displayed his power and splendor, urging Lord Jesus to choose those royalties by worshipping him. (satan) He undoubtedly added that all those he showed before Jesus were given to Satan and that Satan can give to anyone who bows to him. What, how, did Jesus do? He simply said, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.' Jesus triumphed over the temptation by honoring and glorifying the Father. Money is a cunning temptation that traps us without our even realizing it. Without a doubt, wealth is necessary in this world to live a comfortable life. The problem arises when we fail to stand firm in our faith when we fail to ask God for help in all things when we fail to give thanks, and instead rely solely on our wealth. According to (Tim 3:1-2): "In the last days, terrible times will come." Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, and disobedient to their parents. Take a look at the life of Lot, Abraham's nephew. They were both successful while living in Canaan. As they lived together, their servants began to argue over who should have the little grass that was available for their flocks and herds. Lot chose the more fertile land and settled there to solve the problem. After a few days, the Lord was so enraged by the people who lived in greater sin that he decided to destroy the city. So two angels went to Lot's house, took his hand, and rushed him and his family out of the city. They told Lot not to turn back in response to the sounds or cries of the people. As the cities were destroyed, Lot's wife turned into a "Pillar of Salt." What can we glean from the story of Lot's wife? There was no doubt about Lot because he was a righteous man living among unholy and ungodly people. We saw that Lot's wealth grew and he prospered, and the wife's heart could have been stuck at the riches that were left back in their houses because it was just the four people (Lot, wife, and two daughters) running for their lives. She must have pondered the fertility of the land, which provided them with its bounty, and bemoaned the prospect of fleeing to an unknown future. Third, her faith in God was waning as she faced an uncertain future. "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness," Jesus warned them, "for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Matthew 12:15) Life isn't about having a lot of stuff. Lot's wife lost her life because she refused to love God and obey His commands. But what should we do if we run out of money? And (my) God will meet all of your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Acts 4:19) God will reward our trust in him when we ask Him, He will provide for all of our wants and desires. "Ask me (God), and you will receive," he said. Yes! He will not add sorrow to the blessings that come from the Lord. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols," says Eze 36:25. May God purify us of all impurities and make us Holy. 3. Sexual immorality, impurity are Idolatry. " Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Col) 3:5 When we accept Christ as our Saviour, the old fleshy being dies and we are transformed into a new spiritual being. In numerous places, Paul tells us to consider ourselves dead to the old sin nature and alive to the new life in Christ. As a result, we must regard every member of our earthly body as having died to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. We died in Christ when He died on the cross. We were raised with Christ when He was raised from the dead. How crucial it is, then, to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits in heavenly places. We must focus our thoughts on the things above because we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God. Examine the life of King David. David was regarded as a man after God's own heart. The Lord Almighty approved of David and his ways. God protected him throughout his life's trials and tribulations, allowing David to inherit the Kingdom as He had promised. God lavishly blessed David after he ascended to the throne and began ruling over the people of the nation. After a few days, David found himself loitering on the palace's rooftop. While David was wandering upstairs, he noticed a woman taking a bath. David was captivated by her beauty and dispatched some soldiers to inquire about her. Bathsheba was Eliam's daughter, Uriah's wife, and the lady's name was Bathsheba. Bathsheba was summoned to the palace by David, and she may have assumed that the King wanted to tell her something important, or that her husband was in the army, but little did she know that the king wanted her to be with her and wanted her. This is referred to in the Bible as evil desire. When David lustfully took another man's wife as his own, God's heart was broken. These desires caused David to forget God's Law, and he became a wicked man as a result. Beware of such lustful thoughts and desires before they bring God's wrath upon you. What happened next in David's life? Bathsheba gave birth to David's child. She delivered the message to David. David was terrified when he found out she had been conceived; he wanted to keep it hidden from the people so he wouldn't lose respect. First, he summoned Uriah and demanded that he return home, but Uriah refused and remained at the King's palace door. When the first plot failed, David went deeper into thought to find a solution. That's when David's cruel plan came to fruition. What was the devil's plan? He sent a message to Joab, the commander in Uriah's hand, requesting that Uriah be killed. Isn't what David did to Uriah brutal and inhumane? Uriah is killed in combat after David arranges for him to be stationed on the front lines unprotected. Uriah, an innocent and faithful servant, died pitifully as a result of his own Master's devious plan. David married Bathsheba after she had finished her mourning period. Sexual immorality, evil desires, and wicked plans are all forms of idolatry, which God despises. The parable used by the prophet Nathan to rebuke David in (2Sam 11:27-12:15) makes it clear that the text condemns David's actions. In the parable, a rich man, rather than taking a lamb from his flock, takes a peasant's most prized possession, a ewe lamb, to prepare for a guest. David admits that the rich man is to blame (2Sam 12:5-6), and Nathan seals David's condemnation by telling him, "You are the man!" (2 Samuel 12:7) David has taken Uriah's wife in the same way that the rich man took the poor man's lamb. In both cases, the powerful take advantage of the powerless. "Avoid sexual immorality. All other sins committed by a person are committed outside the body, but anyone who sins sexually sins against their own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18) Our bodies are the temples in which the Most Holy God dwells. It is the place where God dwells in a relationship. "Be Holy, for I AM Holy," he says. A person has already committed adultery, according to Jesus, if they have a lustful look. As a result, if your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and discard it. You should begin life maimed or crippled than to be born with two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye is causing you to stumble, gouge it out and discard it. It is preferable to enter life with one eye than to enter life with two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell. (Matthew 18:8–9) Keep in mind that we serve the Most Holy and Jealous God. It is His command to us to serve only Him, in truth and spirit. "Whoever loves their father or mother more than I do is unworthy of me; likewise, whoever loves their son or daughter more than I am unworthy of me." 10:37 (Matthew) Nothing and no one can compare to His love for us on the cross. Everything and everyone on the planet is transient. It is only this God who will be with us until we are very old and have grey hairs. He is the one who will guide us until death, and then to His eternal Kingdom. Love everyone unconditionally, but only be attached to God. But Christ's point was clear: we cannot be both slaves of God and slaves of riches. Do we care about God? Is He the center of our faith? Are we willing to do wh

  • DAY - 8 RABBI

    DAY – 8 RABBI – THE TEACHER He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” John 3:2 The term "Rabbi" means "Teacher" in Hebrew. A teacher is someone who instructs students on the knowledge of a subject. A good teacher instills values, integrity, faithfulness, morals, and social behaviors in his or her students. They are responsible for bringing out the best in a student's inner and outer selves. They bring a good human being to a wealth of behavior and attitude to the family and society. They also direct the student in the right direction and assist them in achieving their objectives. Their value teaching is the foundation for any child to grow into a better being. It shapes and molds a child to be honest, truthful, and well-behaved. Lord Jesus Christ was referred to as "Rabbi" by his disciples in the Bible. For his doctrines, he was revered and respected. Lord Jesus taught about the gospel of God's kingdom in synagogues and public places. He taught about the misconceptions about Jewish laws and practices at the time. Furthermore, he taught people to be responsible citizens who can give selflessly to society. The majority of his teachings were delivered in the form of parables. For a better understanding, he linked his points of view to everyday practices. When his disciples were unable to understand the parables, he interpreted them for them. He set an example for the world by living the way he preached. Today, we will discuss some of Lord Jesus' lessons to his disciples and the rest of the world that are beneficial. 1. JESUS TAUGHT TO PRAY. Lord Jesus' disciples observed that he spent hours praying to the Father. They were intrigued by what Jesus prayed and how he was able to pray for so long. They also noticed that he prayed to God before every crusade he attended. On the other hand, John the baptized instructed his disciples on how to pray. So, after Jesus returned to them praying one day, they asked him to teach them how to pray. To this request, Lord Jesus taught them how to pray to the father. He said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” Traditionally, the Jews ended up going to the temple with their petitions and instructed the priests to present them to God in the form of sacrifice. They went to the Prophets for information, guidance, and healing, among other things. The Priest sacrificed on their behalf, whereas the Prophets prayed to God for an answer. But Jesus focused on teaching the disciples to pray to the Father directly. He encouraged them to not only share their needs but to engage in a full-fledged conversation with the Father, just as they would with a friend. We, too, struggle from time to time to offer a perfect prayer. Many of us are constantly terrified to pray in front of others for fear of being wrong. But exactly, what is prayer? Prayer is a deep channel of communication with God. We can say anything we want to him. We wouldn't have to be scared to ask or share anything with God. God is always attentive and kind in trying to understand us. He claims that if you ask him, you will receive. There are no rules or regulations that place restrictions on prayer. We can praise God, thank him, ask him a question, share our thoughts with him, admit our mistakes, and so on. A prayer of a minute or a prayer of hours will both be heard by God. 2. JESUS TAUGHT TO SERVE GOD Jesus taught his disciples to love and serve God. He tells them that they must love God with all of their minds, all of their strength, and all of their hearts. He saw rich people who were selfish in their desire to amass more wealth for themselves. The poor were burdened with high taxes. People became obsessed with money, focusing on meeting their needs on Earth. One day, a wealthy young man approached the Lord and inquired, "What must be done to inherit heaven?" Jesus was taken aback by the question and told him that the only way to inherit God's kingdom was to obey his commands. The young man then proceeded to tell him that he had always followed the law since he was a child. As a result of his obedience, Jesus was deeply moved and told to share his riches with the poor. The young man was taken aback and refused to do as Jesus instructed, returning home. The dissatisfied Lord began teaching them that "no man can serve two Masters." He further said that it is extremely difficult for rich men to enter heaven and inherit God's kingdom. What can we draw from this? God does not want us to be poor. He doesn't want us to be disadvantaged either. All he wants is for us to have everything we need to live on this planet. God lavished abundant riches on many of his people. The fact that Jesus pointed was about the young man's heart. He couldn't leave his property no matter what, not even if it meant losing himself. Many of us probably work hard to maintain a comfortable standard of living. We work so hard that money takes first place in the place of God. Because we are so focused on earning more money, we eventually forget about him. 3. JESUS TAUGHT US TO BE HUMBLE. Many of Jesus' followers were drawn to him because of his humble nature. Jesus courageously declared that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He claimed that he was born into the world as a result of his Father's decision to send him. He discussed the eternal Kingdom, his reign, and the mansions allotted to his Children in Heaven. He performed several miracles to demonstrate that he truly came from God. Furthermore, the evil spirits affirmed that He is the living God's Son. People respected, obeyed, honored, and loved him wherever he went. He was the focus of attention in every city and village he visited. Many people greeted him by bowing in his presence. Despite this, Jesus remained humble. Although many people believed he was the Son of God, Jesus lived among the common people. He entered the home of people who the rest of the world considered to be sinners. He healed by touching the unclean, whom everyone is afraid to approach with his hands. He respected the elders and cared for widows and the elderly. He never harmed anyone who came to him solely to confess their sins. When two of his disciples argued over a seat next to his throne in God's kingdom, Jesus chastised them for their arrogance and jealousy. Before taking up the cross, Jesus demonstrated the importance of humility by washing the feet of his disciple. God asks through the Prophet Micah, "What is it that I expect, O mortal?" It is to be humble and obedient. If we are proud of our beauty, talent, property, status, education, money, relationship, or anything else, remember that it was all given to us by God. Thank him for everything he has given you to honor God. And he enjoys hearing your prayers. 4. JESUS TAUGHT TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD. The Lord Jesus taught his disciples to have unwavering faith in God. He was well aware that faith alone opens the door to incredible miracles. The disciples' faith in him was shaken from time to time as a result of the situations that arose. One day, while Jesus was sleeping on the back of the boat, there was a severe storm that slammed into the boat. After several attempts by the disciples to escape, the boat was about to break even. The disciples were terrified by the storm's power and begged Lord Jesus to save them. Immediately, Jesus awoke and ordered the storm to calm, and it did so in an instant, much to everyone's surprise. They were taken aback by nature's submission to his word of authority. However, Jesus condemned them for their lack of faith. For our prayers to be answered, we must have the faith of a mustard seed. You may have been praying for something for several weeks, months, or even years and it has gone unanswered. Today, try praying to God with all your faith, declaring the words of faith, and watching how quickly it is given to you. The key to miracles is faith. 5. JESUS TAUGHT TO FORGIVE The highest human virtue is forgiveness. God saw people holding grudges against their brothers for their mistakes. Families were splintered as a result of the fights within. They judged the people to be sinners against God for every mistake they made. The elders of the time forbade people from entering synagogues because they were deemed, sinners. In public places, they were treated differently than the rest of the people. This saddened God's heart. So, when asked how many times he should forgive others, Jesus replied, "70 times seven." We should forgive others because we have been forgiven for our own mistakes. Jesus also stated that He has the authority to forgive the sins of mankind. When Judas kissed Jesus to identify him to the elders for arrest, Jesus forgave Judas and never condemned him. When God forgives, no one comes to confront them. We frequently judge people based on their flaws and treat them differently as a result. We continue to condemn them and refuse to forget or forgive. But remember that we were also forgiven when we made mistakes. We can forgive others because of the love of God that has been poured into us. and therein lies the secret. 6. JESUS TAUGHT US TO NOT FOLLOW VIOLENCE. Violence is not a viable solution to a problem. It only serves to amplify it. God's law was given in the Old Testament as an eye for an eye, hand for hand, leg for leg, and life for life. The Israelites waited for the prophesied Messiah to come and redeem them from their enemies by fighting alongside them. This was also a clear refusal to accept Jesus as God's son because he came as a prince of peace. During the arrest of Lord Jesus, Peter became enraged and cut the soldier's ears with a sharp knife. Jesus, who was stunned, immediately condemned Peter for his violence and restored the soldier's ear. Though we witness hatred and war among the countries, we have to pray for them to have peace. 7. JESUS TAUGHT TO DO THE FATHER’S WILL. Lord Jesus remained vigilant in carrying out God's will wherever he went. Whether he was having a meal at a house, performing a miracle, or preaching a sermon, his primary focus was to do God's will. He kept telling his disciples about the cross's sufferings to fulfill his Father's will. And once, while speaking with the disciples, Peter interjected and tried to stop him. Out of love, Peter coerced Jesus into refusing the crucifixion. This enraged Jesus, who yelled, "Go away, Satan, for I must obey the Father's will." This incident demonstrated the importance of yielding to God's will, even at the risk of one's life, as demonstrated by Jesus' life. We may have plans and desires for our lives, but it is always advisable to check whether they are aligned with God's plan for us before moving forward. 8. JESUS TAUGHT TO LOVE OTHERS. Because Jesus was an incarnation of Father's love, his teachings are predominantly about "love." In several places, Jesus reminded us of the first commandment: "Love your neighbor as thyself." Everyone was equally loved by Jesus. There were times when the disciples disagreed about who Jesus preferred whereas, in Jesus, everyone was treated equally. On one occasion, Jesus traveled from Jerusalem to Samaria to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Samaritans, who had long been Jews' enemies, were not pleased with Jesus' arrival. This infuriated the disciple's John and James to the point where they wished for fire to destroy Samaria. They felt that by being unwelcoming, they were insulting Jesus, their Rabbi. But Jesus confronted them and chastised them. We can learn that Jesus loved not only those who loved him but also those who despised him and wanted him to die. This is an example of God's unfailing love. We should strive to be like Jesus. We can only love like Jesus if we have the Holy Spirit within us. 9. JESUS TAUGHT TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN OF THE WORLD/HEAVEN Jesus always wished for his disciples to illustrate virtue in front of others so that when they see it in them, they will rejoice and praise God. He desired for them to live an open book life. He also expected them to follow the rules of the government. For example, a mob came and tested Jesus with a coin. They inquired as to whether it is beneficial to pay taxes to the government. And when Jesus discovered their guilt in their hearts, he asked them a question. He inquired about the image on the coin, to which they replied that it is the image of a Roman emperor, as Romans ruled Israel at the time. He replied, "Give to the emperor what is his, and to God what is God's." He then sent his disciple Peter to catch the first fish and open its mouth, where he discovered a coin. Jesus gave the order to pay for both of them. It’s our responsibility to pay the taxes to the government. However, we can see many people who defraud the government by failing to pay their taxes. To be a good citizen, Jesus taught them to obey the lawmakers. He also prepared them to be good citizens in his kingdom by leading a holy life. 10. TAUGHT TO DISCIPLE OTHERS. The final instruction they received before entering heaven after the resurrection was to "go into the world and make disciples." Through his disciples, the Lord Jesus desired to carry out his Father's mission. He wished for them to boldly preach God's word to others. He wanted them to go to the lost Israelites and teach them everything he had taught them. This mission has been passed down to everyone who accepts Jesus Christ. We are also taught to go and proclaim God's word. All who have received salvation proclaim to the world that JESUS LIVES FOREVER. PRAYER: Rabbi, God thank you for all the life lessons you taught us through your disciples. Thank you for leaving a pathway for others to follow. These lessons will help me become a more well-known person in life. Please assist me in following it throughout. Please accept my apologies for my shortcomings. Kindly advise me whenever I make a mistake. Allow me to submit to you to fulfill the purpose you have for my life. Praise God! In Jesus' name, amen!

  • DAY - 7 EL ELYON

    DAY – 7 EL – ELYON THE MOST HIGH GOD The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 2Sam 22:14 El is an Arabic word that means "power, strength, and might." Elyon is referring to the phrase "Most High." He is the supreme God, the all-encompassing God. His throne is eternal, and His kingdom endures. Realizing God's greatness, on the other hand, makes us all too aware of how far humanity falls. "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You have consecrated, what is the man that You are thoughtful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" David asks. Psalm 8:3–4. The king of Israel looked up into the heavens, perplexed "What is God's purpose? You are so vast, and Your mind is so enigmatic. Why do you bother to think about us, let alone care about us?" In comparison to God, he obviously has a low opinion of mankind. Words are insufficient to describe his nature and the power he possesses within himself. He is awe-inspiring, eternal, magnificent, wonderful, and glorious. None can match his greatness. Even in all his unending glory, God desires to strengthen the hearts of those who call on him. He is prompt to listen to their prayers and responds marvelously to them. The term El – Elyon, which also indicates "The Most High God," first appears in Genesis 14 when Abraham meets a King named Melchizedek, who ruled over the city of Salem. He is mentioned as the High Priest of God El-Elyon, the same God Abraham worshipped. Melchizedek appears to Abraham as he passes through the city of Salem and greets him with bread and wine. Melchizedek, as a Priest-King, blessed Abraham in the name of El – Elyon. His blessings validated the blessings of all the earth's families finding the blessing in him. In Genesis 12:2, Abraham received from the Most High God. In return, Abraham honored Melchizedek with the tithe, one-tenth of what he had. And both went in their respective ways. The following are some of the characteristics of The Most High God that have been demonstrated in the lives of the people for everyone to understand. A .THE LORD MOST HIGH IS THE GREAT KING. “For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” Ps 47:2 Our God is the ruler of the entire universe. He is the supreme leader of the nations and their people. His will alone is carried out across the planet, and mortals are merely his vehicles to carry out his plans. He truly is the King of Kings. He deposes kings and appoints others to serve under him. Dan (2:21) A mortal king's power and strength are nothing in comparison to him. To validate this statement, we could read an example. Nebuchadnezzar was the Neo-Babylonian empire's great military leader. During his reign, Babylon became the most powerful city-state in the known world, and the king was known as the most powerful king. He rose to prominence as the commander of large military armies in the Medo-Babylonian war against the Assyrian empire. He also destroyed the kingdoms of Judah and Jerusalem, resulting in the capture of people as slaves. Nebuchadnezzar completed the Neo-Babylonian Empire's transformation into the new great power of the ancient Near East by destroying Jerusalem, capturing the rebellious Phoenician city of Tyre, and conducting other campaigns in the Levant. Nebuchadnezzar is remembered as a great builder-king in addition to his military campaigns. The prosperity brought about by his wars enabled Nebuchadnezzar to undertake large-scale construction projects in Babylon and elsewhere in Mesopotamia. The modern image of Babylon is large of the city after Nebuchadnezzar's projects, during which he, among other things, rebuilt many of the city's religious buildings, repaired the city's current palace and built a new palace, and beautified the city's ceremonial center through renovations to the city's Processional Street and the Ishtar Gate. Because most of Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions deal with his building projects rather than his military achievements, historians saw him for a time as primarily a builder rather than a warrior. (source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Nebuchadnezzar_II/) And, unable to sleep, the King wandered around the terrace one night. He saw the great city he built and credited himself with the power and authority he possessed. Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? said the king (Daniel 4: 29-30). He was proud of the cities he had built and the tallest buildings he had erected. A voice from heaven condemned him for his pride and arrogance while the word was still in his mouth. Instead of praising God, he congratulated himself on a successful reign. "And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will." Daniel 4:11–32 B.HIS NAME – THE MOST HIGH GOD – CAUSES ENEMIES TO TREMBLE. “You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.” Deu 7:21 The death of their leader, Moses, shattered the Israelites. He was the one who, through the power of God, delivered them from Pharaoh and led them to Canaan. Unfortunately, Moses died on the mountain of God before entering the promised city. For 40 days, the Israelites mourned for him nonstop. They were depressed and hopeless about their fate. But God remained them of Joshua, a mighty man whom Moses appointed as their next leader. The spirit of God rested on Joshua to lead the people into the land of Canaan. Because of the larger nations of Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the people were afraid to march. They were stronger than the Israelites and were giants in nature. Joshua, on the other hand, encouraged them to continue by reminding them of the Covenant he made with their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After crossing Jordan, the Israelites were to travel to Canaan via the city of Jericho. Jericho was a strongly fortified city with a moderate size. Before attacking the city, Joshua dispatched some spies to inspect it. As the spies wandered, they came across a prostitute named Rahab. They sought her assistance and inquired about the cities. When the men revealed that they were Israelis, she begged them to save her family because of the wonderful things God had done for his people. She continued, "A great fear has fallen on us, and we are melting in fear of the Most High God." Joshua and the Israelites did, in fact, capture Jericho and save Rahab and her family in exchange for their hospitality. Prepare for the days ahead, when people among you will see the power of the Most High God in your lives as well. C. SHELTER OF THE GOD MOST HIGH. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. “Ps 91:1 The entire psalm 91 is dedicated to God's protection of his people. This psalm is said to have been written by Moses. He sings praises to God for saving his people from death and destruction during their time in Egypt. God tormented the Egyptians with plagues and pestilence, but none of them harmed the children of Israel. They lost cattle, servants, and family members, but none of this had any effect on the Israelites who lived nearby. After experiencing continuous disasters, they were terrified by God's hand, but the Children of God lived peacefully and safely. God shielded them with a pillar of cloud and fire. He always marched ahead of them and guarded the rear. Every day, his presence overshadowed them. During the time of unending plagues and disasters, not a single member of the family was harmed. God destroyed the entire Egyptian military force that had followed to kill the Israelites who had been thwarted by the Red Sea. The horses, chariots, and mighty men in service were all sunk beneath the waves. God fought against Israel's enemies and delivered them safely. As you rest beneath his wings, you are protected from all of the world's ills. The world may fear pandemics, violence, natural disasters, and warfare. God, on the other hand, will protect you and provide you with his mighty arms. D. EL – ELYON LISTENS TO US. “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.” Ps 57:2 Our God is a God who responds to prayer. He understands the difficulties we face in our daily lives. He recognizes our requirements and meets them. Whenever we seek his presence, he comes to us, listens to our desires, and fulfills them. Hannah was a Jewish woman who was married to Elkanah. Peninnah was his second wife. Peninnah had children, but Hannah remained childless. Every day, Peninnah disrespected Hannah and chastised her for being barren. Hannah was devastated, and she couldn't stop crying. Elkanah tried to console her, but she refused. Hannah went to the presence of God on a regular visit to the temple of God and poured out her heart to him. She begged God to bless her with a child. She prayed long and went back to her home. God remembered Hannah after a few days and blessed her with a baby boy. She was overjoyed and thanked God for hearing her prayer. Keep in mind that none of our prayers go unnoticed or unanswered. God will respond to the prayers that we offer to him. He cares about our happiness and transforms our sorrows into joy. PRAYER: God, EL – ELYON I acknowledge you as the Most High God, and we are your children. You have come to show us your power in our lives for your glory. Thank you for hearing all of the prayers that have been offered thus far. I am confident that you will listen to me and lavishly bless me. As I submit my wants and desires once more, please assist me in receiving them all in the name of Jesus. Thank you for watching over me and my family. Amen!

  • DAY - 6 EL DEAH

    DAY - 6 EL DEAH THE LORD IS A GOD OF KNOWLEDGE “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him, actions are weighed.” 1 Sam 2:3 Knowledge is an integral part of human life. It is the training and understanding of the underlying that enables us to grow and thrive in society. In today's fast-paced world, it is essential to consistently build new skills, abilities, and details required to establish oneself in the community. Education is a vital factor in promoting knowledge growth. Wisdom, on the other hand, is derived from one's own experience. Thus, both are important and contribute to a person's wisdom. According to the Bible, Our God is the source of all knowledge and wisdom. He is a god whose comprehension is boundless and incomprehensible. He does things in ways that the human mind cannot fathom. God created the world with his power; he established the world with his wisdom, and he stretched out the heavens with his comprehension. Jer (10:12) Every century's global theories, ideas, and concepts of space, living beings, and human life were all discovered by God's infinite wisdom. According to the Bible. "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs (9:10) God gives his wisdom and knowledge to anyone who asks. He expands a person's skill and knowledge. After God finished his six days of creation, he admired everything he had made and found it to be good. He would want the man to be precisely in his image and likeness when he had the idea to create a human. He breathes his air into his nostrils, and man is born. Therefore, Man was regarded as God's masterpiece among all his creations. The responsibility to govern over everything created was given to the first couple, Adam and Eve. They were allowed to eat all of the fruits that the garden produced. They loved the sun, the moon, and the stars, the company of the animals, the elegance of the garden, and so on. God, after giving them the garden with which to live, warned them that the fruit of the central tree is forbidden. They at first obeyed God, but the serpent deceived them into eating, and thus they sinned against God. God was displeased with their behavior because a man had developed the ability to distinguish between good and evil. (Genesis 3:22) Humans, who were created to listen to and understand God and to live in a community with him, have now matured enough to make their own decisions. And as time passed, the earth became polluted with men's unrighteousness. They began to despise and defend one another. Adding to it, they also became murderers and acted violently, and every thought that came from their hearts was evil. When men were given the ability to choose between good and evil, they chose evil and lived a life in opposition to God. Even in today's world, we can see situations that destroy human harmony, as jealousy and pride fill people's hearts. Even with so many laws and regulations in place, offenders can still be seen. Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the good and the evil.” Proverbs (15:3) Men fall into the trap of becoming God's enemies when they choose to act according to his understanding, in his discernment. Satan successfully deceives and persuades those who submit to him. KING OF TYRE/ LUCIFER/SATAN. Angels were created by God as spirits. They were created to be God's servants, and among them was the magnificent Lucifer. In his book, Prophet Ezekiel described him as a seal of flawlessness, full of knowledge and ideal in beauty. From the moment he was created, he was assumed to be perfect in every way. He was strolling in the Garden of Eden and had spoken straight to his God. He was known to be wiser than Daniel. Nonetheless, his wisdom caused him to rebel against God. He was charged with the sin of arrogance. He regarded himself as greater than God and desired to take his place. He gathered the angels to break God's rules and do things against God. God eventually decided to expel him from his presence, and the angel was renamed Satan. This is an excellent example of how one's wisdom and knowledge can turn people's hearts away from God. This is why God says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James (1:5) The knowledge we receive from above assists us in walking by God. It aids us in becoming the best versions of ourselves daily. It earns us reverence and helps bring glory to God in society. Let us take a look at the lives of a few people who shone with God's Gift of wisdom. EARTHLY KNOWLEDGE. The nation of Israel was captured by the king of Babylon in 605 B.C., and many were taken as captives to serve in the king's royal court. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, four young boys. They were placed in the hands of Ashpenaz, the chief official, who trained them to be physically perfect, handsome, competent of any type of learning, well-informed, rapid to grasp, and qualified to start serving in the king's palace. He was assigned to educate them on Babylonian language and literature. The boys were grouped and given the same education, food, and dorms as the other boys. They all learned skills, crafts, and issues concerning the government and the civilization of the country. They were also exposed to religious education. Although Daniel and his friends had left their homeland and were geographically distant, they made the firm decision to follow their God and his commandment. They swore an oath not to defile themselves with Babylonian food and religious practices. As a result, when they requested a change in the menu, God greatly helped them in obtaining massive favor in the eyes of Ashpenaz. There are two things to consider when learning from Daniel and his friends' lives. First and foremost, they chose to obey God even in a foreign land. They would want to glorify God's name by their way of life. Second, they put their trust in God and decided to seek his presence in prayer for guidance. God says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm (32:8) God endowed knowledge and understanding of all types of literature and learning on these four young men. And Daniel was intelligent enough to understand a wide range of visions and dreams. The chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar at the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service. The king spoke with them and discovered that none were equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding, the king found them to be ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. If you are struggling to learn something in your life, or if you have poor grades, or if you are unable to compete in your job task, or if you are unable to handle your financial requirements, or if you are unable to guide your family? Don't be concerned; cause God gives his wisdom and knowledge to anyone who asks. HEAVENLY WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding," the Bible says. Proverbs (2:6) God provided Daniel with exceptional understanding and knowledge as he was serving in the royal administration. Among all those who worked for the king, he stood out. During the reign of King Belshazzar, the king arranged a grand banquet for the nobles. They were given wine to drink from the vessels of God's temple brought during the city's capture. The king, his administrators, his wives, and concubines were all enjoying the king's grand party. Suddenly, a human finger appeared and wrote on the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king kept an eye on the hand as it wrote his face became pale, and terrified that his legs had become weak and his knees knocked. As a consequence, the king summoned enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Then he told these Babylonian wise men, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the kingdom's third-highest ruler." The king's wise men then entered, but they couldn't read the writing or tell the king what it meant. As a result, King Belshazzar became even more terrified, and his face turned pale. His nobles were perplexed. Now, Daniel entered the scene as a result of the Queen's memory of a man with the spirit of gods. She also attested to his insights, intelligence, and wisdom, which were unparalleled during the reign of the king's father. She also mentioned Daniel's ability to interpret dreams and visions, as well as his ease in solving complex problems. When Daniel saw the writing, he realized it was a heavenly message from God. The king lauded him and elevated his position. Daniel remained successful in his career through the grace of God. JESUS CHRIST – THE SOURCE OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. All the treasures of wisdom and understanding are hidden in Christ. Colossians (2:3) People were astounded by Lord Jesus Christ's knowledge and understanding whenever he was seen teaching in synagogues, interacting with the elders, and questioning them. He was a knowledge powerhouse who displayed his vast knowledge to anyone who dared to offend him. Nonetheless, he remained humble and obedient to the Father of Heaven as well as the elders around him. He taught them to be just, courageous, self-assured, and humble, just like him. The once-illiterate fishermen were transformed into authors, preachers, and speakers in royal courts, and they testified to Christ in their lives. God's wisdom is enormous and inconceivable. It cannot be fully grasped unless revealed by the Holy Spirit. But, God emphasizes rendering his knowledge to all who wait for him. May El – Deah the God of knowledge gives you his wisdom and knowledge to shine in your lives. Prayer: El – Deah, Lord, even at this moment, I pray to give me your wisdom and knowledge to be successful. May the power of Christ rest on me and enable me to be competitive. Lead me and counsel me in the path of my life. In Jesus's name amen!

  • DAY - 5 EL ELIM

    EL ELIM The God of gods. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Ps 96 (4-5) According to one estimate, there are approximately 10,000 distinct religions in the world. Religion is faith in a supernatural force that creates human behavioral practices that are consistent with morals, values, integrity, beliefs, and lifestyle. Some people believe in polytheism, while others believe in monotheism and still others believe in atheism. Different people have different perspectives and ideas about God, the supremacy of God, the afterlife, and so on. In Christianity, we believe in a single living God. Unlike other orthodoxies, we do not have a pictorial representation or image of our God "Jehovah." Our fundamental foundation for honoring God is faith. Our assurance comes from comprehending the unseen and eternal. When God summoned Abraham, the first patriarch, he had the strange experience of hearing the voice of immortality. He obeyed the voice that told him to leave his home and travel to an unknown land with his wife and large livestock, which the voice led him to. As he remained childless until the age of 90, God called Abraham and promised to bless him with descendants who would soon become a multitude as numerous as the sands of the sea and the stars in the sky. Abraham believed in this unknown God and was rewarded with a son when he was a century old. As promised, his descendants multiplied and had become known as the Israelites. God then revealed to people his name, Jehovah, and established a range of social and spiritual rules for them to follow. God has chosen Israel to be his own people out of all the other nations that are larger in population and have more powerful armed forces. They were legitimately his children, then he became their God. He was very specific in ordering them not to practice any other religious practices and to set an incarnation of a supernatural entity. He gave the instructions that must be preceded generation upon generation through his servant Moses. "Worship the Lord in spirit and in truth," says John 4:23-24. Our God is a holy God, and he dwells in holiness. For his greatness and splendor, he is to be feared and respected. None of the graven images can foretell his likeability. God required the mortals to be holy and righteous in order to enter his presence and dwell in his sanctuary because he cannot be in an unclean place. Being holy in the bible refers to someone who is opposed to the world's sins and who follows God and obeys his law, respecting and worshipping him exactly as he says. Many of his people strayed from his ways and decided to live a disgusting life, rejecting God's presence, while a few choose to obey God and walk with him. Our God is the Supreme Being of all known gods on the planet. His supremacy is unfathomable, his deeds are incomprehensible, and his comprehension is infinite. Greater is the power of his fists, which destructed an army of adversaries. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Patriarchs, all heard his voice, witnessed his blessings, and rejoiced as his promises came true in their lives. They all acknowledged one aspect of his nature i.e; his nature of providing for his people, guiding them, blessing them to prosperity, and so on). This is just not God's limit, so he decided to demonstrate his greatness to the children of Abraham. The Israelites went into Egypt as a group of 70 to make a new life for themselves. They settled down and became shepherds. They have been initially treated with kindness, but as time passed and their population grew, the Egyptian king Pharaoh suppressed them and forced them to work as slaves for them. They were tortured day in and day out to build a huge city called “City of Rameses.” In addition, because of outgrowing birth rates, their new babies were ordered to be killed. As they were unable to bear it any longer, they cried out to their God for mercy to deliver them from the hands of cruelty. Egypt was now a land of sorcery and deception. They had over 2,000 deities for everything, from danger to chores, each with different responsibilities and each having to be worshipped in order for life to be balanced. God dispatched Moses and Aaron to deliver the Israelites to Pharaoh. Pharaoh simply expressed his displeasure after hearing God's command to release the Israelites. He believed that the many gods of Egypt could defeat the one God of Moses and the Israelites. As a result, God decided to demonstrate his competency not only to Egypt but also to his children Israel, in order for them to understand his superiority over other gods. 1. HAPI, the Egyptian god of NILE. In Egyptian religion, Hapi represents the annual inundation of the Nile. They prayed towards him to bless the Nile River, which served as the backbone of agriculture. Many rituals have been conducted in his shrine for the fertility of the soil, and he was thereby regarded as the chief among Egyptian gods. Pharaoh and Moses met in the Nile River while he was worshipping the god standing on the riverbanks. He was unrelenting to Moses' request and denied letting go of Israel. So, Moses' delegate, Aaron, touched the rod to the Nile, and it instantly turned into blood. The river sank, and all of the fish perished. The Egyptian magicians were able to partially perform a similar miracle, leaving the king underwhelmed by God's power. The river, on the other hand, remained bloody for seven days and was thus unfit for use. This duration of time evidenced God's ability to the Egyptian craftsmen. 2. HEKET, goddess of Fertility and water, Renewal. Heket was depicted as a frog and is revered as the goddess of fertility. According to the image, she had a frog neck and a woman's body, and she was also thought to provide strength to women during childbirth. Her priestesses were trained in midwifery, and most midwives started referring to themselves as "Servants of Heket." As the Egyptian emperor continued to reject God's order, Aaron touched the rod over the creeks, water channels, and reservoirs, causing frogs to appear in Egypt. The frogs infested their homes, fields, cattle, and everything else that belonged to them. The frog plague affected everyone, from the palace to the houses. They were bothered by the presence of frogs everywhere and despised it. Pharaoh's wizards also performed the same miracle, but only Moses has been capable of driving the frogs away, exemplifying God's dominance. 3. GEB. God of Earth. Geb was the god of the planet, describing the physical support. To represent the fertile earth, he was usually depicted with green skin or greenery on his skin. He was thought to be the father of snakes, and the goose symbolized both his identity and the tone he was said to chuckle, which resulted in earthquakes. Pharaoh remained adamant about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt to serve their God and make sacrifices to Him in worship. Moses directed Aaron to take up his rod and smite the dust at the Lord's command. When he followed Moses' instructions, the dust turned into gnats across the land, on both the people and on beasts. Pharaoh's cults, astounded by God's power, admitted it was the finger of God. They couldn't compete with the Lord's sovereignty and couldn't perform the required miracle. 4. KHEPRI, God of creation movement of Sun, rebirth. Khepri is an ancient Egyptian locust god who represents the rising or morning sun. He can also represent creation and the renewal of life by extension. Khepri was believed to be the source of the sun's motion and was ranked lower than that of the sun god. There were no shrines or rituals dedicated to Khepri, yet he was revered and respected. Moses met Pharaoh in the Nile once more and inquired his people to let go. Nevertheless, He hardened his heart once more, resulting in the plague of swarms. This time, however, the judgment, or pestilence, impacts only the Egyptians, having left the children of Israel undeterred. Pharaoh, plagued by flies, tries a new strategy and begins bargaining with the Lord, proving his desire to maintain power and authority over God. He tries to dictate the terms and conditions of the offer, telling them they can sacrifice but only "in the land," clearly not achieving the Lord's requisite of a "three-day journey." Moses held firm, and Pharaoh finally relented, allowing them to leave but alerting them not to "go far enough." 5. HATHOR, goddess of Protection. Hathor was a goddess of protection who'd been featured with a cow's head. She was figured to be more potent than other goddesses, therefore more temples were built in her commemoration. She also was linked with cattle protection due to the structure of her head, which had a horn on it. Because of the dairy, the cow was highly regarded in the cultural context as an emblem of motherhood and nourishment. Hathor circumnavigated world boundaries, aiding deceased souls in their transformation to eternal life. Moses urged Pharaoh yet again to let his people leave the land, however, and Pharaoh turned it down. As a consequence, he forewarned government officials about some other plague that would cause widespread devastation. And the next day, God destroyed the Egyptian livestock, exacerbating an economic shortage of milk supplies, food and farming, and materiel produced by the cattle. Despite witnessing God's incredible strength, the king's heart managed to remain hardened. 6. ISIS, goddess of Medicine and peace Isis was deemed amongst the most powerful goddesses, and her fame spread throughout the Greco-Roman empire. She was thought to be able to heal both humans and animals after resurrecting her own husband. According to mythology, these gods of medicine were associated with healing and the restoration of life. This also explains why physician priests happened to come from the monuments of these gods in ancient times. This time, unannounced by Moses, God directly attacked the Egyptians. Being instructed by the Lord, Moses took ashes from the furnace of affliction and threw them into the air. As the dust from the ashes blew all over Egypt, it settled on man and beast alike in the form of boils and sores. Everyone, young and old, official and unofficial, men and women, had been afflicted with painful large boils on their bodies. Nonetheless, the Lord delivered the Children of Israel from the pestilence. so, the people's hearts began to tire, unable to withstand God's power. After experiencing the severity of illness in their bodies, their confidence in the goddess that would save them died. The Egyptians' motto, "Cleanliness is next to godliness," was shattered by the boils on their bodies. The affliction rendered them unclean, forbidding them from entering the temple to perform rituals and pray to the goddess to save them. On the other hand, when Moses and Aaron stood unaffected in front of the King, they witnessed the power of the living God once more. 7. NUT, goddess of Sky. Nut was the sky, stars, and cosmos goddess. She was liked to think to be a receptacle that transports souls to the afterlife. Her body was painted blue and encased in stars to resemble the night sky. Nut was commonly painted on the interior of coffins as she was regarded as an honor guard and defender of the dead. God sent unimaginable sized hail to destroy the domesticated animals, servants, and people as a result of their sustained denial in sending Israel. Because of the weight of the hail, their fields and crops were also destroyed. God evidenced to the Egyptians that there is no one extra powerful than him in the sky and beneath the sky. Pharaoh, on the other hand, was adamant about keeping them. Over and over, God destroyed their faith in their deities. 8. Seth, god of storm and disorder. Seth was the god of storms, the desert, violence, and chaos. Seth was a powerful and often terrifying deity, but he was also the patron god of the pharaohs, especially Ramses the Great. This is the second wave of widespread destruction to follow the hail, and whatever crops were left standing after the hail was now completely consumed by the swarms of grasshoppers unleashed from the sky. Yet Pharaoh did not listen to God. 9. Ra – the Sun god. Ra was considered the sun god in Egyptian mythology. He was the sun's, heaven's, kingship's, power's, and light's patron. He was not only the deity who governed the sun's actions, but he could also be the real sun and the day. Three days of darkness fell on Egypt, and the people couldn't really see the people next to each other. To them, darkness represented passing and despair. While the Israelites lived in Goshen, they enjoyed the daylight and deemed it normal. 10. Pharaoh the Ultimate power. The Egyptians worshipped Pharaoh because they regarded him as having greater power and authority. As he maintained his stance of not allowing Israel, God made the final move. Moses summoned the Israelites and instructed them to observe the Passover feast, which required them to stain their doors with the blood of the lamb. He declared that God would destroy the firstborn of humans and cattle in Egyptian homes in order to demonstrate his superior ability of God in freeing them from Egypt. That night, God destroyed the firstborn in every Egyptian house, beginning with Pharoah. He no longer had the strength to resist and eventually relented and let them go. I hope you enjoyed how God delivered his people from Pharaoh's stubborn heart. He will save and redeem you from all the injustice and brutality that you are subjected to. He is indeed the God among all gods, and glory to his holy name. Prayer: Lord, El – Elim, I acknowledge that you are the only true God who has been given to us to worship. Your courage and ability to save your children are admirable. Thank you for performing miracles in front of your children. I believe and admit that you have the ability to do the same in my life. I glorify and praise you with all my heart. Thank you for selecting me and my family to be your children. Continue to amaze me with your abilities in my life. In the name of Jesus, amen!

  • DAY - 4 AVINU MALKEINU

    Avinu Malkeinu – DAY 4 "Our Father, Our King" As a father has compassion for his children, So, the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. Ps103:13 Our God is our Heavenly Father, who loves, provides for, teaches, and guides us on the right path. As we know, He is a God, who is mighty in power, marvelous in deeds, and unfathomable in understanding, he is also a loving God and a compassionate Father. His nature has been misinterpreted at times as a harsh and intolerant personality, whereas in reality, our God is a caring gentle Father. He disciplines those he cares about in the same way that a father would delight in his son. (Proverbs 3:12) The word Avinu in Hebrew refers to “Our Father.” The latter part of the word “Malkeinu” means “Our King.” Bible records that, He is the King of all kings. He reigns over the nations and sits on His holy throne. (Ps 47:8) He holds the authority to rule over the nations wisely and justly. The people of the country adore him and rejoice in his integrity and live in peace. Today, we will look at the two different aspects of God, Avinu Malkeinu. 1. God, our Father. According to the Bible, when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts, he immediately becomes our father and we become his children. (See John 1:12) It is a privilege that Heaven has bestowed upon us to be His sons and daughters. When we become His children, we begin to walk and live in His light. Everything he owns becomes ours. We ask in His name, and He hears and answers. His hand protects us when we are in trouble. He consoles us when we face adversity. He, like our biological father, becomes the closest member of our family with whom we can share everything. God was present with the Israelites in the same way that a father would be. Because of His great love for them, He performed mighty signs and wonders never seen before in the world and brought them to Canaan. They saw his dwelling in the form of a cloud and fire pillar. It guided them on their way. When they were hungry, it was His hand that provided Manna and quail. He quenched their thirst and carried them like a father would carry his son. (Deuteronomy 1:31) He is your and my Father God. God loves each of us completely and eternally. God sent Jesus Christ as a ransom for our sins out of love for us. Some characteristics stand out when it comes to fatherhood. · A. He instructs and guides us. According to Proverbs 1:8, "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not neglect your mother's teaching." The father's primary responsibility is to teach his child the good and the bad. He teaches his children good morals and values, honesty and integrity, and all the lessons of life through his experience. He is their mentor, guiding them safely and steadily. He prepares his children to face life's challenges with courage. When we read about King David's life, we learn that he ruled the Kingdom of Israel for 40 years. He had many sons and daughters in Israel, and God chose Solomon to be the next ruler from among them. God manifested Himself to David and revealed His plans for Solomon. So, after hearing all of God's words, David went immediately to his son Solomon, who was a young boy at the time and taught him all of God's law, which he had practiced since his youth. He instilled in Solomon the qualities of leadership and responsibilities required for a successful career. Furthermore, He announced God's plan to the assembled Israelites and delegated authority to Solomon in front of them. He also ensured that Solomon had all of the materials he needed to build the Holy Temple. Before ascending to the throne, David ensured that Solomon was properly prepared to lead the nation of Israel. God nurtures us to be victorious in the same way and as we obey his words, he guides us with his wisdom and understanding. When God created the beautiful garden of Eden, he gave Adam and Eve dominion over it. God taught them how to plow the land, sow the seeds, and reap the harvest as they began their lives, as well as how to water the plants and enjoy their fruits. He visited them every day and discussed things that are profitable to them. (Is 48:17) n the same way, God will teach you the things you find difficult to learn. He will bestow wisdom on you for you to comprehend the complexities of life. Do not worry. B. He loves us. According to John (3:16), "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son." God's love was revealed to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The center of love and compassion in the Lord Jesus Christ. And on the cross, sacrificial love was displayed for us through Jesus. He loves each of us unconditionally and without discrimination. Examine the life of Joseph. In Jacob's old age, he had a son named Joseph. Joseph's mother died when he was a child. As a result, Jacob adored Joseph more than any of his brothers. He showed more concern for him and prioritized Joseph's needs above all others. Every day, he spends the majority of his time with Joseph. And as an expression of love, Jacob made Joseph an ornate robe one day. Joseph was the only one who received the robe, not his brothers. Joseph was overjoyed with the robe and the disguised love. Jacob taught Joseph about the fear of God and insisted on his obedience to God at all times. The love shared by the father and son was incredible. Even now, many of you may recall the love you received from your father; many others may miss his presence, his care, and love, his warmth, and gentle touch; many may never experience the love of a father; but God says, "I am the Father to the fatherless." (Psalm 68:5) From now on, you will be delighted by our heavenly father's love. He will look after you and love you more than your early father ever did. C. He meets our requirements. Luke 11 : (11-12) says, “Which of you fathers if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” According to the Bible, God knows our needs before we ask him. Nonetheless, he insists that we ask him, just as we do our father. Many people believe that because God knows everything, he should give us everything without asking. However, as you begin to ask God for what you require, he listens and provides, and you enjoy the relationship. He encourages us to ask him through the Spirit of sonship that he bestowed upon us through the Lord Jesus Christ. And all who asks receives in double measure. Caleb, the powerful man, and Joshua's friend announced the marriage of his daughter to the man who can capture Debir or Keriath – sepher. Othniel completed the task, and Caleb married his daughter to him, giving him the south portion of the land as a dowry. Achsah, Caleb's daughter, went to him, dissatisfied with his gifts, and asked for springs of water to irrigate the fields. Caleb gave Achsah the water springs she desired, as well as the upper and lower springs. She got twice as much because she asked her heart out. Similarly, open your heart to God and tell him everything you desire. He will write it all down in his book and carry it out in your lives, making you happy. Children's responsibilities to their parents A child in the role is given certain responsibilities as well. Firstly, Colossian (3:20) states, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Every parent desire that their child is obedient. God expects us to be obedient to him as well. Esau, Isaac's eldest son, married his first two wives, both of whom were Heth's daughters, against his parents' wishes. They were accused of being adulterous and idolatrous. Jacob, on the other hand, chose his wife from his mother's brother's family. Esau's simple act of disobedience caused a huge schism in the family His parents were heartbroken, and his wives had never respected or cared for them which brought grief to Isaac and Rebecca. For Rebekah, it is said that Esau’s wives made her life bitter and grievous. Many times, we feel that our parents limit our ability to make decisions for ourselves; we feel suffocated with fewer options. We even feel dominated and controlled by them which is not correct. God wants us to have everything we need, and so do our parents. We may not understand them at the time, but when we do, we feel it was said for our benefit. Secondly, Bible says, “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise) “Ephesians (6:2) "Honor your father and mother," the commandment says. It appears frequently in the Bible. Respecting and appreciating them is what it means to honor them. We often say hurtful things to them that break their hearts. It hurts them when we do not uphold the values that they instilled in us. Jacob's firstborn, Reuben, disobeyed and dishonored his father by sleeping with his concubine. He did so to gain a position and authority in the family. He planned it carefully and ruined her. And Jacob was well aware of the situation. As a result, on Jacob's deathbed, he cursed his son and took away his birthright. 2. Our King The Prophet Isaiah tells us about His encounter with the King, which is useful in rebalancing our image of God: "The seraphim stood above him. Each had six wings: two for covering his face, two for covering his feet, and two for flying. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" exclaimed one. The foundations of the thresholds shook at the sound of his voice, and the house filled with smoke. "Woe is me!" I exclaimed. When the prophet saw God, he exclaimed, "Woe is me!" It is worth noting that this realization of His unworthiness did not drive him away from God, but rather produced respect and reverence. This reminds us of a simple, yet humbling truth: we deserve nothing but wrath from God. The fact that God is our Father does not negate the fact that He is also our King. We have a beautiful blend of both in God. I felt as if I had gone a little too far on the spectrum by focusing so intensely on God's father's heart. I'd lost some of the heaviness of God's holiness. I'd become a little lax in my thinking about obedience and faith. That when God says, "Do not eat from that tree," I am to respond, "Yes, sir." God was the king of the Israelites, and it was his plan alone that brought them out of Egypt. He led them into the vast land of Canaan, which was abundant in goodness, with his mighty and outstretched arm. He dispersed their enemies, who were stronger than them, and gave them victory in all of their battles. During the time of Prophet Samuel, however, they argued with him about giving them a flesh-and-blood king. They desired a mortal ruler with whom they could interact daily. They rejected God and his authority over them, and Samuel was forced to appoint a king. They had forgotten and were ungrateful for all the miracles that God had performed to deliver them from Egypt. As a result, God's heart was broken, and Samuel wept over their blunder. Nonetheless, God granted their request and gave the first king, Saul, who burdened his people and took their lands forcibly. However, God continues to reign. The abundance of the earth and everything in it is still his. Let us take a quick look at his kingdom's governance. A, He is a king of Justice and truth. Justice and judgment are the habitations of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. (Ps 89: 14) God is enthralled by justice and mercy. He revels in lawfully ruling his people. He is the King who ensures the happiness and satisfaction of the people. The life of King Solomon slightly gives us a representation of God's kingdom. As Solomon sat on the throne, two mothers approached him with a problem. Each was a mother of a child, and one of the children had died. Each claimed to be the mother of the living baby. "All right, bring a sword and split the baby so each mother can have half," Solomon said. "OK, so neither of us gets to keep the baby," one mother explained. That's fine." "Give her the baby, but don't kill it," the other mother said. Solomon declared that the woman who wanted the baby to live, even if she was with the other woman, was the true mother. If you haven't yet received your justice, remember that God, our king, will bring it to you. He will honor you and reveal your integrity in front of everyone. He will not abandon you until he has done the right thing in your life. He is a King who is mighty in battle. B, He protects his people. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. Ps 121:7 A king defends his people against the attacks and troubles of opposing kingdoms. He ensures that the people of his country are safe and peaceful. He even jeopardizes his life for their sake. During Jehoshaphat's reign, the King of Judah, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites fought against him. They were a large group of people who came from Edom to attack the Israelites. When Jehoshaphat heard this, he became terrified and gathered the assembly in prayer. Instead of abandoning his people and saving his own life, he prayed to God with them. The Lord listened to their prayers and delivered Judah. He set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there[e] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. Even on this day, let God be your Father and King, who will always be with you and your family. He will guide you and teach you the proper path to take. He will shield you from all harm and guide you safely. Prayer: Malkeinu, Avinu Malkeinu, Lord, I appreciate your presence and acceptance of me as your son/daughter. Thank you for your love shown to me through the Lord Jesus Christ. I trust you and assure you that I will obey both you and my parents. I will live my life to honor and glorify you. Take charge of my life and assist me in walking it safely. I devote myself to you and love you above all else. Thank you for the peace you've given me. Be with me and protect me for the rest of my life. In the name of Jesus, amen!

  • DAY - 3 THE ADVOCATE

    DAY 3 – THE ADVOCATE These things I write to you, my little children so that you will not sin. And if anyone sins, we have a righteous advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. 1John 2:1 Who is an advocate? Well, the Oxford dictionary refers to an advocate as a person, who adds a voice of support to a cause or a person. An advocate defends his client in the courtroom in front of the judge with all the possible statements to prove that the client is free of guilt. I believe that we would have seen the court scene on television where the mediator tries hard to save his men at all costs. The debates, the interrogations, the witnesses’ and the final verdict all increase the heat in the room. In a similar way, the Apostle John, who was also a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, pens down an idea of a heavenly court scene for a particular congregation. The members of the church were condemning themselves for the mistakes that they had made in the past. Looking at their low spirits, John explains that "we indeed have an advocate who can prove our innocence in front of the heavenly judge on our behalf." Many people, find it hard to recover from a mistake or sin even after identifying it as a sin. Some other individuals end up forming bad habits, but they keep blaming themselves for it over and over again. And there are other people who, by any means, never accept that they are liable for a wrong deed. Only a few souls accept Christ's salvation and forgiveness and are freed from the bondage of sin. Glancing into the first category, the Bible refers to them as humans of weaker conscience. A human’s conscience is the inner voice that mostly keeps an individual away from an immoral act. The values and morality that are inculcated through parents, surroundings, books, and personal experiences guide a person on the right path. But, if the conscience of a person is weak, they become fragile and equipment for evil in society. Titus (1:15) To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. In the life of King Solomon, David, the father of Solomon, passed over the administrating authorities, governing and ruling the land of Israel to Solomon when he was very young. On his deathbed, King David warned Solomon to follow all the commandments of God to prosper and be successful in his reign. After the death of his father, King David, Solomon seems to be obedient to the Lord during his initial days. He served and sacrificed to the Lord and kept all the laws that were instructed through Moses to the Israelites. But, as days passed, Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, nor shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, many of whom were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wife turned away from his heart." (1 Kings 11:1-4) Then Solomon built a high place for Che mosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so, he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. (1 Kings 11:7-8) The King who built the Holy Temple for the Almighty God erected a tabernacle of worship for other gods—demons—on the holy land of Jerusalem and defiled it. So, God appeared to Solomon and warned him to leave all the evil practices and return to him. But unfortunately, Solomon’s heart was unable to repent of his sins. Though King Solomon was powerful in dominion, the abominations dominated and failed him. Now, what is a weak conscience? 1Corinthians 8:9 speaks about the distinct fellow being of a vulnerable inner voice. Paul continues to say that these people stumble if they are not guided righteously, as it is hard for them to choose or differentiate between right and wrong. The lack of discernment often led them astray from God. They can easily be deceived, tricked, and fooled. We could read about Jacob, who was duped in front of Isaac for his blessings. Jacob believed it to be Esau and blessed Jacob abundantly, leaving the other with nothing. Now, how can someone have a strong mind voice? The Lord Jesus Christ once told his disciples that "My sheep hear my voice and I will guide them." When we start to listen to God’s voice through sermons, scriptures, songs, etc, we will understand his guidance to walk righteously. The second set of personalities is those that sin, regret, yet are unable to forgive themselves. Their minds recall everything frequently and torment them with their guilt. Finally, they lose their peace and happiness and live in darkness. In the Bible, we read about a man called Judas Iscariot. Judas was one of the original twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was with the Lord and followed him everywhere. He listened to the sermons Jesus taught, went to synagogues with him, ate, and dined with him always. He too was a friend of Jesus, just like any other disciple. But, during the last supper that was arranged for the Lord Jesus, Satan entered Judas’ heart and corrupted him. He disclosed Jesus’ whereabouts to the high priest and elders for 30 pieces of silver and identified Jesus with a kiss. After he saw Jesus condemned to death, Judas became restless and lost his peace. He cursed himself for causing innocent bloodshed. He tried to save Jesus by throwing away the money in front of the council, but his efforts went in vain. As he couldn’t get away from the guilt, he hanged himself on a tree. There will be certain moments in our lives where we find it extremely difficult to forgive ourselves and let go of them. Every human faces it because their conscience keeps accusing us. Many, during these times, avoid prayer. They are afraid of God’s presence and try to escape from him. But I tell you, in all those terrible times, run into God’s presence and surrender yourself to him. He alone is the God who can forgive your sins and forget them. He is capable of not only forgiving you but also restoring your lost peace and saving you from your sins. The third type of group will never accept that they are wrong, even after going through several condemnations. The Holy Book warns such people multiple times and accuses them of the stubbornness of their hearts. But as Romans 2:5 says, "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are considered to be holy and righteous. It’s by his blood that our sins are covered and are not remembered. But the blood of the Lord Jesus can cleanse us only when we repent of it in his presence and are willing to accept his salvation. But the hardness of heart refuses to understand its wickedness and boasts with pride, thinking it to be righteous. Cain and Abel were the two sons of the parents, Adam and Eve. Cain was working in the field while Abel was taking care of the cattle. On a fine day, Cain offered his grains at the altar of God, and Abel brought the best sheep to be offered. Abel’s tithe was accepted by God, but he rejected Cain’s offerings, which made Cain furious. In his outrage, Cain took Abel to the field and killed him cruelly. God stepped down from heaven and enquired about Abel, to which Cain replied that he knew nothing about Abel. This saddened God’s heart, as he knew what had happened and cursed Cain for his action against his brother. If at all, Cain accepted his misdeed and tried to reconcile with God, God would have graciously forgiven him. Which is the reason David pleads to God for an understanding heart, a heart that can distinguish between the good and the bad, a heart that can fear the voice of God. Even as we meditate today, let’s ask God for a heart that can listen to God and obey all that he commands. Ezek 36:26-27, God says, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” The fourth batch of souls is very small in number and is considered to be upright before God. They are someone who can readily accept their flaws and surrender them to God in reconciliation. They are someone who fears God and willfully obey him as they love him. They are unshakable by worldly pleasures and are firm in the faith. They overcome the world with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ and are considered victorious. They conquer the world and battle the enemy with faith, declaring, "Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. " Micah (7:8) King David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking young man. And the Lord was with him. (1 Sam 16:18) God protected David from all his enemies and enabled him to rule the nation of Israel. But when David became king, he forcefully committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and murdered Uriah. This was found to be evil in God’s sight. God sent Nathan to David to rebuke him for his offense. And when David heard the word of God, he immediately confessed his sins. He repented wholeheartedly and waited for God’s mercy. And as he waited on God, the merciful God generously forgave him and bloated out the transgressions. 1 John (1:8), "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." SCENE FROM A HEAVENLY COURT Joshua, who is mentioned in the book of Zechariah 3, was a Levite and a descendant of Aaron. Joshua returned from Babylon along with Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, Azariah, and many others. As the first high priest in the rebuilt Jerusalem, Joshua played a significant historical role and was a precursor to Ezra, who came to Jerusalem during the second wave of returning exiles. God's prophet Zechariah was also with them, revealing God’s plan and guiding them. One day. God showed Zechariah a heavenly vision. In the vision, Zechariah saw Joshua, the high priest, who was standing before the Angel of the Lord. To his right was Satan, who also presented himself before God. In the scene, Satan was found continually accusing the high priest, Joshua. When we look into our lives, there may be some violations that we committed in the past, thinking that nobody was aware of them. But in reality, even the secrets of the dark are revealed in front of the almighty God. In the same way, Satan also knew all the shortcomings that a man had in his life. We can't hide from both of them. He immediately approaches God's throne and begins to obligate in front of God. He exactly did that in the life of Joshua. Joshua, a symbol of guilt, was seen in court wearing filthy clothes. The Lord saw the uncleaned garments of Joshua and ordered the Angel to bring a clean cloth to represent that the sins of Joshua were forgiven. THE ADVOCATE IS LORD JESUS CHRIST. The Lord Jesus Christ was given to mankind as a ransom for the people. He bore our transgressions and redeemed us from all unworthiness. On the cross, he laid himself down as an atonement for human redemption. It is through the blood of the Lord Jesus that our sins are removed and we are cleansed. He is given the authority to forgive the sins of mankind. And whoever comes to him, he does not cast away. Lord Jesus was on earth, he was preaching to a particular group one day. As he was preaching to the crowd, there was a sudden hustling of another crowd. When the Lord Jesus Christ saw, he found a few men who had caught a woman in adultery. They wanted to stone the woman to death and fulfill the law that Moses gave them. The death penalty is enshrined in Old Testament law for a woman who is found to be an infidel. Everyone in the crowd was waiting for the Lord Jesus to stone her to death. However, to everyone’s surprise, Lord Jesus began to scribble something on the ground and looked to the men, and said, "If anyone without fault can throw the first stone at her." The buzzing crowd went speechless, and everyone went one by one away from her. Finally, the Lord Jesus asked the woman, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? " She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. From now on, do not sin anymore. " The Lord Jesus Christ saved her that day and redeemed her life from the judgmental mob. Sometimes, we judge people based on their actions or on what we hear about them. We gossip about the person, condemn them, and treat them rudely because of their previous actions. But God, who looks at the heart, offers forgiveness to all who ask. When we meet the Lord Jesus, neither the world nor Satan can charge us. Today, let’s pray to God that He forgives us for all the wrongs that were done intentionally or unintentionally. He is our Advocate who gives freedom from the bondage of sin. May God bless you and your family abundantly. PRAYER: On these days of Lent, Advocate, Lord, I acknowledge that you came into the world to offer yourself to me. Your love, manifested in the form of sacrifice, was all I needed. The Bible says someone can die for a righteous man, but Christ died for us while we were still sinners. I accept and confess that I’ve broken your heart in the past. I admit that I didn’t live a righteous and pleasing life. But, after understanding the greatest price that was paid on my behalf, I completely surrender to you. Give me a heart that follows your decree. May I live the rest of my life to glorify you? Accept me and live with me. Thank you for the unconditional love that you have for me. In Jesus' name, amen!!

  • DAY - 2 ADONAI

    OH LORD, OUR LORD, HOW EXCELLENT IS YOUR NAME IN ALL THE EARTH! PS 8:9 "The LORD of ALL THAT EXISTS or MY LORD" is what the word Adonai means. More than 400 times in the Bible, the name is referenced. God's dominance over the entire cosmos is expressed in the name Adonai. He is the Creator of everything, including the sun, moon, and galaxies, as well as the world, nation, and people's rulers. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. According to the Psalmist, everything, seen and unseen, is under God's authority. Can you imagine the celestial beings lining up to worship Him as He sits on the throne in all His majesty and glory (Deu 4:19), a billion stars each called by their names (Ps 147:7), the 24 elders of heaven (Rev 4), the battalion of Angels, saints, Cherubs, and Seraphim all kneeling down to honor Him? It's unimaginable and astounding to comprehend and withstand the glory of our almighty God. He is such a great God that even the entire heavens cannot contain Him. According to the Bible, no one has ever seen this God and lived afterward. There have been a couple of moments in my experience where when I started to think about God’s sovereignty and his holiness, my body automatically trembled, my mind collapsed, my heart beats were faster than before, and I eventually gave up the thought to just breathe and relax. Many of God's mighty men were unable to tolerate His unconventional glory and fell down dead at the moment. It was always a challenge to mankind to endure God’s competence and splendidness. God is the God of every living being. He is God to every human on earth, irrespective of the faith they follow. Whether they seek him or not, his love remains the same for everyone. Matt (5:45) states, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." He holds authority over all things in the universe. Though he’s the Sovereign Lord, Matt (6:26) claims that he gently feeds the birds of the air as they call out to him. Not just birds, even the animals in the wild, the giant creatures in the ocean, everything looks to him for food at the proper time. (Ps 104:27) If God can listen to the sounds of these creatures and compassionately fulfil their desires, how much more can he do it for us when we call on him? Before we can understand who he is in our lives, let’s quickly discuss his splendidness and sovereignty. Moses was a servant of God who was sent to the Israelites to rescue them from the Egyptian rulers. As he brought the people out of the land of Egypt, they all camped with their families and cattle in the wilderness for many days. God called Moses to give the Israelites the laws and regulations they must follow. It was Moses’ routine to go up to the mountain to talk to God and listen to all that He spoke. Only Moses was allowed to go up to God, and the rest were forbidden, including the cattle that weren’t supposed to gaze at the border of the mountain. After watching all this for a long time, the Israelites started to grumble against Moses. They argued with Moses and were offended that God could speak to them in the same way that he spoke to Moses. So, God decided to talk to them directly and called the assembly to gather at the foot of the mountain. While he started to talk to them, the Israelites heard the roaring thunder and the flashing lightning. The entire mountain was covered with smoke, and they saw God’s presence and trembled with fear. They cried unto Moses, "We are afraid to have God speak directly to us; we are certain that we will die. You speak to us instead; we promise to listen. " (Exod 20:19) When the crowd was scared at God’s omnipresence, God spoke to Moses face-to-face, like a friend. Moses was the only man on earth who had the privilege of experiencing closeness with God. Does your heart pound for the same companionship with Our Sovereign Lord just like Moses had? If yes, let me reveal its secret. It's only through prayer and obedience that we can reach the habitation of the unreachable God. Though he is far away physically, he dwells among us through the Spirit of God. When mankind longed for centuries to see God in mortal eyes, He came into the world as the Lord Jesus Christ, so that men celebrated His birth, touched Him and delighted, spoke to him, and were enthralled. He was the incarnation of the unseen God. Is it possible to be with God all the time in the busy routine of life? I say yes, it is possible. When I say it's possible, I do not ask you to sit in a room and pray for hours and hours without working out your daily chores. It's not about going to church daily and spending the day there. It's not about neglecting the people around you and remaining isolated. It is certainly not about having a rough and serious face all the time. It is also not about fasting daily and losing your health. When I say, you can be with God 24*7 in this technological world, I mean to say that the prime thing to do is to occupy your mind with Godly thoughts, praise Him and talk to him just like you share and discuss things with your friends, include Him in your conversation, share your secrets and desires, invite Him into your life as a partner, tell Him the plans before you say them to others, avoid gossip and worldly attachment, avoid envy and hatred, avoid enmity and harsh words because God dwells in the holies. The Bible talks about another man called Enoch in Genesis. It declares that Enoch walked with God. When the name Enoch appears in the scripture, it simply states that Enoch was with God rather than describing his background. What does that mean? Enoch had a family of kids and grandkids. He had a job to take care of the household and cattle, he had a fatherly duty to fulfil, he had his social and personal tasks that needed to be done, and as the master of the house, he had his days of heavy work schedules, yet the Bible records that he was the man who walked with God. He was the man God spent his time with. How deep are those words? The sovereign Lord visited him to be with him, and it was beyond human understanding. But, how could he do that on his busy day? I’ve heard from a lot of people saying they don’t have time for prayer as they already have so much on their plate. I’ve seen people who timeously work in a job and are so occupied all the time that they don’t have a moment with family members. I, myself, have been so busy in the past that I’ve skipped my prayers for days. It’s important to understand that praying to God regularly, occasionally, or without praying is a choice that is given to humans. God is not going to be harsh or angry with us because we don’t pray or read his scripture. Surely, he is not going to punish us for all of these. Then why should I pray? Should we pray to have intimacy with God and to cognize who he really is? Without prayer, our spiritual man is dead. Without prayer, it’s impossible to receive God’s plan and revelations. Prayer is food that strengthens our inner man, who can connect to God. Not praying for a day, nothing happens. Not praying for a week makes you weak. Not praying for a month welcomes troubles. Not praying for a year, you are completely doomed without the presence of God. Looking at Enoch, Enoch chose to give all his leisure time to God, and that doesn’t mean he neglected his family. The first thing he did in the morning was to pray and give the day to God, and thus God helped him to balance things out. In the same way, when you give your day to God, he handles it with his brilliance and makes sure that you don’t miss conversing with him. simple! In several other translations, Adonai can also be known as "My Master." The Psalmist in 123 Psalms sings, "Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us." David, the renowned king of Israel, considers God to be his only master. He was humbled before God rather than taking his own decisions in conquering the enemies. In all the times of his life, David looked for God’s guidance to move forward. In all the difficult moments, he wholeheartedly submitted to God and asked for God's patience with him. In all his troubles, he served God and praised his name in the holy sanctuary. When God said "Yes", he proceeded, and when he said "No," David waited. The New Testament warns us that we can never serve two masters. Please God, nobody can shake hands with the world. David understood that only through the grace and mercy of God could he be raised and live peacefully. Hence, he waited for him to shower grace abundantly. In worldly realms, we see that the servants are under their master’s control. Every need is being taken care of by his or her master. Likewise, God knows what’s best for us and provides us accordingly. Today, as we discuss our Lord, "Adonai", he is the God that can do the impossible things easily. Nothing is too hard for him to work on. Make him your master and everything will fall into place perfectly. The Bible says that God can do great and unsearchable things for you when you call on his name. (Jer 33:3) So, call on Him in prayer and learn about His majesty as described in the Bible. Be with him and enjoy the journey. I pray that you have a perfect relationship with him in the upcoming days. May the Lord Adonai be with you and your family and bless you abundantly. AMEN!! PRAYER : Adonai, Lord, I understand that you are the sole Master Lord of all beings on earth. You are the God of grace and mercy. You show your mercy abundantly to all those who fear you in obedience. Even in this, I allow myself to acknowledge your divine love and grace for me. I lift up my heart in respect and fear that only through you will I live and be provided for. I also let myself walk in closeness with you like Enoch and Moses. Help me to understand you more each day. In every day’s schedule, let me give my priority to being with you in prayer. Talk to me and lead me in the way you led your people of Israel. Help me to witness your awesomeness in my life, inside and out. Be my master and let me follow your instructions. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

  • DAY 1 - JEHOVAH

    And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. Exod 3:14 Our God is incredible. He is the Almighty God. In terms of force and majesty, he is unrivaled. His amazing feats and unfathomable power are recorded in the Holy Bible. Mortal men have observed and appreciated his incredible efforts at various times. He hasn't changed since yesterday, today, or forever. He is the God of our people. In today's blog, we'll consider the supremacy of Jehovah, the one true living God. There lived a Hebrew couple named Amram and Jochebed in the tribe of Levi. This family lived along with the other Hebrew families in the land of Egypt under slavery, where the Hebrews were oppressed and treated harshly by the Egyptian rulers. Moses was born to a couple in the most difficult times of the Israelites. It was when the King sent a decree to the midwives to kill all the Hebrew boys leaving the girls. This was an attempt to control the population of the Israelites who were growing strong and large in numbers. However, the midwives refused to participate in infanticide by deceiving the government officials. Moses' mother Jochebed hid Moses in a basket and set him afloat in the Nile River to save his life. The basket floated across the river and led the baby to the daughter of Pharoah who at the same time was enjoying the scenic beauty. She took the baby from the river and named him Moses raising him as her own. Thus, the Hebrew boy ended up growing in the royal palaces, In the palace, Moses was educated in all the wisdom of Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. (Acts 7:22) On one fine day, after Moses grew up, he went to where his people were and watched them at their hard labor. He became furious over an Egyptian man and killed him for ill-treating his brother. When he came to know that the scene was revealed out in empublic, he ran away from Egypt to save his life from the punishment of Pharoah. Moses ended up in Midian and married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro looking after his flock. As years passed, Moses who was taking care of his Father-in-law's sheep led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to the mountain of God Horeb. There he encountered the Almighty God who called him for a great mission of redeeming Israel from the bondage of slavery. The God who spoke to Moses, revealed himself to be JEHOVAH, who has sent Moses to his brothers to redeem them. JEHOVAH means IAM THAT IAM. (Exo 3:14) In the 40 years of affliction, the Israelites cried to the Lord endlessly to save them from oppressors. The Egyptian Masters forced them to work ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with rough services. They worked as laborers continuously day and night to build the city of Rameses. As a result, Israelites languished in misery and broken spirit. Every day they looked to their God in dejection to save them from the cruel hands and as days were exceeding, they eventually lost their hope in the promises that was given to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now, there are a lot of people around the globe who could not escape or voice out domestic violence, physical abuse, mental trauma, and so on. There are left with no one to help or comfort them. They live in subjugation all their lives hoping for freedom. Many times, we go through similar situations in our lives. We may not necessarily go through physical oppression, but the harsh words that come like fierce swords often hurt us so deep that it could be impossible to escape from. We can read in Ecc (4:1) " Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression that were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them, and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. " Look into the lives of Sarah and Hannah in the Old Testament. Sarah was the wife of Abraham while the latter was the wife of Elkanah. Both these women lived in two different time intervals. The common issue with these ladies is that they both remained barren for a long time. I believe that we could possibly imagine the agony they faced because of their inability. They were neglected and shamed by the words and gestures of other women in the community and finally lost their honor and dignity. Sarah was supposed to be blessed by the Lord because of the promise He made with Abraham while Hannah was to be blessed as she regularly visited His temple praying. Sometimes, we ought to be faithful to God living a righteous life praying to Him and worshipping Him, yet the situations and people around tend to depress us that we lose our focus in God. But, as said above our God is a living God. He is an everlasting God. He is certainly not deaf to our prayers or a God who cannot rescue us. As the situation was getting worse, God immediately stepped in to bless them. They both were blessed by the God as they trust in Him. He worked on their behalf and turned their indignity into honor. The Israelites after being cried a whole lot of years were convinced that God still unhears their plea, but where in they were losing hope, God was preparing for a Man to show His powers through Moses. Well, you might be one sitting in despair recollecting all the unfulfilled spoken promises of God. But remember, He is the God who lives. He sees your tears and listens to your prayers and answers it. He is the God who can comfort you and save you from all the snares. If He promises you, remember that He is able to make it true. He is the God Jehovah. Just as the prayers of Israelites reached to the throne of God in Heaven so are your prayers taken to God through the Spirit of God. When He made the Israelites awestruck with His unending powers, so are you who is going to testify about His might in your lives. Remember that Your Redeemer lives forever and is mighty to fulfill His words. Look to Him and seek his presence, pour out you’re your heart and be encouraged. Surely, God will prove that He is alive in your lives by glorifying you. May the God JEHOVAH be with you and your family and bless you abundantly. Amen!! PRAYER: Dear Lord Jehovah, I understood that you are the everlasting living God. You are in control of the universe. You are all powerful and magnificent. Lord, I regret the moments I doubted your power and your presence around us. There have been tough times when I felt all alone and forgot to acknowledge that you were still around working on miracles for me. On this day, I surrender my life into your hands. As you were with the children of Israel, continue to be with me and my family. Thank you for your amazing love and concern. Take my life and guide me on your path. Amen!

  • FEBRUARY - PROMISE VERSE

    " I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. " - Hosea 14:5 INTRODUCTION Born and brought up in a tropical climate, it has always been a fascination to watch the snowfall, the quiet yet refreshing weather. To enjoy the serenity, people of the country choose to travel across the borders during the month of November-December to enjoy the fresh snowy environment. In the Bible, the dew was first mentioned in Genesis 2:6, God initially, watered the ground not with rain, but with the mist. And by this, the earth was softened enough to nourish the plants that were already created and the seeds that they might produce new plants. As we are into the second month of the year, the promise verse that God has given us is taken from the book of Hosea, (14:5) which says, "AND I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL, HE SHALL GROW AS THE LILY, AND CAST FORTH HIS ROOTS AS LEBANON." THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. God's words appeared to Prophet Hosea, which called the Children of Israel that worshipped idols to return to the true God, the God of their forefathers. As they chose to walk in the ways of their neighbors in complete wickedness, God's anger fumed against them, and He withhold every blessing that He claimed to bless them with. The land of Israel has lost its peace and prosperity, the enemy kingdoms captured their people in slavery, demolished their buildings and fortified cities, and took all their wealth. Ages after ages, God was repeatedly in call for His people to reunite with Him in utmost obedience and fear for His holy name. Few rejected the call but many turned to His grace. Every day, we are passing through a lot of Christian messages on Television, the Internet, blogs, and even through songs, yet a small number of hearts are being attracted to the word of God. The probability of receiving the grace of God is always lesser than the actual number of people that listen. But, to us who yearns day and night to walk in truth, God says I will be with you like how I was with the people of Israel. a) DEW OF THE DESERT SIN [DEW OF SATISFACTION] When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. (Ex 16:14) The Israelites had a closer memorable connection to mists. During the period of Slavery in Egypt, God sent a redeemer called Moses, to redeem His people from the bondage of Pharoh and his people. Through Moses, God performed wondrous signs and miracles that the earth has never witnessed it ever before. Starting from the different kinds of plagues until the separation of the Red sea, the hand of God was powerful and mighty against the Egyptians. The almighty God went ahead of them by the Pillar of cloud at daytime and by the pillar of fire during the night. After crossing the Red sea, the Israelites pitched their tents in the desert called Sin. Tirelessly walking for a long number of days, running from their enemies, they all were weak and weary of the heat and dryness of the desert. So, the whole community grumbled against their head Moses. They started quarreling with Moses and Aaron for food and meat. As Moses rushed to the Lord with the petition God answered Him to meet their demand. That evening God sent countless Quail to their camps and the next day as the ground was covered with snow and when the snow left, thin flakes like frost on the ground called Manna appeared on the desert floor. (Ex 16) Isn't that great evidence of God's love for his people? At the time of their needs, even when Moses doubted and was scared to provide for the huge population, it was the hand of God that fed them. That is the reason the bible asks, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Jer 32:27) God can meet your needs and keep you filled even in the sun-scorched dry land. Let's look into the life of Elijah, Elijah, the mighty servant of God was led to a place called Zarephath to be fed. Elijah was asked by the Lord to move from the place because Elijah condemned King Ahab and his wife Quen Jezebel who guided the nation into rampant idolatry, So God was withholding rain from Israel to prove that it is He who gives rain. Ps (147:16) On God's guidance Elijah left the place and moved to Zarepath, which is a small town out of Israel. While entering the place Elijah found a widow who was collecting the sticks from the ground. Seeing her, he went to her and asked for food to which she replied desperately that she has only a few handfuls of flour that she has kept for her son and for herself to eat and die. Understanding the pain of poverty and the agony of not being able to provide for her son, Elijah still insisted that she make some food for him st the first place and the woman obeyed. Consider, the lives of both Elijah and the woman, look at their trials of lives. One was sent to be fed to a poor widow while the other had nothing left except a little for themselves. We can see that both the characters firstly obeyed and trusted God. Sometimes God puts us also in situations that can never be understood by a human mind. He demands an act of obedience without questioning and that's where Faith plays along. We all have a Godly mentor or a spiritual counselor or a praying brother/sister in our circle. When God puts a word for us to be conveyed, how many times did we listen to it wholeheartedly with mumbling and grumbling? I have seen a lot of people inquiring about things so much that I eventually stop conveying God's message for them at a certain point. I've seen disobedience. mocking and lack of faith in God's words. And when trouble hits these people, they tend to lose hope and fall miserable. My dear readers, God loves a devoted and honoring heart. Remember David was called a man after God's own heart just for his submissive nature. And afterward, and she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, That is the gracious and loving hand of God. Bible says, "Ask and you will receive it." and All who asks receives abundantly from God. Do not look at your depressing situations, because we have a God who can change anything and everything for our good. God will satisfy with whatever your heart longs for today. b) DEW OF HERMON [ DEW OF BLESSINGS] As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. (Ps 133:3) Mount Hermon (or “sacred mountain”) is the highest mountain in ancient Israel, boasting majestic, snowcapped peaks rising just over 9,000 feet above the sea. The Psalmist sings that like the dew that covers the Hermon, the blessings of the Lord cover his people. In the book of Genesis 49, we can read Jacob (Israel) was blessing all the twelve sons before his death. In verses 22-26, Jacob blessed his beloved son Joseph, "By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father Have excelled in the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers." The tribe of Joseph was blessed with BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN ABOVE Hosea 6:3 says, " Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Though the initial stages of Joseph's life were miserable, the promises of God in Joseph's life were fulfilled and God blessed Joseph abundantly for his faithfulness. In the same way, you too are going to be blessed for your faithfulness. In all the seasons, the Israelites enjoyed the blessings of Heaven from the Heavenly Father. In the same way, as said in Deu 28:12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. God blessed the works of Joseph right in the Potiphar's house, in prison, and even in the house of Pharoah. Joseph lend food to all the people who came to him. He even fed his brothers, father, and his people. 2. BLESSINGS OF DEEP THAT LIES BENEATH Blessings deep under the lakes, rivers as mentioned in the bible are nothing but the blessings you missed or blessings that are hidden. Once upon a time, the disciples of Prophet Elisha went to the river Jordan to cut some woods for them to build a place to live. As they were cutting trees, suddenly one of the men's ax heads which he borrowed fell into the river. The man started crying in the fear of the lender. At that moment, Elisha came and asked the man for the place he lost, the man showed it to Elisha and it was deep under the water. Looking at the place, Elisha cut a block of wood and dropped it right in the place it was lost, a few minutes later, to everyone's surprise, the ax came up and floated and thus the man retrieved his lost ax. Joseph lost the vision and purpose for some time in his life. His life was nothing like the two astounding dreams he had during childhood. But, as he trusted God, God lead Joseph into his purpose thus making the dream come true. Similarly, God will also help you with all that you have lost and will repay you doubly. Similarly, when Peter's toil of the night was useless in catching fishes, Lord Jesus took him deeper, so that Peter could catch numerous fishes that were hidden. 3. BLESSINGS OF ANCESTORS This is a generational blessing. God is a God who is faithful unto 1000 generations. It's for the faith and faithfulness of Abraham, God showered His mercy unto his generations. For the obedience of King David, his clan was established upon the throne of Israel. On the same account, you and your generations will be blessed by the Faithful God of Israel. I would like to quote two verses, that we indeed are under the blessings that Abraham and David received. So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Gal 3:9 I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Is 55:3 HE SHALL GROW LIKE LILY AND CAST FORTH HIS ROOTS AS LEBANON If only, one takes a visit to the Lily field he/she can enjoy its divine beauty and the pleasant fragrance. Lord Jesus in Matthew 6 says, that God clothed these flowers in absolute glory lesser than that of King Solomon. This is the field where the beloved and the maiden spend most of their time in the Songs of Solomon. Lilies are the symbol of purity, divinity, and glory. If you look at a lily flower, its head always looks down the bottom stating its humility before the creator. Likewise, when we root stronger and deeper in Christ, the essence and fragrance of Christ rules us and change us into a pleasing aroma. The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. Ps 104:16 In ancient times, cedarwood was especially desirable for its aromatic qualities as well as its resistance to decay and bugs. Lebanon was known for its magnificent cedars and was once heavily forested with them. Cedar was a major export and source of wealth. God will bless you like the strong cedars of Lebanon and you will be eternally glorified.

  • GOD'S PERSONAL JOURNAL

    " You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Ps 56:8 Numerous people really enjoy writing personal journals in their leisure time. Men and women, both young and old record life's various situations to rewind the roller-coaster emotional journey of the past. While going through the pages, many memory refreshes the soul like achieving a goal, a fun trip with friends, marriage, and so on while some remembrance rekindles the heartaches such as a loss of someone, a downfall, an accident, etc. Human life is always filled with both excited and emotional pages and one must learn to balance both. From the Bible, we can read that the Almighty God, the maker of the entire universe keeps a yearbook Himself. Surprised? Yes, that's what the scripture tells us. Have you ever wondered Why should God needs a record book? What is He going to write in it? About whom are the pages filled with? Will He write it or some servant angel pens it down for Him? Well, when I was meditating upon the chapter I had such serious thoughts gushing over my mind. I was extremely eager to find out God's handbook and started to ponder more. And all that I found out, all that God has put in my heart is what I'm gonna share with every one of you. Are you ready to explore? Before starting, if you were guilty about intervening in somebody's diary, well it is indeed not ethical to dig into others' privacy but God volunteers to show us His arena. He in truth, wants us to have some knowledge about it. So, let's start... Firstly, in the book of Malachi, chapter 3 (16-18) says, " Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. " Evident to our meditation, Prophet Malachi prophecy about God's logbook. We can understand from Malachi that God notes the life of everyone who fears His name. There could be a couple of reasons probably for His notebook, which we are going to discuss shortly. But before that, let me draw your attention to the periodical time of Moses. When God called Moses to Mount. Sinai volunteered in providing a list of rules and regulations for the Children of Israel to abide by their lifestyle aligned to it. It was later called God's commandments. Exodus 31:18 says, God wrote with His finger in two tables all 10 commandments. Just imagine God's handwriting in it. How amazing the calligraphy could be.? Oh, Moses had such privilege to watch God writing it down for them. But unfortunately, in anger Moses pathetically broke it down on the golden calf, the idol Aaron made to worship. Therefore God ordered Moses to cut the stones(the tables) and made him write. It didn't just end there, God explained the architecture of the Tabernacle with the minute and exact measurements, the dress codes for the Priest and High Priest, the formula pattern for war, and so on and asked Moses to record everything just as He declared. We knew that the Torah (the first 5 books) in the Bible was written by Moses as God dictated it to him. The entire chapter of Genesis was written by Moses after several centuries it had taken place. Hence, the point is God wanted the incidents to be reordered for one solemn reason. God wanted Moses to commit to paper so that the Israelites and their future generations must not forget the law, the ordinances that the He had given them. In the same way, people register it just to not forget the moments of the past. It is yet another way of carrying the memories with us throughout. Forget about the latest gadget and technologies, I would love to write every single thing to not slip my treasured instances. Now, back to the Book of God, God simply jot down to not miss any circumstances of His holy ones. The Psalmist says, " You oh God keeps an eye on painful heartbreaking spans and collects my tears in your bottle. You do write all these and the pages containing it are before thee always." Again taking back to the timelines of Moses, just as Moses led the entire crowd of Israel from Egypt, they settled temporarily in the place called Rephidim. As the people were relaxing after the tiring journey of crossing the Red sea, Amalekites the enemy kingdom suddenly attacked the people of Israel and killed everyone who was at the rear side. They killed the men, women, children, the families and stole all their possessions. An unexpected attack from the foes left the group in utter shock. All the children of Israel wept and mourned for their brothers. They were all dejected and depressed to march forward to the promised land. They lost not just their fellow - brothers, but also their confidence and trust in God. In our lives too, we would all have happily received promises from God over certain things and proceed to move forward with an unshakable trust. As we are on to inherit, suddenly an enemy from nowhere chases us and steals everything from us, and alas we are alone and empty. The Israelites, including the ones who were killed by the Amalekites all, received one promise about entering Canaan from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet, they couldn't make their journey to the destination. why? Paul, in the New Testament to Corinthians, has beautifully given us the answer. 1cor 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. " He says, runs in such a way to receive the prize. In a race competition, everybody runs at the start yet one completes it and brags the medal. Every one of the families of Israel initiated the journey to Canaan still only Joshua and Caleb could complete it. Today, I encourage you, readers, to cling to God and run your race with utmost perseverance and faith. There are many listed in the cloud of witnesses in Heb 11 which is given for us to preserve the inheritance just like them. Don't worry if you are tired, lost focus, hopeless, doubtful, etc. to this day I pray that God will carry you forward in His arms to reach the destination. The Israelites sorrow knew no bound over the great loss, yet God fought for them through Joshua and gave them victory. The very first battle they fought with 0 experience on the battlefield, God gave them tremendous triumph over the Amalekites. He recorded the incident and after very long years, commanded Saul, the 1st king of Israel to utterly destroy the nation of Amalekites. (1sam 15) Isn't that wonderful how God remembers to do justice to His chosen nation? Yes, dear readers, God records every sorrow of yours, every tear, every injustice, every weakness, every untold emotion, every humiliation, every loss you faced, etc. All of it is written in the book of God. He will remember to do justice in your lives as well. What a loving God we have? Cheer up for the salvation of God is near. He will change every sorrow into joy. Days, months, years would have passed, but God still remembers the prayers you have offered and will repay you in double measures. Take off your sad gloomy faces, and rejoice in the Lord, God will bless you and make your heart merrily sing. You will be a great witness for His name. May God bless you all abundantly and be with you in the coming days. May the mighty power of God rest in your lives and do wonders. Amen.

  • YOU WILL NOT BE ASHAMED

    "Those who look to Him(Jesus) are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame" (Ps 34:5) Embarrassment or Humiliation is a worse yet strong feeling in one's life that lowers the person's mental and emotional ability. The trauma caused as a result is always subjected to the victim's inner personality. A lot of times, people who are considered to be strong in faith collapse in such a situation. Often people handle it by reacting violently towards an oppressor or a situation. they choose to fight back verbally, some people start to tear out, some stops talking to such people, while some other come to a hopeless conclusion. Many characters in the Bible too faced such indignity, however, some faced it within the family and rest from the outsiders. what are the situations people go through dishonors? From the scripture, the circumstances included, when the chosen men/women lacked certain blessings, for a failure in a battle, for a weak personality, for a darker skin tone, for being righteous, and finally when they sinned. The bible records a couple in the New Testament named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah comes into the division of Abijah and his wife Elizabeth was the daughter of Aaron the Priest. They lived righteously before the Lord God of Israel obeying His commandments through Moses. Zechariah served as a Priest in the Holy temple for many long years. Although they lived blamelessly in the sight of God, they had no children as Elizabeth was barren and they are old. I wonder the number of times, they prayed to God for a baby. If we look around, both ancient and modern society considers infertility to be a misfortune or a stroke of bad luck. Many families choose to abandon the childless woman or get the man married to another woman. And it is heartbreaking to witness such pitiful moments women around go through. But thanks to Zechariah, Zechariah was always by the side of Elizabeth. As they are old now, I assume that they would have probably stopped praying for the child but remained true to God. Zechariah doing his priesthood sincerely and Elizabeth supports her husband in everything. Sometimes, God's bigger plans/visions for us demands such loyalty and trust. People pray to God for a year, and two wait patiently before Him for an answer, and when it delays, they soon find various other ideas and move on. Onto Zechariah, God decides to answer the couple's prayers in an unexpected moment in their lives. Let me remind you, that God hears every prayer offered to Him. It may be on our knees for hours or it could be tiny whispers from within, God listens to every thought, every desire we tell Him, and every tear of soul. It could have been submitted to Him yesterday, or years back but God never forgets it. So, God blessed Elizabeth to conceive a baby boy in her ripe age who was named John, John the Baptist. She declared, " The Lord has done this for me, in these days, he has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people." (Luke 1:25) There lived a man called Jephthah, who was a mighty warrior (Jud 11:1). Although he was a strong personality outside, Jephthah was put - down all his life because of his prostitute mother. Jephthah embodied disgrace even as he lived a righteous life. He was mocked by his half brothers and they drove Jephthah away without granting any of his father's inheritance. His rights were not given to him and were misused by the elders and his brothers. Unable to bear the shame, he ran away from his father's home into the land of Tob. At times, we ought to live in discredit for somebody's mistake or someone else sins. However do not worry, because God is a God of Justice. He is not going to punish us, criticize us, or withheld the blessings for others' immorality. Although, Jephthah couldn't validate his integrity to others God never left Jephthah's side. God waited for a perfect opportunity to turn Jephthah's life. It was during the days when Ammonites rose and were fighting against Israel, To save the country, the elders who knew Jephthah came running to seek his help to fight against Ammonites as Jephthah was the only warrior at that period. All who teased Jephthah now offered him to be their lead-head over them if he will save the Israelites from Ammon. Hence, agreeing to the offer made, Jephthah made sure to inform everything before the Lord in Mizpah before planning. When things didn't go the way he wanted, as he insisted to go in peace with the opponent king, Jephthah went to war. The spirit of the Lord came on him, He(Jephthah) devastated twenty towns of Ammonites and thus Israel subdued Ammon. Thus The God who Jephthah served detached the shame in his life and blessed him in Honor. In fact, God made him shine like a radiant star by adding his name to the list: " the clouds of witness ". for us to believe Him(God) just like Jephthah did(Heb 11) God, sent His only Son who was and is at His right throne in all majesty and glory to the earth as an atonement. Lord Jesus to whom the millions of angels served, the heavenly bodies praised, the saints humbled and bowed lived His entire life in rejection. He was mocked by the people, filled with griefs and sorrows. Yet, on the cross, He brought us victory and purchased us by giving His own life. Looking onto this savior, we too will be glorified and victorious. Roman 8:29,30 says "Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Do not worry my dear beloveds in Christ, God will indeed answer your prayers and will honor you and your family among the people.

bottom of page